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Oct. 17, 2011 Public comment invited on recommendations to control combined sewer overflowsReview plans, comment on project proposals and schedules by Dec. 31King County’s clean-water utility is seeking public review and input on newly issued recommendations for controlling its remaining combined sewer overflows (CSOs) at 14 locations in Seattle. CSOs occur in older parts of the city during heavy rains, degrading water quality and putting human health at risk.Released to the public today, King County’s “Recommended Combined Sewer Overflow Control Plan” is a 24-page plain language document that outlines nine proposed projects to effectively control CSOs to no more than one event per year on average at each of the 14 locations by 2030. The need for the projects was initially identified in 1999, and the recommended plan serves as an update to earlier comprehensive planning assumptions. Since the 1980s, King County has successfully controlled two-thirds of its 38 CSOs where stormwater and wastewater overflows occur during heavy rains, reducing volumes of uncontrolled CSOs in our waterways by more than 70 percent. The remaining projects are expected to be among the most complex and expensive, estimated to cost $711 million (in 2010 dollars). In addition to cost, the plan presents many factors for people to consider including the program schedule, CSO control methods, potential neighborhood impacts and project sequence. The deadline for submitting comments on the proposed plan is Dec. 31, 2011. People can obtain copies of the “Recommended Combined Sewer Overflow Control Plan”, supporting technical documents and comment forms on the web at http://www.kingcounty.gov/csocontrol.
Paper copies of the plan and related technical memoranda will be available beginning Oct. 21, at the King County Library System’s branches in Bellevue, Burien, Fairwood, Federal Way, Redmond and Shoreline, as well as the Seattle Public Library’s Central Library in downtown Seattle, and the Montlake and South Park branches. To request a paper copy of the 24-page plan document or for additional information about the recommended plan, comment opportunities, or to request information in alternative formats, please contact Dana West in King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division at 206-684-1097, 711 TTY or email review.cso@kingcounty.gov. Comments received will help shape decisions in developing a recommended CSO control plan that King County Executive Dow Constantine will submit to the King County Council for review in March 2012. A final plan is expected to be adopted by the County Council in August 2012. 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 ### 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, the environment and the economy 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 nearly 50 years. Related information
Combined Sewer Overflow Control Program King County Wastewater Treatment
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