ACWA Honors East Valley Water District for its Innovative Wastewater Treatment Facility by ACWA Staff May 9, 2024 News Releases SACRAMENTO – The Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) today presented the prestigious Clair A. Hill Water Agency Award for Excellence to East Valley Water District (EVWD) for its Sterling Natural Resource Center. The 20-acre state-of-the-art wastewater treatment and community facility integrates advanced wastewater treatment technologies, on-site renewable energy generation, new community green spaces and facility aesthetics that enhance the neighborhood. The center is capable of recycling up to 8 million gallons of wastewater per day to replenish the local groundwater basin that is at historically low levels. The center also converts up to 130,000 gallons per day of imported organic waste streams into 3 megawatts of renewable energy to power the facility. “The Sterling Natural Resource Center is a wonderful and necessary example of a local water agency using innovation and technology to not only ensure a groundwater supply for approximately 650,000 people but to also deliver tangible benefits to the community including a picnic area, walking paths and demonstration garden,” said ACWA President Cathy Green. ACWA’s Clair A. Hill Water Agency Award for Excellence is an annual award program that recognizes outstanding achievements by public water agencies. The winning agency has the honor of helping select a deserving student for a $5,000 scholarship sponsored by Jacobs in the name of Clair A. Hill, founder of Jacobs. The award was presented during ACWA’s 2024 Spring Conference and Expo in Sacramento where approximately 1,500 water industry professionals in California gathered for programs and panel discussions on a variety of key water issues. The other finalists for this year’s award were: Eastern Municipal Water District for its Grants and Loans Program; Nevada Irrigation District for its Plan for Water; and Turlock Irrigation District for its Upper Dawson Hydroelectric Facility. For more information about ACWA’s awards programs, please visit www.acwa.com/awards.