Stormwater and Transit Designs Earn ACEC WA 2026 Engineering Excellence Awards

February, 2026

As major enhancements to their communities, two Otak projects were honored at the 2026 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) WA awards ceremony for making a positive impact in distinctly different ways. The Monroe Avenue Stormwater Facility earned a Gold Award for its innovative application of techniques to deliver a unique piece of green stormwater infrastructure while the Swift Bus Rapid Transit Orange Line earned a Silver Award for its social, economic, and sustainable design.

As an organization committed to advancing the industry, ACEC holds the annual awards to recognize engineering firms for projects that demonstrate an exceptional degree of innovation, complexity, achievement, and value. A closer look at these two projects, adding to a list of award-winning work, and their impact on surrounding communities can be found below.

Monroe Avenue Stormwater Facility – Gold Award: Uniqueness and/or Innovative Application of New or Existing Techniques

The Monroe Avenue Stormwater Treatment and Infiltration Facility represents a breakthrough in urban stormwater management and a model for engineering innovation solving long-standing environmental, flooding, and community space challenges within highly developed basins.

Located in the 260-acre Renton Highlands watershed, the project replaced an outdated infiltration pit with a facility designed to manage 100-year storm events, improve water quality, and deliver lasting public benefits. Among its most innovative elements is a multi-layered sediment and pollutant removal ‘treatment train’ engineered to preserve the infiltration capacity of the native soils. Altogether, the project will reduce flooding and improve water quality in the City of Renton for generations to come.

Swift Bus Rapid Transit, Orange Line – Silver Award: Social, Economic, and Sustainable Design

Adding to the state’s first rapid transit system of its kind, the Swift BRT Orange Line is an 11-mile connection between multiple communities in Snohomish County. This expansion of public transportation enhances accessibility for the region’s residents to a variety of vital services as well as economic and social opportunities.