UPDATE: King County reports ‘sewer overflow’ in Fauntleroy

| Environment | Fauntleroy | West Seattle beaches | West Seattle news

10:17 AM: Just in from King County Wastewater Treatment Division:

King County Wastewater Treatment Division is investigating a leaking pressure relief valve on the Barton Pump Station pipeline that travels through Lincoln Park located in West Seattle that resulted in a small sewer overflow.

Signs have been posted advising the public to avoid contact in the area located in the southern-most end of the park along the beach trail north of the Fauntleroy Ferry Dock. King County dispatched a crew to clean up the site and water quality testing will be done throughout the weekend. The overflow has been reported to health and regulatory agencies.

We have followup questions about the size/volume of the overflow and the stretch of shore affected, since there’s a stretch of private shoreline north of the dock, as well as little Cove Park, before you get to the south end of Lincoln Park. We’re also headed out to look for signage/work crews.

11:25 AM: No reply yet, but we did find a “stay out of the water” sign at Cove Park; photo added above.

1:03 PM: From KCWTD spokesperson Norm Mah: “The estimate is between 200-400 gallons, most of which was cleaned up by a vactor (vacuum) truck last night. Some of it was within the vault that houses the valves.”

935 August 3, 2019 (10:54 am)

Come on King County……get your $#!+ together!!

John August 3, 2019 (11:38 am)

They never will because they don’t care. Even if there was a fine from the EPA it’s taxpayer money. Should come out of the personal salary of people who are in charge. They didn’t even build that sewer station that long ago
- Mike August 4, 2019 (8:05 am)
  
  Don’t forget the politicians that cut budgets and the high up in King County Wastewater that wanted to pander to the political regime so they can further their careers. There’s a few at KC Wastewater that are good people trying to do right, but those are also the people that actually do work and don’t play the political game. You’re only going to see this get worse, unless we have politicians that work to make it right and there are leaders at KC Wastewater. The rate we add people here, build more, add more toilets and the lack of maintenance and upgrades being done to keep even what we have, it’s going to get worse. Once the icon of the world for wastewater and biosolids, we’re no longer a leader but an example of what happens when you let political idiots run the show.

gxnx August 3, 2019 (11:44 am)

What a lovely day to walk on the beach and a gorgeous time to have a bar b que !!

WSB August 3, 2019 (11:53 am)

This isn’t affecting either. Just stay out of the water in that area.
- Mike August 4, 2019 (8:08 am)
  
  and don’t play with the rocks sediment at the shoreline, as the tide does come in and out. Until those signs are removed, I’ll just avoid it. Not worth getting sick.

TsBrody August 3, 2019 (11:57 am)

Figures. First weekend I get a chance to go shore fishing…

MJ August 3, 2019 (5:28 pm)

What a stinker

HS August 3, 2019 (8:51 pm)

HS August 3, 2019 (8:50 pm)

Pooptastic.

Lincoln park love August 3, 2019 (10:43 pm)

I called the city about smell walking down Barton. They have had several contractors working at the Lincoln park site . I had questioned if there was a problem attaching the new house to the sewer system or if sewer pipe itself was just in need of a clean out and when that last had been done. Many do a disservice by explaining the smells away as rotting seaweed. I would hope people could tell the difference. When the city crew came in I again mentioned the problem they should check out and they explained their monthly check schedule to me and said they would send in another report and go check it out. People might like to know that our drinking water tanks only get cleaned out every ten years.

Mike August 4, 2019 (8:12 am)

Barking up the wrong tree. The city doesn’t handle this stuff. Also, your drinking water isn’t related to any of this.

PV August 4, 2019 (12:07 pm)

WSB: Would you please follow up with the King County to inquire why none of us residents living next to this treatment facility where not notified directly at all. There were children playing in the water. People walking in the water. No one was contacted about this.

WSB August 4, 2019 (12:29 pm)

Sure, I’m following up on the status tomorrow anyway. Still don’t know exactly where the leak happened – when I asked for clarification, the response was the same language as used in the announcement. While we were only able to check the Cove Park area for signage, a reader note this morning indicates there’s signage on the Lincoln Park shore too. – TR

Cove resident August 4, 2019 (3:51 pm)

The little beach just south of the ferry stunk of sewage today during low tide around 2-3:00 PM. Looks like it’s still lingering around. Best to avoid the water for now.

Graciano August 4, 2019 (4:19 pm)

Pulling out of Home Depot over where all the people stand looking for work there was brown water/liquid coming out of the sewer manhole cover…should I report this?

WSB August 4, 2019 (5:16 pm)

Yes, or at least mention it to the store.
http://www.seattle.gov/utilities/environment-and-conservation/my-home/prevent-pollution/report-spills

Lincolnparklove August 4, 2019 (5:39 pm)

It was just for your information as far as the drinking water maintenance. I do realize they are separate systems and I also realize how often the water itself is tested. The sewer pump at Lincoln has had contractors working on it for the last few weeks. The utility company then had workers come out . I called numbers listed in the city of seattle information guide about the smell on Barton. So I was told the pump is checked once a month by the utility workers. I know in the past before the Lowman project that there was a lot of dissent in the area and there had been a broken sewer pipe that took forever to be addressed. . I am sorry to misnomer them as city employees when in fact they are private companies that contract with us in our fair city. I also spoke to those involved redoing the bathrooms who we e with city planning. I found in interesting the number of pumps in our area, and the information available about how our treatment plants work. The projections for our usage is made by use of meters , builds in an area and the census . It sounded like that time for evaluation was apon us again at least in regard to budgets. WOOF.

Sorry, comment time is over.