Brightwater project receives major environmental permit from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

2005 Archived News

King County's plans to further prevent water pollution took a major step forward today when the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers granted a key permit for the future Brightwater wastewater treatment facilities. The federal process found the county's Brightwater plans environmentally sound and in the public interest.

The permit, coming after 18 months of intense scrutiny, approves the county's proposal to protect water quality and the environment during construction and operation of Brightwater. Brightwater will serve people who live and work in north King County and south Snohomish County.

"This permit is key to keeping our waters clean and our economy strong," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "Given the thorough scrutiny of the project by the Corps of Engineers, this permit signals that our wastewater team has done the hard work and is doing the right thing for the people, economy and environment of both Snohomish and King counties. We are striving for excellence and will deliver on that goal."

In the permit are conditions King County must meet to protect threatened and endangered species, tribal rights, historic property, navigable waters and other waters of the United States. The permit sets conditions for the Brightwater treatment plant, its pipelines and pump stations, and the outfall in Puget Sound.

King County set the process in motion in December 2003 when it applied to the Corps of Engineers for a permit to fill and move several freshwater streams and wetlands to build the treatment plant, conveyance system and outfall in Puget Sound. The permit is required by Section 404 of the federal Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899.

The permit allows King County to begin construction if it meets the special and general conditions and gets all required local permits. King County must also follow conditions of the Water Quality Certification issued by the state Department of Ecology on Jan. 18, 2005.

Besides the Corps of Engineers' independent analysis of the project, the project was subject to review under the federal Endangered Species Act by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Other laws and requirements affecting issuance of the permit come under the National Historic Preservation Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, state Shoreline Management Act and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

When Brightwater begins operating in 2010, it will serve Bothell, Brier, Kenmore, Mill Creek, Redmond, Sammamish and Woodinville. It will also serve unincorporated areas of Snohomish and King counties in the Alderwood, Cross Valley, Northeast Sammamish, Northshore, Silver Lake and Woodinville sewer districts.

Wastewater from the growing population in the Brightwater service area is now treated at King County plants miles away in Renton and Seattle. Formerly known as Metro, the regional wastewater-treatment utility now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for 40 years.

King County's Wastewater Treatment Division serves 17 cities, 17 local sewer agencies and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.