Drinking Water Week 2024—May 5-11
We celebrate National Drinking Water Week annually during the first full week of May. We recognize individual water systems and operators that do an outstanding job providing safe and reliable drinking water to their customers. Award winners are nominated by their peers, customers, stakeholders, or others in the industry. We also post to our social media accounts.
Congratulations 2024 Drinking Water Week Award Winners!
Commitment to Excellence
Bob Bell, Construction Superintendent, Washington Water Service. With thirty years of commitment to safe drinking water, Bob’s customers enjoy the highest standards in facility maintenance and upgrades, along with outstanding records of monitoring and sampling compliance. Bob is a mentor and shares his knowledge and expertise freely. His calm example in emergency situations gives coworkers the confidence they need to respond efficiently and restore safe drinking water quickly.
Sam Camp, Senior Technical Advisor for Water Reliability Projects, Hanford Mission Integration Solutions. Sam began his career at the Hanford site in May 1977 starting as a drinking water operator. He was quickly promoted to field work supervisor. He has filled many roles for the Hanford Site over the years, including the water and sewer utilities group. He has navigated challenges with expertise and knowledge, handling water system outages, demands from multiple nuclear facilities, and an ever-changing political climate.
Jim Campbell, Director of Field Operations, Thurston PUD No. 1. The Thurston PUD Board of Commissioners passed Resolution 24-07 on
February 13, 2024, endorsing Jim’s nomination for this award. Jim joined the PUD in 2017, eventually being promoted to his present position. He is an excellent leader and mentor for his staff, coworkers, and other drinking water professionals. Jim promotes conservation programs and green energy, working to reduce leaks in the system and using solar technology. He is a tireless public servant.
Dylan Bailey, Field Superintendent, King County Water District 125, Tukwila. Dylan’s dedication to ensuring delivery of safe and reliable drinking water to the community of Tukwila and surrounding cities is commendable. He is proactive and goes beyond minimal requirements, which shows his dedication to excellence. He coaches and mentors his staff and shares his knowledge and expertise. Through his influence, his team trained to respond to nearly every water-related emergency and now handles those tasks in-house.
Grace Under Pressure
Damon Stevens, Operator, Lewis County Water Sewer District 6. Damon operates multiple water and sewer systems and has upgraded problem areas throughout the systems. He developed risk analysis that will guide future capital investment and process development. Damon remains calm under duress and works diligently until water is restored. He uses these challenges as opportunities to expand his knowledge and skill. He is a natural mentor, using teaching moments to educate and inform interns, coworkers, commissioners, and residents understand the complex process of operating a drinking water system and providing safe and reliable water.
Lifetime Achievement
Randy Black, Consulting Manager; Lakewood Water District. Randy has worked at the district for nearly forty years, including twenty-nine years as general manager. He oversaw the implementation of chlorination and cross-connection control. He was instrumental in the district becoming a water provider to multiple systems in Pierce County. He advocated for regional planning and cooperation and has been a significant leader with the Regional Water Cooperative of Pierce County. He is a leader with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the South Sound Subsection of PNWS-AWWA. He was a faithful, effective, and consistent leader in the drinking water industry.
Tonilee Hanson, Spokane Aquifer Joint Board (SAJB) Program Manager. Tonilee was program manager for the SAJB since 2011. The SAJB is comprised of 21 water purveyors throughout the Spokane area. She also provided administrative support for the Idaho Washington Aquifer Collaborative (IWAC) since 2013. She was instrumental in developing, implementing, managing and organizing education and awareness campaigns, grant applications and funding, special reports and services, and multimedia presentations and marketing. She received the Ty Wick Defend of the Aquifer Award in 2022. Her colleagues describe her as irreplaceable with a heart and drive for going above and beyond the call of duty.
Director's Award: Friend of Drinking Water
Steve Hulsman, ODW Source (Chemical) Monitoring Program Manager, Northwest Regional Office. Many of you worked directly with Steve over the past 38 years and his sudden loss last December hit hard with many of us. He had deep passion for his work and was eager to share his enthusiasm, expertise, and commitment to good science. Steve appreciated his colleagues, and when differing opinions arose, he expressed gratitude for the chance to engage in discussions. Steve always said, “there is never a dull day” in public health, and he appreciated the “job security” of ongoing challenges. When National Drinking Water Week rolled around this year, we wanted to honor Steve’s legacy of customer service and professionalism. We are all committed to keeping the torch of his memory alive every day through excellent service to the drinking water community.
Read about Past Drinking Water Week Award Winners (PDF).
For ideas about how to celebrate with your community, visit the American Water Works Association's website.
If you have questions about Drinking Water Week, please email Elizabeth Hyde or call 360-890-6753.