NTMWD Communications Efforts Rewarded at Annual Texas Water Conference

NTMWD didn’t only shine in the operations challenge at Texas Water 2022, the Communications Department was recognized in three categories related to water conservation and reuse, and public education programs.

The NTMWD Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ICI) Customer Analysis project was recognized the Texas American Water Works Association (TAWWA) Water Conservation and Reuse awards Large Utility, Indirect Project category. The industrial, commercial, institutional or multifamily (ICIM) program provides NTMWD Member and Customer City staff with the knowledge and tools necessary to identify ICIM customers with high water usage. NTMWD partnered with Plummer Inc. to create a way to categorize water use data to find outliers and identifies areas to concentrate water conservation efforts. This tool can also aide in developing targeted incentives and programs for promoting water efficiency as an alternative to a traditional voluntary approach for water consumption improvement.

(left to right) Melissa Brewer, Plummer Associates, Inc. Water & Energy Efficiency Services Team Leader, Helen Dulac, NTMWD Water Resource Program & Public Outreach Manager, and Heather Collins, American Water Works Association Vice President

NTMWD along with its regional partners in the City of Dallas Water Utilities and Tarrant Regional Water District won a Communications Programs Watermark Award for its regional water conservation public awareness campaign – “Water is Awesome – Tall Tales from the Towers of Texas.” The three sister agencies have been working together on regional messaging since 2019. The goal of the campaign aims to increase the adoption of water saving behaviors, reduce water waste and promote the importance of water and the value it provides in our communities.

From left to right: Jeff Caffey, P.E., Past President Water Environment Association of Texas; Ifetayo Venner, P.E., President-elect Water Environment Federation; Helen Dulac, NTMWD Water Resource Program & Public Outreach Manager; Shelia Delgado, Assistant Director City of Dallas Environmental Quality & Sustainability; Dustan Compton, Conservation Manager, Tarrant Regional Water District; Andrew Molly, Texas AWWA Chair of the Executive Board; Heather Collins, President of AWWA

NTMWD is also pleased to announce that the Water4Otter online youth education curriculum won an Honorable Mention Watermark Award for Community Outreach and Education Programs.  The pivot to online learning during the pandemic created an opportunity to convert the Water4Otter performance program into free, modular online courses available to all. This is the second Watermark Award for Otis and his friends having won a Watermark Award for Communications Excellence in 2015.

From left to right: Jeff Caffey, P.E., Past President Water Environment Association of Texas; Ifetayo Venner, P.E., President-elect Water Environment Federation; Helen Dulac, NTMWD Water Resource Program & Public Outreach Manager; Adam Niederpruem, President & Creative Director, Happy Camper Productions LLC; Andrew Molly, Texas AWWA Chair of the Executive Board; Heather Collins, President of AWWA

The overall Texas Water 2022 conference provides extensive educational opportunities and access to cutting-edge technologies and services in the water and wastewater industries. Participation in industry conferences as valuable at Texas Water speak directly to NTMWD’s Strategic Goal of building and retaining a talented, competent and committed team.