Business practices that support a vibrant economy while protecting regional water quality earned environmental awards for 76 local industrial facilities from King County’s Industrial Waste Program.

Each year, the program, which operates as part of King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division, honors local facilities that contribute to regional pollution prevention goals by meeting their respective permit requirements.

Fifty-one facilities earned gold awards for compliance with wastewater discharge regulations every month in 2016 with no violations, and 25 facilities earned silver awards for having no King County monitoring discharge violations in 2017.

Two Kirkland facilities won awards. The King County Solid Waste Division at Houghton Transfer Station in Kirkland earned the gold award and the Kirkland Western Pneumatic Tube Company LLC earned the silver award.

Since 1969, the Industrial Waste Program has required industrial facilities to pre-treat wastewater before discharging it into the sewer to protect the King County’s treatment system and its workers as well as the environment and public health.

For more information about the King County Industrial Waste Program, visit www.kingcounty.gov/industrialwaste.