King County’s West Point Treatment Plant is no longer in "emergency bypass mode" after experiencing equipment failure early Thursday morning, dumping wastewater and stormwater into Puget Sound.
The plant, located in Discovery Park in Seattle's Magnolia neighborhood, went into equipment failure around 2 a.m. Thursday, during the heavy rainfall and high tides which threatened to flood the whole plant. To prevent flooding that would severely damage equipment, the plant went into "emergency bypass mode."
As a result, untreated wastewater was discharged from the plant, about three-quarters of a mile offshore and 240 feet deep in Puget Sound.
Wastewater flows are now redirected back through the treatment plant and flows going to Puget Sound are disinfected.
King County has notified health and regulatory agencies and is sampling water quality. They are also posting signs warning people to avoid contact with the water over the next several days as a precaution to protect public health.
Read the full press release from King County:
SUMMARY
King County’s West Point Treatment Plant experienced an equipment shutdown early on Thursday, Feb. 9, while receiving maximum inflows of combined wastewater and stormwater and during very high tides that threatened to flood the treatment plant. The plant is currently operating in emergency bypass mode until the equipment can be put back into normal operation.
STORY
West Point Treatment Plant is operating in emergency bypass mode as a result of an equipment failure that occurred at about 2 a.m. on Thursday morning, Feb. 9, during heavy rainfall and high tides. Crews are responding to restore operations.
To protect the treatment plant from significant flooding that could severely damage equipment, West Point is operating in emergency bypass mode. Untreated wastewater is being discharged from the outfall, about three-quarters of a mile offshore and 240 feet deep in Puget Sound.
King County will continue to provide updates as this emergency situation is resolved.
King County has notified health and regulatory agencies, and is sampling water quality and posting signs warning people to avoid contact with the water over the next several days as a precaution to protect public health.
