Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Nov. 5, 1998

98-187

Contact: John Glynn, Regional Water Quality Manager, (425) 649-7033
Ron Langley, Public Information, (425) 649-7009

King County fined for major sewage spill at West Point

BELLEVUE - King County has been fined $18,000 by the state Department of Ecology for diverting 41 million gallons of untreated sewage into Puget Sound from its West Point wastewater treatment plant last month.

The county diverted sewage and stormwater into the sound on Oct. 12 when the plant's main power supply failed and the backup system delivered inadequate power to maintain wastewater treatment. Untreated wastewater, including sewage, fanned out into a brown plume on Puget Sound as it flowed from a pipe near Seattle's Myrtle Edwards Park and another just north of the plant. Beaches in the area were posted with warning signs for 48 hours after the incident.

Ecology regional water quality manager John Glynn said the West Point treatment plant's water quality permit requires it to have enough backup power to partially treat sewage if the main power supply fails.

"We expect King County to make sure that the plant's backup power supply is reliable," said Glynn. "Many of the plant's most critical functions lost power for hours. The resulting contamination in Puget Sound was serious enough that people had to be warned to stay away."

Glynn said Ecology is waiting for a full report on the incident, but added that he's satisfied that the county is working hard to solve the problem and prevent a repeat occurrence.

"We are working with Seattle City Light to identify and correct the cause of the low voltage problems at West Point on Oct. 12," said Don Theiler, manager of King County's Wastewater Treatment Division. "Due to the cutoff of power, we had the choice of letting the wastewater flood the plant and spill into the Ship Canal or divert it into Puget Sound. The most responsible course to protecting public property and public health was to divert flow into the Sound. Water samples showed near normal levels of bacteria within 24 hours of the diversion.

"We are conducting tests and looking at new backup power systems, and will take actions to ensure that reliable power is available at all times," Theiler said

King County has 15 days from receipt of the penalty to ask Ecology to reconsider based on new information. The penalty may also be appealed within 30 days to the state Pollution Control Hearings Board in Olympia.