Brown and Caldwell honored with WEF Project Excellence Award for West Point power resiliency upgrade

Brown and Caldwell has received the Water Environment Federation (WEF) Project Excellence Award for its role in the $170 million Power Quality Improvement Project at King County’s West Point Treatment Plant (WPTP) in Seattle.

Completed in September 2024, the project delivered the largest uninterruptible power supply system at any U.S. wastewater facility. The 16.8-megawatt battery installation – comprising 48,000 cells – ensures uninterrupted operation of critical pumps during power disruptions, reducing the risk of untreated wastewater bypasses into Puget Sound.

Undertaken in just 3.5 years, the system has already proven effective, keeping equipment online during dozens of outages and extreme weather events, including a November 2024 “bomb cyclone.”

“The project reflects King County’s commitment to protecting public health and the environment through forward-looking solutions,” said Kamuron Gurol, director of the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, in a press release.

The award was presented during WEFTEC 2025 in Chicago, adding to national and state honors already earned by the project, including recognition from the American Council of Engineering Companies.