Public Works Division Earns National Award

Published on September 20, 2021

Treating 28 million gallons of wastewater every day for an entire year is a feat in and of itself but doing it for five years in a row while consistently meeting standards set by the Clean Water Act is operational excellence at an entirely different level.

To recognize that achievement, the Water Pollution Control (WPC) professionals responsible for operation and maintenance of the Kaw Point Wastewater Treatment Plant were recently given their first ever Platinum Award from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies. This annual award recognizes wastewater treatment facilities that have achieved 100% permit compliance with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) over a consecutive, five-year period.

The Kaw Point Plant was first recognized in 2016 with the Gold Award, celebrating one year of 100% permit compliance. Now, for the past five years, the plant has not recorded a single NPDES permit violation, earning them the Platinum Award honor for their continued outstanding compliance record. Three other Unified Government (UG) plants earned Gold Awards recognizing facilities with no permit violations for the entire calendar year.

“These awards reinforce the renewed commitment our clean water professionals have made to regulatory compliance and improved operations and asset management since entering into a Consent Decree with the EPA in 2013,” says Trenton Foglesong, WPC Senior Engineer.

This award speaks to the exceptional commitment of The UG's WPC team to provide safe, reliable, and efficient public works systems and services. More than 150,000 residents across Wyandotte County can rest assured that the more than 100 person WPC team is working around the clock to protect public health and the environment.

For more information about the WPC Division’s efforts to safeguard the environment through wastewater and stormwater management, visit wycokck.org/water.