Advanced Circuits (Aurora, CO), a quick-turn printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer with real-time customer service, announced that it received a Gold Award from the Metro Wastewater Restoration District (MWRD) of Colorado for the second year in a row. Of

1,100 eligible Colorado companies, only 14 received the recognition. 

To win the prestigious award, manufacturers must be 100% compliant with MWRD, Colorado Department of Health and Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

Advanced Circuits' pollution prevention and waste minimization efforts include reclaiming metal scrap and waste copper etch solutions and using countercurrent rinses and automated sensors to control rinse water use.

 In 2003, the company accelerated its focus on improving work flow and productivity through its metal finishing process operations. It invested in an automated electroless copper plating line and completed the installation of supplemental pretreatment equipment. The additional pretreatment equipment runs in unison with the existing pretreatment setup (though triple its size) and ensures that the increased volume of wastewater generated by increased plant production will meet permit discharge requirements.

"Manufacturing plants, especially PCB shops, have traditionally had a bad reputation as far as their impact on the environment," said Bob Liebsock, Advanced Circuits process engineer. "Advanced Circuits is ever conscious of the need to maintain a dedicated effort towards regulatory compliance and will continue in its steadfast goal to reduce, reuse and recycle wherever possible."

The MWRD is a regional organization that provides wholesale wastewater transmission and treatment service to 55 local governments in the Denver metropolitan area. These local governments provide retail wastewater services to approximately 1.5 million people. The MWRD has been recognizing environmentally conscious Colorado companies since 1991.

www.4pcb.com