King County Wastewater Treatment Division

A group of the interns observe and take notes at one of the South Treatment Plants clarifiers. They stand along the rails of the clarifier, which is full of water and reflects the overcast sky that makes up the background. The students are wearing safety vests and hardhats.

Community

September 15, 2023

Swapping backpacks for hardhats, a summer job like no other

King County has been partnering with the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust since 2016, as part the Wastewater Treatment Division’s efforts to cultivate the next generation of clean water professionals and to build more ties to communities in our service…

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Workers wearing neon safety vests and hard hats load a wastewater pump onto a truck.

Infrastructure

August 23, 2023

Massive Pumps at West Point Treatment Plant Get a Tune Up

The pumps that push wastewater through West Point Treatment Plant in Seattle are massive and old. In service since 1993, it was time for a tune-up. By tapping into the expertise of local repair shops, the project was fast tracked…

Marie Fiore

Sustainability

August 20, 2023

Uprooted and transplanted, Max and his trees find new homes

People from around the world have found themselves calling King County home, with only an estimated three in ten Seattle area adults born in Washington. One of these Seattle transplants is Max Solis, who uprooted from Los Angeles in 2019.…

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Community

July 19, 2023

As Duwamish River is made cleaner, local artists help community connect to its waters

The Duwamish River has many sides to it – industrial corridor, habitat for migrating salmon, ancestral waters for the people who have long inhabited its shores and waters. Two local artists have been commissioned to capture the complexity of the…

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Operations

July 6, 2023

Mad scientist in the woods? Or, just another day at Vashon Treatment Plant

Elizabeth (Lizzy) Corliss has run the Vashon Treatment Plant for the last four years. Blink and you’d probably miss the driveway into Vashon Treatment Plant. Everything about this plant is pint-sized, a much scaled-down version of the massive clean water…

Marie Fiore

Infrastructure

June 22, 2023

Look inside this giant new tunnel that will improve water quality in Seattle’s Ship Canal

The famed "MudHoney" drill, Seattle's latest celebrity boring machine, has finished its 100-foot-deep tunnel-boring job. The work took 21 months at a pace of about 50-feet a day.

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Community

June 14, 2023

King County’s wastewater ‘parks’ offer a dose of nature, minus the crowds

King County is home to many great parks and places to enjoy the outdoors. Perhaps lesser known among them are the hidden gems of nature tucked within the county’s wastewater treatment facilities.

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Operations People WTD Updates

May 11, 2023

An industrial mechanic at home at West Point Treatment Plant

Industrial mechanics like Shane Hamilton take on the challenges of keeping the equipment at West Point Treatment Plant in Seattle in tip-top shape. Careers in the trades are highly valued in King County's Wastewater Treatment Division.

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Infrastructure WTD Updates

April 19, 2023

West Point Treatment Plant: laying the foundation for climate change resilience

We’re making quick progress on a major Power Quality Improvement Project that will provide our operators with the uninterruptable, high-quality power they need to protect Puget Sound when utility power disruptions occur.

Marie Fiore

Pam Restovic sits on a stair of a big-rig truck and smiles.

People WTD Updates

April 12, 2023

What did it take to become a female operator at a King County wastewater treatment plant? Ask Pam Restovic.

Pam Restovic is a trailblazer who has seen the field change and grow to become more a more welcoming workforce, and finds purpose in her work protecting public health and the environment.

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Infrastructure

March 16, 2023

King County turns to new contracting method to fix critical wastewater pipes

To address critical project needs, King County submitted a case for an alternative method of project delivery called “progressive design build.” This contracting method brings designers and builders to the same table at the early stages of project development.

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Infrastructure WTD Updates

March 1, 2023

Ready for the next rainy season? Work to shore up clean water systems begins now.

Rain doesn’t belong in the sewer, but it gets in through cracks in sewer pipes or from drains on building roofs and foundations connected to the sewer system. In some parts of Seattle, sewer and stormwater systems are combined.

Marie Fiore

Clean Water Stories

from King County

Swapping backpacks for hardhats, a summer job like no other

Massive Pumps at West Point Treatment Plant Get a Tune Up

Uprooted and transplanted, Max and his trees find new homes

As Duwamish River is made cleaner, local artists help community connect to its waters

Mad scientist in the woods? Or, just another day at Vashon Treatment Plant

Look inside this giant new tunnel that will improve water quality in Seattle’s Ship Canal

King County’s wastewater ‘parks’ offer a dose of nature, minus the crowds

An industrial mechanic at home at West Point Treatment Plant

West Point Treatment Plant: laying the foundation for climate change resilience

What did it take to become a female operator at a King County wastewater treatment plant? Ask Pam Restovic.

King County turns to new contracting method to fix critical wastewater pipes

Ready for the next rainy season? Work to shore up clean water systems begins now.

Clean Water Stories

from King County

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