Arlington Water Utilities Wins State Awards for Security, Innovation

Published on August 11, 2026

By Arlington Water Utilities Communications

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recognized the City of Arlington this week with two awards at the TCEQ Public Drinking Water Conference in Austin. Arlington Water Utilities earned the Innovative or Proactive System Award and the Water System Security Program Award.

Arlington was the only water system in the state to receive the Water System Security Program Award from TCEQ in 2026. The award requires water systems in Texas to complete numerous steps to protect the security of the water treatment and distribution. Some of those include:

• Attending training by recognized entities on topics such as cybersecurity, homeland security, and the National Incident Management System.
• Being a current member of the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC). WaterISAC is a non-profit organization made up of water and wastewater professionals. The organization provides up-to-date cybersecurity and physical security threats impacting water and wastewater systems; and analyses and resources to support response, mitigation, and resilience initiatives.
• Participating in a Water Sector Cybersecurity Assessment.

The Innovative or Proactive System Award is given to public water systems “that have used creative and effective ways to improve their operations, achieve compliance, or better serve their customers,” according to the TCEQ. Arlington was one of six public water systems, out of 7,000 in the state, to receive the award this year.

Arlington’s application for the Innovative or Proactive System Award highlighted the city department’s work to reduce water loss in its distribution system with innovative initiatives, such as two recent pilot programs with satellite leak detection companies and the addition of a specially trained water leak detection dog named Splash. The city’s water loss percentage dropped from 12.75% in 2019 to 9.6% in 2025.

The award application also described the proactive approach to outreach that Arlington Water Utilities has taken by starting Arlington Water Utilities University in 2025. Arlington Water Utilities University is a five-week citizens' academy designed to give residents an inside look at how water reaches their homes and to meet the individuals involved in this process. Arlington Water Utilities University will start its fourth class in September 2026.  

This is the second year in a row that Arlington Water Utilities has taken home top awards at the TCEQ Public Drinking Water Conference. In 2025, the TCEQ recognized Arlington Water Utilities with its Outstanding Public Drinking Water Award and Outstanding Cross Connection Program . Arlington was one of just two public water systems in the state to be named Outstanding Drinking Water System and the only public water system in the state awarded Outstanding Cross Connection Program.