County clean-water facilities get good marks from neighbors

Since 2002, the county’s Wastewater Treatment Division has commissioned the survey to get feedback on the West Point Treatment Plant in Seattle and the South Treatment Plant in Renton from the people who live and work nearby. The 24-question survey is conducted by an independent research firm that randomly polls 35 businesses and 100 residents in each community.

“Maintaining a cordial relationship with our neighbors is also one of our business objectives,” said Wastewater Treatment Division Director Christie True. “The survey gives people a chance to tell us how we measure up to community standards,” she said, adding that survey results are actually factored into the treatment plant managers’ performance evaluations.

Questions enable respondents to describe their perceptions of the plants and to share both positive and negative opinions about their operation. People also have an opportunity to rank the county’s priorities and offer suggestions on how the county can improve.

Results showed that 64 percent of people felt the treatment plants were good neighbors, while 28 percent didn’t know. Nearly 83 percent of respondents said they did not experience any negative impacts that could be related to the operation of a nearby treatment plant. Among those who did, the most common complaint was odor.

True noted that older plants pose more challenges when it comes to fine-tuning the odor control systems, but it’s not an excuse for the plants to smell. Both plants have a 24-hour odor hotline and complaints are investigated right away.

The county has also made significant upgrades in its odor control systems in recent years, investing $7.9 million at South Treatment Plant and $1.4 million at West Point since 2004 to prevent nuisance odors from impacting neighbors.

Controlling odor and providing more public information continue to be the top suggestions for what King County can do to be a better neighbor. People also want the county to continue to maintain landscaping around the plants, offer public tours, take steps to reduce truck traffic and to respond to issues and inquiries within 24 hours.

The county conducts the Near Neighbor Survey every two years, and plans to commission another survey in 2011.

People seeking additional information about the treatment plants, including tours and other events, can visit the Wastewater Treatment Division Web site at http://www.kingcounty.gov/wtd  or call 206-684-1280 or 711 TTY.

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 districts 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.

Note to editors and reporters: Visit the WTD Newsroom, a portal to information for the news media about the Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/Newsroom.aspx.

Related information

West Point Treatment Plant

South Treatment Plant

King County Wastewater Treatment