The state of Washington has over 300 wastewater treatment plants that play a critical role in protecting water quality in rivers, lakes and Puget Sound.
These complex facilities deal with everything homes and businesses flush down the drain.
Each year, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) honors some of these wastewater treatment plants with the agency’s Outstanding Performance Award for achieving excellent compliance with their water quality permits.
To determine the awardees, Ecology evaluated wastewater treatment plants on permit conditions such as regularly meeting numeric effluent limits, conducting monitoring and reporting data as required.
Ecology is recognizing 118 facilities for their operations in 2023. Listed below are a few of the award highlights:
Facilities recognized for the first time:
- Basin City Mobile Home Park Wastewater Treatment Facility
- Fairchild Mobile Home Community Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Farmington Wastewater Treatment Facility
- Tekoa Wastewater Treatment Facility
- Walla Walla Water District No. 2 Wastewater Treatment Facility
- Warden Water Reclamation Facility
Facilities receiving their fifth consecutive award:
- Sunnyside Wastewater Treatment Facility
- Alder Lake Park Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Alderbrook Resort & Spa Wastewater Treatment Plant
- North Bonneville Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Satsop Business Park Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Sequim Water Reclamation Facility
- Everson Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Kitsap County Sewer District #7 Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Crescent Bar Wastewater Treatment Facility
- Clarkston Wastewater Treatment Plant
Facilities receiving their 15th consecutive award:
- Newhalem Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Wishram Wastewater Treatment Plant
Facilities that have been recognized at least 20 times:
- Chambers Creek
- Discovery Clean Water Alliance Salmon Creek
- Eatonville
- Lake Mayfield
- Manchester
- Vancouver Marine Park
- Newhalem
- Port Townsend
- Vancouver Westside
