DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins received the National Environmental Achievement Award from NACWA, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. The annual National Environmental Achievement Award Program recognizes individuals and NACWA member agencies for outstanding contributions to environmental protection and the clean water community. General Manager Hawkins was one of five individual recipients nationally. DC Water also won the agency award for research in February.

“George Hawkins’ unprecedented passion for protecting and preserving the environment made him an obvious selection for NACWA’s Environmental Achievement Award,” said Philip Friess, Chair of NACWA’s Awards Committee. “Since taking the reins at DC Water in 2009, George has launched an ambitious agenda that seeks to improve aging infrastructure, eliminate overflows, better manage stormwater, and be a source for renewable energy— all in his tireless pursuit of environmental health and sustainability.”

“This award is an incredible honor for me personally, but I don’t work alone,” said Hawkins. “To me, NACWA has also recognized a team and an idea. The team is the 1,100-strong workforce at DC Water, without whom nothing I do would be possible. The idea is that no single institution is investing or doing more to protect the waterways of the District and the Chesapeake Bay than ours.”

The award was presented at the 2012 NACWA National Environmental Policy Forum on Tuesday, April 24, 2012 in Washington, DC.