Demolition under way at Lowman Beach sewer-overflow project site

| Utilities | West Seattle news

(WSB photo taken Tuesday afternoon)
The next phase of pre-construction work is under way this week across the street from Lowman Beach Park – the county has begun demolition of the six residential buildings vacated more than a year ago on the inland side of Beach Drive, where an underground storage tank will be built to reduce combined-sewer overflows from the Murray Pump Station across the street. The county began “deconstruction” and salvage work weeks ago (with a requirement that “at least 25 percent of the materials from the site” be salvaged, and now has brought in the heavy equipment to tear down what remains of the former residences. As announced by King County at last month’s Morgan Community Association meeting, “After the buildings are down, the contractor will fill in the foundations with soil to ensure the site remains stable and safe until facility construction begins later this year.”

wscommuter August 21, 2013 (4:07 pm)

To WSB – Unrelated (except sorta geographically) question – with the work almost done at the Beach Dr. wall construction site just northwest of Lowman Beach, any word on when the City will begin the road repair? Really getting tired of four-wheeling on that particular stretch of road. Thanks for any info.

WSB August 21, 2013 (4:17 pm)

I’m still working on getting a project progress report … the city has always said “when it’s done.” So short answer – no, don’t know yet. Will be inquiring.

Mark August 21, 2013 (5:00 pm)

Will this stop the nasty smell down there?

Duckitude August 21, 2013 (6:02 pm)

No luck on the nasty smell. KC promises you the moon and delivers nothing special. They say “upgraded” odor control, but, they can’t even figure out what the current problem with huge odor and sewage mists is, or, if they know, they aren’t saying. Huge. More nausea than smiles for Lowman Beach neighbors and visitors as far as 600 feet up the east hills. We have been collecting handwritten complaints for three weeks, since the so-called KC “Odor Hotline” is useless. Don’t have time to detail the whole ugly mess. Good luck on the odor thing. They underbuilt it before and they will underbuild it again. You can count on the minimum of effort…. King County has proven that over and over and over… ad nauseum

elikapeka August 21, 2013 (8:02 pm)

Maybe it’s time to get a lawyer and see about having the county pay for temporary housing for the folks down there until they have this fixed. I don’t live down there but walk by fairly often and it really is nasty.

King County WTD August 22, 2013 (6:33 am)

We just want to take a minute to respond to some of the odor-related comments here to make sure neighbors know that we really take these concerns very seriously.
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When people began contacting us to report odors at the Murray Pump Station a few weeks ago, our crews responded promptly to identify the source and take corrective action.
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While some portion of the problem could be related to low flows during a very warm summer with almost no rain, we also found the temporary pumps in place during construction at the Barton Pump Station near Lincoln Park were pushing more foul air to the Murray Pump Station than its odor control system could handle. Our crews steps to address these problems and put in a piece of equipment called a Jerome Analyzer to monitor for odors — so far, so good. The readings are well below what the human nose can detect.
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Still, we know the best odor monitor is the human nose. Our employees take great pride in operating clean, attractive facilities that are good neighbors to the community. So, if people do detect odors that could be related to the operation of one of our pipes, pump stations or plants, we want to know right away.
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Please call King County WTD’s 24-hour odor hotline at 206-263-3840 to report odors or other problems and we will follow up.

Tuesday August 22, 2013 (10:34 pm)

What’s really needed here is a smellologist.

Ron Sterling August 23, 2013 (2:22 pm)

So much spin from the KC masters of spin. So, as many of you know, we (me and my immediate neighbors, what’s left of them…) have had report sheets sitting under a sign that says “Report Bad Odors Here” since August 5. We have around 100 complaints registered on those sheets and will be forwarding them to WTD and copies to appropriate agencies, including the so called Puget Sound Clean Air people (what a sorry group that is… maybe more on that later).
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Nothing has changed other than there is at least no actual sewage wet material in the form of an aerosolized mist being blown out an intake fan duct that was actually done by the what is minimized by WTD as “pushing more foul air.” Actually, the pipes were so pressurized as to overpower the intake fan and push air and sewage mist up through the fan duct and out into the park and neighborhood.
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I reported it at about 9 p.m. of so to the odor hotline. Fat chance they would come out immediately and check. Didn’t happen and never has happened. WTD pretends that sampling air at around noon or so is scientifically sound for understanding the air pollution they cause in this neighborhood. As if they don’t know that the flow of sewage is inconsistent and clearly related to periods of time between 6 and 9 am and for sure, 5 to 10 or 11 p.m. Worst odors and mists are between 5 and 10 p.m. when, I am sure you will get this, people are at home from work and doing their thing and the sewage is flowing.
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Not once has WTD been out here to sample during clearly reported worst times. So, they love to put a good face on what they do, but it is so blatantly unscientific as to be laughable.
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I could go on. The problem with these kinds of problems is they are so complex that they are overwhelming for the average citizen. Most people glaze over and wander off if you try to explain what is actually going on.
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So, for sure, in this neighborhood, unless you are a consistently cranky scientist like myself, nothing happens. People shake their heads, and go on about their business while pinching their noses or they avoid the area. You will see runners go to across the street to avoid the sickening odors.
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Sure, the readings are below human nose detection. Nothing like sampling the best air at the best time to get that result.
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These folks don’t give a crap about anything but defending themselves and looking good. They pay no attention whatsoever to the complaint details. They have been told so many times that significantly troublesome odors come directly from four road gutters with grids right in front of 7031 and 7035 Beach Drive SW, but no one samples them and KCWTD points fingers at SPU and SPU points fingers at KCWTD and nothing gets done.
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Go figure. I think I have this right. Our taxes and user fees pay their wages, right?
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Anybody hoping that this odor, health hazard, biohazard situation will improve with the “new construction” is buying into the usual deceptive spin of WTD.
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With respect to this odor/biohazard problem that has ruined this summer for most visitors to the Lowman Beach Park area, we are lawyering up and some legal shit is going to hit the air. Count on it.

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