The City of Sequim Water Reclamation Facility recently received a Wastewater Treatment Plant Outstanding Performance award for 2021 from the Washington State Department of Ecology.

The Sequim facility received the award for achieving full compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

Only 124 systems out of about 300 received the award in 2021, city officials noted.

This is the third consecutive year — and 10th out of 11 years — the Sequim Water Reclamation Facility has received this award.

The Department of Ecology evaluates wastewater treatment plants in Washington for their compliance with effluent limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, spill prevention planning, pretreatment, and overall operational demands of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

“It takes diligent operators and a strong management team, working effectively together, to achieve this high level of performance,” said Vincent McGowan, Water Quality Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Ecology in a letter to the City of Sequim. “2021 started as the rainiest year on record, followed by extreme snowfall. Turning wastewater into water clean enough to discharge to waterways takes efficient process control, skill, teamwork, and good judgement. Ecology appreciates the extraordinary level of effort your plant operators demonstrated throughout 2021.”

For more information, contact city utilities manager Pete Tjemsland at 360-681-6607 or ptjemsland@sequimwa.gov.