After more than a decade of planning and about five years of construction,
the 36 mgd (design) Brightwater Treatment Plant began operating in September 2011. It was the largest capital improvement in the history of King County, Wash., and the largest expansion of the regional wastewater system since the two original plants were built in the 1960s.
"It's a really significant project, and one we're really proud of," says communication specialist Annie Kolb-Nelson. The final $1.85 billion cost includes an on-site environmental education/community center and over 70 acres of public open space and restored habitat. The
