Six wastewater treatment plants on the North Olympic Peninsula have received awards for outstanding performance in 2016 from the state Department of Ecology.
The award is given to a facility for achieving full compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
The Clallam Bay Sewage Treatment Plant has won the award for the first time, according to Ecology.
The Sequim Water Reclamation Facility won it for the sixth year, while the Clallam Bay Correction Center Sewage Treatment plant and the Forks Wastewater Treatment Plant won the award for the ninth year.
The Port Townsend biosolids program is in its 10th year of receiving the award while the city’s wastewater treatment plant has been recognized for 19 years.
Only 108 systems out of approximately 300 received the award in 2016.
Ecology evaluates wastewater treatment plants in Washington state for their compliance with effluent limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, spill prevention planning, pre-treatment and overall operational demands of the NPDES permit.
“It takes diligent operators and a strong management team, working effectively together, to achieve this high level of compliance. It is not easy to operate a wastewater treatment plant 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without violations,” said Heather Bartlett, water quality program manager for Ecology in letters sent to facilities.
“Ecology appreciates the extraordinary level of effort your plant operators demonstrated throughout 2016,” Bartlett said.
“Talented and proficient operators are critical to successful plant operations and protecting the health of Washington’s waters.”
