Agency receives AMWA Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance

Today, DPW was honored to receive the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance.  This award comes just as DPW Director Rudy S. Chow, P.E., is appointed to the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB), an arm of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The EFAB provides ideas and advice to EPA’s administrator and program offices on ways to lower the costs of and increase investments in environmental and public health protection.  The EFAB membership consists of officials from state and local governments, finance and business leaders, federal employees, and members of environmental, tribal and nongovernmental organizations.

On being named to the board, Director Chow noted that “Reducing costs and learning to do more with less is a part of DPW’s fabric. I welcome the opportunity to share our experiences with the EFAB, to the benefit and betterment of our nation.”

Recently named Civil Engineer of the Year by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Maryland Section, Director Chow has led DPW to become one of only 12 projects in nine states invited to apply for $200 million in credit assistance under EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) program.  WIFIA funding would be used to improve DPW’s water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure. 

AMWA Gold Award
DPW was selected as one of only three agencies, among 14 winners in the sustainable and platinum award categories, to receive a Gold Award from AMWA for Exceptional Utility Performance.  This award is for creating a strategic plan, building goal teams with members from all levels of the Department, introducing the Office of Strategy and Performance, and reorganizing its structure to break down silos. At the heart of this management change was an embrace of stakeholder value and beliefs.

Under Director Chow’s leadership, DPW has won numerous awards from trade organizations, including being named a “Utility of the Future Today.” This distinction celebrates the progress and exceptional performance of the nation’s wastewater utilities.

Director Chow is a registered Professional Engineer in the States of Maryland and Delaware.  He is an active member in ASCE, AWWA, WEF, WRF, NACWA, AMWA, APWA, and SWANA and serves on a number of boards and committees.  The Director will serve on the EFAB for a two-year term through September 25, 2019.