Our crews are on the job 24/7, 365 days a year to ensure the region’s wastewater treatment service – and that remains true as we move into the rainy season. Workers are ready to respond around the clock and work hard to be well-prepared for stormy weather or an emergency. To make sure we’re ready…
What is happening A nationwide shortage of sodium hypochlorite – a chlorine compound and disinfectant in common household bleach and the primary disinfectant in our wastewater treatment process – triggered by a supply-chain disruption, is impacting wastewater treatment operations throughout the Northwest, including King County. Like several other utilities in the region, our staff is conserving the disinfectant while we try to…
Built in 1966, West Point Treatment Plant is the largest wastewater treatment plant by volume in Washington state, and the third largest by average daily flow on the West Coast. Like much of the King County wastewater system, it’s more than 55 years old and many of its components reach their “end of life” each…
Power disruptions during heavy rainfall As a clean water agency, our mission is to protect public health and the environment. We work 24/7 to serve over 1.8 million residents and clean about 190 million gallons of water per day. Even in massive rainstorms that generate more volume than the system can handle, we feel any…
When local closures began in the spring of 2020 due to COVID-19, our utility’s employees quickly adapted to assure our essential services to the public continued. We also moved many of our interactions with the public online – such as meetings and educational classes. Keeping our operators healthy so we can protect YOUR health King…
When local schools began closing in March 2020 due to COVID-19, our utility’s education team quickly adapted the normal in-person field trips to live, virtual programs that fit science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
As we move into the rainy season, our crews are on the job 24/7 to ensure the region’s wastewater treatment service is well-prepared for an emergency or stormy weather. To make sure we’re ready for what wet weather can bring, we have inspected and replaced equipment, updated control systems and increased training of treatment plant…
King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) treats wastewater from people and businesses to protect people’s health and the environment. We operate three regional treatment plants, two local treatment plants, and four wet weather treatment plants. In 2018, we treated an average of 175 million gallons of sewage every day. Our operations staff (Ops) are as vital to the…
Cross-posted from The Downstream Blog: On the night of Saturday, Nov. 10, a four-alarm fire started at a lumberyard right across from the King County Environmental Lab. The fire was the largest Seattle has seen since 2010 with flames shooting over 100 feet into the air, according to the Seattle Fire Department blog. In the…
A number of upgrades and improvements are already underway at the region’s largest treatment plant.
King County Wastewater Treatment 