Awards, Accreditations and Regulations

Chesterfield County has been recognized in its efforts to go above and beyond to protect the environment. From achieving accreditation for its arboretum to receiving the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Awards, we are dedicated to excellence in environmental stewardship.

Awards

Chesterfield County

• Virginia Association of Counties (VACo) Go Green Awards - 2010-2018 (Note: This program has not been active since 2019.)

General Services

General Services awards:

• Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award - 2019: Silver - Cfield Unplugged Energy Management and Sustainability Program
• Green Fleet Awards - 2022: Chesterfield Fleet ranked #42 Best Green Fleet in the United States (2021: #49; 2020: Honorable Mention; 2019: #46)

Parks and Recreation

Parks and Recreation awards:

• For a list of environmental awards won by Parks and Recreation in recent years, please visit the department’s Conservation and Environmental Protection page.

Utilities

Utilities awards:

• A. H. Paessler Environmental Stewardship Award - 2020 (Learn more about this award on the Utilities page.)
• Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies Sustainable Water Utility Award - 2019
• Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award - 2016: Silver - Wastewater Treatment Process Optimization
• National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Excellence in Management Recognition Program - 2020: Platinum
• National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Peak Performance Awards - Multiple Years
• Water Environment Federation Utility of the Future Award - 2021
• Water Environment Federation Water Heroes Award - 2021 - Emergency response to severe flooding in August 2020

Accreditations

General Services

General Services’ Waste and Resource Recovery Division has achieved Exemplary Environmental Enterprise (E3) status in the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s Environmental Excellence Program.

The Chesterfield County Arboretum has been awarded a Level I accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and the Morton Arboretum.

Regulations

Keeping up with environmental standards and regulations is essential to keeping our residents healthy. Listed here are some of the safeguards and protocols Chesterfield County observes in its mission to exceed standards and regulations.

Environmental Engineering

Environmental Engineering's Virginia Stormwater Management Program Individual Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit was re-issued to the county in December 2014. Learn more about the permit and our authorization to discharge stormwater from the storm sewer system.

Risk Management

The Environmental, Health and Safety division of our Risk Management Department is responsible for guiding environmental compliance and stewardship activities throughout the county and schools.

Utilities

The Utilities Department is responsible for ensuring environmental compliance for water and wastewater services. Learn more about water quality standards and drinking water regulations.