Crossposted from WTD Clean Water Stories

When conversations in our region circle around to water quality, the trigger is usually bad news.  Puget Sound’s resident orca whales had a tough year because they couldn’t find enough salmon to eat.  Shellfish harvests and beaches close due to toxic algae in the water. Fingers point at polluted stormwater runoff, combined sewer overflows, leaking septic systems, and more.

At King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD), our mission focuses around being part of the solution. We pride ourselves on the hard work we do treating our region’s wastewater, recovering resources from the wastewater system, and planning for a sustainable, resilient future.

The last thing we want to happen is an unexpected spill into the waterways we are trying to protect.

Operating a large regional wastewater system in an area like the Central Puget Sound means that overflows are always a potential.  King County operates 3 regional treatment plants, 2 local treatment plants, 4 combined sewer overflow treatment plants, 47 pump stations, 26 regulator stations, almost 400 miles of pipe, and even a community septic system.

Read more at WTD Clean Water Stories