Ironhouse Sanitary District wins prestigious awards
District wins awards of excellence for Plant of the Year and Community Engagement
Oakley—Ironhouse Sanitary District announced today that the District received two prestigious awards from the California Water Environment Association-San Francisco Bay Section (CWEA-SFBS). The awards received include excellence awards for “Plant of the Year” and “Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year.”
CWEA's awards program seeks to recognize outstanding achievements within the wastewater field, improve the professional status of all personnel working in the wastewater industry and related fields and stimulate public awareness of the importance of wastewater treatment to public health and the water environment.
The “Plant of the Year” award recognizes the District's accomplishments in compliance, innovative practices, cost-effectiveness, and superior plant performance. This is not the first time the District has received this honor. Ironhouse was awarded the San Francisco Bay Section top award in 2016, 2017, and 2019. The District was also awarded the 2017 CWEA California State award for “Plant of the Year.”
This year CWEA-SFBS also awarded Ironhouse the “Community Engagement and Outreach: Project of the Year” for the District’s Strategic Plan development. The Strategic Plan nomination provided information on the procedure Ironhouse Sanitary District’s Board of Directors and staff used in putting together its five-year plan.
One of the critical priorities of the District’s plan was the inclusion of local stakeholders in building the strategic plan. Individual interviews were held with 15 stakeholders/partners. Those stakeholder/partners were then invited to attend a series of strategic planning workshops with the Ironhouse Board of Directors. Of those asked, nine of the stakeholder/partners participated in the workshops and included city and county officials, two water districts, and the local fire protection district.
About Ironhouse Sanitary District
The Ironhouse Sanitary District (ISD) provides wastewater collection, treatment, and recycled water services for Oakley, Bethel Island, and some unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. ISD was incorporated as the Oakley Sanitary District in 1945.
Today the District serves an estimated 45,500 residents in a service area of approximately 37 square miles. The District’s sphere of influence encompasses an additional 2.4 square miles and includes areas adjacent to the District’s southern boundary.
About the California Water Environment Association
CWEA works to enhance the education and effectiveness of California's wastewater professionals through training and certification, dissemination of technical information, and promotion of sound policies to benefit society through protection and enhancement of the water environment. Nearly all Ironhouse employees are members of CWEA and have received certification and training from CWEA sponsored programs.