Oak Harbor new sewage treatment plant was recognized this week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as an “exceptional clean water and drinking water” project within the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund programs, the EPA reported.

Oak Harbor’s membrane bioreactor system was one of four projects in the four-state region to be celebrated under the EPA’s PISCES and AQUARIUS programs, which recognize “excellence in innovation, sustainability and public health protection,” according to the EPA.

The city obtained a $42-million loan from the State Revolving Funds, which is an EPA-state partnership that provides communities with a source of low-cost financing for water quality and drinking water infrastructure projects.

State Revolving Funds have provided more than $170 billion in financial assistance to over 39,900 water quality infrastructure projects and 14,500 drinking water projects across the nation.

“The Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds are a key resource to help communities modernize their aging water infrastructure to protect people’s health and the environment,” said Chris Hladick, EPA’s regional administrator in Seattle. “These innovative projects represent exceptional ingenuity by our state and local partners to improve water quality in Pacific Northwest and Alaska communities.”

In recognizing Oak Harbor’s project, the EPA noted that it replaced two aging wastewater facilities, doubled treatment capacity and produces a high-quality effluent that can be used as reclaimed water for irrigation of the city’s community green spaces.