King County’s Brightwater project earned two Engineering Excellence Awards for 2012 from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) of Washington state.

The awards were presented at the Westin Bellevue on Jan. 20 to honor the best local examples of the engineering profession’s ingenuity, technical achievement and commitment to economic and social values. Brightwater also took top honors last month with a prestigious international tunneling award presented in Hong Kong.

The Brightwater Treatment Plant project, designed by engineering consultant firm CH2M Hill, received a Gold Award in the Waste and Stormwater Category and was also selected as a finalist for ACEC’s national competition in Washington, D.C. in April.

The ACEC specifically noted King County’s and CH2M Hill’s highly collaborative partnership in designing a treatment plant that would protect public health and the environment, meet stringent seismic design codes, produce reclaimed water, improve habitat and eliminate odors while incorporating sustainable design features and community amenities such as trails and a community center.

The project was also recognized for completing design deliverables on schedule and within the approved budget.

Brightwater’s East Tunnel project received ACEC’s Best-in-State Silver Award. The  2.7-mile tunnel between Bothell and the treatment plant site was designed as a joint venture by MWH/Jacobs Associates. The tunnel is 16 feet, 8 inches in diameter and holds pipes that convey untreated wastewater, treated wastewater and reclaimed water.

The ACEC of Washington is a professional trade association representing consulting engineering, land surveying and affiliated scientific and planning firms statewide.