ROAD WORK ALERT: Here’s what’s about to happen in South Alki to prepare for overflow-preventing generator project

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

A county-operated pump station in South Alki is getting a standby generator so that power outages won’t lead to overflows. Some preparatory work near the 63rd Street Pump Station will start as soon as next Monday (March 10), and since beachgoers (and other Alki Point Healthy Street users) will need to know, as well as the residents who’ve likely already been notified, we’re publishing this notice about it:

King County will be digging holes to locate underground utilities … Crews will use a truck to dig up to 42 holes, about 12 inches wide and up to 9 feet deep each. After this work is complete, the holes will be filled in and the street will be repaired with temporary asphalt patches. This work helps us verify sewer, water, and gas utility lines before we start the main construction project.

King County will also replace three concrete panels along Beach Drive SW, adjacent to the 63rd Avenue Pump Station to meet Seattle Department of Transportation requirements. To ensure everyone’s safety, please do not approach the crews while they are working.

(Utility-locating work route)

SCHEDULE AND DATES

-Utility locating work is expected to begin as early as March 10 and take approximately 2-3 weeks to complete.

-Concrete slab replacement work is expected to begin as early as May and take approximately 4-8 weeks to complete.

LOCATION

Utility-locating work will start at the 63rd Ave Pump Station and follow the route marked with red dots, ending at the Alki Wet Weather Treatment Station (Alki WWTS). See map above for approximate route.

Concrete panel replacement work area is located near the intersection of Beach Dr SW and SW Spokane St. See Figure 2 for approximate work area.

(Concrete panel replacement work area)

ABOUT THE PROJECT

This clean-water project will ensure the 63rd Ave Pump Station has reliable power to help prevent stormwater and wastewater from overflowing into your neighborhood and Puget Sound. We will install conduit under the road along the dotted line in Figure 1. This work will involve excavation and lane closures.

Once construction is complete, all work areas will be restored to meet City of Seattle requirements and standards, including improved pedestrian ramps at Beach Dr SW and 64th Ave SW.

2025 Construction Overview

-March to May – Utility locating & concrete panel replacement work.
-Beginning as early as May 2025, crews will trench in the street to route the conduit starting from 63rd Ave Pump Station toward the Alki WWTS. Trenching and conduit installation is estimated to be completed by Fall 2025.

2026 Construction Overview

-The installation of the generator at the Alki WWTS may begin as early as Fall 2025 and is estimated to completed by Fall 2026.
-Beginning as early as May 2026, crews will construct the transformer vault and cabinet at the 63rd Ave Pump Station. -This project is estimated to be completed by Fall 2026.

For more details on the work schedule starting as soon as next week, see the flyer here.

WEST SEATTLE WINDSTORM: The last unresolved major outage is over

February 25, 2025 5:18 pm

| 11 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

5:18 PM: As we head into evening, that’s the last major outage in not only West Seattle, but citywide, with the 1,600+ affected customers representing just under half the 3,800+ customers still out around Seattle City Light‘s entire territory. For earlier events, see our morning coverage here and midday/afternoon coverage here. Best news is that the wind has moved on, and we’re even expecting a break from the rain, tonight at least through Thursday – when the temperature could reach almost 60 degrees.

5:27 PM: As if by magic, a moment after we published this, the outage ended, and the SCL map now reflects that.

WEST SEATTLE WINDSTORM: Outage closes Thunder Road Guitars

February 25, 2025 1:58 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news

If you were planning on guitar-shopping before the day’s out – Thunder Road Guitars (6400 California SW; WSB sponsor) sadly won’t be able to help you today. They’re one of the Seattle City Light customers still out of power, and with the possibility it won’t be back until day’s end, proprietor Frank Gross tells us, he decided to close. Check out the shop tomorrow, 10 am-6 pm.

WEST SEATTLE WINDSTORM: Midday and afternoon updates

February 25, 2025 10:55 am

| 23 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

10:55 AM: The wind hasn’t entirely ebbed yet, but the official alert expired at 10 am and – at least in our observation – things are calming. Much of what we covered in our morning report has been resolved, so we’re starting fresh here with midday updates:

(Photo sent by Taylor)

TREE TROUBLE: The major roadblocking trees (Delridge Way, Olson Place, Holden) have been cleared by SDOT, as noted in our earlier coverage. But others are still awaiting clearance – like the one in the photo above, in the park near Delridge Community Center, west of the skatepark (thanks to everyone who sent tips and photos). And here’s another downed park tree, with some backstory:

This tree is at Highland Park. The large downed portion is covering half the road on SW Thistle between 11th and 12th.

As seen in the photo, the city knows about it and has already put caution tape around it this morning.

This is a favorite climbing tree of many kids who visit this park.

Seattle Parks also reissued its reminder that forested parks are places to avoid during high wind, and in general, when the wind kicks up, stay out from under trees. … In South Admiral, a texter reports this tree partly blocking at Walnut/Manning:

POWER OUTAGES: Many power outages were triggered by trees – City Light crews have been busy all night and morning – Al sent this photo from 47th/Eddy:

The largest remaining West Seattle outages are 1,600+ customers on the central west side of the peninsula, and almost 500 in Puget Ridge/Pigeon Point/North Delridge (see the darker markers):

We’ll continue adding to this story in the hours ahead – in general, give yourself extra time if you have to go somewhere, because you might encounter a downed-tree detour, or an intersection that’s stop-all-ways because a sign’s down or a signal’s out.

11:43 AM: The North Delridge/Pigeon Point/Puget Ridge outage is down to 215 customers.

12:30 PM: A caller wants to alert you that the California/Charlestown light is out, though everything around it seems to have power.

1:44 PM: A texter says this is where City Light is working to remedy the Seaview/Fairmount Park outage – “tree on power lines at 37th/Raymond”:

SCL has arborists in the trees (no alley access), but it looks like it will be a little while longer.

3:36 PM: Watch for low-hanging wires/cables – they’re not all live wires, but they can be dangerous just the same. One reader texted about one over the road at 55th/Andover.

3:59 PM: Also – beware of at least one flagpole! Our Lady of Guadalupe reports they’ve closed Myrtle between 35th and 34th (usually just closed during school hours) because of possible danger from their flagpole. They offer apologies to the neighbors.

WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Winds kick up; first power outage takes out 250+ in Seaview; second outage in that area too

February 24, 2025 6:24 pm

| 18 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

6:24 PM: Eight hours or so into the High Wind Warning alert, the wind kicked up a short time ago (we heard thunder too!), and West Seattle has its first power outage of note – more than 250 customers in Seaview. People in the area report hearing a “boom” before the power went out. Updates to come …

6:56 PM: This storm seems to be arriving (and departing) in waves, and we’re between waves right now. The photo above is from James Bratsanos, who noticed it just before that intense wave of rain, wind, and thunder. So far the 256-customer Seaview outage is the only one in West Seattle; citywide it’s the second-largest after a 5,300+-customer outage in North Seattle.

7:43 PM: The SCL map shows the Seaview outage has been resolved.

2:36 AM: An area further south in Seaview and beyond has lost power this time:

City Light says this one is affecting 100+ customers. The wind is about the strongest-sounding we’ve heard all night.

ROAD WORK: Here’s the plan for the 35th SW sinkhole

February 24, 2025 4:54 pm

| 7 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Some readers have asked about the sinkhole coned off in the middle of 35th SW near SW Edmunds. We asked SDOT, which in turn pointed us to Seattle Public Utilities; SPU spokesperson Brad Wong tells WSB that crews investigated it today:

Seattle Public Utilities is monitoring and working on a void in the 4700 block of 35th Avenue Southwest, which was reported by the Seattle Department of Transportation.

On the morning of February 24, SPU crews completed an initial investigation and inspection of the roadway and found that a 10-inch combined sewer pipe had collapsed. Flow, though, was continuing. As of 1 p.m., SPU had not received any report about properties experiencing sewer backups.

SPU is working with SDOT on traffic control in the affected area, which is barricaded. SPU crews are moving a pump unit to the location as a preventive measure for any system backup. SPU expects the pipe rehabilitation work on the affected area to be finished in about two weeks.

This stirs memories of a water break that flooded 35th downhill from there, between Alaska and Avalon, in 2017. That, however, was blamed on a private line.

UPDATE: Water break in High Point

February 13, 2025 4:06 pm

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| Utilities | West Seattle news

4:06 PM: Thanks to Dörte for the tip. The Seattle Public Utilities water-trouble map confirms a break at 34th/Juneau, with more than 30 customers affected. SPU hopes to have it fixed within a few hours. This is just a block north of an 8-inch pipe break one week ago.

5:33 PM: This one, like the one last week, was fixed so fast, crews were gone before we got there to check it out.

Didn’t get your recycling picked up this week?

February 13, 2025 1:03 pm

| 9 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

Seattle Public Utilities is still catching up from weather-affected collections missed last week, and has just acknowledged the missed-recycling situation, which some WSB commenters brought up:

Recycling may have been missed for Wednesday customers this week.

Please report it as a missed collection by calling it in to customer service line as we are aware online reporting is having issues.

As a reminder to all, if your collections were missed, please report it!

You can do that online here.

WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Trash/recycling/etc. pickup for this week

February 10, 2025 5:19 pm

| 14 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

(Last Wednesday morning’s snow – photo by Janelle Otterholt)

With delays and cancellations in Seattle Public Utilities customers’ solid-waste-pickup service last week, SPU published this reminder today:

We aren’t quite out of the woods yet with the winter weather this week, so here are a few reminders:

Wednesday customers missed last week may set out twice the amount of garbage, recycling, and compost this week at no extra charge.

Any other customers missed last week should report a missed collection as usual.

As winter weather continues, please be sure to regularly check back in on the At Your Service blog for the latest updates. If your garbage collection was missed and there were no collection delays, please use the Utilities Services website to report a missed collection or call our customer service line 206-684-3000.

Though the update didn’t specifically mention Tuesday customers, SPU spokesperson Brad Wong told WSB last Friday that anyone missed on February 4th could call this morning for a special pickup.

CLOSURE ALERT: Pump-station project to close section of street

February 7, 2025 5:31 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

Seattle Public Utilities sent us this notice, which is being circulated in the neighborhood but is likely of wider interest:

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is upgrading the water pump station in your neighborhood. The SW Spokane St Pump Station, constructed in 1928, supplies drinking water and fire protection services to parts of West Seattle. Due to its age, this critical facility is at risk of failure during an earthquake, and many of its systems need immediate repair or replacement.

Adjacent to the pump station, SPU will be conducting construction in the roadway for utility installation associated with the project. Travelers can expect periodic full and partial road closures for up to two months beginning in February 2025. During this period, the roadway may be open to traffic with or without construction flaggers depending on the construction schedule. Please plan additional time for travel and follow the signed detour route during full road closures. Periodic full and partial road closures are necessary for safe and timely completion of the work. This work ensures SPU can continue to provide reliable and safe drinking water and fire protection services to our customers.

LOCATION
This work will be done along SW Spokane St and 33rd Ave SW, adjacent to the pump station. Please see the map for the work location and detour route.

SCHEDULE
Expect approximately two months of roadway impacts beginning as early as February 3. During the work period, SW Spokane St. may be closed or restricted. During road closures, please follow signed detours. Construction crews are expected to work Monday – Friday, 7 am – 5 pm. However, the road may remain closed for nights and weekends depending on the work schedule. Please note that the start date, duration, and working hours are subject to change due to permitting, weather, crew availability, and other factors.

You can find a bit more about the pump-station project in this SPU document.

UPDATE: Water break in High Point

February 6, 2025 7:02 pm

| 3 COMMENTS

| High Point | Utilities | West Seattle news

7:02 PM: Thanks for the tip about a water outage in High Point. The Seattle Public Utilities water-trouble map confirms SPU is dealing with a water break at 34th/Raymond, affecting more than 30 customers; it was reported less than an hour ago. This comes as temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s tonight, so be extra-careful in that area in the morning!

9:04 PM: Fixed fast. We went through the area around 8:30 pm and the crew was already gone; the outage map says service was restored by 7:40.

ADDED: Brad Wong from SPU tells WSB, “It was an 8-inch distribution pipe. The cause is unknown.”

WEST SEATTLE SNOW: SPU cancels today’s trash, recycling, yard/food waste pickups; rest of week delayed

February 5, 2025 9:05 am

| 19 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

Here’s the official announcement of today’s cancellation, plus delays for the rest of the week, from Seattle Public Utilities:

Due to winter weather conditions, there will be no residential garbage, recycling, or food/yard waste pickup in Seattle today, Wednesday, February 5, 2025. SPU’s North and South transfer stations will open at 10 a.m. today.

Weather and road conditions permitting, garbage, recycling, and food/yard waste service will resume Thursday, February 6, on a revised schedule — with customers scheduled for pickup today, Wednesday, February 5, collected tomorrow. All remaining residential services will be delayed one day this week. For example, if your regular collection day is Friday, your garbage, recycling, and food/yard waste will be collected on Saturday this week. Customers should be sure to have their containers out by 7 a.m. to ensure collection.

If your materials are not picked up by the end of the following day, please put them out on your next regularly scheduled pickup day. Customers missed this week will be allowed to set out twice their normal amount of garbage, recycling, and yard waste at no additional charge, on their next scheduled collection day.

Gatewood water break resolved – and what crews did afterward

February 1, 2025 3:01 pm

| Comments Off on Gatewood water break resolved – and what crews did afterward

| Gatewood | Utilities | West Seattle news

(WSB photo)

That sighting of brown water flushing from a hydrant is what tipped us to a water outage in Gatewood. We were out walking when we spotted a Seattle Public Utilities worker flushing the hydrant at 39th/Rose [map]; he told us they were clearing the water from a “branch” before restoring service following a break further east on Rose. The SPU water-trouble map says 40+ homes were affected by the break centered near 35th/Rose; we walked past the hydrant again about half an hour after taking the top photo, and the water was running clear.

UPDATE: Water break in Arbor Heights (more info added Tuesday)

January 27, 2025 8:39 pm

| 2 COMMENTS

| Arbor Heights | Utilities | West Seattle news

8:39 PM: Thanks for the tip and photo! A reader reports a water break on 35th SW just north of SW 108th has left “all of 35th covered in water down the hill.” A Seattle Public Utilities crew has arrived, they report (though the break is not yet on the SPU water-trouble map). Reminder that breaks may stir up sediment (rust) in nearby lines, so if you’re in the area you might notice “brown water” – call SPU at 206-386-1800 if you do, to be sure they’re aware that’s happened.

8:54 PM: Update from our tipster: “Looks like they may have isolated it, and turned off the water for that location. SPU has left. Though 35th is covered in water from 108th to around 112th. Could get icy overnight.”

12:56 PM TUESDAY: We followed up with SPU spokesperson Brad Wong, who tells WSB, “The SPU crew determined it was a small water main break and made repairs. What caused the main to break remains unknown.”

UPDATE: More than 3,000 lose power in West Seattle outage, including some Admiral businesses; all restored within 2 1/2 hours

January 13, 2025 10:51 am

| 36 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

10:51 AM: Thanks for the tips. A power outage has taken out more than 3,200 customers, mostly in northeast West Seattle, though also stretching southward toward High Point. Updates to come.

10:59 AM: No word yet on the cause of this. If you’re hearing sirens/seeing fire trucks, note that outages sometimes trigger automatic fire alarms, and that’s happened in at least two places so far. Note that much if not all of the Admiral business district is in the outage zone – also some signalized intersections (which become all-way stops when the signal’s dark).

11:42 AM: The southernmost stretch of the outage has been restored – so it’s down to just under 2,000 customers. Here’s the updated outage map:

12:35 PM: No change since then, and we’re still awaiting SCL’s response on the cause. Meantime, WSB’s Aspen Anderson is checking on the Admiral District and confirms commenter report that Metropolitan Market is closed:

Admiral Starbucks is among the other businesses without power. Traffic signals too.

(WSB photos)

12:47 PM: Also out, Aspen reports, is the Admiral Bartell Drugs. And as mentioned in comments, West Seattle (Admiral) Library continues using paper slips like this to check people out:

However, the libary computers are not working, nor other equipment. But they say they lose power once a year so they have this system in place — but they are trying to stay open as long as possible. … Mud Bay is open and checking people out with a handheld credit-card device.

12:54 PM: Another 300 customers just got power back. … That includes Admiral Safeway, where, Aspen report, the “produce/cold drink sections closed right before the power went back on — they are giving produce a minute to come back to temperature.”

1:04 PM: Now all are back on; we’ve confirmed the Admiral District is back. Aspen says Metropolitan Market tells her they’ll stay closed an hour or so more, to be sure temperatures are all in “safe zones.”

ADDED MONDAY EVENING: Regarding the cause, an SCL spokesperson tells WSB, “It was not related to the planned outage in the adjacent area. Our systems operations center said that there was a mainstem cable on the feeder that failed.” (We’ve requested a bit more explanation, such as where this cable is/was.)

ADDED TUESDAY MORNING: To that question, SCL spokesperson Jenn Strang responded, “The main issue occurred in the vicinity of SW Admiral Wy and SW City View St.”

UPDATE: Short-lived gas-leak response in 4100 block of 38th SW

January 6, 2025 10:22 am

| 3 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

10:22 AM: Seattle Fire is responding to a gas leak in the 4100 block of 38th SW [vicinity map]. Updates to come.

10:28 AM: The response has been downsized – most units have been dismissed.

(WSB photo)

10:35 AM: A WSB team member at the scene says Puget Sound Energy has arrived.

11 AM: Our team member confirms all SFD crews have left.

11:41 AM: Reviewing audio from the response, this originally was reported as a leak inside a home, with a strong smell of natural gas in the basement, but firefighters weren’t able to confirm a leak, and left as PSE investigated further.

WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: First power outage

December 26, 2024 8:01 am

| 5 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

8:01 AM: Thanks for the tip. 100+ homes are out in south Arbor Heights/Seola Beach, after a loud explosion-type sound around 7:20. As noted in the traffic/weather roundup, the wind alert is now extended to 1 pm.

11:54 AM: Still out.

1:05 PM: The SCL map now attributes the outage to “tree/vegetation.” Still the only outage of note in West Seattle, and the number of people affected by outages today throughout SCL’s entire service area has remained in triple digits.

UPDATE: Xfinity out in North Admiral

December 22, 2024 9:42 am

| 2 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news

Multiple readers have texted with the news that Xfinity is out in North Admiral for between 100 and 500 customers, citing “network damage.” The company’s hoping to have it back on by late morning, but with, for example, the Seahawks vs. Vikings game coming up at 1 pm, you might want to have a backup viewing plan.

11:29 AM: Per comment and text, service is back.

WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Blustery day, with ‘wind advisory’ alert; almost 7,000 hit by short-lived power outage

December 14, 2024 9:36 am

| 38 COMMENTS

| Utilities | West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

9:36 AM: Thanks to Laurel at Ounces in North Delridge for the photo – that tree down along the Delridge entrance to the eastbound West Seattle Bridge is one of multiple trees brought down by this morning’s gusty winds. We’ve had a report from Admiral Way’s south hill, too. The National Weather Service has a Wind Advisory alert in effect for our area until 4 pm today, expecting “south winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 45 mph.” No new West Seattle outages mapped by City Light so far but that last group of 146 from Thursday night’s outage is still without electricity. Scott sent this photo of crews working in the area:

If you experience or see weather-related trouble, please call or text our hotline, 206-293-6302 (once you’re sure the appropriate authorities know – if a tree or other debris is blocking a street or sidewalk, for example, SDOT’s after-hours number is 206-386-1218) – thank you!

9:49 AM: And now, a big power outage. Almost 7,000 customers; map screenshot added above. Thanks for the texts/tips. This time some signalized intersections such as 35th/Avalon and 35th/Fauntleroy are involved – remember dark signals = 4-way stops. Parts of Alki and Genesee that got hit in Thursday’s outage are out again, as is a stretch of Delridge, among other mapped spots that are out. We don’t know the epicenter of this one yet – let us know if you see City Light crews.

10:19 AM: If you look at the outage map, this seems to have spared the business districts, which have a variety of events today, but please let us know if you encounter any changes at any place on today’s (big) list. Meantime, while City Light’s map projects afternoon restoration, PLEASE REMEMBER that their estimates are just wild guesses at this point, COULD be much sooner, COULD be much later. Among other things, don’t open your fridge/freezer – what’s in it/them will last longer.

10:24 AM: And in fact, some are reporting their power is back. Avalon area, for starters. The map may not catch up for a bit. … Map now shows almost everyone restored from this outage (but not that 146-customer South Alki pocket from Thursday night).

10:33 AM: Thanks to everyone who’s sent rainbow photos, in the meantime – sightings from Alki to Fauntleroy. The one above this line is from John-Michael Bennett III. (Added) Below is a photo texted from Fauntleroy, where the ferries have been battling those south winds:

10:48 AM: Now the rain’s moved back in, at least here in Upper Fauntleroy. We’re also still hearing dispatches for various trouble spots – a tree down on 34th in Sunrise Heights, wires down on 51st in Brace Point.

11:56 AM: Though the power’s back, a reader says it’s left the Junction post office cash-only.

4:22 PM: Looking at City Light’s map, looks like the South Alki 146 finally got their power back sometime this afternoon, before hitting 48 unpowered hours.