New H20 Award Presented to SD1

Submitted by ksandino on

Sanitation District No. 1 (SD1), a long-time client of GRW, received during the recent Governor’s Local Issues Conference in Louisville one of two H20 Awards honoring exemplary water resources projects funded by the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (KIA). 2017 is the first year the awards have been presented.

SD1 received the H20 Award, Clean Water category, for its Western Regional Water Reclamation Facility (WRWRF). The award recognizes projects that represent high standards of excellence in efficiency, regionalization, and best practices in construction and operation of a KIA water infrastructure project. SD1's project was 100% funded by a KIA Fund A loan of $69,403,566 – the largest SRF loan to date in Kentucky. By financing the WRWRF with a low-interest KIA loan, SD1 and its rate payers saved approximately $54.2 million in interest costs when compared to traditional bonds. Other criteria met by SD1's project included compliance with the federal Clean Water Act.

The 20 MGD WRWRF, designed by GRW, is the cornerstone of SD1’s Western Regional Strategy to move flow from the undersized central collection/treatment system to the new western system, located in a regional high growth area.

It is one of three major treatment facilities in SD1’s three-county service area. It treats wastewater from Boone and Kenton counties and has improved sewer function across the region by relieving demand on the Dry Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, which previously served all three Northern Kentucky counties. 

In addition to conventional treatment plant processes, the WRWRF includes several technologies and features that facilitate ease of operation, low operating cost, cost effectiveness, and environmental stewardship. 

The Western Regional WRF has been the recipient of several other awards including:

  • 2017 - Kentucky-Tennessee Water Environment Association Operational Excellence Award (Given to facilities that have no more than one violation of their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit during 2016; WRWRF had zero violations in 2016.)
  • 2016 - National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Peak Performance Silver Award (no more than five National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit violations per calendar year)
  • 2015 - National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Peak Performance Silver Award (no more than five NPDES permit violations per calendar year)
  • Engineering Excellence Grand Award, American Council of Engineering Companies of Kentucky
  • Engineering Excellence Awards National Finalist, American Council of Engineering Companies