Behold the beauty of wastewater treatment at South Plant event, Aug. 7

Garden fair, facility tours, compost giveaways, public art and more!

King County’s clean-water utility is hosting an open house on Aug. 7 that promises to put the “treat” in wastewater treatment. The fun takes place on Saturday, Aug. 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s South Treatment Plant, 1200 Monster Road SW, Renton.

This free, family-friendly environmental extravaganza will feature treatment facility tours, a tour of nearby Waterworks Gardens Park, and an opportunity to see a demonstration garden nourished with composted biosolids. Sturdy closed-toe shoes are required for the treatment plant tour, and children accompanied by an adult are welcome.

Volunteers with the Master Gardeners will discuss their work in the demonstration garden, share information on the safety and benefits of biosolids compost, and provide expert tips and advice on raising healthy plants. Free samples of GroCo, a compost product made from King County’s own biosolids, will be available to the first 50 visitors.

Visitors will also be able to view a new public art piece by Fall City artist Donald Fels. The kinetic sculpture called Water Plant was created through an active collaboration between Fels, employees of the South Treatment Plant, 4Culture, and metal fabricator Benson Vess.

The sculpture is animated by water, balance and gravity and engages visitors by bringing playful attention to the way water “works” using the same straight-forward, universal mechanics at work every day to clean water at the treatment plant.

King County includes public art in its facilities for various beneficial reasons - from deterring vandalism to creating an environment where people are proud to visit and work. In 1973, the King County Council adopted legislation creating the 1% for Art program in which art investments are a part of construction projects such as the new administration building at South Treatment Plant that was completed in 2009.

“If the sculpture draws you in, and then you begin to understand a bit about the ways water works for us in the environment, it will have succeeded,” says artist Donald Fels.

The demonstration garden and GroCo pick-up will be open the duration of the open house or until the GroCo is gone. Scheduled events include:

• Tours of the treatment plant at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
• A tour of Waterworks Gardens at 10 a.m.
• A presentation by artist Don Fels at 11:15 a.m.

For more additional information, or to arrange reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities, please contact Jo Sullivan at 206-296-8361 or 711 TTY or visit the website at http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/Education.aspx.

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 1.5 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 nearly50 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

Wastewater education program

King County Wastewater Treatment