West Point restoration

Restoration update: January 2020

Wastewater Treatment Division has completed more than half (56 of the 98) of the AECOM West Point Independent Assessment Report’s proposed recommendations . 22 other recommendations are in progress.

WTD has a comprehensive maintenance program for our facilities. Our operations staff visit each pump station weekly for routine maintenance and perform monthly mechanical testing of the emergency backup generators to ensure reliable redundancy.

West Point systems and operations improvements following the February 2017 flooding event:

We increased the frequency of our plant safety systems testing, updated our protocols, and regularly train all plant employees how to respond to emergency situations and unusual events. Our plant’s Standardized Operating Procedures (SOP) were also updated, and we developed an ongoing training program for all plant employees in SOP education and compliance.

Hydraulic power unit We installed hydraulic power systems at key locations to improve plant backup operations.

Solenoid located in the plant's emergency bypass gate hydraulic system New equipment was installed to improve the reliability of the plant’s emergency response systems.

New employees at West Point Key employee positions were added at West Point, including a plant training supervisor, a technical trainer, and an engineer to oversee the plant’s Life Safety Management program.

hydraulic flow simulator: used to train operations staff on how to manage plant hydraulic flows and different operational scenarios We developed a computerized model and simulator to help train operations staff how to respond to flow and emergency events.

Remote activation stations for plant emergency systems were installed to minimize or eliminate the need for staff to access potentially hazardous areas during emergent events.

Installed permanent alarm monitoring screens in Main Control We prioritized the system for plant alarms and installed dedicated alarm monitoring stations in key locations.

1511_west-point-treatment-process View larger version .

Monitoring update: February 2018

King County has completed analysis of water quality monitoring data that were collected during the restoration of the West Point treatment facilities damaged by the flooding of the plant that occurred on February 9, 2017. The West Point Flooding Event Water Quality Monitoring Report (27MB) was peer-reviewed by three external scientists and presents the data and findings regarding the effects of the flooding event on effluent and marine water quality.

Restoration update: February 2018

The West Point Treatment Plant resumed normal operation on May 11, 2017, and has since remained in compliance with its strict permit limits under state and federal clean-water laws.

Infographic - what is happening at West Point Treatment Plant

News releases

Resources

Monitoring

Visit the marine monitoring page to learn about the water quality monitoring that King County has conducted while West Point Treatment Plant was under restoration and ongoing monitoring. You can find our monitoring plan, frequently asked questions, and contact information for questions and concerns. We will post monitoring data and summaries every two weeks. Visit the environmental monitoring page for permit-required and supplemental monitoring information.

Background

West Point Treatment Plant suffered severe equipment failure and flooding early in the morning of Feb. 9, 2017, while operating at maximum capacity during a storm. The flooding severely damaged mechanical and electrical systems needed to provide secondary treatment of the wastewater and provide heat to the solids reduction biology, which essentially crippled the plant’s solids handling capabilities. For three months, the plant was unable to treat to secondary levels required under its state and federal permits.

In response to the incident, WTD completed a number of upgrades and improvements at West Point following the recommendations of its initial root cause analysis and an independent review commissioned by the King County Council. All repairs critical to plant operations were completed in April 2017. The plant resumed full compliance with environmental permits in May, and all long-term repairs and upgrades were completed as-scheduled by the end of 2017. Improvements also include strengthened safety training and clearer emergency protocols to protect workers and equipment.

wp-employee-working-on-pump_600 Employee working on pump equipment. View more photos on our Flickr site .