Expedited Effort Showcases Ingenuity, Infrastructure Resilience, and Public Trust
WASHINGTON (March 09, 2026) – Clark Dietz, Inc. of Kenosha, Wisc. has earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 59th annual Engineering Excellence Awards (EEA). The award comes for the Buckley Park Critical Storm Sewer Repair project for the Village of Whitefish Bay, Wisc.
The collapse of a 60-inch storm sewer pipe buried nearly 70 feet underground near the edge of a steep Lake Michigan bluff plugged the only outlet for 230 acres of stormwater drainage. In less than a week, Clark Dietz had designed and installed a temporary bypass system using locally available materials, including HDPE pipe, concrete barriers, and custom fittings. The creative solution prevented flooding, bought critical time to develop a permanent repair strategy, preserved public green space, and maintained community access to the park.
The long-term solution required advanced construction techniques and careful coordination. A 20-foot-diameter concrete secant shaft was installed to access and reconnect the damaged line. Hand tunneling, cured-in-place pipe lining, and a custom internal drop structure were used to stabilize the bluff and safely convey stormwater downward. Trenchless technologies minimized surface impacts and helped retain the park’s natural features throughout construction. The project restored vital stormwater service, protected Lake Michigan’s shoreline, and preserved a treasured public space.
Judging for the awards program took place in February and was conducted by a national 32-member panel of built environment leaders, along with experts from government, the media, and academia. Award criteria focused on uniqueness and originality, technical innovation, social and economic value, and excitement generated toward the engineering profession.
All 240 award winners—including 16 Honor Awards, eight Grand Awards, and the announcement of the prestigious Grand Conceptor Award for the year’s most outstanding overall engineering achievement—will take place at the 2026 EEA Gala on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, DC.
The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) is the business association of America’s engineering industry, representing more than 5,200 independent engineering firms and more than 600,000 professionals throughout the United States engaged in the development of America’s transportation, water, and energy infrastructure, along with environmental, industrial, and other public and private facilities. Founded in 1906 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., ACEC is a national federation of 51 state and regional organizations.
