Wastewater Spills into Puget Sound After Operating Error
(AP) — A recent operating error caused less than 15,000 gallons of wastewater to spill into Puget Sound.
The error happened during routine testing at the West Point Treatment Plant in Seattle, according to King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division. An emergency bypass gate opened for three minutes, allowing the overflow to spill, KING5 News reported.
The public is advised to avoid contact with the water at Discovery Park, which is near the sewage spill. The beach near the treatment plant is closed pending water quality results, and Public Health – Seattle & King County issued a no water contact advisory, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.
King County employees collected water samples and posted signs near the outfall pipe, according to the county.
Contact with fecal-contaminated water can result in illnesses like gastroenteritis, skin rashes and upper respiratory infections, according to the ecology department.
King County Councilmember Jeanne Kohl-Welles praised the treatment division for their fast action to stop the spill.
“I’m disheartened to learn that an accident at the West Point Treatment Plant has caused yet another discharge of raw sewage into the Salish Sea,” she said in a press release. “Fortunately, the discharge could have been a lot worse but, unfortunately, this is not the first time this has happened, and it may not be the last."
Related News
From Archive
- OSHA issues 16 citations following fatal sewer confined space incident
- 27 pipeline safety violations tied to deadly Pa. chocolate factory explosion
- Contractor gas line strike triggers home explosion in Missouri
- LA recovery reports call for $650 million power line burial, major utility upgrades in Pacific Palisades
- Comprehensive microtrenching FAQ: Key insights on the Vermeer MTR516 microtrencher
- T-Mobile to expand fiber broadband infrastructure footprint with $4.9 billion Metronet acquisition
- First tunnel boring machines complete testing for Hudson Tunnel Project
- NWPX grows water infrastructure portfolio with Colorado precast facility
- Cityside launches $100 million fiber build in Corona, Calif.
- FiberLight to build 1,400-mile West Texas dark fiber network in $350 million expansion
Comments