LOTT Clean Water Alliance recognizes City of Lacey for 50 years of regional cooperation 

The City of Lacey was honored for its longtime partnership with the regional wastewater utility serving Thurston County. 

The LOTT Clean Water Alliance (LOTT) and WET Science Center presented the award to the city at the LOTT 50th anniversary celebration on Monday, Oct. 26.

Lacey City Council member Carolyn Cox, City Manager Rick Walk and Public Works Director Vince McGowan attended the event.

The partnership helps protect public health by treating wastewater from homes and businesses before it is discharged into Puget Sound and other waterways.

LOTT also recovers resources from wastewater, including water that can be reused for irrigation and groundwater replenishment. 

LOTT is a nonprofit organization formed in 1976 by Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater and Thurston County The utility has expanded over the decades to now serve about 140,000 people, up from roughly 70,000 in 1998.

The alliance was established partly in response to the federal Clean Water Act and efforts to secure federal funding for wastewater infrastructure. The City of  Lacey had connected to the regional system before the alliance was formally established. 

Through the partnership, the participating cities manage local sewer collection pipes and bill customers, while LOTT provides wastewater treatment for the four jurisdictions. Lacey accounts for about 40 percent of the population LOTT serves. 

LOTT Executive Director Matt Kennelly spoke about the award during a Lacey City Council work session on Tuesday, Oct. 27. He said the 50-year mark gave LOTT a chance to honor its partner governments for their continued cooperation in regional wastewater management. 

Kennelly said that spirit of partnership guides the way LOTT tackles its projects, including work with the Washington State Department of Ecology and community organizations. 

“We’re partnering with Ecology on this Class A plus (purified water) thing. We’re partnering on these community projects. We’re doing all that, and I think thinking about it in a way of partnership is a way to frame it,” Kennelly said.