County wastewater treatment plants earn performance awards

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 26, 2025

The Washington State Department of Ecology recently presented annual Outstanding Performance Awards to 121 wastewater facilities and their operators including four in Grays Harbor County — Elma, Montesano, Satsop Business Park and Westport.

Ecology selects wastewater treatment plants (WTTP) for the Outstanding Performance Award based on meeting specific permit conditions, including regularly meeting numeric effluent limits, monitoring water quality (as required) and submitting reports on time.

Award recipients receive a plaque and certificate to display their excellence and continued commitment to keeping Washington’s lakes, rivers and streams clean.

According to Ecology, these wastewater treatment plant operators achieved excellent compliance with their routine water quality monitoring and reporting requirements, and in meeting water quality permit limits.

The Outstanding Performance Award is recognition for the hard day-to-day work that wastewater operators perform treating the wastewater that leaves industries, businesses, and homes. This work helps prevent different types of pollution from reaching local waterways.

“This award is recognition for the hard work and commitment the wastewater staff put in to ensuring all water quality requirements are met,” said Rick Eaton, city of Elma director of public works. “Andrew Baskett — Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator and Jason Carman — Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator, with support from our Public Works staff, work day in and day out, oftentimes in the worst conditions imaginable, to ensure all permit treatment and reporting requirements are 100% met. This is a testament to their professionalism and dedication and we are grateful for their service to the city of Elma. To borrow a quote from a former colleague, ‘We are number one in the number two business.’”

“We have a very good public works crew that takes pride in serving the public and takes their jobs very seriously,” said Mike Olden, Director of Public Works/Community Development for the city of Montesano. “Our lead WTTP operator, Jeff McElliot, and the guys that support him do a great job at the WWTP. This award is well deserved evidence of that.”

“At the Westport Wastewater Facility, our team strives to ensure that every drop of water leaving the plant is treated to the highest standard,” said Jim Atkinson, Westport’s wastewater superintendent. “We understand that our discharge flows into Half Moon Bay, where local industries, aquatic life, and livelihoods depend on clean and healthy water. From our maintenance staff to the superintendent, this is truly a team effort. We are determined to continue producing a high-quality discharge and protect downstream waters.”

Jon Kenning, the program manager for Ecology’s Water Quality program, says the behind-the-scenes work performed by wastewater treatment plant operators is essential for communities.

“Wastewater infrastructure is something many of us don’t think about, while operators are thinking about it every day,” Kenning said. “Wastewater treatment operators help ensure clean water for our communities and the environment. Their work often goes unseen, but it benefits everyone in our state.”

While every facility is location specific and structurally different, they all depend on trained and certified operators to keep things running safely and smoothly.

Facility operators ensure wastewater is clean enough to be released to water bodies such as local rivers. Ecology uses wastewater permits to ensure that wastewater treatment facilities are properly designed, operated, and maintained to meet end-of-pipe discharge limits. These limits protect communities from bacteria, viruses, and other pollutants that can harm human health and the environment.