| August 8, 2003
News Release King County's Wastewater Treatment Division has earned three national awards for excellence and outstanding performance from the Association of Metropolitan Sewerage Agencies. The county's South Wastewater Treatment Plant in Renton received a Platinum Peak Performance Award for five consecutive years of 100 percent compliance with effluent quality requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. Only 32 treatment plants in the United States earned the award this year. The South plant treats wastewater from east and south King County, southeast Snohomish County and northeast Pierce County. The West Point Treatment Plant in northwest Seattle received a Gold Peak Performance Award for 100 percent compliance with its NPDES permit in 2002. West Point treats wastewater from Seattle, Shoreline and southwest Snohomish County. The division also won an AMSA National Environmental Achievement Award for excellence in public information and education. The winning publication is a summary of the draft environmental impact statement for the proposed Brightwater treatment facilities serving north King County and south Snohomish County. Last October, the regional wastewater treatment utility mailed about 60,000 copies of the public information document to people in areas that may be affected by construction or operation of Brightwater facilities. The document urged people to comment on the draft EIS. To meet federal discharge permit requirements, treatment plants must meet limits in removing various pollutants from wastewater. The limits include biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, fecal coliform counts and total residual chlorine. The West Point and South plants discharge treated wastewater deep into Puget Sound. "These awards reflect the high quality work of employees who plan, design and run our wastewater treatment facilities," said Division Director Don Theiler. "Their combined efforts enable us to regulate the sources of wastewater, site and build facilities that meet the needs of our customers and neighbors, and operate and maintain facilities that remove all but a fraction of pollutants." The regional wastewater treatment utility operated by King County protects public health and water quality for 18 cities, 15 sewer districts and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Related Information |
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