May 22, 2026

Georgia, North Carolina Projects Receive National Recognition from ACEC

Three Freese and Nichols projects received National Recognition honors from the American Council of Engineering Companies at their 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards Gala. Awards were presented to projects in Georgia and North Carolina that previously won first place at state-level competitions.

These accolades highlight the innovative and high-quality solutions Freese and Nichols offers our clients — particularly in transmission and utilities, stream restoration and water/wastewater planning — and reinforce our track record of delivering exceptional projects to the communities in which we live and work.

Dunwoody Nature Center Boardwalk Restoration and Enhancement

Over the years, the banks of Wildcat Creek within Dunwoody Nature Center had become heavily eroded, resulting in habitat loss, declining water quality and deteriorating infrastructure. This posed risks not only to the local ecosystem but to the educational mission of the Nature Center and its many visitors. To address these concerns, the City of Dunwoody partnered with Lowe Engineers and Freese and Nichols to lead a comprehensive restoration effort focused on stream stabilization, wetland revitalization and enhanced public access.

The project team took an ultra-focused approach to “surgically” target areas most in need of repair, minimizing adverse impacts on the sensitive environment while preserving constructability. Balancing complex regulations and permitting constraints, the team employed bioengineering methods not typically used in a municipal park setting for an effective, resilient and environmentally friendly streambank restoration.

Category: Small Projects

Owner: City of Dunwoody, Georgia

Triangle Innovation Point Water and Sewer Improvements

Facing capacity challenges amidst future growth and the arrival of international business, the City of Sanford, N.C., undertook $141.3 million in water and sewer improvements for a comprehensive program that has paved the way for Chatham County to compete on a global stage. The project included 25 miles of pipelines, a new lift station and three lift station upgrades, using a tightly sequenced, two-phased approach and Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) delivery to accommodate their accelerated schedule.

The Freese and Nichols team’s value engineering, design iterations and collaboration with the CMAR trimmed tens of millions of dollars from preliminary cost estimates and successfully delivered the project 19 months early and nearly $30 million under budget.

Category: Water Resources

Owner: City of Sanford, North Carolina

Level of Service Goals Updates

Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority (CCMWA), one of the largest wholesale providers of drinking water in Georgia, serves a population of more than 900,000 through only 10 customers. Since 2012, CCMWA has relied on a set of Level of Service Goals (LOSGs) to guide infrastructure planning, system performance evaluation and decisions on capital investments. However, the utility has faced challenges because these internally developed goals did not reflect direct input from its customers.

Recognizing the need for stakeholder input and consistent, measurable metrics, CCMWA engaged Freese and Nichols to update the LOSGs and include customers in the redevelopment process. The resulting updated goals are clear, actionable and aligned with both customer feedback and CCMWA’s internal focuses. A robust framework was created for evaluating system performance, planning future improvements and communicating expectations to customers.

Category: Studies, Research and Consulting Engineering Services

Owner: Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority, Georgia