Green Steps Award
Type: Organization
Description:The Green Steps Award celebrates innovation and sustainability within the wastewater and stormwater industry. The nominee must be an organization or utility that demonstrates initiative and leadership in the implementation of innovative, sustainable practices. Your innovation can be a brand new idea, a more sustainable approach or methodology applied to a conventional system or problem. The impact of your innovation must be focused on providing multiple benefits to the community, the environment, and / or the economy. Please share your successes and the lessons learned from the project, including how your project may inform future projects.
Eligibility: for this award includes the following considerations:
- Projects considered can be in the realm of wastewater treatment or conveyance, stormwater treatment or conveyance (i.e., either gray or green infrastructure) or climate resilience mitigation / adaptation on any water infrastructure / resources.
- Projects can come from either the private market / utilities or municipal utilities providing wastewater and/or stormwater services
- Projects preferably would either have been in operation for 6-months or longer or are within one (1) year of implementation and/or construction.
- Projects must demonstrate multiple Triple Bottom Line benefits (i.e. economic, social and environmental) and the extent to which innovative planning, design or construction methods improve economic, social and environmental sustainability;
- Projects submitted that have already been recognized by sustainable rating systems (e.g., Envision, LEED, Sustainable Sites or Green Globes)
Criteria: projects will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Multiple Benefits: the extent to which innovative planning, design or construction methods improve economic, social and environmental sustainability. If your innovation has already been recognized by Envision or other sustainable rating systems, please note that in your application.
- Innovative / Sustainable Strategies: the potential of the innovative process, strategies or methods to extend future developments in sustainability
- Public Outreach / Education: the degree to which the project promotes public understanding of sustainable infrastructure as demonstrated by working with the public at the planning, design, construction, and operations stages in the development of the project; and
- Stakeholder / Project Team Collaboration: the degree to which collaboration was demonstrated by significant participation of multiple disciplines on the team.
Requirements for Applicants:
Your entry should include a brief summary describing:
- how the project exemplifies the economic, social and environmental principles of sustainability,
- why the project is innovative,
- what advantages are anticipated (e.g., financial, operational, GHG reduction and/or energy efficiency),
- and how the project met or exceeded the client’s needs.
Awarding Organization: New England Water Environment Association
Deadline: May 31, 2024
Previous Awardees:
2022 Tuscan Brands
The Sustainability Committee will consider the nominations and a simple majority vote will determine the awardee. Each inductee will be notified of his or her acceptance by the Sustainability Committee.
