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Puget Sound shoreline next to the West Point Treatment Plant, Seattle

Cover to RWSP Executive's Preferred PlanRWSP Executive's preferred plan

The RWSP Executive's Preferred Plan was transmitted to the King County Council in April 1998. The plan includes details on the proposed major projects and programs, and information on costs, rates, and the schedule for implementing the RWSP.

Letter from King County Executive Ron Sims, April 1998

Exec Ron Sims letterDear Friends,

Forty years ago, concerned residents rallied and formed a grassroots movement to clean up Lake Washington. The water was so polluted with untreated wastewater that their families could not swim or fish in it. These residents accomplished their goal, but they did so much more. Their efforts resulted in the first-rate wastewater collection and treatment system that we enjoy today.

Now we have the opportunity to do the same for ourselves and for future generations. The big difference between 40 years ago and today, however, is that we can rally before our water resources degrade to the point where we can no longer enjoy them. But we must act quickly: the recent proposal to list Puget Sound salmon under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires us to act quickly to protect water quality, and growing population in King and Snohomish Counties threatens to exhaust the capacity in our existing wastewater system by the year 2010.

For the past several years, we have been developing possible ways to meet the increasing demands of population growth while keeping our system flexible enough to respond to new circumstances like the ESA. We asked the public to help us decide on the best approach to take. Now I am pleased to present my recommendations for managing the wastewater needs of this region for another 40 years or more:

  • Build a new north treatment plant, associated conveyance improvements, and a new outfall system that discharges treated effluent to Puget Sound
  • Accelerate the program to control combined sewer overflows
  • Implement a new incentive-based program to reduce inflow and infiltration
  • Continue recycling biosolids and evaluate new biosolids technologies
  • Investigate new ways to recycle and reuse water from new and existing treatment plants to help meet other water resource needs in the region

I urge you to become involved in developing a final Regional Wastewater Services Plan. Please review this document for more detail on these recommendations and provide us with your comments, questions, and concerns during the upcoming Council adoption process. Together, we can protect and preserve our important water resources.

Sincerely,
Ron Sims
King County Executive

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Table of Contents

You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the PDF files.

Download the entire report (1.8 MB)

Letter from King County Executive Ron Sims (187 KB)
Table of contents (121 KB)
Executive Summary (127 KB)
Developing the Plan (120 KB)
Describing the Plan (628 KB)
Implementing the Plan (157 KB)
Paying for the Plan (151 KB)
Appendix A. Changes in Population and Flow Estimates (124 KB)
Appendix B. Wastewater Policies (162 KB)

Report Graphics (as separate pdf files)
Figure 1. Existing King County Wastewater Treatment System (384 KB)
Figure 2 - Existing and Proposed Wastewater Flow Routes (183 KB)
Figure 3 - Executive's Preferred Plan (152 KB)
Figure 4 - Inflow and Infiltration into Sanitary and Storm Sewers (54 KB)
Figure 5 - Combined and Separated Sewers (78 KB)
Figure 6 - Potential Indirect Potable Reuse Project-- Discharging Reclaimed Water at Hiram Chittenden Locks (53 KB)
Figure 7 - Executive's Preferred Plan Implementation Activities (346 KB)
Figure 8 - Phasing of Capital Facilities by Date of Completion (58 KB)
Figure 9 - Components of Current Wholesale Monthly Rate, by Expenditure (78 KB)
Figure 10 - Components of Current Wholesale Monthly Rate, by Program Type (78 KB)
Figure 11 - Projected Monthly Wholesale Rates (without inflation) (56 KB)
Figure 12 - Projected Monthly Wholesale Rates (with inflation) (56 KB)
Figure 13 - Revised Sewered Population Projections (115 KB)

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