Operations – King County Wastewater Treatment Division

A gritty looking action figure sits on a concrete ledge above one of WestPoint’s engine rooms. The character is a white storm trooper from the movie Star Wars. His white suit and helmet are dirty. The concrete ledge that he sits on an off-white color and has many scuffs and scratches, the ledge takes up the bottom third of the photo, with a soft-focus view of an engine room in the distance and behind the action figure. The engine room is a floor down, it has three large engines that are a bright burnt orange color. The pipes and equipment connecting to the engine are a turquoise color that resembles Statue of Liberty’s color. Some grey and yellow piping and equipment are also visible throughout the room.

Operations WTD Updates

November 17, 2023

West Point’s odd collection of adorable mischief-makers displays so many careless flushes

Kids and adults alike are constantly flushing the darndest of objects down their toilet bowls. Some of these things – like wipes, napkins, condoms, and tampons – are well known culprits that clog pipes, jam up equipment, and gunk up…

wtdsocialmedia

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

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.

wtdsocialmediakingcountygov

Operations

February 23, 2023

‘Loop Truck Shop’ improves drive time for cross-state biosolids delivery

Drivers battle Seattle traffic and cross the state to deliver truckloads of biosolids to farm and forestry customers. King County's Wastewater Treatment Division is speeding up the drive time for biosolids delivery with a new truck facility in North Bend.

kcwtd

A group of people in masks, hardhats and safety vest stand on a concrete structure with metal railings

Operations People

February 15, 2023

Operator-in-Training Program recognized with 2023 National Environmental Achievement Award

The National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) recognized the program for “initiatives that have made a remarkable impact on environmental protection, the advancement of the water sector, and the betterment of their communities.”

Marie Fiore

Aerial photos of the five treatment plants

Operations

August 11, 2022

Celebrating our award-winning treatment plants

All five of King County’s wastewater treatment plants received 2021 National Association of Clean Water Agency’s Peak Performance Awards, honoring multiple consecutive years of compliance with state and federal effluent permit limits.

kcwtd

Infrastructure Operations

July 28, 2022

Flying Solo

The use of an RPAS—or Remotely Piloted Aircraft System—by the County began about six years ago, but it is only recently that WTD came to own and operate our own devices.

kcwtd

The Georgetown station as viewed from the intersection.

Infrastructure Operations

July 18, 2022

The first Envision Platinum sustainability award in the state

King County’s Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station (WWTS) earned the coveted “Platinum” designation from the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure’s Envision rating system.

kcwtd

Two men in hardhats and safety clothing stand smiling at the camera. A railing and trees are in the background.

Infrastructure Operations

May 27, 2022

If you live in the City of Carnation, do you know where water goes after you send it down the drain?

Unless you use a septic system, the water you send down the drain travels to King County’s Carnation Treatment Plant where we process about 111,000 gallons of wastewater every day.

kcwtd

A person in a orange safety slicker and navy blue pants sweeps with a broom around concrete structures and industrial equipment

Operations

May 2, 2022

How King County businesses help protect public health & the environment through our Industrial Waste program

Not all types of waste can be filtered out during the treatment process, which is why our Industrial Waste Program is in charge of preventing pollution from entering the wastewater system in the first place.

kcwtd

A woman wastewater operator in a orange safety shirt, mask, gloves and googles, holds up water samples

Operations People

February 4, 2022

Wastewater could be a great career for you & we will PAY & train you to find out!

We needed a way to bring in talented, new people and help them get certified as quickly as possible. So we started an Operator-in-Training (OIT) program to find and train our own operators.

kcwtd

A graphic with trees that shows how the Treatment Planning Program intersects with other parts of our utility's business

Infrastructure Operations

January 24, 2022

Planning ahead to treat wastewater

We have some of the largest wastewater treatment plants in the country. It takes a decade or more to build large wastewater projects, so it’s important we plan ahead. That’s where our planning staff and programs come in.

kcwtd