Eighteen municipalities received recognition for excellence in innovation and program management in the 2020 National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Awards. These awards celebrate administrators of municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s) that perform beyond regulatory requirements.

The National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Awards were developed and introduced in 2015 by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

MS4s are separated into two classifications based on the population of the communities they serve, and the awards are distributed according to those classifications – Phase I, which encompasses cities with more than 100,000 customers, and Phase II, which encompasses smaller storm sewer systems, and public universities, departments of transportation, hospitals, and prisons.

SWI Advisory Committee Past Chair, Sandra Ralston (left), present Leanne Scott (right) with Metro Nashville Water Services Their 2019 MS4 Award for Overall Phase I Winner.

The winners of the 2020 National Municipal Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Awards are:

• Phase I Overall Winner: City of Charlotte Storm Water Services, North Carolina
• Phase II Overall Winner: Capitol Region Watershed District, Minnesota
• Phase I Program Management Winner: Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works, Maryland
• Phase II Program Management Winner: City of Alexandria, Virginia
• Phase I Innovation Winner: Metro Nashville Water Services – Stormwater NPDES Office, Tennessee
• Phase II Innovation Winner: Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District – St. Louis MS4 Co-Permittee Group, Missouri

In addition to the winners, the other applicants were categorized into levels signifying their status among other MS4 communities across the country. Each MS4 will receive a certificate indicating either Gold, Silver or Bronze level status in both program management and innovation.

Gold recognition in Program Management

Phase I

• Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works, Maryland
• City of Birmingham – Planning, Engineering, and Permits, Alabama
• City of Charlotte Storm Water Services, North Carolina
• City of Dayton, Department of Water, Ohio
• Fairfax County Government, Virginia
• Jefferson Parish Environmental Affairs, Louisiana
• Metro Nashville Water Services – Stormwater NPDES Office, Tennessee

Phase II

• Capitol Region Watershed District, Minnesota
• City of Alexandria, Virginia
• City of Denton, Texas
• Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District – St. Louis MS4 Co-Permittee Group, Missouri
• Rockville, Maryland
• Town of Lexington, Massachusetts

Silver recognition in Program Management

Phase I

• Harris County Engineering Department, Texas
• Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District, Kentucky
• Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans, Louisiana

Phase II

• City of Piqua, Ohio
• Lake Havasu City, Arizona

Gold recognition in Innovation

Phase I

• City of Charlotte Storm Water Services, North Carolina
• Metro Nashville Water Services – Stormwater NPDES Office, Tennessee

Silver recognition in Innovation

Phase I

• Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works, Maryland
• City of Birmingham – Planning, Engineering, and Permits, Alabama
• City of Dayton, Department of Water, Ohio
• Fairfax County Government, Virginia
• Harris County Engineering Department, Texas
• Jefferson Parish Environmental Affairs, Louisiana
• Louisville and Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District, Kentucky
• Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans, Louisiana

Phase II

• Capitol Region Watershed District, Minnesota
• City of Alexandria, Virginia
• City of Denton, Texas
• City of Piqua, Ohio
• Lake Havasu City, Arizona
• Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District – St. Louis MS4 Co-Permittee Group, Missouri
• Rockville, Maryland
• Town of Lexington, Massachusetts

For more information about the MS4 recognition program, visit www.wef.org/MS4awards.

About WEF

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a not-for-profit technical and educational organization of 35,000 individual members and 75 affiliated Member Associations representing water quality professionals around the world. Since 1928, WEF and its members have protected public health and the environment. As a global water sector leader, our mission is to connect water professionals; enrich the expertise of water professionals; increase the awareness of the impact and value of water; and provide a platform for water sector innovation. To learn more, visit www.wef.org.