Recognizing Innovation, Community Impact and Workforce Excellence
Sacramento, Calif.— The Sacramento Area Sewer District (SacSewer) has been recognized with seven awards from the Sacramento Area Section of the California Water Environment Association (CWEA), honoring standout achievements in community engagement, engineering innovation, and professional excellence.
Presented at CWEA’s annual awards ceremony in Sacramento, the honors highlight both large-scale community outreach and engineering projects and the individual expertise of employees whose work strengthens public health, environmental protection, and system reliability throughout the region.
“Each of these awards tells a different story—about public engagement, innovation, and our staff’s unwavering dedication to excellence,” said SacSewer General Manager Christoph Dobson. “Together, these awards reflect an organization that continues to evolve, invest in its people, and deliver meaningful results for the communities we serve.”
Community Impact and Project Excellence
SacSewer earned two major project-based awards recognizing initiatives that demonstrate how SacSewer goes above and beyond:
- Project AWE received the Community Engagement and Outreach Project of the Year, honoring the program’s creative and inclusive approach—in collaboration with Sacramento Splash—to educating students and building awareness around Agriculture, Water, Energy, and the Environment (AWE), while promoting sustainable practices and environmental stewardship.
- Sailor Bar Pump Station Rehabilitation Project earned the Engineering Achievement recognition for its technical complexity, thoughtful design, and long-term benefits to system resilience and reliability.
Individual Leadership and Technical Achievement
In addition to project recognition, CWEA honored five SacSewer employees for their exceptional contributions across operations, maintenance, and electrical and controls systems:
- Supervisor of the Year: Melissa Nichols, Wastewater Treatment Plant Operations Supervisor
- Operator of the Year: David Barton, Senior Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator
- Mechanical Technician Person of the Year: Steven Rice, Mechanic II
- Electrical Instrumentation Person of the Year: Gary Spangler, Controls & Electrical Systems Manager
- President’s Award: Nick Turlo, Senior Industrial Control System Technician
“These recognitions are a direct reflection of the people behind the work and the culture we’ve built at SacSewer,” said Sonny Lunde, Director of EchoWater Operations. “I’m incredibly proud of these individuals—not just for their technical skill, but for the leadership, mentorship, and commitment to safety they bring to their work every day in service to our community.”
CWEA, a statewide professional association with a 95-year history, evaluates nominees through a competitive peer-review process. SacSewer’s award-winning projects and recipients will now advance as finalists for CWEA’s statewide awards later this year. To learn more about CWEA and its awards program, visit CWEA’s website.
