The following is a press release from the Department of Ecology:

Most people don’t think twice about the water that goes down the drain or is flushed down the toilet. But the folks at the state Department of Ecology give careful consideration to such things, because the water that leaves homes and businesses contains chemicals, pathogens and other waste that can be harmful to human health and the environment.

So, Ecology annually recognizes the state’s top-performing wastewater treatment plants with the Outstanding Performance Award. This year, treatment plants in Sumner and Wilkeson made the list.

In all, Ecology honored 111 wastewater treatment plants — about a third of all systems operating across the state — for achieving full compliance with their water quality permits in 2017.

“Washington’s growing population creates a greater need for wastewater treatment every day. Talented and proficient plant operators are critical to meeting this challenge and ensuring successful plant operations that protect the health of Washington’s waters,” said Ecology Water Quality Program Manager Heather Bartlett.

In picking the winners, Ecology evaluated all the plants operating in Washington to determine how they were meeting the state pollution limits, monitoring and reporting requirements, spill prevention planning, pretreatment and operational demands outlined in their permits.