 | | Commissioner’s Corner Explores How Wastewater Treatment Plant Protects the Health of Puget Sound | 12/8/2025 | PORT ORCHARD, Wash – Every day, the Central Kitsap Treatment Plant processes approximately four million gallons of wastewater from homes and businesses across Kitsap County, transforming it into clean water before it returns to Puget Sound. The facility in Brownsville treats wastewater from Silverdale, Bangor, Keyport, and the City of Poulsbo, along with septage from about 60,000 septic tanks throughout the County. In the latest Commissioner's Corner video, District 1 Commissioner Christine Rolfes speaks with Senior Program Manager Nick Martin and Operations Manager Matt Pickering about how the treatment process works and what residents can do to support the system. "The Central Kitsap Treatment Plant is more than infrastructure. It's one of our strongest lines of defense for clean water and a healthy Puget Sound," said Commissioner Rolfes. "The staff works around the clock to keep our system running, and residents play an important role too through simple actions at home." Wastewater treatment is a complex process that benefits the local environment by: - Preventing pollution and beach closures. Without treatment, toxic chemicals would harm marine life, create dead zones, and force closure of beaches and shellfish harvesting areas.
- Producing water that’s 98-99% cleaner. Multi-stage treatment removes pollutants invisible to the eye, including ammonia, disease-causing organisms, and harmful nutrients.
- Turning waste into resources. The County converts approximately 1,000 tons of biosolids annually into agricultural products and is working toward producing Class A recycled water for irrigation and toilet flushing.
- ing 24/7. Staff monitor and optimize treatment processes daily to protect water quality in Puget Sound and surrounding waterways.
All Kitsap residents can help the wastewater treatment process. The County recommends that residents: - Never flush wet wipes or pharmaceuticals. Even wipes labeled "flushable" don't break down like toilet paper and cause system problems.
- Never pour fats, oils, and grease down the sink. These practices reduce maintenance costs and protect both home plumbing and the environment.
"Those two things alone help reduce our maintenance times and costs and can also keep your system working well at home," said Operations Manager Matt Pickering. "And in fact, those things also help protect the environment." The same actions that protect the County's sewer system can also keep home septic tanks functioning properly too. Without proper wastewater treatment, excess discharge of toxic chemicals would immediately harm the marine environment. Nutrient pollution would trigger algae blooms and oxygen depletion—conditions that have historically caused dead zones and fish kills in Puget Sound and Hood Canal. Disease-causing bacteria would force beach closures and threaten shellfish harvesting, salmon populations, and public health. The County is committed to viewing water as a resource rather than simply managing waste. Future work includes producing Class A recycled water that can reduce demand on potable water supplies—a critical consideration as the region faces growing water resource challenges. Watch Commissioner's Corner: The full episode featuring Commissioner Rolfes, Senior Program Manager Nick Martin, and Operations Manager Matt Pickering is available anytime on BKAT's YouTube channel. For more information on the County's sewer utility and the Central Kitsap Treatment Plant, visit: our CKTP webpage. Kym Pleger, Communication Manager, Kitsap County Public Works Krista Carlson, Communications Manager, Kitsap County Board of Commissioners
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