ROAD-WORK ALERT: Work planned near million-gallon overflow-tank project site in southeast West Seattle

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Announced today by the King County Wastewater Treatment Division, as their million-gallon sewer-overflow tank project continues taking shape:

Utility investigation work near First Avenue South bridge beginning December 2

King County Wastewater Treatment Division is planning to build a wastewater and stormwater storage tank near the First Avenue South Bridge to reduce combined sewer overflows into the Duwamish River, with construction expected to begin in summer 2025. Starting as early as (next Monday) December 2, 2024, crews will spend up to three days potholing, or digging small holes, near the future storage tank site in preparation for upcoming construction. This work will help King County to better understand the locations and condition of existing utility lines.

What you can expect

-Work hours 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily for up to three days, starting as early as Monday, December 2. Work on Highland Park Way SW may happen at night to avoid disrupting traffic.
-Temporary lane closures with flaggers on site to assist vehicle and pedestrian movement.
-One drill rig and up to four service vehicles on site.
-Noise and slight vibrations during work hours, including engine noise and periodic hammering.
-Occasional truck traffic accessing the site during work hours.

Please watch for equipment and signs in the area, travel slowly to stay safe and follow direction from flaggers.

The overflow tank has been in planning for years – here’s some of our past coverage.

Westsidegirl November 25, 2024 (6:43 pm)

The civil action case number for the EPA and Department of ecology suing the city of Seattle relative to sewer outflows is: filed in the United States District Court for the western district of Washington. Civil action No. 2:13-cv-00678-JCCI wanted to correct and add to the comment I just sent. Please include both of them.. interesting reading! Took me a while to find out what that horrible odor was recently: sewage! Please report it to the department of ecology and the EPA if you smell it. This legal action has been in place since July 2013.. there was a recent filing 11/15/24.

Duwamish November 26, 2024 (9:26 am)

I think it’s very important for members of our community to understand that there is a serious problem with sewage getting into the Duwamish River and into our air. There is a lawsuit from the EPA and Department of ecology against the city of Seattle for not handling this issue. We reported to Puget Sound Clean Air multiple times recently about sewage smell in the air. Perhaps you smelled it as well. For us: it is taking place at the Duwamish river near Spokane Street. If you smell sewage, please report it to both Department of ecology and the EPA. This is very serious pollution that takes place when the street drains endure heavy rain and sewage is released into our precious Duwamish river. And it smells like an outhouse! You are breathing dangerous things… as well as that the Duwamish river is being polluted. Hopefully this message will get published in the blog so that a wider population understands this is a city of Seattle issue that is serious air and water pollution. Please report sewage odors, or any outfall concerns that you have directly to the EPA and Department of ecology. Their contact information is easy to find online and there is a lengthy lawsuit against the City of Seattle because this has not been handled for many years. .

Jay November 26, 2024 (2:34 pm)

Reply

Speaking of clean air, when there is an inversion on cold, clear days the air quality along the Duwamish River is bad enough to induce headaches, lung pain, and vomiting if you’re riding a bike and breathing heavily. If the forecast calls for cold weather and no rain I have to wear an N95 mask.

BDR November 27, 2024 (9:47 am)

Seattle sewer lines and treatment facilities are not able to handle the current needs of the city. Yet the city wants to increase zoning regulations on a fast track to build more housing. Seems these entities need better communications with each other before we have more major issues that cause pollution in the sound and river. Many residential sewer lines that are over 50+ year old have issues with their lines leaking, having offset or need replacing causing more issues. Common sense leads me to think City of Seattle should be sure the utilities can handle the increase of use before they change or increase zoning allowing for more units per single family lot. Then again, no one said they have common sense. Seems like they would rather patch the system than get ahead of the additional need for the utility services. Hopefully the areas that suffer when the systems fail won’t become toxic.

Forsure November 28, 2024 (9:06 am)

Reply

You are exactly 100% correct! We have very old infrastructure/sewer, lines, and drains. It’s completely irresponsible of the city to allow three houses where there used to be one …and expect that we can do that without literally digging up all the streets and putting in higher capacity, sewer lines/drainage systems. And then that brings us to an additional problem: which is we do not have adequate water treatment or drain/sewer outflows to handle that. Hello.??? it just doesn’t fit..