Houston Stormwater Master Plan Receives ACEC Texas Eminent Conceptor Award

RICHARDSON, Texas — A Halff-led project recently earned top honors at the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Texas Engineering Excellence Awards. The City of Houston Stormwater Master Plan (SWMP) received a Gold Medal in the Water Resources category and was recognized with the prestigious Eminent Conceptor Award, the highest distinction awarded by ACEC Texas.

Presented at the annual ACEC Texas awards gala, the Eminent Conceptor Award recognizes the year’s most outstanding engineering achievement. Halff received the honor for its work on the Houston Stormwater Master Plan, which sets a new benchmark for comprehensive, data-driven flood mitigation planning.

Halff, along with the City of Houston, accepted the Eminent Conceptor Award recently at the 2026 ACEC Texas Engineering Excellence Awards Gala. 

The SWMP is a citywide modeling and analysis of Houston’s stormwater infrastructure, encompassing all major drainage system components within the city limits. The plan provides Houston with a fully integrated hydrologic and hydraulic model that evaluates the impacts of both routine storms and extreme flood events across the entire drainage system.

This comprehensive analysis enables city leaders to identify system vulnerabilities, prioritize improvements and make informed, data-driven decisions focused on areas facing the greatest flood risk. Ultimately, the Stormwater Master Plan delivers a powerful framework for reducing flood risk, improving infrastructure performance and planning for long-term climate resilience for the City of Houston.

The Eminent Conceptor Award, believed to be the first in firm history, marks a notable achievement for Halff. In addition, the Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 (HCDD1) Delta Reclamation Water Treatment Plant Pilot Study earned a gold medal in the Studies, Research and Consulting Engineering category.

About the Firm

Halff is an award-winning, employee-owned full-service infrastructure consulting firm with more than 75 years of expertise. Established in 1950 by Dr. Albert H. Halff, the firm continues to advance his vision of creating resilient communities through thoughtful design and technical excellence. Today, Halff operates from more than 30 offices across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas. Our firm works together to provide comprehensive services from our Mobility, Places and Communities, and Water and Environment solutions. Our professionals remain committed to delivering smart solutions that improve lives and communities by turning ideas into reality. Since 2021, the firm has earned more than 100 project awards and continues to rank as an Engineering News-Record Top 100 Design Firm and a USA TODAY National Top Workplace. Halff supports communities across its footprint through the Halff Community Initiative (HCI), having contributed more than $1 million to nonprofits and thousands of employee volunteer hours since its inception in 2017.