Washington Department of Ecology honors 125 wastewater treatment plants

The Washington Department of Ecology has issued its annual Outstanding Performance Awards to 125 wastewater treatment facilities and their certified operators for their 2025 operational records. Out of more than 300 facilities in the state, the honorees achieved perfect compliance with water quality monitoring, reporting timelines, and numeric permit discharge limits.

Notable achievements include the Port Townsend Wastewater Treatment Facility, which has received the award for 30 consecutive years. Other long-term awardees include the Salmon Creek facility of the Discovery Clean Water Alliance and Klickitat PUD No. 1. New recipients of the award include Pearrygin Lake State Park, the Martin Way Reclamation Facility, and the Coulee City Wastewater Treatment Plant.

In Grays Harbor County, five facilities were recognized: the Aberdeen, Elma, Hoquiam, Montesano, and Westport wastewater treatment plants. These awards highlight the role of operators in preventing pollutants, bacteria, and viruses from entering local waterways such as rivers, streams, and the Puget Sound.