Habitat for Humanity finds a 'home' at Brightwater treatment plant site

A vacant warehouse at the Brightwater treatment plant site is getting a new lease on life thanks to Habitat for Humanity of Snohomish County. King County will let Habitat for Humanity use the 32,000-square-foot space for volunteer staff training and home building projects until it is demolished to make way for Brightwater facilities in 2007.

The county purchased the property on what is now the 114-acre Brightwater site in 2004. Part of the building where the warehouse now sits also holds Brightwater project staff offices.

The warehouse space will help keep the volunteers out of the elements as they train or build projects ranging from homes for local families to homes for people displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

"Habitat for Humanity's work has so many positive benefits for the community," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "Allowing the group's volunteers to use commercial space that would otherwise sit empty just makes sense."

In addition to Habitat for Humanity volunteers, local fire fighters have also used the vacant warehouse to conduct a variety of training exercises.

Community members who would like more information on volunteer opportunities with Habitat for Humanity can call 425-640-1190.

People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater treatment program. The county's Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer utilities and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years.