The Washington State Department of Ecology recognized the Touchet Water District for excellent compliance with water quality permits in its list of outstanding wastewater treatment plant award recipients for 2023.
Also called Walla Walla County Water District No. 2, the Touchet district provides sewer services to area residents.
It is the first time the Touchet Water District has been recognized by Ecology, and the district was the only one in Walla Walla County to earn the recognition.
Washington has more than 300 wastewater treatment plants, and 118 were recognized with the Outstanding Performance Award.
The wastewater treatment facilities were evaluated on permit conditions, including regularly meeting numeric effluent limits, conducting monitoring and reporting data as required, according to a Thursday, Aug. 1, news release from Ecology announcing the award recipients.
Vince McGowan, Ecology’s water quality program manager, said the work of wastewater treatment operators is often out of public view, and the operators deserve public recognition for their work protecting water quality.
“Wastewater treatment plants provide a critical service to our communities and yet we often don’t think about wastewater unless something goes wrong,” McGowan said.