LUMMI NATION, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The Lummi Tribal Sewer and Water District was presented with a national award on Tuesday, July 21 following upgrades it made to a nearby wastewater treatment plant.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s PISCES program recognized the Gooseberry Point Wastewater Treatment Plant for its effort in environmental and public health protection.
Members of the Sewer and Water District, the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department of Ecology met at the Wex’liem Community Hall on the Lummi Nation for an award ceremony.
Spokesperson from the EPA Region 10 Emma Pokon congratulated the Sewer and Water district on its upgrades to the plant which will result in reduced pollution and restored protection for tribal shellfish beds.
Lummi Indian Business Council Vice-Chairman Terrence Adams addressed the significance of the hard work done to upgrade the plant in his speech.
“This project reflects the Nation’s commitment to protecting our people [and] our natural resources. Clean water is essential to public health in our environment and in our way of life,” Adams said. “Protecting our water also protects the salmon, the shellfish, our treaty resources that have sustained our people for generations.”
Prior to its renovations, the plant’s outdated technology was underperforming in its treatment of wastewater. High tides and weather events would cause partially treated effluent to back up into the plant’s disinfection system.
The wastewater would then need to be diverted over nearby land next to the Hale Passage waterway: a shellfish habitat, salmon fishing area and popular location for the endangered southern resident orca pod.
With a $15 million loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, the facility saw improvements to its activated sludge process, pump station and extreme weather event measures.
The Gooseberry Point plant was recognized by the PISCES program as one of five ‘Exceptional Projects’ chosen this year from around the country.
