Achievements and Recognition
District Earns the National Association of Clean Water Agencies Platinum Peak Performance Award — Again!
PERFECT COMPLIANCE SINCE 2012!
Twelve Consecutive Years of Perfect Water Quality Compliance has earned Novato Sanitary District the prestigious Platinum12 Peak Performance Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA).
Exceptional Performance. Only four wastewater treatment plants in California attained 12 years or more of perfect permit compliance this year and fewer than 90 nationwide.
Perfect Compliance. The national award is based on compliance with a plant’s permits. The District's permit list includes strict annual, monthly, weekly, and daily water quality thresholds that the District has consistently met.
The Utilities That Earn This Award Are the Top Performers in the Country and demonstrate their commitment to going above and beyond to protect public health and the environment.
Earned Highest Possible AAA Credit Rating
EARNED IN: 2019
Top Credit Rating. S&P Global Ratings has raised Novato Sanitary District’s credit rating to the highest AAA level offered by the rating agency.
The rating recognizes the District’s well-defined operational management practices and policies, comprehensive financial management practices and policies, strong cash reserves, and low rates.
Estimated Three Million Dollars in Savings. The rating upgrade enabled the District to refinance over $55 million in remaining loan funds from an earlier loan used to help rebuild the treatment plant. The refinance is saving the District about $3.2 million over 11 years.
Earns Highest Recognition in Government Accounting and Financial Reporting: The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting
EARNED IN: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
Awarded Thirteen Years in a Row. The District was once again awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).
This Certificate Represents a Significant Accomplishment and is the highest form of recognition in government accounting and financial reporting. The Report is judged by an impartial panel and must meet the required high standards, including a spirit of full disclosure to clearly communicate its financial story and motivate potential users to read the Report.
The Goal of The ACFR Is to Provide a Complete and Understandable Financial Report that allows the Board, staff, and interested members of the public to assess the financial health of the District.
The Award Recognizes the District’s Commitment to Transparency in how it uses ratepayers’ money to provide quality services, and its successful track record of clearly communicating its financial information to the public at large.
The ACFR is available on the District’s website under Documents/Finance.
Proficiency in Water Testing
EARNED IN: 2017, 2016, 2015
Certificate of Excellence for Proficiency in Water Testing. The District’s laboratory was awarded a Certificate of Excellence by a national accreditation entity (ERA-QC), for its achievement of 100% acceptable proficiency testing data from among 1,012 participating laboratories nationwide. This is the ninth year in a row that the District has received this award under the guidance of Liz Falejczyk, Environmental Services Director for Veolia Water at the District. Congratulations to Liz and her team!
Awards Received from the California Water Environment Association (CWEA) Redwood Empire Section
Outstanding Sewer Collection System
EARNED IN: 2017
Recognized as one of the Outstanding Collection Systems Statewide with a Second-Place award. The District also achieved a first-place award in this category from the local Redwood Empire Section of CWEA.
Engineering Achievement
EARNED IN: 2015
The Engineering Achievement Award was earned by the District and Nute Engineering for the Olive Avenue Force Main Project. The project involved installing a new backup sewer pipeline parallel to an older one to ensure reliability. It was a difficult project in an area crowded with numerous and conflicting underground utilities.
Gimmicks and Gadgets Award
EARNED IN: 2015
The Gimmicks and Gadgets Award was earned by Steve Krautheim, (now retired) District Field Services Manager. The simple but ingenious tool he created makes it possible to estimate sewer overflow volumes from manholes more accurately. It is inexpensive, saves time, and helps meet regulatory requirements.