Bingaman Receives Water Industry Award

BRIDGEPORT — Newtown resident Larry L. Bingaman, senior vice president of operations for the Aquarion Water Companies of Massachusetts and New Hampshire, has received the coveted 2004 George Warren Fuller Award from the Connecticut section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA).

Mr Bingaman, who nominated by the Connecticut section of AWWA, was honored for several years of volunteer service to the water utility profession in the state during the joint annual conference of the Connecticut-Section AWWA and the Connecticut Water Works Association in May. Subsequently, Mr Bingaman was honored at American Water Works Association Annual Conference, held in June in Orlando, Fla.

Fuller Awards are presented annually for distinguished service to the water supply field in commemoration of the engineering expertise, diplomatic skill, and sound leadership, which characterized the life of George Warren Fuller. Fuller lived from 1868 to 1934 and is considered a pioneer in waterworks practices. The AWWA has a membership of about 57,000 members and is North America’s largest professional water works association.

 “It is extremely humbling and gratifying to be selected for such prestigious recognition,” Mr Bingaman said. “I am also sincerely grateful to the Fuller Award Committee and the Connecticut Section Board of Trustees for considering me worthy to join the impressive ranks of past recipients.”

Mr Bingaman will be moving from Newtown to Norwell, Mass., as part of assuming his new responsibilities as head of Aquarion’s Massachusetts and New Hampshire operations. He joined Aquarion and its former BHC Company subsidiary in Bridgeport in 1990 as vice president, marketing and communications, after serving with Texaco, United Technologies, and Sikorsky Aircraft in positions of increasing responsibility in the government, communications, management, and corporate relations fields.

He assumed additional responsibilities as vice president, corporate relations, and secretary at Aquarion and its former BHC water company subsidiary in 1993. He was named senior vice president of Aquarion and a director of the company and its subsidiary boards in 2000 and senior vice president, operations, of the Aquarion Water Company Massachusetts and New Hampshire subsidiaries in April 2004.

He has served as a dedicated volunteer and leader for several Connecticut-based community, business, environment, and water industry organizations for many years. In addition, he is a past president of the Connecticut Water Works Association and has served as co-chair of the Connecticut Water Works Association’s Legislative Committee. As well, he co-chaired the Water Planning Council Advisory Group, a stakeholder panel appointed by the Connecticut Water Planning Council to improve water supply planning and allocation in the state.

Mr Bingaman holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration from California State University at Long Beach and an executive master of business administration degree from the University of New Haven.

Aquarion Company’s principal business is public water supply. Through its Aquarion Water Company subsidiaries, it is one of the ten largest investor-owned water utilities in the United States, serving 211,000 homes and businesses, or approximately 677,000 people, in 53 Connecticut, New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire communities.

Founded in 1881, AWWA is the largest organization of water supply professionals in the world. Its members represent drinking water professionals and others who hold genuine interest in water supply and public health. Membership includes more than 4,000 utilities that supply water to an estimated 180 million people in North America.