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WASHINGTON - The Washington Department of Ecology has awarded 125 wastewater treatment facilities and their certified operators across the state with the annual Outstanding Performance Award for their operational records throughout 2025.
The recognition honors facilities that achieved perfect compliance with routine water quality monitoring, reporting timelines, and numeric permit discharge limits. Out of more than 300 wastewater facilities operating in Washington, these 125 were recognized for protecting public health and preventing pollutants from entering local waterways, including rivers, streams and Puget Sound.
What we know:
Ecology evaluates plants based on strict permit parameters designed to shield communities and ecosystems from harmful pathogens, bacteria, and viruses. Facilities receiving the award must meet all required numeric effluent limits, maintain routine monitoring, and submit all regulatory paperwork on time throughout the calendar year.
The 2025 awards feature several standout operational achievements:
- First-Time Winners: Pearrygin Lake State Park (Washington State Parks), the Martin Way Reclamation Facility (LOTT Clean Water Alliance), and the Coulee City Wastewater Treatment Plant earned awards for the first time.
- Decade-Plus Excellence: Ten facilities achieved 11 or more consecutive years of total compliance. The City of Port Townsend Wastewater Treatment Facility led the state with 30 consecutive years of awards, followed by the Discovery Clean Water Alliance's Salmon Creek facility (19 years) and Klickitat PUD No. 1 (18 years).
What they're saying:
"Wastewater infrastructure is something that often goes unnoticed. Many of us don’t think about where our water goes or how it gets treated, while wastewater operators think about it every day," said Jon Kenning, Ecology’s Water Quality program manager. "Their work often goes unseen, but it benefits everyone in the state."
Local operators highlighted the teamwork and commitment required behind the scenes:
- Matt Kennelly, Executive Director, LOTT Clean Water Alliance: "Meeting these requirements reflects thousands of hours of hard work, problem-solving, and teamwork. We take great pride in serving our community and protecting Puget Sound."
- Ralph Kennedy, Wastewater Supervisor, Sedro-Woolley: "This recognition isn’t just about operational excellence—it’s about the people who show up every day with pride, support one another, and serve our community with integrity."
- Corrin Hamburg, Laboratory Supervisor, Anacortes: "Every day, our staff works to ensure we meet the highest environmental standards and responsibly steward the critical infrastructure our community depends on."
- Howard Henry, Department of Corrections (Olympic Corrections Center): "These awards set a standard that we try to achieve each year... The award is something that [operators] can use when applying for employment showing they strive for the highest standards."
Big picture view:
Wastewater treatment plants operate continuously to process effluent originating from homes, businesses, and industrial facilities. Certified operators use complex physical, chemical and biological filtration processes to purify municipal wastewater before returning it to local ecosystems.
As Washington faces challenges from aging municipal infrastructure, evolving climate impacts and a wave of workforce retirements, state officials emphasize that certified operators remain essential to municipal health and environmental protection.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Washington State Department of Ecology.
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