WTD Updates – 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…

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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 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

WTD Updates

December 8, 2020

Using the challenges of 2020 to improve our services

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…

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WTD Updates

December 2, 2020

Sharing our know-how with developing countries

Many developing Asian countries face unique challenges delivering quality wastewater services. In an effort to mentor these communities and help them protect human health and the environment, a team of our employees participated in information sharing through the Water Operators…

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WTD Updates

November 9, 2020

Keep the plumber off your holiday guest list – and grease out of your (and our) pipes!

Did you know plumbers refer to the day after Thanksgiving as “Brown Friday” because of the uptick in business they get from feast-clogged pipes and sewer lines? Cooking grease can turn into grease build up in your pipes! Fats, oils…

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WTD Updates

June 8, 2020

RainWise Goes Virtual to Support Contractors

For RainWise – a program designed to help property owners physically design and install rain gardens and cisterns – going virtual has had its challenges, but also unique opportunities. The RainWise program, a partnership between King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division…

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WTD Updates

October 16, 2019

Please don’t put Pumpkin seeds and insides down your kitchen sink, toast them instead

Pumpkins are synonymous with autumn and Halloween🎃. With Halloween around the corner, we wanted to offer a friendly reminder not to put the seeds and insides down your kitchen sink as you're carving your jack-o'-lantern. Even if you use a…

WTD Updates

May 17, 2019

WTD Resource Recovery hosts visitor from Down Under to share our Biosolids expertise

King County Wastewater Treatment Division recently welcomed a visit from our wastewater treatment counterparts Watercare who serve Auckland, New Zealand🇳🇿. Their resource recovery manager Rob Tinholt, visited us to learn about our biosolids program. They’re developing their own resource recovery…

WTD Updates

November 19, 2018

Updating Industrial Waste Fee Structure: Next Steps – Fall 2018

The King County Industrial Waste (KCIW) program has been working on a proposal to update the structure of its fee system. Changes require a two-step decision-making process. First the King County Council considers updating the King County Code. Pending Council…