About the author:
Bob Crossen is senior managing editor for WWD. Crossen can be reached at [email protected]. Cristina Tuser is associate editor for WWD. Tuser can be reached at [email protected].
Bob Crossen & Cristina Tuser
undefinedThe 2021 WWD Top Projects highlight a set of projects that all had one major commonality: the coronavirus pandemic. While 2020 had some projects with this as an added challenge, every project submitted for 2021 listed this as a primary challenge.
Despite that common challenge, each of these projects rose above all other nominations as the best of the best. Some of the projects seem quite simple at the outlook, but the complexity of the work necessary, challenges overcome to complete it on time and on budget, and significance to their communities gave them an edge over other nominations.
The James E. Quarles Plant 1 Replacement, for example, was a nearly decade-long project with more than 300,000 billable man-hours. The Clinton River Water Resource Recovery Facility is on the bleeding edge of technology by adopting and using thermal hydrolysis as a primary tool for its wastewater treatment functions. And the Collins Park Water Treatment Plant Basin 7 and 8 Improvements struggled in construction due to incorrect drawings of the existing structures.
No matter the challenge, the teams and utilities listed conducted exceptional work. To learn more about these projects and to put faces and names to the work that got them done, visit bit.ly/2021wwdtopprojects to watch video interviews with every winner. New videos air at 6 p.m. Eastern Time every Thursday on our Facebook page.
Top Project Winners
- The Clinton River WRRF Biosolids Handling & Septage Receiving Facility
- Lake Carey Sanitary Sewer Collection & Treatment System Project
- Riviera Utilities Wastewater Treatment Facility
- SPA-1 Influent Structure Replacement & Improvements
- James E. Quarles Plant 1 Replacement
- Collins Park WTP Basin No. 7 & 8 Improvements
- Southern New Hampshire Regional Water Project
- Northeast Water Purification Plant (NEWPP) Expansion
- Joliet CSO Tunnel & Wet-Weather Treatment Facility
- Greenfield Water Reclamation Plant Phase III Expansion
WWD 2021 Top Projects Ceremony
For the first time since 2019, Water & Wastes Digest held a ceremony to recognize its WWD Top Project winners as well as its WWD Industry Icon during WEFTEC21 in Chicago at Miagiannos Little Italy.
The event hosted winners who could attend the event in person — based on organization travel restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic — with a cocktail bar sponsored by BioMicrobics and heavy hors d’oeurves.
WWD Senior Managing Editor Bob Crossen highlighted each project through photos and presented each winner with a crystal award for their particular project. All winners who were not in attendance received their awards via mail.
Water & Wastes Digest would like to thank its sponsor BioMicrobics for helping make the event such a success, and thanks all nominators for their subumissions.
The nominations for 2022 WWD Top Projects are open on the WWD website. Get your project recognized! Visit wwdmag.com/nominations to learn about our awards programs and nominate your peers today.
