Western Mason County Water District Honored with 2026 Wooden Bucket Award
Lexington, KY – August 25, 2026 – At the 2026 Annual Conference & Exhibition, held at the Central Bank Center and Hyatt Regency Lexington, Western Mason County Water District was named the recipient of the 2026 Wooden Bucket Award during the association’s annual Member Appreciation Reception. The award recognizes a Kentucky water or wastewater utility that demonstrates exceptional leadership, sound management, operational excellence, and a strong commitment to serving its community.
The Kentucky Rural Water Association (KRWA) is a statewide, nonprofit association that provides training, on-site technical assistance, advocacy, and other services to water and wastewater utilities across Kentucky. KRWA represents approximately 360 utilities and serves over 98% of Kentucky’s public drinking water and wastewater customers. With offices in Bowling Green and Frankfort, KRWA has been fulfilling its mission of helping water and wastewater utilities help themselves since 1979.
Ten utilities were nominated for the 2026 Wooden Bucket Award, with the nominees announced during KRWA’s 2026 Awards Breakfast. Each nominee was recognized for their commitment to excellence and their efforts to provide safe, reliable service to their communities. Following the announcement of the nominees, the 2026 recipient was revealed during the Member Appreciation Reception.
Scott Young, Executive Director of KRWA, said, “The Wooden Bucket Award gives us an opportunity to recognize utilities that are doing exceptional work for the communities they serve. Western Mason County Water District has demonstrated a strong commitment to quality service, responsible management, and continued improvement. We’re proud to recognize their hard work and dedication with this year’s award.”
The Wooden Bucket Award recognizes utilities that demonstrate strong management, regulatory compliance, financial responsibility, and a commitment to improving their systems and communities. The award has honored utilities across Kentucky for achievements such as system improvements, facility upgrades, innovative projects, and efforts to strengthen the overall quality and reliability of their services.
The 2026 Annual Conference brought together more than 1,000 people for educational sessions, networking opportunities, and Kentucky’s largest exhibition of products and services for public utilities. The Wooden Bucket Award is presented in partnership with USDA Rural Development, with Travis Burton, USDA Rural Development State Director for Kentucky, presenting plaques to the nominees during the Member Appreciation Reception. Western Mason County Water District received the top honor as the 2026 Wooden Bucket Award recipient.