National Association of Water Companies Honors Veolia’s Christopher Retty with 2026 Living Water Award at Annual Water Summit
AUSTIN – The National Association of Water Companies (NAWC) is proud to announce that Christopher Retty with Veolia Water New Jersey is the recipient of the prestigious 2026 Living Water Award. Presented at the NAWC Annual Water Summit in Austin by NAWC President and CEO Robert Powelson, the Living Water Award recognizes a regulated water industry professional from a member company who has demonstrated excellence in serving their community, colleagues, industry and environment.
Chris, a Senior Manager of Production Support for Veolia Water New Jersey, is honored for his extraordinary heroism and selfless dedication during a major regional crisis. On the evening of July 4, a catastrophic storm knocked out power to the critical Haworth Water Treatment Plant, which serves nearly 900,000 residents. Abandoning his planned vacation, Chris drove through dangerous, storm-ravaged conditions—navigating downed power lines, fallen trees and torrential rain—to reach the plant. Leveraging his deep technical expertise, he manually engaged the backup generators and carefully guided the 200 million-gallon-per-day (MGD) facility back online. Chris worked through the night to secure the system, ensuring safe, uninterrupted drinking water for the community and successfully protecting the water infrastructure needed to host a high-profile World Cup game the very next day.
“Chris’ actions on July 4th represent the very best of our industry: unwavering dedication, exceptional technical skill and true courage,” said Rob Powelson. “When a severe storm threatened the water supply for nearly a million people on the eve of a major international event, Chris didn’t hesitate. He put his community first, abandoned his vacation and drove straight into dangerous conditions to prevent a catastrophic failure. Chris is an unsung hero whose selflessness embodies the true spirit of the Living Water Award.”
Colleagues at Veolia New Jersey say Chris rises to challenges time and again, consistently going above and beyond his normal responsibilities to ensure facilities operate safely and reliably. He is praised for his exceptional leadership, professionalism and dedication to protecting the communities Veolia serves, alongside his willingness to sacrifice his personal time and safety for public health.
“Chris’ commitment to our customers and the communities we serve is truly inspiring,” said Kendra Morris, CEO, Veolia Regulated Water. “His quick thinking, technical expertise and willingness to put the community’s needs first helped bring the Haworth Plant back online and maintain reliable service for nearly 900,000 residents. Coming just one day before a FIFA World Cup match in our region, his actions demonstrated the extraordinary responsibility our employees shoulder to keep critical water infrastructure operating when our communities need us most. We are incredibly proud of Chris and grateful for the commitment he demonstrates every day.”