University of Kentucky wins award for 25-million-gallon stormwater harvesting system
(UI) — The University of Kentucky’s Utilities and Energy Management team received a Grand Award at the 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards for its work on a stormwater harvesting system that supports the school’s Central Utility Plant.
Presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Kentucky, the award recognizes the team’s multi-year collaboration with Bell Engineering to design and implement the system, which became fully operational in fall 2023.
Supported by a Stormwater Infrastructure Grant from the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the system captures up to 25 million gallons of stormwater annually from the Wolf Run watershed. That water is then reused to help run the Central Utility Plant (CUP), which uses more than 45 million gallons of water each year.
“The stormwater harvesting system plays a critical role in helping us offset campus water usage and manage stormwater runoff,” said Britney Ragland, associate director of Utilities and Energy Management. “If we can capture, reuse and return this water to the environment, it reduces our footprint on the local water system while also benefiting the local watershed.”
The project also served as a hands-on learning opportunity for UK students. Throughout the academic year, senior design teams from mechanical, civil, and biosystems engineering programs—as well as two interns—conducted research on various components of the system.
“This award highlights the university’s dedication to sustainability, innovation and collaboration,” Ragland said. “We are proud of the work that has gone into this project and look forward to its long-term impact on campus and beyond.”
The Engineering Excellence Awards recognize outstanding achievements in engineering across Kentucky. Earning the Grand Award reflects the University of Kentucky’s broader commitment to environmental innovation and community impact.
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