Antioch Brackish Water Desalination Project receives awards
BART, three Contra Costa County Public Works projects also honored
By City of Antioch
The City of Antioch’s Brackish Water Desalination Project continues to receive recognition across the engineering and public works community!
The project has been named a 2026 Project Award Winner by the American Public Works Association (APWA) Northern California Chapter. Antioch’s desal plant was one of eight projects in Contra Costa County, including three Public Works projects, honored at the 2026 Project Awards Luncheon in Vallejo on March 5th.
A total of 25 projects were nominated and 15 received an award, including BART and seven others in Contra Costa County. All winners will be moving on to the APWA National at Public Works Expo 2026 in Houston, TX in August for consideration.
The APWA Northern California Chapter is a dynamic and engaged community of professionals dedicated to advancing the goals and mission of our association at the local level. The chapter is an integral part of the larger APWA network, representing a vibrant community of professionals in Northern California. We are committed to fostering professional growth, facilitating meaningful connections, and promoting excellence within the industry.
ACEC California Engineering Excellence Award
Public Works Director Scott Buenting and Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Marcus Woodland were presented last month with an Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of California (ACEC). Carollo Engineers of Walnut Creek submitted the Antioch project for consideration which received a ACEC California Merit Award.
The ACEC California’s annual Engineering Excellence Awards competition recognizes outstanding achievements in engineering and land surveying projects completed by California firms. Entries are accepted into one of 12 project categories: studies, research and consulting engineering services; building/technology systems; structural systems; surveying and mapping technology; environmental; waste and storm water; water resources; transportation; special projects; small projects; energy; and industrial and manufacturing processes and facilities.
Projects were recognized for demonstrating an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement, and value. Twenty projects earned the prestigious Honor Award distinction, twenty-seven were recognized with Merit Awards, and fifteen Commendation Awards were granted.
“We are proud to recognize these ACEC California firms for delivering an exceptional degree of value and technical excellence to our communities,” said Tyler Munzing, Executive Director of ACEC California. “Quality infrastructure—from dependable drinking water to safe, efficient roadways and structurally sound public spaces—is essential to our state’s success. These award-winning projects showcase how our engineering and land surveying firms are passionately building a more resilient and connected California.”
The awards were announced at the Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet on February 19, 2026. The annual celebration is also a fundraiser for the ACEC California Scholarship Foundation 501(c)3, which provides scholarship awards to graduate and undergraduate students who are recognized for their notable and outstanding academic achievements.
These recognitions highlight the expertise and dedication of the team working to deliver safe, reliable water for our community.
Learn more about the awards:
2026 Projects of the Year Award – APWA Northern California Chapter
2026 Engineering Excellence Award Winners – American Council of Engineering Companies of California Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.
the attachments to this post:
ACEC EEAwards stage 02-19-26
APWA Nor Cal 2026-Project-Award-Winners
Brackish Water Plant Awards 2026
