Awards and Certificates
California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA): Organizational Excellence- Strategic Plan 2022-27+: Recognizes the efforts to manage the agency’s division, unit, or process. Submittals may focus on leadership/management practices, strategies that promote organizational sustainability, organizational development, effective financial management, productivity, cost reductions, asset management, staffing resource utilization, labor relations, employee development programs, or related subjects. Submittals that demonstrate quantifiable results and the potential application of one or more strategies to other agencies will be favorably considered. (2022)
California Special Districts Association (CSDA): Staff Member of the Year Award: This award was presented to the District’s Cecilia Goff, Ironhouse Sanitary District secretary, and administrator. (2022)
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Plant Overall: Plant of the Year Award - Small Agency: In recognition of the District’s Water Recycle Facility, Ironhouse Sanitary District is honored by the CWEA-SFBS’s Plant of the Year, Small Agency. This award is given to honor exceptional CWEA members and California wastewater professionals, facilities, and agencies. The program recognizes outstanding achievements within the wastewater field. (2021)
California Water Environment Association-San Francisco Bay Region - (CWEA-SFBS): Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year Award: In recognition of the District's Strategic Plan development. (2021)
California Water Environment Agency: Collection Person of the Year (local and state): Recognizes an individual for their innovation and excellence in collection systems maintenance. This award was given to collections staff member Leon Laucirica. (2020)
California Water Environment Agency--San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Mechanical Technician: The Mechanical Technician Person of the Year Award recognizes outstanding performance, dedication to the job, and for sharing knowledge of maintenance procedures. This award was given to a Water Recycling Facility staff member John Abdilla.
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Plant Overall: Plant of the Year Award - Small Agency: In recognition of the District’s Water Recycle Facility, Ironhouse Sanitary District is honored by the CWEA-SFBS’s Plant of the Year, Small Agency. This award is given to honor exceptional CWEA members and California wastewater professionals, facilities, and agencies. The program recognizes outstanding achievements within the wastewater field. (2019)
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Collection System of the Year Award - Small Agency: In recognition of the District’s collections and maintenance program, Ironhouse Sanitary District is honored to receive the CWEA-SFBS Collection System of the Year, Small Agency award. This award is given to honor exceptional CWEA members and California wastewater professionals, facilities, and agencies. The program seeks to recognize outstanding achievements within the wastewater field. (2019)
California Water Environment Agency--San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Collection Person of the Year: Recognizes an individual for their innovation and excellence in collection systems maintenance. This award was given to collections staff member Ian Robertson. (2019)
California Water Environment Association - (CWEA): Supervisor of the Year Award (local and state): This award was presented to the District’s Collections System Supervisor Louis Solana. (2019)
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA): Operator of the Year Award: This award was presented to the District’s plant operator Adrian Vazquez. (2019)
California Water Environment Association - (CWEA): Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year Award (local and state): In recognition of the East County Regional Coalition’s "No Wipes In The Pipes" campaign Ironhouse Sanitary District is honored to be awarded CWEA-SFBS’s Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year Award. (2019)
California Water Environment Agency--San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Collection Person of the Year: Recognizes an individual for their innovation and excellence in collection systems maintenance. This award was given to collections staff member Frank Casey. (2018)
California Water Environment Agency--San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Safety Plant of the Year: Medium Plant of the Year: 26-75 employees. Criteria include the number of injuries, lost-time accidents, record keeping, in-house training, emergency response, and program implementation. (2018)
California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA): Organizational Excellence-Small Agency: Recognizes the efforts to manage the agency’s division, unit, or process. Submittals may focus on leadership/management practices, strategies that promote organizational sustainability, organizational development, effective financial management, productivity, cost reductions, asset management, staffing resource utilization, labor relations, employee development programs, or related subjects. Submittals that demonstrate quantifiable results and potential application of one or more strategies to other agencies will be favorably considered. (2018)
California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA): Outstanding Capital Project-Small Agency: Recognizes an exemplary public wastewater capital project. Submittals should highlight and will be judged on their unique or innovative design and construction applications, engineering applications, technical advancements, and/or difficult project challenges. Other project accomplishments such as environmental protection and/or enhancement, sustainability practices (such as water footprint or carbon footprint reduction, renewable energy production, etc.), positive public and community relations, and application to others in the industry will also be considered the award review. (2018)
California Water Environment Association - State and San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Plant Overall: Plant of the Year Award - Small Agency: In recognition of the District’s Water Recycle Facility, Ironhouse Sanitary District is honored by the CWEA-SFBS’s Plant of the Year, Small Agency. This award is given to honor exceptional CWEA members and California wastewater professionals, facilities, and agencies. The program recognizes outstanding achievements within the wastewater field. (2017)
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Collection System of the Year Award - Small Agency: In recognition of the District’s collections and maintenance program, Ironhouse Sanitary District is honored to receive the CWEA-SFBS Collection System of the Year, Small Agency award. This award is given to honor exceptional CWEA members and California wastewater professionals, facilities, and agencies. The program seeks to recognize outstanding achievements within the wastewater field. (2017)
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year Award: In recognition of the District’s Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) program Ironhouse Sanitary District is honored to be awarded CWEA-SFBS’s Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year Award. (2017)
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Supervisor of the Year Award: This award was presented to the District’s Collections System Supervisor Louis Solana. (2017)
California Water Environment Association - State and San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Community Engagement and Outreach: Person of the Year Award: This award was presented to the District’s Public Outreach and Education Consultant, Roni Gehlke. (2017)
California Special Districts Association (CSDA): Supervisor of the Year Award: This award was presented to the District’s Collections System Supervisor Louis Solana. (2017)
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Plant Overall: Plant of the Year Award - Small Agency: In recognition of the District’s Water Recycle Facility, Ironhouse Sanitary District is honored by the CWEA-SFBS’s Plant of the Year, Small Agency. This award is given to honor exceptional CWEA members and California wastewater professionals, facilities, and agencies. The program recognizes outstanding achievements within the wastewater field. (2016)
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Collection System of the Year Award - Small Agency: In recognition of the District’s collections and maintenance program, Ironhouse Sanitary District is honored to receive the CWEA-SFBS Collection System of the Year, Small Agency award. This award is given to honor exceptional CWEA members and California wastewater professionals, facilities, and agencies. The program seeks to recognize outstanding achievements within the wastewater field. (2016)
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS): Community Engagement and Outreach: Newsletter of the Year Award: In recognition of Ironhouse Sanitary District’s dedication to stimulating public awareness of the importance of wastewater treatment to public health and the water environment is honored by the CWEA-SFBS’s Community Engagement and Outreach: Newsletter of the Year award. (2016)
California Water Environment Association - San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS); AND CWEA Statewide: Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year Award: In recognition of the District’s "It’s a Tour Like Never Before" program Ironhouse Sanitary District is honored to be awarded CWEA-SFBS’s Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year Award. The award recognizes the March 2016 school tour program where 700 sixth grade students, teachers, and chaperones toured the District’s Water Recycling Facility during Oakley Education Week. (This award was based on a project under $20,000.) (2016)
California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA): Technological Innovation and Advancement Award-Small Agency: In recognition of technological advancement in wastewater services with the building of the District’s Water Recycling Facility Ironhouse Sanitary District was honored by the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) with its Technological Innovation and Advancement Award for small agencies. (2011)
California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA): Excellence in Public Outreach and Education Award-Small Agency: In recognition of Ironhouse Sanitary District’s school tours of the District’s Water Recycling Facility in March of 2016 when all of Oakley and Bethel Island’s sixth-grade students toured the facility in two days. The program was entitled "It’s a school tour like never before." CASA honored ISD with the Excellence in Public Outreach and Education Award for small agencies. (2016)
California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA): Public Outreach and Education Award-Small Agency: In recognition of Ironhouse Sanitary District’s Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) Station—"Lighting Your Way to F.O.G. Recycling" CASA honored ISD with the Public Outreach and Education Award. (2013)
California Water Environment Association (CWEA): Public Education at Large: In recognition of the Water/Wastewater Plant Operator Training, the California Water Environment Association honored ISD with a second-place award for Public Education at large. (2009)
California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA): Organizational Innovation Award: In recognition of our Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator, Training Partnership program CASA awarded ISD with the Organizational Innovation Award. (2008)
American Public Works Association (APWA): Project of the Year Award: In recognition of the work completed on the Districts Way under-crossing ISD, as the lead agency, was honored with the APWA’s Project of the Year Award. (2008)
California Sanitation Risk Management Authority (CSRMA): CSRMA Superstar: In recognition of Ironhouse Sanitary District’s Workman’s Compensation Program, CSRMA honored ISD with its Superstar honors award. (2005)
Special District Leadership Foundation: District of Distinction Accreditation-Platinum Level
July 2016 to June 2025This program was created by the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) in an effort to promote proper fiscal management and responsibility in public agencies as a way to demonstrate to constituents that districts have sound fiscal management policies and practices in place among other areas of importance in district operations. This accreditation is designed as a way for districts to highlight their prudent fiscal practices along with other areas important to effectively operate and govern a special district.
Of the many requirements the District must:
• Provide financial audits with have no major deficiencies for the past three years
• District's operations conform to all statutes and regulations under state law
• All board directors and general manager have received training in governance AB 1234 and AB 1825
• District completes SDLF’s District Transparency Certificate of Excellence
Special District Leadership Foundation: District Transparency Certificate of Excellence
June 2014 to September 2024This program was created by the Special District Leadership Foundation (SDLF) in an effort to promote transparency in the operations and governance of special districts to the public and to provide special districts with an opportunity to showcase their efforts in transparency.
Three main subject areas include:
• Basic Transparency Requirements
• Website Requirements
• Outreach Requirements
These are only a sampling of all the requirements needed to complete the transparency certificate. While it takes time to compile these requirements, being able to shine a light on all of the efforts your district has taken to be transparent is invaluable to the public.
March 2014 to March 2019
Contra Costa Green Business: Green Business Certificate
ISD is certified and has successfully demonstrated full compliance with local environmental regulatory agencies and taken action to conserve resources and protect the environment.
California Highway Patrol: Certificate of Achievement
Since January 1997
Ironhouse Sanitary District has established a satisfactory rating with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) by completing six consecutive satisfactory ratings and two administrative reviews since 1997. ISD has participates in the CHP California Vehicle Code a biennial motor carrier safety compliance inspection program.