New! Call for Nominations for DEP's 2025 Plant Excellence Awards!
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is seeking nominations for the 2025 Plant Excellence Awards. This program celebrates Florida's drinking water and domestic wastewater facilities that demonstrate excellence in operation, maintenance, innovative treatment, waste reduction, pollution prevention, recycling or other special achievements.
To nominate individuals or facilities, fill out the nomination form by Feb. 6, 2026.
In addition to being able to nominate entire facilities, we are encouraging nominations for individuals or teams whose quick actions, creative problem solving or process improvements have led to a facility’s success.
The award categories include:
Public Water Supply Facilities:
- Small Community (serving < 3,300 population).
- Medium Community (serving 3,300 to 50,000 population).
- Large Community (serving > 50,000 population).
- Non‐Community (includes both transient and non‐transient).
Domestic Wastewater Facilities:
- Type I Domestic Wastewater Facility (permitted capacity of 500,000 gallons per day or greater).
- Type II Domestic Wastewater Facility (permitted capacity of 100,000 up to but not including 500,000 gallons per day)
- Type III Domestic Wastewater Facility (permitted capacity of over 2,000 up to but not including 100,000 gallons per day).
Awards will be presented at the 2025 Focus on Change Seminars around the state. This is the thirty-fourth year that the Florida Rural Water Association has partnered with the DEP to provide the most current regulatory information to utilities throughout Florida.
Public participation is solicited without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, handicap, or marital status. Persons who require special accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or persons who require translation services (free of charge) are asked to contact DEP's Limited English Proficiency Coordinator at 850-245-2118 or LEP@FloridaDEP.gov at least ten (10) days before the meeting. If you have a hearing or speech impairment, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 800-955-8771 (TTD) or 800-955-8770 (voice).
Please contact Pamela Vazquez with any questions.
Congratulations to the 2024 Plant Operations Excellence Award Winners!
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Water Resource Management congratulates the winners of the 2024 Plant Operations Excellence Awards for drinking water and domestic wastewater facilities from around the state. The awards are presented to facilities, people, and processes that demonstrate excellence in operation, maintenance, innovative treatment, waste reduction and pollution prevention, recycling or other special achievements
2024 Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant Award Winners
| Name of Plant, Person, or Process | Award Type | DEP District |
| Lynn Coller – Thomas P. Smith Water Reclamation Facility | Person - Type I Facility | Northwest |
| South Walton Utility Company WWTP | Type I Facility | Northwest |
| John Hawkins – Gainesville Regional Utilities Kanapaha WRF | Person - Type I Facility | Northeast |
| Kanapaha WRF - Gainesville Regional Utilities | Process - Type I Facility | Northeast |
| Mayport Naval Station Wastewater Treatment Facility | Type I Facility | Northeast |
| Main Street WRF - Gainesville Regional Utilities | Type I Facility | Northeast |
| Mid-Clay Regional WRF - Clay County Utility Authority | Type III Facility | Northeast |
| Cypress West WRF - Toho Water Authority | Type I Facility | Central |
| Todd McKinnish – City of Wauchula Wastewater Treatment Facility | Person - Type I Facility | Southwest |
| Bio-Wizards – Polk County Utilities | Person - Type I Facility | Southwest |
| City of Dunedin Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility | Type I Facility | Southwest |
| Southwest Regional WWTF - Polk County Utilities | Type II Facility | Southwest |
| Manatee County Southwest Water Reclamation Facility | Process - Type I Facility | Southwest |
| Jon H. Meyer – Town and Country Utilities Water Reclamation Facility | Person - Type I Facility | South |
| Bonita Springs Utilities East WRF | Type I Facility | South |
| Pine Island Water Reclamation Facility | Type II Facility | South |
| Village of Wellington WWTF | Type I Facility | Southeast |
| PGA Regional WWTF - Seacoast Utility Authority – PGA Regional WWTF | Type I Facility | Southeast |
| Rex McClung - Palm Beach County Southern Regional WRF | Person - Type I Facility | Southeast |
| The Entire Facility Team of the Town of Davie Water Reclamation Facility | Person - Type I Facility | Southeast |
| North County WWTF - St. Lucie County Utilities - North County WWTF | Type II Facility | Southeast |
| | | |
2024 Drinking Water Treatment Plant Award Winners
| Name of Plant, Person, or Process | Award Type | DEP District |
| NAS Whiting Field | Plant - Small Community | Northwest |
| South Walton Utility Company | Plant - Medium Community | Northwest |
| Mr. Matt McLeod - City of Tallahassee | Person - Large Community | Northwest |
| Mr. Pearce Graham - City of Tallahassee | Person - Large Community | Northwest |
| Regional Utilities Water System | Plant- Large Community | Northwest |
| John Lamberti from Jacksonville Beach WTP | Person - Medium Community | Northeast |
| Price Creek WTP | Plant - Medium Community | Northeast |
| Johnathan Whittle et al from GRU - Murphree WTP | Person - Large Community | Northeast |
| Cypress and Grove Brewing Company, LLC | Plant - Non-Community | Northeast |
| Highland Lakes Water Treatment Plant | Plant- Large Community | Central |
| City of Mount Dora | Plant- Community | Central |
| City of Bowling Green | Plant- Small Community | Southwest |
| Todd McKinnish - City of Wauchulla | Person- Medium Community | Southwest |
| Floral City Water Association, Stagecoach Water Treatment Facility | Plant- Medium Community | Southwest |
| Manatee County Utilities Department | Plant- Large Community | Southwest |
| Island Water Association | Plant- Medium Community | South |
| William Davis - Collier County Regional Water Treatment Plant | Person - Large Community | South |
| Lee County Utilities Corkscrew Plant | Plant- Large Community | South |
| North Springs Improvement District | Plant- Medium Community | Southeast |
| Town of Davie | Plant- Medium Community | Southeast |
| Francisco Alvarez - Miami Dade Water and Sewer Department | Person- Large Community | Southeast |
| Martin County Utilities | Process- Large Community | Southeast |
| City of Pompano Beach | Plant- Large Community | Southeast |
| Wellington WTP | Plant- Large Community | Southeast |
Congratulations to the Previous Plant Operations Excellence Award Winners!
2023 Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant Award Winners
| Name of Plant | Award Type | DEP District |
|---|
| Regional Utilities - Sandestin WWTP | Type I Facility | Northwest |
| South Walton Utility Company WWTP | Type I Facility | Northwest |
| Lyle Fulton - Clay County Utility Authority, Miller Street WWTF | Type I Facility - Person | Northeast |
| Arlington East Wastewater Treatment Facility | Type I Facility | Northeast |
| Ocoee Wastewater Treatment Facility | Type I Facility | Central |
| Harmony Water Reclamation Facility | Type II Facility | Central |
| City of Groveland Wastewater Treatment Facility | Type III Facility | Central |
| Bio-Wizards - Polk County Utilities | Type I Facility - Process | Southwest |
| Polk County Utilities Northwest Regional WWTF | Type I Facility | Southwest |
| City of Zephyrhills Wastewater Treatment Plant | Type II Facility | Southwest |
| Town and County Utilities Water Reclamation Facility | Type I Facility | South |
| David Willis - East Central Regional Water Reclamation Facility | Type I Facility - Person | Southeast |
| Palm Beach County Western Region North WWTP | Type I Facility | Southeast |
| IRCUD Blue Cypress WWTF | Type III Facility | Southeast |
2023 Drinking Water Treatment Plant Award Winners
| Name of Plant | Award Type | DEP District |
|---|
| Bay County Water System - Coagulation Treatment Process Improvement | Medium Community Water System - Process | Northwest |
| City of Fort Walton Beach | Medium Community Water System - Facility | Northwest |
| Regional Utilities Water System | Large Community Water System - Facility | Northwest |
| Joshua Young - Town of Penney Farms | Small Community Water System - Person | Northeast |
| Pier Station Water Treatment Plant | Small Community Water System - Facility | Northeast |
| Nicolas Jourdan - Lake Asbury Grid, Peters Creek Water Treatment Plant | Medium Community Water System - Person | Northeast |
| Price Creek Water Treatment Plant | Medium Community Water System - Facility | Northeast |
| Murphree Water Treatment Plant | Large Community Water System - Facility | Northeast |
| Taft Water Association | Small Community Water System - Facility | Central |
| DeAnna Simmons - Central Sumter Utilities | Medium Community Water System - Person | Central |
| OCUD Eastern Regional | Large Community Water System - Facility | Central |
| City of Zephyrhills | Medium Community Water System - Facility | Southwest |
| Lithia Water Treatment Plant | Large Community Water System - Facility | Southwest |
| Town and County Utilities | Medium Community Water System - Facility | South |
| Peace River Manasota Regional Water Supply Authority | Large Community Water System - Facility | South |
| Randy Lewis - Collier County South Regional Water Treatment Plant | Large Community Water System - Person | South |
| Town of Jupiter | Medium Community Water System - Facility | Southeast |
| City of Coral Springs | Large Community Water System - Facility | Southeast |
