Awards

LRW received several awards during 2007 for their contributions to the community, regulatory compliance, financial reporting excellence, contribution to the environment, employee safety performance, and public awareness. The awards LRW received are as follows:

AWEA Safety Professional of the Year Award
LRW’s Safety and Security Coordinator was awarded the “Arkansas Water Environment Association Safety Professional of the Year” Award. The Association annually recognizes individuals and treatment systems for significant accomplishments and contribution to Arkansas' water quality. Award committees from both the Southwest Section of the American Water Works Association and the Arkansas Water Environment Association solicit nominations and select award recipients based on leadership, involvement, safety, and public service criteria. Awards are presented at the Annual AWW/WEA Conference.

NACWA Peak Performance Award
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (“NACWA”) awarded Little Rock Wastewater two Gold Peak Performance Awards for both treatment facilities, the Fourche Creek Treatment Facility and Adam’s Field Treatment Facility for 2006. NACWA is an organization that represents the interests of the country's wastewater treatment agencies, “true environmental practitioners that serve the majority of the sewered population in the United States, and collectively treat and reclaim more than 18 billion gallons of wastewater each day. NACWA maintains a key role in the development of environmental legislation, and works closely with federal regulatory agencies in the implementation of environmental programs.” The Peak Performance Award has been bestowed upon wastewater agencies since 1986. It is given to facilities that consistently meet all National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit limits during the year. Between the Fourche Creek Treatment Facility and Adam’s Field Treatment Facility there are a combined 1,194 possible violation points. To be awarded the Gold Peak Performance Award means that an agency has ZERO violations, which Little Rock Wastewater had for 2006 at both facilities and it is looking positive for a repeat performance in 2007.

William D. Hatfield Award
Reggie Corbitt, P.E., CEO of LRW, was presented with the “William D. Hatfield Award” by the Water Environment Federation (“WEF”), a federal non-profit organization whose goal is “preserving and enhancing the global water environment.” The award is given to wastewater professionals who have been outstanding in performance and professionalism. WEF selects recipients of the award based on their success in providing informative programs for preserving and enhancing the environment and providing a forum for suggested improvements. The candidate must also have a good public relations program, and should contribute to the spreading of information concerning advancements in the field. The WEF was formed nearly 80 years ago and today consists of 32,000 individual members and 50,000 members who are affiliated with 80 smaller organizations world wide. This technical and educational group’s sole purpose is to protect the water environment by way of training, education, and influencing legislation. Mr. Corbitt received the award on Monday, April 30, 2007, at the 76th annual Arkansas Water Works (“AWW”) and Water Environment Association (“WEA”) Conference, Short School and Expo. There were over 2,400 wastewater and water professionals in attendance from all over the state.

The Heart of Arkansas United Way Crest Award
LRW participated in the United Way fundraiser campaign. It was a landmark year for LRW winning the Crest Award, which is given to organizations that meet 2 of the 4 levels of participation as follows: 10% increase in employees giving, $100 or more per capita, 1 or more “Pillar of Society” donation, or 50% or more increase in employee participation. LRW met the 10% increase in employee giving and the 1 or more “Pillar of Society” donation.

Arkansas Dept. of Labor 1 Million Man Hours Without A Loss Time Accident
Municipal wastewater can be a very dangerous industry, but Little Rock Wastewater has defied the odds and distinguished itself as a leader within the context of employee safety and health. On September 19, 2007, Little Rock Wastewater was presented a plaque for their diligence of having worked one million man hours (between January 2004 and December 2006) with no lost-time accidents or injuries. The plaque was presented to Reggie Corbitt, P.E., CEO, by Richard Steward of the ADOL in the presence of the Little Rock Sanitary Sewer Committee.

Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting
The Government Finance Officers Association (“GFOA”) has awarded the Finance Department of Little Rock Wastewater the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (“CAFR”). The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association that serves approximately 16,000 professionals in the governmental finance field. The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting is the “highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting” by the GFOA and is considered to be a “significant accomplishment by a government and its management.” Little Rock Wastewater’s CAFR was judged by an impartial panel that looked for high standards of the program such as “demonstrating a constructive ‘spirit of full disclosure’ to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users and user groups to read the CAFR.” This is Little Rock Wastewater’s third consecutive year to accomplish this feat. It was bestowed to Jim Barham, Director of Finance for Little Rock Wastewater, by Reggie Corbitt, P.E., CEO of Little Rock Wastewater, at the Sanitary Sewer Committee meeting on Wednesday, January 16, 2008.

Other Awards