DEP's Plant Excellence Award Program

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