Pierce County’s Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant in University Place has received the 2012 “Wastewater Treatment Plant Outstanding Performance” award from the Washington State Department of Ecology for the fifth consecutive year.

Of approximately 300 wastewater treatment plants in Washington, Pierce County’s plant is one of 107 that achieved full compliance with its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit in 2012. Treatment plants were evaluated for compliance with the effluent limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, spill prevention planning, pretreatment, and overall operational demands of the NPDES permit.

This is the 14th time in the 17-year history of the program that the plant has earned this award.

Pierce County’s Chambers Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant is undergoing a $353 million expansion that will increase sewer capacity, introduce new technologies that help protect the environment, support economic development in Pierce County, and build the foundation for meeting future environmental regulations. The project will also allow the county to repair and replace aging infrastructure at the plant. The expansion project will increase the plant’s footprint from 49 acres to 89 acres and treatment capacity from 28.7 million gallons per day to 43 million gallons per day. Infrastructure improvements consist of a new laboratory, rehabilitation of existing buildings, and expansion of many of the treatment facilities such as digesters, aeration basins and secondary clarifiers.

More information is available online at co.pierce.wa.us/index.aspx?NID=1659.