Imagine deciding to bake a cake without any idea of the recipe. You begin, only to discover that you need to go shopping for missing ingredients. Or you have to add extra flour because the batter is too thin. Or the bake time runs an extra 15 minutes over. When you’re finally done … that…
It’s certainly not news that Western Washington is a wet place. That means a lot of water can flow into King County’s treatment plants on a daily, or even hourly basis. Rain doesn’t belong in the sewer, but it gets in there through cracks in sewer pipes or from drains on building roofs and foundations…
King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division is speeding up the drive time for biosolids delivery with a new truck facility in North Bend.
The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) recognized King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s Operator-in-Training program as a 2023 National Environmental Achievement Award winner for “initiatives that have made a remarkable impact on environmental protection, the advancement of the water sector, and the betterment of their communities.” There’s a nationwide shortage of wastewater operators. Our…
King County’s WaterWorks Grant Program funds innovative projects that improve water quality and engage communities. Applications due March 8. Could floating wetlands help juvenile salmon thrive on an urban shoreline? There are great ideas out there on how to improve water quality in the Puget Sound region – and of course every great idea needs…
More than 4,000 pounds of food were produced at CitySoil Farm in 2022 with the strength of volunteers, students, and the South Treatment Plant At King County’s CitySoil Farm in Renton, Washington, high school students gather over piles of cards. Each one has a photo of a different type of food: apple, gallon of milk,…
Cross-posted from kingcountyparks.org World Soil Day takes place on December 5 each year and serves as an opportunity to focus attention on the critical importance of healthy soil and sustainable management of soil resources. Soil is a critical piece of our natural systems and contributes to producing sufficient, safe, and more nourishing food for healthier plants, animals, and…
Each year, the King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) education team provides field trip programs that bring thousands of K-12 students to WTD facilities. Students come from school districts all over King County – Kent, Auburn, Seattle, White Center, Seattle, Shoreline, Bothell and more – to participate in water-focused education programs. For many teachers, planning…
Drew Thompson, Resource Recovery Project Manager for King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD),was recently a finalist for the 2022 Energy Leadership JEDI Award. The award, given by the Clean Tech Alliance, recognizes those who perform outstanding work to make the energy sector more equitable, support climate justice and diversity in the sector, and foster an…
By Emma Foulk and Elizabeth Loudon In 2019, Risa Suho was a senior at Kent Meridian High School and an intern at King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s Clean Water Ambassadors program. After learning about green ways to manage stormwater, she decided to write her first grant proposal. Her school received a $35,000 WaterWorks Grant to…
All five of King County’s wastewater treatment plants received 2021 National Association of Clean Water Agency’s (NACWA) Peak Performance Awards, honoring multiple consecutive years of compliance with state and federal effluent permit limits. Special congratulations go to Brightwater for earning its first Platinum award for five years of compliance – and to Vashon for Platinum…
A Brightwater mystery: where is Grandfather’s Wisdom? If you’ve visited the Brightwater Trails area or driven by on Highway 9 past Woodinville recently, you may have noticed that something is missing. A bare metal framework stands where once an iconic longhouse art installation was nestled among flowering trees. Grandfather’s Wisdom brings the history, perspectives, and culture…
There are many names for remotely piloted aircraft, and you may have heard them called drones, but here at the King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD), we refer to them as an RPAS—or a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System. The use of RPASs by the County began about six years ago, but it is only recently…
King County’s Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station (WWTS) earned the coveted “Platinum” designation from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision rating system. This is the first Platinum-awarded Envision project in Washington and recognizes the County’s commitment to sustainable communities and the environment. The Georgetown WWTS project in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood will treat up to 70…
Unless you use a septic system, the water you send down the drain in the City of Carnation travels through pipes owned and maintained by the City of Carnation to King County’s Carnation Treatment Plant. At this plant, we process about 111,000 gallons of wastewater every day. After we treat the water, we release it…
King County Wastewater Treatment 