The National Association of Clean Water Agencies recently honored the recipients of the 2025 NACWA Peak Performance Awards and inducted a utility executive into its Hall of Fame at a ceremony during NACWA’s 2025 Utility Leadership Conference in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
NACWA’S Hall of Fame Award
This award recognizes individuals who, through their actions and commitment to the organization, have significantly impacted either the association's evolution or its ability to effectively represent the interests of the clean water community on a particular issue.
This year, the award was given to Thomas W. Sigmund, former executive director of NEW Water, the brand of the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Sigmund served on NACWA’s Board of Directors for nine years and as NACWA’s president from 2022 to 2023. In these roles, Sigmund distinguished himself as a respected leader among his peers and across the water sector. His insights and strategic leadership were vital in shaping NACWA’s advocacy agenda and organizational direction. Sigmund was deeply engaged in NACWA’s Farm Bill and PFAS working groups, testified before Congress several times and represented both his utility and the association in critical conversations with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Peak Performance Awards
This year, NACWA recognized 512 treatment facilities at 199 of its member public agencies for outstanding levels of compliance and performance related to their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. A complete list of NACWA’s 2025 Peak Performance Awards can be found here. The 2025 Peak Performance Awards reflect permit compliance for the 2024 calendar year.
“NACWA’s Peak Performance Awards honor not only operational excellence, but also the vital role clean water utilities play in safeguarding the health of our communities and the environment every single day,” says NACWA CEO Adam Krantz. “These exceptional member utilities show unwavering commitment to clean water services that too often go unrecognized, yet are fundamental to everyday life.”
