The City of Sequim Water Reclamation Facility recently received a Wastewater Treatment Plant Outstanding Performance award for 2019 by the Washington State Department of Ecology.

The Sequim Reclamation Facility received the honor for earning full compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

This is the sixth consecutive year the Sequim Water Reclamation Facility received this award, according to Vincent McGowan, Water Quality Program Manager for the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Only 125 systems out of about 300 received the award in 2019, city representatives noted.

The Department of Ecology evaluates wastewater treatment plants for their compliance with effluent limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, spill prevention planning, pre-treatment, and overall operational demands of the 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 plan 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, without violations,” Vincent McGowan wrote in a letter to the City of Sequim.

“Ecology appreciates the extraordinary level of effort your plant operators demonstrated throughout 2019. Talented and proficient operators are critical to successful plant operations and protecting the health of Washington’s waters. Your excellent record is a credit to the dedicated operators who are responsible for operating this award-winning plant.”

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