Thomas & Hutton (T&H), a privately held and employee-owned professional services firm known for its award-winning culture and 80 years of shaping communities across the Southeast, has earned a 2026 National Project of the Year Award from the American Public Works Association (APWA) for the North Bryan Water Reclamation Facility in Bryan County, Georgia. Recognized in the Environment More Than $75 Million category, the APWA National Project of the Year Awards honor excellence in the management, administration, and delivery of public works projects that provide lasting benefits to the communities they serve.

Delivered in response to the announcement of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, the North Bryan Water Reclamation Facility expanded Bryan County’s wastewater treatment capacity in just 28 months, compressing a process that typically requires five years or more. The project includes a new 5-million-gallon-per-day membrane bioreactor facility, expandable to 10 MGD, along with approximately 14,000 linear feet of 30-inch effluent force main. Together, these improvements provide critical infrastructure to support one of Georgia’s largest economic development initiatives.

Designed as a regional water reclamation hub, the facility serves northern Bryan County, portions of western Savannah, southwest Effingham County, and southern Bulloch County through intergovernmental partnerships. Its advanced treatment technology and planned expansion capacity position the system to support continued regional growth while protecting the Ogeechee River and Floridan Aquifer.

“This project demonstrates what can be accomplished when a client, design team, contractors, and regional partners align around a shared goal,” said Matthew Frazier, Principal/Environmental Group Leader at T&H. “Bryan County faced an extraordinary infrastructure need on an exceptionally compressed schedule, and the entire team responded with creativity, urgency, and a commitment to long-term value. We are proud to have helped deliver a facility that will serve the region for decades to come.”

T&H shares this national recognition with Bryan County, project partners, contractors, and the many stakeholders whose collaboration made the project possible. Together, the team delivered critical infrastructure that strengthens regional resilience, protects natural resources, and supports long-term economic growth across Coastal Georgia. The project also reflects the expertise T&H brings to complex water and wastewater infrastructure projects throughout the Southeast, helping communities prepare for growth while protecting the resources that sustain them.