Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence Awards

The 2024 WISE Awards honor Projects, Programs, or Individuals demonstrating innovation and excellence for protecting and improving water quality through any of the following:

Planning and Policy

The Planning and Policy category honors Projects, Programs, and Individuals improving water quality through strategic planning and policy creation. Submissions should highlight how entities effectively utilize planning tools, author plans, or implement policy, such as ordinances.

Education and Public Awareness

The Education and Public Awareness category honors Projects, Programs, and Individuals improving water quality through public and stakeholder engagement. Submissions should bring to light how everyday activities impact water quality, create a sense of personal investment, and spur positive behavior changes.

Examples include but are not limited to, stormwater drain marking volunteer initiatives, pet waste management campaigns, workshop series on invasive species, or community clean-up events.

Completed Effort (Greater than $200,000)

The Completed Effort (greater than $200,000) category honors Projects, Programs, and Individuals that have contributed positively toward improving water quality by installing structures or enhancements.

This includes, but is not limited to repairs or installation of new wastewater treatment facilities, remediation or replacement of on-site sewage systems, installation of wetland detention basins, riparian buffers, low impact development/green infrastructure projects, or other vegetative areas with a water quality benefit.

Completed Effort (Less than $200,000)

The Completed Effort (less than $200,000) category honors Projects, Programs, and Individuals that have contributed positively toward improving water quality by installing structures or enhancements.

This includes, but is not limited to repairs or installation of new wastewater treatment facilities, remediation or replacement of on-site sewage systems, and installation of wetland detention basins, riparian buffers, low impact development/green infrastructure projects, or other vegetative areas with a water quality benefit.

Research and Monitoring

The Research and Monitoring category honors efforts tracking changes in water quality and measuring the efficacy of strategies and practices put in place to improve water quality. Submissions should demonstrate quality assured methodology, measurable metrics, and how the findings enhance understanding of water quality.

This includes, but is not limited to efficacy studies for low impact development/green infrastructure projects, targeted monitoring of regional waterways to identify sources of pollution, or explorations of emerging topics in water quality such as microplastics.

Program Performance

The Program Performance category honors efforts by a specific team or program that strives to continually set a high bar for themselves and does amazing work on a consistent basis.

Examples might include programs to find and remove illicit connections, measures taken to prevent sanitary sewer overflows, outstanding Capacity, Management, Operations and Maintenance (CMOM) Programs, or finding new innovative ways to run on-site sewage facility inspection programs.

It could also be an accounting of how a program or team responded to an emergency situation caused by mechanical failure or weather event that kept environmental damage to a minimum.

Individual Excellence

The Individual Excellence category honors individuals that go above and beyond to protect and improve water quality. Nominees may be recognized for their independent work or as stand-outs within their programs.

These individuals show leadership, and don't settle for doing the minimum required to achieve their goals. They are innovators, encouraging the incorporation of new technologies and ideas to improve their programs.

Eligible applicants include:

• Local Governments
• Businesses & Industry
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Universities and Educational Institutions
• Utility Districts
• Individuals

Projects, Programs, or Individuals in Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Harris, Galveston, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller, and Wharton counties are eligible for recognition.

Joint applications for larger, collaborative projects are encouraged but not required.

Winning Projects, Programs, or Individuals must exhibit efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation and serve as models to improve surface water quality.

View our application guidance packet including a rubric for scoring submissions.