
3rd Annual CCWUC Outdoor Educational Award Luncheon
September 24, 2025
Finding Inspiration in Every Turn
Dream it. Wish it. Do it.

CONGRATULATIONS
SAMUEL GONZALEZ
2023 First Recipient
WATER OPERATOR OF THE YEAR!
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​

Samuel Gonzalez, Senior Water Distribution Supervisor - County of Ventura
was selected for unmatched dedication and commitment as frontline responder leading crews during disasters including the Woolsey Fire to repair critical water infrastructure.
CONGRATULATIONS
DUANE BOCKELMAN
2024 WATER OPERATOR OF THE YEAR!
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​

Duane Bockelman, Senior Water Construction Specialist - Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
was selected for unmatched dedication and commitment, ensuring safe and reliable drinking water for local communities for over three decades.
Nominate the next award winner.
Click for PDF application



Untold Stories

The Story
"They" are called upon at any hour to respond to emergencies. They spend hours away from their families to keep service uninterrupted for all of us. They are often the true first responders on the scene, making sure the firefighters have water in their hoses. They ensure our drinking water is safe and pure. These are the people who safely take the sewer water away from our homes, making rounds, checking chlorine residuals at tanks and hose bibs. (The filtration and disinfection of drinking water is responsible for the single most dramatic reduction in mortality rates in the history of the United States.)
So... who are "They"?
Maintenance workers, treatment operators, distribution operators, electrical and instrumentation technicians, water quality, wastewater, control systems, collections—the list goes on. Day-in, day-out, nights, weekends and holidays they are hard at work behind the scenes.
The word “hero” is overused, but if anyone deserves the title… these workers certainly do.​
​
We take great pride in honoring our water heroes!
WATER OPERATOR APPRECIATION AWARD
This award is to honor the incredible sacrifices and contributions made to our community by workers in the Water/Wastewater field.
​
​
WATER STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD
In recognition of exceptional academic achievement and dedication in the field of water, and to acknowledge our future workforce.
CONGRATULATIONS
JAKE SAENZ
2024 WATER STUDENT
OF THE YEAR!
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​

L-R Ann DeMartini-AWA 2024 President, Jake Saenz-Award Winner, Wes Richardson CCWUC 2024 Co-Chair
Jake is a graduate of the Ventura College Water Science Program and now employed as Treatment Plant Operator at the North Pleasant Valley Desalter Plant in Camarillo