King County to dedicate new Seattle facilities to control overflows of untreated stormwater, sewage

After more than four years of construction, King County has finished one of its most significant clean-water projects. And we're dedicating the new facilities at a special event:

The new Denny Way/Lake Union combined sewer overflow control system is the largest county system for controlling overflows in Seattle. It will protect public health and the environment by significantly reducing untreated discharges of combined stormwater and sewage into Lake Union and Elliott Bay during storms.

Scheduled speakers are County Executive Ron Sims; County Council Chair Larry Phillips; Jay Manning, director of the state Department of Ecology; and B.J. Brooks, deputy superintendent of the Seattle Parks and Recreation Department.

The event will include informal tours of the new Elliott West CSO Facility, which will operate during and after storms. During storms, the facility will send flows a 14-foot-diameter storage tunnel. If the tunnel fills completely, the flows will be treated at the CSO facility and discharged through a new outfall into Elliott Bay. After each storm, stored flows will be pumped to the West Point Treatment Plant for secondary treatment.

Also invited are Julie Hagenson, deputy administrator for Region 10 of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Tim Ceis, Seattle deputy mayor; representatives of Seattle Public Utilities, the Port of Seattle and King County 4Culture; project staff from the Wastewater Treatment Division; park users; project consultants and contractors; and interested residential and business neighbors.

King County's Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer agencies and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional wastewater treatment utility has been preventing water pollution for nearly 40 years.