Springfield Standard

The City of Springfield is observing National Public Works Week from May 19-25, during which it will release its 2023 Public Works Annual Report and host several staff events. These activities aim to highlight the significant contributions of Public Works and Environmental Services professionals, as well as the critical infrastructure and services they provide to maintain public health, quality of life, and the well-being of Springfield citizens.

"Public Works Week is an opportunity to celebrate a group of extremely hard working, talented professionals who make our community a vibrant place to live and work," says Director of Environmental Services Errin Kemper. "No matter what is going on in our community, these folks are working quietly in the background to ensure essential quality of life services and infrastructure is there."

The theme for 2024's National Public Works Week is "Advancing Quality of Life for All." This theme acknowledges how public works professionals contribute essential services that foster healthier, happier, more vibrant communities. They improve quality of life by providing a range of services including transportation, water treatment, wastewater management, stormwater treatment, public buildings maintenance, parks upkeep, emergency management and first response services, solid waste management, and right-of-way management.

The 2023 Public Works Annual Report highlights the department's achievements over the past year. It includes a budget breakdown for fiscal year 2023, roadway crash data and details about infrastructure improvement projects that have been completed or are currently underway.

"We're excited to shine a light on our employees and share our accomplishments through the 2023 annual report," explains Public Works Director Dan Smith. "This is a great way for each of our divisions to tell their story and celebrate the services provided, projects completed and the many jobs well done throughout the year."

In Springfield city administration structure, traditional public works responsibilities are divided between two departments: Public Works and Environmental Services.

Springfield’s Public Works Department offers engineering services to the community along with transportation and stormwater systems, facilities and grounds, and support services for other City functions. The department manages more than 1,770 lane miles of roadway, 141 traffic signals, and the construction of new roadway and stormwater infrastructure. It also oversees Hazelwood Municipal Cemetery and maintains over 20,000 public trees and hundreds of acres of City right-of-way.

The city’s Environmental Services department is committed to preserving the quality of life for citizens by providing exceptional management of wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste for visitors and residents alike. The department ensures efficient flow in 1,200 miles of sewer mains to the city’s two award-winning treatment plants where they treat 44 million gallons of wastewater every day. Environmental Services also oversees the disposal of 1,130 tons of trash per day at Springfield’s Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill and operates three recycling collection centers which help divert nearly 3,900 tons of recyclable solid waste each year from contributing to the landfill.

Both departments have a longstanding reputation for leadership, innovation, and environmental stewardship. In 2021, Public Works and Environmental Services collectively achieved reaccreditation from the American Public Works Association (APWA), achieving full compliance. This reaccreditation certifies that both departments met all requirements established nationally in the public works industry – a distinction achieved by only 1% of communities across the country.

National Public Works Week has been sponsored by the American Public Works Association since 1960 as a way to educate the public on the importance of public works contributions to their daily lives: planning, building, managing and operating at the heart of their local communities to improve everyday quality of life.

"Every year National Public Works Week gets bigger and better. The number of participating municipalities continues to grow," according to apwa.net.