Awards/Recognition
EDUCATIONAL PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR Mary Jane Robinson awarded Educational Professional of the Year by the Michigan Water Environment Association. Awarded to recognize an individual for their efforts in promoting activities and professionalism in water resource education. Nominees for this award shall meet or exceed the following high standards/criteria: I. Contributions to the advancement and promotion of environmental education. Outstanding Utility Laboratory Performance - 2011 City of Wyoming Utility Department Laboratory Services staff at both the Clean Water Plant and the Drinking Water Treatment Plant, excelled in annual lab analysis proficiency testing in 2011. Staff performance across a wide range of standard methods using blind samples of water or sludge from a certified proficiency testing company, turned in excellent results. The 100% passing rate was achieved on the study known as the 'Discharge Monitoring Report Quality Assurance Study' (DMR-QAS) and is a requirement of the discharge permit issued by the State of Michigan to the City's Clean Water Plant. On the Drinking Water side, a similar proficiency test is called the 'Water Sample Study'. These external quality control studies assess laboratories on how closely their sample analysis match the actual target concentration of standard parameters such as pH, phosphorus, coliform, ammonia, chlorine and various trace metals. These results may pass either high or low of the actual value, but must fall within a given range of the actual value. The State uses these proficiency testing scores to assess the credibility of the daily analysis performed at each laboratory. As in years past, Wyoming reported sample analysis well within passable ranges. Additionally, this year a majority of results very nearly hit the 'bulls-eye'. The Utility lab staff, made up of chemists, technicians and aides, as well as water plant operators, all contributed to the success of the 2011 proficiency testing. We are proud to recognize the high levels of analytical accuracy and skill of our outstanding Utility staff. CWP - Awarded Clean Corporate Citizen Program “The Utility Department’s Clean Water Plant is ending the year with yet another award announcement. Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality has confirmed that the Clean Water Plant is the first municipal facility in the state to have qualified for the Clean Corporate Citizen Program. This program is built on the concept that facilities that consistently demonstrate environmental stewardship and pollution prevention can be relied upon to carry out their environmental protection responsibilities with less department oversight. Wyoming’s Clean Water Plant has earned the benefit of greater regulatory flexibility and public recognition for these efforts. Congratulations to all the staff at the Clean Water Plant for this groundbreaking achievement for the City and for municipal utility facilities in the State of Michigan!” West Michigan Chapter's Award Winning Construction Project - 2010 The City of Wyoming's Donald K. Shine Water Treatment Plant was featured by the Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) - West Michigan Chapter's as an award winning construction project for 2010. ABC's awards of excellence program is a premier competition within the construction industry that recognizes outstanding construction projects across the nation. The West Michigan Chapter's award ceremony at the Pinnacle, in Hudsonville recognized construction projects in several dozen categories and singled out the work of three ABC contractors responsible for installation of the process piping on the City's Phase 1A construction of the South Treatment Facility in the piping category. Representatives from Allied Mechanical, Materials Testing Consultants, and Steel Supply and Engineering, along with City of Wyoming's Water Treatment Plant Superintendant, Jerry Caron, were on hand for the award presentation. United Growth for Kent County Award On Monday, September 20th, 2010, United Growth for Kent County presented the Grand Valley Regional Biosolids Authority its 2010 Land Use Stewardship Award in recognition of the Authority’s contribution to sustainable re-use of biosolids, support of farmland preservation and for exemplary municipal collaboration. Wyoming’s City Manager Curtis Holt and Grand Rapids, Deputy City Manager, Eric DeLong accepted the award on behalf of the Authority at the 11th Annual Land Use Networking Luncheon and addressed the group of community land use activists, educators and local officials.
Michigan Water Environment Association's IPP Professional of the Year Award Utilities Department Lab Services Manager, Myron Erickson accepted the
Michigan Water Environment Association's IPP Professional of the Year
award at this year's Joint Conference in Mt. Pleasant on August, 11th.
Myron was recognized as a "worthy individual who, working on a
day-to-day basis in the Industrial Pre-treatment Program, has displayed
remarkable dedication to an employer and to the MWEA, excelled Neighborhood Environmental Partners Program Award - 2010 On Juy 28th, Michigan's Department of Natural Resources and Environment Director, Rebecca Humphries presented Dave Oostindie, Utilities Department Environmental Services Supervisor with the Neighborhood Environmental Partners Program Award. The City of Wyoming was recognized for "outstanding commitment to the environment and their community", in development of the Wyoming Medicinal Disposal System (WyMeds). Other community partners on hand for the ceremony, which took place at Pilgrim Manor in Grand Rapids, were Wyoming Police Chief Carmody and Spartan Stores representatives. These and other community partners with the Clean Water Plant helped implement the area-wide pharmaceutical waste collection and disposal program. To learn more and to participate in this program, visit the Environmental Services-Medicinal/Pharmaceutical Disposal (Medicinal Waste) web page.
City of Wyoming Medicinal Disposal Service (WyMeds) Wins Its First Award - 2010 The City’s newest environmental protection initiative, Medicinal Disposal Service (WyMeds) wins its first award just 6 months into the program. Having recently recovered another 600-plus, pounds of medical and pharmaceutical items for safe disposal, the Clean Water Plant’s Environmental Services Supervisor, Dave Oostindie was informed by the State of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment today, that the City’s WyMeds program had been awarded the 2009 Neighborhood Environmental Partners Program. Wyoming’s efforts to bring together community pharmacies, local law enforcement, county waste disposal resources, and the community at large have successfully prevented 1,200 pounds of medical and pharmaceutical compounds from improper disposal since the WyMeds program was launched in late 2009. The MDNRE’s annual Neighborhood Environmental Partners award recognizes the efforts of businesses and their neighbors who work together on local projects to improve environmental awareness and the quality of life in their communities. MDNRE Director, Rebecca Humphries is expected to present the award to Wyoming on July 28th at a ceremony at Pilgrim Manor. Doug Wood, Kent County DPW Director has been working with Dave Oostindie, Wyoming’s Environmental Services Supervisor to regionalize the program. To date, the City of Grand Rapids, North Kent Sewer Authority, cities of Cedar Springs and Lowell and the Byron-Gaines Sewer Authority have participated in discussions. Their goal is to expand beyond these units once the program is fully operating and to have as many pharmacies as possible in the region serve as collection points for the unused or expired pharmaceutical products. The group has obtained a web page domain (wmtakebackmeds---.com, .net and .org) for the expanded program, with development of the site scheduled to begin soon. The site will serve as the main source of future information for the program. The County has also purchased and is distributing lock boxes for controlled pharmaceuticals collection. These containers will be located at law enforcement agencies throughout the County. As needed, collected pharmaceuticals will be incinerated at the County Waste-to-Energy . The County Health Department has applied for a grant to assist in funding the program.
Grand Valley Regional Biosolids featured in Treatment Plant Operator Magazine - 2010 The City of Wyoming's award winning Biosolids Program is featured along with Grand Valley Regional Biosolids Authority partner, Grand Rapids in the June edition of 'Treatment Plant Operator Magazine'. Select the link to see GVRBA project manager, Kim Hackbardt's cover photo and read the article.
The Clean Water Plant Recognized for Environmental Leadership- 2010 The Water Environment and Technology Magazine recognized and congratulated the City of Wyoming's Clean Water Plant for its Environmental Leadership. Listed on page 26 of the July edition of the magazine, the City of Wyoming is listed among only 26 facilities in the nation to have achieved the Environmental Management Systems certification.
SUMMARY OF AUDIT RESULTS Strengths Observed During this audit KEMA noted the following strengths in the City of Wyoming biosolids management system.
Outcomes The City of Wyoming biosolids program is improving through the use of their biosolids management system. The following improvement outcomes within the past two years were confirmed. Interested Party Relations
Quality Practices
Environmental Performance
Regulatory Compliance
Michigan AWWA’s Operator’s Meritorious Service Award - 2009 
Greg Gorman, Plant Operator at the Drinking Water Plant received the Michigan AWWA’s Operator’s Meritorious Service Award on September 16th at the Annual Conference in Traverse City.
Rural Water Utility of the Year - 2009 In March, 2009 the City of Wyoming Utility Department was awarded the Michigan Rural Water Association ‘Rural Water Utility of the Year 2009 - over 15,000 Population’ at it’s state conference in Traverse City, Michigan. Wyoming’s Water Plant Operations Supervisor, Mike Averill and Meter Shop Foreman Mark Kneibel were on hand to accept the award. Wyoming has been a long time supporter of the Rural Water Association, offering meeting and educational seminar space for the organization’s area members, advising and providing networking resources for the Association. Once again, making that urban-rural connection, Wyoming’s water system is a recognized leader to communities of all sizes in the State of Michigan.” Residual Management Professional of the Year - 2009 The MWEA award is presented to an individual who works in treatment and disposal of residuals and has displayed dedication to the Michigan Water Environment Association and excelled professionally. The recipient of this award was Kim Hackbardt, Biosolids Coordinator, City of Wyoming Clean Water Plant.
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The National Biosolids Partnership is pleased to recognize the City of Wyoming, MI Clean Water Plant as the 27th organization in the nation and second in Michigan to be certified and admitted to the Partnership's environmental management system (EMS) for biosolids program. The City of Wyoming, MI is one of 100 organizations currently participating in the NBP EMS program. The City of Wyoming's achievement recognizes that the agency has been independently verified as having an effective biosolids environmental management system. The City of Wyoming, MI Clean Water Plant biosolids EMS was independently verified on December 27,2009 by the audit firm, KEMA-Registered Quality, Inc. 