Bedell, Burke, Hatfield, and Laboratory Award Nominations

Nominations Due 10/17/23

Please fill out an awards nomination form for each nominee per award and email to  executive-director@hwea.org by 10/17/23.

Bedell Award

The Bedell Award was established to acknowledge extraordinary personal service to a WEF Member Association. This award is named for Arthur Sidney Bedell, WEF’s second president for his long devotion and  service to the New York Sewage and Industrial Wastes Association, now the New York Water Environment Association. He was Chief of the Bureau of Sewage and Waste Disposal of the New York State Department of Health.

This award is presented by a WEF representative at the HWEA annual meeting.

Criteria:

• Member of WEF
• Organizational leadership, administrative service, membership activity, stimulation of technical functions, or similar participation.

Burke Award

This award recognizes a municipal or industrial wastewater facility for establishing and maintaining an active and effective safety program. This award was established in 1982 in honor of George W. Burke, Jr., for his many years of service to both the water environment field and WEF as staff manager of technical services. Mr. Burke was instrumental in developing WEF's annual safety survey and assisting in the production of several safety training aids and promotional packets.

The purpose of this award is to encourage an active and effective safety program in municipal and industrial wastewater facilities.

Criteria:

• Member of WEF
• Organizational leadership, administrative service, membership activity, stimulation of technical functions, or similar participation.

Hatfield Award

The Hatfield Award is presented to operators of wastewater treatment plants for outstanding performance and professionalism. The award was established in honor of Dr. William D. Hatfield, Superintendent of the Decatur, Illinois Sanitary District, who was President of the Central States Sewage Works Association in 1944-45 and served as President of the Federation in 1958-59.

The award consists of a plaque suitably inscribed with the recipient's name and is presented by a Federation representative at the Member Association annual meeting.

Criteria:

• Member of WEF
• Documentation of a successful system of reports from the operator to his or her superiors that fulfill the information requirements and provide the operator with a forum for suggestions for improvements.
• Use of good public relations program.
• The nominee should have contributed to the dissemination of information concerning advancements in the field.

Laboratory Analyst Award

Recognizes individuals for outstanding performance, professionalism, and contributions to the water quality analysis profession. The award is presented by a WEF representative at the WEF Member Association annual meeting.

Criteria:

• Member of WEF
• Candidate must be employed at an educational facility laboratory, industrial, commercial, or municipal laboratory which performs wastewater-related analyses, and must have direct analytical responsibilities.
• Candidates are eligible for this award only once.
• Qualifying criteria may include:
  • Outstanding efforts in the area of wastewater and environmental aquatic analyses, including such items as innovative sampling techniques or solutions to a treatment, analytical, or environmental problem.
  • Involvement in community activities or public relations.
  • Presentations at professional conferences, meetings, etc. relevant to water quality analyses.
  • Professional certifications
  • Continuing education.
  • Contributions that have been beneficial to the nominee’s facility.
  • Unusual initiative or performance “beyond the call of duty”.