Brown and Caldwell is proud to announce that King County, Washington’s Power Quality Improvement Project at West Point Treatment Plant (WPTP) received a National Recognition Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards.
This recognition adds to the program’s growing list of honors. In February, the Washington ACEC Chapter presented two WPTP projects with awards:
- Power Quality Improvement Building: National Gold Award for Energy for its innovation in energy efficiency and reliability
- Primary Sedimentation Area Roof Structure Project: Best in State Silver Award for Original or Innovative Application of New and Existing Techniques.
The WPTP is also a contender for Water Environment Federation’s Project Excellence Award.
“Delivering such a complex project from concept to an operating facility in just 3½ years, with a new technology, is an exceptional feat.”
Bruce Kessler, King County Wastewater Treatment Deputy Division Director
Brown and Caldwell is proud to have served as a collaborative partner with with Jacobs, Clarity Engineering, Wagner Architects, Environmental Science Associates, True North Land Surveyors, other specialty subconsultants, and Hoffman Construction Corporation to successfully deliver this critical infrastructure upgrade that protects public health and safeguards Puget Sound.
Built in 1965 and expanded in 1996, the peak wet weather flow 440 MGD wastewater treatment plant is the largest serving the Seattle metro area. However, in February 2017, a massive rainstorm struck, triggering a high effluent event and brief power anomaly at the plant. Subsequently, the pumping and control system failed, underground pipe and equipment flooded, and the plant shut down. Facing NPDES permit compliance, plant and county staff sprang into action and returned the WPTP to half-capacity within 18 hours – an incredible task.
The county then embarked on a vision to make it more resilient, efficient, and safer for generations to come.
Designed in 14 months, the $170 million emergency power project began under an emergency contract in March 2021, with the plant online by July 2024. The innovative program includes a new 24,000-square-foot, two-story electrical building and leverages a battery-based UPS (uninterruptible power supply) system.
This novel technology eliminates emergency wastewater bypasses caused by utility power voltage sags and short-term power disruptions. These disruptions can lead to the facility being overwhelmed with untreated wastewater and stormwater, forcing emergency bypasses to Puget Sound. To address this, the battery system ensures critical systems continue during power disruptions.
“We are proud to work together with King County and our partners to deliver groundbreaking solutions that help keep our community and environment safe,” said BC VP Kevin Stively, Project Delivery and Risk Manager.