King County's commitment to 24/7 service continues with sewer system improvements in 2006- King County

March 8, 2006

King County's commitment to 24/7 service continues with sewer system improvements in 2006

King County's Wastewater Treatment Division is embarking on one of its biggest capital construction efforts ever this year, with nearly two dozen major sewer improvement projects and numerous smaller ones worth over $250 million planned for 2006.

The work will include rehabilitating aging facilities so they continue to operate reliably, expanding existing ones and building new facilities such as the Brightwater treatment system to provide enough capacity for the region's growing population. Planned projects will also include controlling combined sewer overflows, cleaning up contaminated sediment in the Duwamish River and Elliot Bay, and developing a distribution system "backbone" for reclaimed water.

Last January, record volumes of wastewater flowed into West Point at Discovery Park and South Plant in Renton, underscoring the need to continue expanding and upgrading the system as the number of users increases.

"Our job is to protect our regional investment in sewage treatment and ensure there are enough pipes, pump stations and systems in place to protect people's health and the environment as our population grows," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "In addition to our traditional services, we are beginning to build a water reclamation "backbone" distribution system that will prove valuable in coming years as we face new pressures on drinking water supplies from global warming.

"These projects will ensure our system continues to deliver cost-effective, reliable, and environmentally responsible wastewater treatment services," Sims said.

The wastewater treatment system operated by King County now includes 348 miles of sewer lines, 47 wastewater pump stations, three stormwater treatment plants, a treatment plant on Vashon Island, two regional treatment plants in Renton and Seattle and a new treatment plant under construction in south Snohomish County. The system now serves 1.4 million people across a 420-square-mile area in the central Puget Sound region including parts of Snohomish and Pierce counties.

Major construction and design projects scheduled for 2006 throughout the system include:

East King County

Bellevue Pump Station Upgrade: To increase capacity and ensure safe and reliable operations, King County is planning to upgrade this aging pump station in west Bellevue and build a new 5,500-foot-long, 24-inch-diameter force main for carrying wastewater. The county plans to spend about $1.6 million on this project as it completes design and begins construction in late 2006.

Carnation Wastewater Treatment Facility: The City of Carnation has contracted with King County to design, build and operate a new wastewater treatment system to replace the city's failing septic systems. As part of the project, the county is working with agencies, tribes and community groups on a water reuse project to enhance wetland habitat in the Chinook Bend Natural Area. Expenditures this year are expected to be $4 million.

Juanita Bay Pump Station Replacement Project: This project will replace the aging pump station in north Kirkland, increasing capacity, and ensuring safe and reliable operation. The county plans to spend about $11.6 million in 2006 as it continues building the 30.6-million-gallon-a-day pump station.

North King County/South Snohomish County

Brightwater: The Brightwater treatment system in south Snohomish County and north King County will meet the needs of the growing population in that area. King County plans to spend about $37.4 million in 2006 as it completes design and begins construction of the 36-million-gallon-a-day treatment plant. The county also plans to spend about $56 million in 2006 as it begins building parts of a 13-mile tunnel system to carry wastewater to the plant and treated water from the plant. That system will also include a pump station and a Puget Sound outfall.

Brightwater Reclaimed Water Backbone: Design is now underway on a pipeline system to bring reclaimed water produced at the Brightwater treatment plant to irrigators and industrial customers in north King and south Snohomish counties. The project includes converting an existing force main into a reclaimed water pipeline that will run from the North Creek Pump Station in Bothell to the York Pump Station in Redmond, and installing reclaimed water pipes in the tunnel being built for the Brightwater conveyance system. Expenditures are estimated at $1.9 million in 2006.

Hidden Lake Pump Station and Sewer Improvement Project: This project in Shoreline will replace King County's 40-year-old Hidden Lake Pump Station and 12,000 feet of the Boeing Creek trunk sewer. The project also includes a 500,000-gallon underground wastewater storage pipe to help limit overflows to Puget Sound. The county plans to spend about $2.9 million in 2006 as it begins construction on the new pipelines, the storage facility, and 6.8-million-gallon-a-day pump station.

Seattle

Combined Sewer Overflow Control: Planning is underway to reduce combined sewer overflows, or CSOs, that occur in older parts of the system during heavy rains, degrading water quality and closing beaches. In 2006, King County will spend about $1.5 million to begin predesign on the Puget Sound Beaches Project, which will upgrade pump station facilities and/or increase storage at the North Beach, Murray and Barton pump stations, and Magnolia overflow.

Sediment Management Program: To protect public health and improve water quality in Elliott Bay , King County will continue its program in 2006 to proactively address sediment contamination in waterways near combined sewer overflow, or CSO, locations. The county will spend about $1.4 million to begin design on the Denny Way CSO clean up and evaluate clean up strategies for the Hanford , Lander, and King Street CSO locations.

Barton Force Main: In February, the county began a project to reline 6,250 feet of a 50-year-old sewer line that runs through West Seattle's Lincoln Park after it was damaged during heavy storms last winter.

The $3 million project will also include adding another 24-inch pipe along side the newly relined pipe to add capacity and allow periodic inspection of each of the lines.

Densmore Drain: In 2006, the Wastewater Treatment Division will begin construction on a $1.8 million project to continue the improvements made during an earlier project to reduce CSOs along the Ship Canal by separating stormwater and sewer pipes. The project reduces combined sewer overflows along the Montlake Cut by removing stormwater and lake water from the sewer.

Lower Duwamish Waterway Cleanup: The county will continue its commitment to cleaning up contaminated sediments, implementing source control actions, and complying with agreements with regulators and local governments. In 2006, the Wastewater Treatment Division will continue to work with the City of Seattle to move ahead on cleanup of Slip 4, an identified early action area in the Lower Duwamish Waterway. The $7.6 million effort will also include continued work on the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site, which is part of a long-term cleanup effort.

Matthews Park Pump Station and Sewer Improvement Project: In 2006, King County will complete a two and one-half-year project to upgrade this 30-year-old pump station in northeast Seattle. This spring, the county will complete landscaping and system testing of the new facilities. The county plans to spend about $1.6 million in 2006.

Murray Avenue Pump Station: In 2006, King County will spend $1.2 million upgrading the electrical system in this West Seattle pump station. The county will also finalize design on a $4 million structure for new odor control and emergency generator equipment, incorporating the design guidelines established with the help of local community members.

South King County

Fairwood Interceptor: King County will spend about $5.8 million to complete the final phase of the Fairwood Interceptor project this summer. The project began in 2001 to re-route and replace an aging pipeline in an area prone to erosion and landslides, and to improve water quality and slope stability around Madsen Creek. Other work includes upsizing pipes to increase capacity.

Microtunneling and trenching operations to lay and connect the new pipes will be completed this fall. With the capacity provided by the new, deep gravity interceptor and larger pipes, the county was able to avoid the costs and impacts of building a new pump station in the neighborhood.

Kent/Auburn Conveyance System Improvement Project: This project will expand capacity in the rapidly growing south portion of King County's service area by adding six miles of 30-to 54-inch-diameter pipes in Kent, Auburn, and Algona. Construction is scheduled to start in 2008 and conclude in 2010. The county plans to spend about $1.6 million in 2006 as design gets underway.

Pacific Pump Station Replacement Project: This pump station is approaching the end of its useful service life and is being replaced to carry increased wastewater flows from the City of Pacific to the South Treatment Plant in Renton. Construction began in fall 2004 and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2006. Expenditures in 2006 are estimated at $3.8 million.

Vashon Treatment Plant Upgrade: Upgrading the existing treatment plant will increase capacity and add backup systems to meet regulations and protect human health and the environment. Construction began in fall 2004 and is scheduled to end in fall 2006. King County also will be aiding the Vashon Sewer District in reducing stormwater inflow and groundwater infiltration to its sewer lines. Expenditures in 2006 are estimated at $4 million.

Regionwide

RWSP Conveyance System Improvements: The Conveyance System Improvement (CSI) project is developing facility specific planning level scopes, schedules and budgets for all new conveyance projects including design flow needs. The CSI program identified and ranked 10 planning areas in the wastewater service area. Starting in the highest-priority areas, teams of county staff and consultants conduct a comprehensive planning process that evaluates the area's conveyance needs, identifies flow management alternatives, and specifies a working alternative to address the needs. Once the planning level work under the CSI program is finished, a new project is created with its own project budget. The CSI project is part of the Regional Wastewater Services Plan. The county expects to spend about $5 million on the CSI project in 2006.

Work continues on developing facility specific planning level scopes, schedules, and budgets for all new conveyance projects in which several new projects will be identified and submitted as part of the 2007 Rate and Budget Request.

For more information

Other information about wastewater construction projects and programs is available on the Wastewater Treatment Division Web site, at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/homepage/construction.htm.

The division serves more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional public utility has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years.

Note to editors and reporters: Visit the WTD Newsroom, a portal to information for the news media about the Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/newsroom/.

King County Executive, Ron Sims County news Executive initiatives Excellence in Government Executive offices Biography Contact information King County Executive Office Ron Sims, King County Executive 701 Fifth Ave. Suite 3210 Seattle, WA 98104 Phone: 206-296-4040 Fax: 206-296-0194 TTY Relay: 711	KING COUNTY HOME \| NEWS \| SERVICES \| DIRECTORY \| CONTACT King County Executive, Ron Sims King County Executive You're in: King County Executive, Ron Sims print March 8, 2006 King County's commitment to 24/7 service continues with sewer system improvements in 2006 King County's Wastewater Treatment Division is embarking on one of its biggest capital construction efforts ever this year, with nearly two dozen major sewer improvement projects and numerous smaller ones worth over $250 million planned for 2006. The work will include rehabilitating aging facilities so they continue to operate reliably, expanding existing ones and building new facilities such as the Brightwater treatment system to provide enough capacity for the region's growing population. Planned projects will also include controlling combined sewer overflows, cleaning up contaminated sediment in the Duwamish River and Elliot Bay, and developing a distribution system "backbone" for reclaimed water. Last January, record volumes of wastewater flowed into West Point at Discovery Park and South Plant in Renton, underscoring the need to continue expanding and upgrading the system as the number of users increases. "Our job is to protect our regional investment in sewage treatment and ensure there are enough pipes, pump stations and systems in place to protect people's health and the environment as our population grows," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "In addition to our traditional services, we are beginning to build a water reclamation "backbone" distribution system that will prove valuable in coming years as we face new pressures on drinking water supplies from global warming. "These projects will ensure our system continues to deliver cost-effective, reliable, and environmentally responsible wastewater treatment services," Sims said. The wastewater treatment system operated by King County now includes 348 miles of sewer lines, 47 wastewater pump stations, three stormwater treatment plants, a treatment plant on Vashon Island, two regional treatment plants in Renton and Seattle and a new treatment plant under construction in south Snohomish County. The system now serves 1.4 million people across a 420-square-mile area in the central Puget Sound region including parts of Snohomish and Pierce counties. Major construction and design projects scheduled for 2006 throughout the system include: East King County Bellevue Pump Station Upgrade: To increase capacity and ensure safe and reliable operations, King County is planning to upgrade this aging pump station in west Bellevue and build a new 5,500-foot-long, 24-inch-diameter force main for carrying wastewater. The county plans to spend about $1.6 million on this project as it completes design and begins construction in late 2006. Carnation Wastewater Treatment Facility: The City of Carnation has contracted with King County to design, build and operate a new wastewater treatment system to replace the city's failing septic systems. As part of the project, the county is working with agencies, tribes and community groups on a water reuse project to enhance wetland habitat in the Chinook Bend Natural Area. Expenditures this year are expected to be $4 million. Juanita Bay Pump Station Replacement Project: This project will replace the aging pump station in north Kirkland, increasing capacity, and ensuring safe and reliable operation. The county plans to spend about $11.6 million in 2006 as it continues building the 30.6-million-gallon-a-day pump station. North King County/South Snohomish County Brightwater: The Brightwater treatment system in south Snohomish County and north King County will meet the needs of the growing population in that area. King County plans to spend about $37.4 million in 2006 as it completes design and begins construction of the 36-million-gallon-a-day treatment plant. The county also plans to spend about $56 million in 2006 as it begins building parts of a 13-mile tunnel system to carry wastewater to the plant and treated water from the plant. That system will also include a pump station and a Puget Sound outfall. Brightwater Reclaimed Water Backbone: Design is now underway on a pipeline system to bring reclaimed water produced at the Brightwater treatment plant to irrigators and industrial customers in north King and south Snohomish counties. The project includes converting an existing force main into a reclaimed water pipeline that will run from the North Creek Pump Station in Bothell to the York Pump Station in Redmond, and installing reclaimed water pipes in the tunnel being built for the Brightwater conveyance system. Expenditures are estimated at $1.9 million in 2006. Hidden Lake Pump Station and Sewer Improvement Project: This project in Shoreline will replace King County's 40-year-old Hidden Lake Pump Station and 12,000 feet of the Boeing Creek trunk sewer. The project also includes a 500,000-gallon underground wastewater storage pipe to help limit overflows to Puget Sound. The county plans to spend about $2.9 million in 2006 as it begins construction on the new pipelines, the storage facility, and 6.8-million-gallon-a-day pump station. Seattle Combined Sewer Overflow Control: Planning is underway to reduce combined sewer overflows, or CSOs, that occur in older parts of the system during heavy rains, degrading water quality and closing beaches. In 2006, King County will spend about $1.5 million to begin predesign on the Puget Sound Beaches Project, which will upgrade pump station facilities and/or increase storage at the North Beach, Murray and Barton pump stations, and Magnolia overflow. Sediment Management Program: To protect public health and improve water quality in Elliott Bay , King County will continue its program in 2006 to proactively address sediment contamination in waterways near combined sewer overflow, or CSO, locations. The county will spend about $1.4 million to begin design on the Denny Way CSO clean up and evaluate clean up strategies for the Hanford , Lander, and King Street CSO locations. Barton Force Main: In February, the county began a project to reline 6,250 feet of a 50-year-old sewer line that runs through West Seattle's Lincoln Park after it was damaged during heavy storms last winter. The $3 million project will also include adding another 24-inch pipe along side the newly relined pipe to add capacity and allow periodic inspection of each of the lines. Densmore Drain: In 2006, the Wastewater Treatment Division will begin construction on a $1.8 million project to continue the improvements made during an earlier project to reduce CSOs along the Ship Canal by separating stormwater and sewer pipes. The project reduces combined sewer overflows along the Montlake Cut by removing stormwater and lake water from the sewer. Lower Duwamish Waterway Cleanup: The county will continue its commitment to cleaning up contaminated sediments, implementing source control actions, and complying with agreements with regulators and local governments. In 2006, the Wastewater Treatment Division will continue to work with the City of Seattle to move ahead on cleanup of Slip 4, an identified early action area in the Lower Duwamish Waterway. The $7.6 million effort will also include continued work on the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund site, which is part of a long-term cleanup effort. Matthews Park Pump Station and Sewer Improvement Project: In 2006, King County will complete a two and one-half-year project to upgrade this 30-year-old pump station in northeast Seattle. This spring, the county will complete landscaping and system testing of the new facilities. The county plans to spend about $1.6 million in 2006. Murray Avenue Pump Station: In 2006, King County will spend $1.2 million upgrading the electrical system in this West Seattle pump station. The county will also finalize design on a $4 million structure for new odor control and emergency generator equipment, incorporating the design guidelines established with the help of local community members. South King County Fairwood Interceptor: King County will spend about $5.8 million to complete the final phase of the Fairwood Interceptor project this summer. The project began in 2001 to re-route and replace an aging pipeline in an area prone to erosion and landslides, and to improve water quality and slope stability around Madsen Creek. Other work includes upsizing pipes to increase capacity. Microtunneling and trenching operations to lay and connect the new pipes will be completed this fall. With the capacity provided by the new, deep gravity interceptor and larger pipes, the county was able to avoid the costs and impacts of building a new pump station in the neighborhood. Kent/Auburn Conveyance System Improvement Project: This project will expand capacity in the rapidly growing south portion of King County's service area by adding six miles of 30-to 54-inch-diameter pipes in Kent, Auburn, and Algona. Construction is scheduled to start in 2008 and conclude in 2010. The county plans to spend about $1.6 million in 2006 as design gets underway. Pacific Pump Station Replacement Project: This pump station is approaching the end of its useful service life and is being replaced to carry increased wastewater flows from the City of Pacific to the South Treatment Plant in Renton. Construction began in fall 2004 and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2006. Expenditures in 2006 are estimated at $3.8 million. Vashon Treatment Plant Upgrade: Upgrading the existing treatment plant will increase capacity and add backup systems to meet regulations and protect human health and the environment. Construction began in fall 2004 and is scheduled to end in fall 2006. King County also will be aiding the Vashon Sewer District in reducing stormwater inflow and groundwater infiltration to its sewer lines. Expenditures in 2006 are estimated at $4 million. Regionwide RWSP Conveyance System Improvements: The Conveyance System Improvement (CSI) project is developing facility specific planning level scopes, schedules and budgets for all new conveyance projects including design flow needs. The CSI program identified and ranked 10 planning areas in the wastewater service area. Starting in the highest-priority areas, teams of county staff and consultants conduct a comprehensive planning process that evaluates the area's conveyance needs, identifies flow management alternatives, and specifies a working alternative to address the needs. Once the planning level work under the CSI program is finished, a new project is created with its own project budget. The CSI project is part of the Regional Wastewater Services Plan. The county expects to spend about $5 million on the CSI project in 2006. Work continues on developing facility specific planning level scopes, schedules, and budgets for all new conveyance projects in which several new projects will be identified and submitted as part of the 2007 Rate and Budget Request. For more information Other information about wastewater construction projects and programs is available on the Wastewater Treatment Division Web site, at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/homepage/construction.htm. The division serves more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional public utility has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years. Note to editors and reporters: Visit the WTD Newsroom, a portal to information for the news media about the Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/newsroom/.
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	Updated: March 8, 2006