King County responds to wastewater overflow at Seattle’s Meadowbrook Park

King County wastewater utility crews responded quickly when a sewage overflow was discovered in Meadowbrook Park in Seattle Monday.

High volumes of water due to record rains blew open a concrete block over a sediment trap, allowing wastewater to spill into the park. The event wasn’t immediately noticed due to significant flooding into the park from Thornton Creek. It’s estimated that the damaged line overflowed for about 12 hours.

To protect public health, the park was closed to the public and crews initiated a clean up plan.

King County Environmental Laboratory staff took water samples from nearby Meadowbrook Pond and Thornton Creek, and notified public health and regulatory agencies. The park will remain closed until further notice.

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.