Welcome to the WPWPCA Safety Committee page. 

2026 Safety Awards

WPWPCA will be presenting awards to those facilities and collection systems that have demonstrated that safety is an important part of their operation. One award will be presented to a collection system that is operated either independently or in conjunction with a treatment facility. Two additional awards will be bestowed to treatment plant facilities: one for small facilities with 8 or fewer employees and the other for larger plants with 9 or more employees.

Treatment Facilities (WWTP) Safety Award Application

Wastewater Collection System Safety Award Application

Filling out the questionnaire(s) each year is a great way to review your safety program and, in the process, if you find a way to improve safety for your workforce, you’re already a winner. Remember, the goal of this awards program is to make the workplace safer for our members, winning awards is secondary. WWTPs and collection systems are very hazardous workplaces so a lot of attention should be given to safety. Use the questionnaire(s) as an annual safety review of your operation. 

The rules of the competition are as follows:  

1. Dates covered are from January 1 through December 31 of the previous year.
2. The deadline for receipt of the completed questionnaire is July 31st, 2026.
3. To be eligible the operation must be physically located within the Western Section and must employ at least one Western Section member.
4. Only one submission per operation will be considered, although both a facility and collection award can be submitted. The questionnaire(s) should be prepared by the person responsible for the safety committee, or by his or her delegate.
5. The information contained on the completed questionnaire must be verifiable upon a physical inspection by members of the WPWPCA Safety Committee.
6. An operation cannot win the same award twice in a three-year period, unless the response is very low, and the operation is exceptional. However, the application is still eligible for the PWEA award.
7. One award will be presented to a Collection System. Two awards will be presented to Treatment Plant Facilities: one in each class.
8. Honorable Mention Awards will be made only to very close runners-up.  

No facility or collection system can win the Section award more than once in a three-year period. This will keep the same facilities from winning the award year after year and allow other exceptional safety programs to be recognized. For those of you that won during the last three years, it is still important for you to return your applications because you may still be eligible for state & national awards.   It is hoped that through friendly competition of this kind, we can help each other to improve our individual safety programs. But this can only be accomplished with your co-operation. By taking the time to complete the questionnaire(s), you may win and thereby receive the recognition that your safety program truly deserves. But more importantly, completing the questionnaire forces you to review your own safety program and that already makes your operation a winner.  

Thanks for your anticipated participation in the Western Section Safety Award Competition and GOOD LUCK!!!