King County sewer crew works quickly to stop manhole overflows in Shoreline

After heavy rains overwhelmed sewer system pipes in a Shoreline neighborhood, King County crews responded quickly on Monday morning to stop sewage overflows from three manholes near the Hidden Lake Pump Station.

Crews first shut down a pump at the Hidden Lake Pump Station to slow flows and reduce pressure in the pipes. King County also worked with the Ronald Sewer District to divert excess flows through an outfall into Puget Sound. To protect public health, King County is restricting water access and closing beaches between Richmond Beach Park and Innis Arden Reserve. Staff will continue to monitor flows and expect normal operations to resume by this evening.

Though the amount of wastewater and the extent of the area affected are still being investigated, King County has begun clean up measures in neighborhoods where overflows impacted streets and yards.

To improve system reliability over the long term in this area, the county will begin construction on the Hidden Lake Sewer Improvement Project in summer 2006.

The Hidden Lake project will include building a new pump station, sewer pipeline and storage facilities that will increase capacity, reducing the risk of overflows during heavy rains.