2018 Clean Water Ambassador Internship
Through WTD’s partnership with Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, we were able to foster the next generation of environmental leaders through a 6-week internship for high school students.
Brewing up clean water
Today, local industries are known for being a source of jobs, not pollution. That’s because our Industrial Waste Program inspectors work closely with local businesses to protect our water quality. The Georgetown Brewery is one example of how we work with facilities to make sure the wastewater they send to the sewers won’t cause problems.
“When you come to work, you want to be in a happy environment. This is what we help create.”
Happy place = happy at work If you’re like most working people, you spend enough time at your job that it’s like a second home. And most people would agree it’s nicer when your workplace is tidy – even beautiful. A pleasant work environment isn’t just a bonus or a “nice to have.” Studies show…
Finding hidden value at the bottom of a sedimentation tank
What’s the real cost? Have you ever been undecided when buying an appliance, trying to choose between a standard or select model? You probably wished you had some data to help you make an informed choice. Well, by studying costs and crunching the numbers, maintenance engineers at West Point determined that what looked like a…
The community that farms together, stays together
Our CitySoil Farm is fostering community engagement as we help people learn about the value of our recycled products.
Biosolids and digesters and sludge, oh my! Summer interns tour South Plant
For new interns at WTD, touring the South Treatment Plant was a first behind the scenes look for many.
Investing in water quality, one community at a time
Through a sense of purpose and the dedication of countless volunteers, our WaterWorks grants are supporting the kind of environmental progress that makes our neighborhoods – and our region – an even better place to live.
We help new employees learn – and they help take care of everyone’s sewer system
Everyone has “stuff” to take care of. You might have a house, a car – or an iPhone. With a smartphone, you have to charge the battery, restart it every once in a while, download apps – and sometimes simply find it (am I right?). When you drive a car, you need to fill it…
Industrial Waste Fees for Surcharge Customers
Businesses that send “high strength” or concentrated organic wastewater to the sewer system pay more because it costs more to treat this wastewater. KCIW’s Surcharge Fee currently pays for both treating concentrated “high-strength” waste at a treatment plant and the cost of compliance monitoring and administering the permit or authorization. Under a proposal to update…
Updating Industrial Waste Fees: Next Steps
The King County Industrial Waste (KCIW) program has been working on a proposal to update the structure of its fee system. A two-step decision-making process is starting in 2018. First the King County Council will consider an ordinance to update the King County Code. Pending Council approval of the ordinance, the Department of Natural Resources…
Wastewater employees’ hard work saves ratepayers $32 million
Cross-posted from KC Employee News In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued its first-ever loan from the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) for $134.5 million to the King County Wastewater Treatment Division to help finance the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station. Organizations have to be invited to submit an application, and the deadline…
