King County responds to sewage overflow from clogged sewer line on Vashon Island

King County crews responded quickly to a wastewater spill July 5 near the Vashon Wastewater Treatment Plant.

County officials estimate 40,000 gallons overflowed because of a clogged influent sewer line outside of the plant. The spill was detected at about 4:30 p.m. July 5 after a call from a neighbor about a sewage smell near the plant and after water seen flowing in a normally dry ravine.

King County crews were able to pump around the plugged line to stop the overflow immediately upon arrival, and the plugged sewer line was cleared just after 10 p.m.

To protect public health, signs closing the area to the public were immediately posted, and water samples were collected for testing at the treatment plant and at an accredited laboratory. A vactor truck worked well into the night to gather all signs of wastewater. Crews are onsite today completing the cleanup.

Through visual inspections, the spill appears to have been contained to the dry creek bed and did not reach Puget Sound. King County is investigating whether the clogged pipe belongs to the County or the Vashon Sewer District.

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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.