Brightwater called an 'extraordinary facility' by awards jury for landscape architects organization

2005 Archived News

King County's Brightwater Siting Project has earned an Award of Honor in analysis and planning from the American Society of Landscape Architects, or ASLA. The awards jury said King County conducted a "very complete site analysis" for the "extraordinary facility."

The 2005 Professional Awards Jury also had these comments about the Brightwater wastewater treatment project: "clear how process and system works ... very unusual in its recreational components ... multi-use project that tells a compelling story as cities become more compressed and compacted."

Sharing in the award are the county's Wastewater Treatment Division and project consultants CH2M Hill of Bellevue as consultant team lead and Environmental Science Associates of San Francisco as site-selection- process lead. Ten other local firms supported specific project areas: Adololfson Associates, Brown and Caldwell, HDR, Pharos Corp., Norton-Arnold & Co., Miller Hull Partnership, Susan Black and Associates, Parametrix, Evans-Hamilton, and T. Ellen Sollod.

The award will be presented in October at an annual meeting of the international organization.

King County's project team conducted a four-year technical analysis and public-participation process that led to selection of the most suitable facility locations for engineering, community and environmental reasons. More details about the siting project are on the ASLA Web site.

When finished in 2010, the Brightwater treatment plant will be next to state Highway 9 in south Snohomish County north of Woodinville. Treated wastewater from south Snohomish County and north King County will flow from the plant through a 13-mile pipeline under 195th Street in King County and the King/Snohomish County line. The highly treated water will be discharged deep into Puget Sound through a mile-long outfall west of Point Wells.

Founded in 1899, the ASLA has more than 15,000 members and 48 chapters, representing all 50 states, U.S. territories and 42 countries around the world. The organization promotes the landscape architecture profession and advances the practice through advocacy, education, communication and fellowship.

Formerly known as Metro, the regional wastewater-treatment utility now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for 40 years. The clean-water agency protects public health and the environment for 17 cities, 17 local sewer utilities and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.