Jennifer AllenThe University of Kentucky’s Utilities and Energy Management team in Facilities Mangement was honored with a Grand Award at the 2025 Engineering Excellence Awards, presented by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Kentucky. This recognition celebrates the team’s innovative work on the Central Utility Plant (CUP) Stormwater Harvesting System, a project that began in 2017 and officially went online in the fall of 2023.
Developed in collaboration with Bell Engineering and supported by a Stormwater Infrastructure Grant from the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, the system is designed to capture up to 25 million gallons of stormwater annually from the 170 million gallons that flow into the Wolf Run watershed. The collected water is then repurposed to supplement the water needed to run the plant, significantly reducing the need for purchased domestic water.
The stormwater harvesting system plays a critical role in helping us offset campus water usage and manage stormwater runoff. 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.
Britney Ragland, associate director of Utilities and Energy Management
“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 CUP cooling plant alone uses more than 45 million gallons of water each year and the stormwater harvesting system offsets a substantial portion of that demand, providing a meaningful environmental and operational benefit for the university.
In addition to its practical applications, the project also has an educational component. Engineering senior design teams from mechanical, civil and biosystems engineering, along with two engineering interns, conducted studies on various aspects of the system throughout this past academic year.
“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 are presented annually to recognize outstanding achievements in the field of engineering. Earning the Grand Award is a testament to UK’s commitment to developing solutions that positively impact both the environment and the local community.
