Awards

• 2025 Platinum Peak Performance Award (Walnut Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant)
  - National Association of Clean Water Agencies
   
• 2025 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award
  - Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies
   
• 2025 Wendell LaDue Utility Safety Award
  - American Water Works Association
   
• 2022 Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant of the Year Award (South Austin Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant)
  - Water Environment Association of Texas
   
• 2020 Utility of the Future Today 
  - Water Environment Federation, Water Research Foundation, WateReuse, and National Association of Clean Water Agencies
   
• 2017 Silver Level Peak Performance Award (South Austin Regional and Walnut Creek wastewater treatment plants)
  - National Association of Clean Water Agencies
   
• 2016 Texas Water Conservation Scorecard: Austin Water ranked #1 in the state for water conservation
  - Texas Living Waters Project
   
• 2016 President’s Award from the Partnership for Safe Water - Austin Water’s Ullrich Water Treatment Plant joins an elite group of 30 plants across the country that qualified for this award. The award honors the performance of a plant’s filters, which play a key role in filtering out harmful bacteria.
  - American Water Works Association

Recognition

EPA recognizes Austin Water for Effective Utility Management

The United States Environmental Protection Agency recognized Austin Water for its adoption of Effective Utility Management strategies to meet the challenges ahead. The utility has chosen to focus on Enterprise Resiliency, Customer Satisfaction, Employee Leadership and Development, and Infrastructure Strategy and Performance. Taken together, improvements in these target areas are helping the utility continue to be an industry leader and improve operations and resiliency.

- EPA - Effective Utility Management in Action - Austin Water Case Study

Cities with the Best and Safest Drinking Water in America

Austin, one of the most beautiful places for open water swimming, is on the top in all categories when it comes to clean and safe tap water, according to the research. The latest report for July 2016 shows low levels of turbidity. Austin water also ranked low in lead and haloacetic acid. In 2009, the Environmental Working Group ranked 100 cities with a population of 250,000+ for water quality, and Austin ranked 7th best.

- The Active Times

Best Cities for Clean Drinking Water

The "Live Music Capital of the World" has a lot going for it, including clean drinking water. The Austin-San Marcos region was among the top 10 metropolitan statistical areas for lowest levels of lead, turbidity and haloacetic acid.

- Forbes Magazine