Open house today: Fewer Sunrise Heights, Westwood bioswales to reduce sewer overflows

| Environment | Utilities | West Seattle news

10 am-noon today, King County Wastewater Treatment staffers are at Westside School (WSB sponsor) for an open house to talk about the changes to the proposal for “green stormwater infrastructure” to reduce combined-sewer overflows from the Barton Pump Station in Fauntleroy. The map above – which is from this newsletter sent by the county – shows the new plan for 19 blocks where the county wants to put in “bioswales,” down from more than 30 in earlier versions of the proposal, which is now up to the “60-percent design” stage. There’s also a new aspect to the plan – incentives for voluntary participation in the RainWise program to install raingardens. According to the agenda for the meeting – which you’ll find here, along with other documents – there’s no presentation; they’ll explain the format at 10 am, and then information tables are open till noon.

MMB October 13, 2012 (10:49 am)

We really wish that we could have swales put in systematically in our neighborhood. I know lots of people hate the idea, but down here in Arbor Heights we don’t even have sidewalks. Some areas have ditches on both sides of the street. Seems ripe for bioswales to me…meanwhile, we’ve planted redtwig dogwoods and blueberry bushes in our front yard in the soggy areas. They are beautiful. Next we’ll plant flowering currant bushes. Once you get used to the idea of using natives or plants similar to natives, you realize how beautiful and useful they are.

buz fleming October 14, 2012 (1:07 pm)

I attended the meeting , and was told by the people in charge of my section Othello-Webster on 32 ave sw . That it was “a shame ” that there were at least 5 families on our block with children under the age of 6 ; open swales with up to 1ft. of standing water were going to be installed because it was the “least expensive option “. Tell that to the parents of a child who drowns in one of these open ditches! The city really cares about it’s citizens ,eh ?

mowabod October 15, 2012 (12:14 pm)

our tax dollars are already going towards a mosquito abatement program yet King County,in a very counterproductive move, chooses to construct water containment bioswales in front of homes throughout neighbors. These will create damp areas which will be prime breeding ground for mosquitoes. The CDC states to protect residents against West Nile virus rid your area of places that hold water, any small amount, all around your home. This bioswale project is a an unsafe and irresponsible use of our tax dollars. Also will pesticides be used to control any issues that arise? This unproven technology is not a “green” project at all, nor will it be the least expensive with all the maintenance costs down the road. Do tax payers realize a sprinkler system is being installed in the swales and that all of our water bills will be increased to pay to water these bioswales? again not “green”. As the resident stated above the biggest cost to this project is the lack of safety for our children and the health of our residential environment. there are many other proven solutions to CSO’s being employed in other neighborhoods, come up with a better solution that people can live with King County and Dow Constantine!

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