DES Achieves Accreditation from the American Public Works Association

Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services (DES) is now recognized by the American Public Works Association (APWA) as an officially accredited member agency. This is the result of a seven-year certification process documenting DES’s commitment to best practices in managing the County’s public works services and infrastructure, from safe drinking water to road maintenance. 

APWA’s accreditation standards were developed to enhance the effectiveness and competencies of government public works agencies and support organizations in the private sector.   

“Achieving accreditation reflects our focus on making Arlington vibrant, accessible, and sustainable,” said DES Director Greg Emanuel. “By holding ourselves to such rigorous industry standards, DES ensures its services are delivered with integrity and remain resilient, innovative and forward-thinking.” 

Agencies awarded APWA accreditation must demonstrate compliance within a wide range of practices and participate in a thorough on-site assessment.  

Seventeen DES bureaus and offices took part in a collaborative review of 415 practices, which involved: 

• Reviewing departmental policies, procedures and workflows to meet or exceed APWA’s recommended best practices 

• Providing relevant documentation detailing standard operating procedures, policies and workflows 

• Inviting local APWA-accredited agencies to conduct an informal peer review of DES, which then allowed the department to address identified gaps 

• Conducting an extensive internal review of all supporting documentation, preparing for facility inspections and briefing DES staff to ensure full cooperation and access for APWA’s on-site evaluation teams. 

Following months of internal review and process refinement, DES successfully hosted the three-day, on-site APWA evaluation in early March 2026.  

The accreditation is valid for four years, but a mid-cycle review will be conducted to demonstrate DES’s continued compliance prior to re-accreditation. 

“Accreditation is the mark of professionalism, indicating a public works agency has made the commitment to continuous improvement in the delivery of public works operations and services in the community it serves,” said Jeffery P. Brown, APWA Director for Region III. “Accreditation recognizes an agency’s policies, procedures, and practices, which have been evaluated against nationally recognized management practices determined to be appropriate for that specific agency.” 

APWA accreditation validates DES’s agency practices, creates an agency-wide culture of continuous improvement, and instills pride across all staff levels. 

The Arlington community can have confidence that the services provided by each component within DES are of the highest quality, as measured against nationally recognized standards. DES received APWA commendation for five model practices, demonstrating outstanding efforts to manage County resources with expert judgment and care: 

• Lock-Out/Tag-Out Procedures: The Facilities Management Bureau provides placards to use as part of lock-out/tag-out safety procedures when employees are conducting maintenance or repairing industrial equipment. 

• Equipment and Fleet Replacement Policy: The Equipment Bureau manages the procedures to track replacement cycles for equipment and parts for the County’s fleet of more than 1,000 vehicles. 

• Composting Program: The Solid Waste Bureau manages composting programs for residential curbside customers, and for multifamily residents through the on-street food scraps collection pilot. The food scraps that are collected are composted and turned into nutrient-rich mulch, which is then made available to County residents for free pickup or delivery for nominal fees. 

• Snow and Ice Control Plan: This document is managed by the Water, Sewer, Streets Bureau to serve as a comprehensive and detailed procedure to address snow and ice events in Arlington County. 

• School Pedestrian Crossings: This policy from the Transportation, Engineering and Operations Bureau details the placement of school pedestrian crossing signage for traffic control, visibility, and safety. It’s integrated through the County’s Vision Zero transportation safety program.