AP continues to gain recognition for its innovative approaches to engineering projects.
AP and their client, the City of Prineville, were honored with the prestigious Grand Award, one of only 16 given, by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) at the 52nd Engineering Excellence Awards competition on May 7 in Washington D.C.
Grand Awards recognize engineering accomplishments from the U.S. and throughout the world that demonstrate exceptional innovation, complexity, achievement, and value. This year’s competition yielded 196 entries, and a panel of judges selected the nation’s best projects to receive Grand Awards.
“It is an exceptional honor for the City’s Crooked River Wetlands to be singled out as one of the top national engineering projects in the nation,” said Prineville Mayor Steve Uffelman.
In 2005, Prineville was tasked with upgrading its wastewater treatment facilities. Rather than build a $62 million mechanical plant that would consume a large amount of electricity and chemicals, AP designed a more cost-effective and environmentally sensitive approach.
Completed in 2017, the Crooked River Wetlands project avoided significant rate increases for businesses and citizens with a natural wastewater treatment system that established a 120-acre wetlands complex along the Crooked River. While the complex incorporates effective wastewater treatment — expected to meet the city’s needs through 2040, and beyond — it also serves as an interactive community asset with hiking trails, wildlife-watching, and educational kiosks.
With miles of walking paths and hiking trails, educational resources for schoolchildren and miles of riparian improvements along the Crooked River, what could have been a standard public works project was instead designed to be a vital community asset. Approximately half of the $7.7 million project investment was sourced from grants and partner funding.
Last year, the Crooked River Wetlands project garnered national recognition — both from the National Association of Clean Water Agencies and the Environmental Protection Agency, which described it as “an outstanding contribution to environmental protection.”
“We are honored to be recognized alongside the City of Prineville for this groundbreaking project,” said AP project manager Brett Moore.
In addition to the National award, AP has received nine other Grand Awards from ACEC Oregon since 2004, as well as one Project of the Year. AP projects have been recognized by multiple national, regional, and statewide organizations for excellence in engineering including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National League of Cities, the Oregon Leaugue of Cities, the Oregon Department of State Lands, the Pacific Northwest Clean Water Association, the American Water Works Association, and the Oregon Governor’s office.
