Wastewater treatment plants recognized for exemplary records

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release - May 16, 2002 (Revised June 12, 2002)

02-082

Wastewater treatment plants recognized for exemplary records

OLYMPIA - Thirty wastewater-treatment plants in Washington state will receive awards for being in 100 percent compliance with their wastewater-discharge permits for all of 2001.

Representatives from the state Department of Ecology (Ecology) will visit the treatment plants over the next few weeks to present "Outstanding Wastewater Treatment Plant" awards, which honor treatment plants that passed every environmental compliance test and analyzed all samples according to requirements laid out by Ecology for all 365 days in 2001. The plants treat sewage from homes and waste from industries.

"It's clear that the operators of these facilities are staying on their toes," said Megan White, who manages Ecology's water-quality program. "We offer sincere thanks to all of the plant operators and communities that have achieved compliance day in and day out because they are working hard to protect the quality of our state's waters."

Effluent from wastewater-treatment plants is discharged into waterways or spread on the land, and it's important that environmental regulations are followed so public health and the environment are protected, said White.

In determining the winners, the agency evaluated some 300 municipal wastewater-treatment plants across the state.

Ecology develops and manages the permits, which place limits on the amount and concentrations of contaminants that treatment plants may discharge into lakes, rivers or marine waters or onto the ground. To comply with the permits, plant operators must conduct up to thousands of water-quality monitoring tests during the course of a year.

Ecology reviews the treatment plants' tests, reports and on-site inspections to determine which facilities achieved 100 percent compliance. Following is the list of the 2001 award winners.

Benton County -- City of Richland*
Chelan County -- City of Chelan*
Clallam County -- City of Sequim
Clark County -- Salmon Creek,* Vancouver Westside* and Marine Park*
Grant County -- Grand Coulee*
Island County -- Langley*, Oak Harbor* and Penn Cove Park Sewer District*
Jefferson County -- Port Townsend biosolids facility* and Port Ludlow Resort*
Kitsap County -- Pope Resources-Port Gamble-Pope & Talbot, and Manchester*
Mason County -- Alderbrook Inn*
Pend Oreille County -- Newport*
Pierce County -- Taylor Bay, Gig Harbor*, Cherrywood Mobile Home Park and Crystal Mountain
Skagit County -- Anacortes*, Sedro Woolley* and Skagit County Sewer District #2 (Big Lake wastewater treatment facility)
Snohomish County -- Arlington*, Edmonds*, Indian Ridge Youth Camp* and Lake Stevens Sewer District*
Whatcom County -- Birch Bay*, Seattle City Light (Diablo wastewater treatment facility)* and Seattle City Light (Newhalem wastewater treatment facility)*

* Previous award winner

Contact: Tammie McClure, wastewater-operator certification coordinator, 360-407-6449
Caitlin Cormier, public information manager, 360-407-6149, or pager, 360-971-5536

For more information: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/wastewater/index.html