October 31, 2016

Hawaii Water Environment Association (HWEA) received the prestigious Public Communication and Outreach Program Award, Member Association category, from the Water Environment Federation (WEF). The award was presented during a ceremony at during the 89th WEFTEC® 2016, the world’s largest annual water quality conference and exhibition on September 24, 2016 in New Orleans, La. The event hosted thousands of global water quality experts and exhibiting companies at New Orleans Morial Convention Center from September 24-28, 2016.

Award Hall 2016

The WEF Public Communication & Outreach Program Award recognizes WEF members for significant accomplishments in promoting awareness and understanding of water environment issues among the general public through the development and implementation of public education programs.

According to the WEF Public Communication & Outreach Program Awards subcommittee, “HWEA has done an impressive job of ramping up its public education programs in the past few years. They are actively promoting and participating in a variety of outreach and educational activities including field trips, school visits, and more. They have made extensive use of social media.”

“In recent years, HWEA has made a strong effort to increase the focus on public outreach and communication by increasing their participation in public expositions and community service events. While they work to stimulate public awareness through the public education committee, they also promote public outreach through 4 additional committees (Communication, Pretreatment, Student Activities & Young Professionals), allowing HWEA to provide a more effective approach to communicating with the public.” (WEF Leaders August Issue).

Public Outreach 2016

The Public Education Committee thanks everyone who has participated and supported these efforts over the years. Water professionals at HWEA hold an important job in the community protecting the environment and public health. As stewards of water resources, we should be proud of our different roles in the industry and seize opportunities to educate others on the value of water. It is our kuleana to help our family, friends and the community understand the collective impact that we all have on public infrastructure. Congratulations to the entire membership, let’s continue to spread the message and improve the program.

HWEA 2016 Award

Email public-education@hwea.org if you would like to join the committee or help at our next event. For more information on WEF Awards, see http://www.wef.org/awards/.