The Plan to Protect Seattle’s Waterways from sewage overflows will be the feature of a public open house and hearing at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24, at the Lake Washington Rowing Club (910 N. Northlake Way).
In some parts of Seattle, stormwater combines with sewage in one pipeline and overflows to the nearest waterway when there is too much rain. This combined sewer system serves about two-thirds of Seattle’s population and was built before the federal Clean Water Act prohibited such overflows.
The City of Seattle is under a consent decree with the federal government to prevent sewage overflows. The plan describes the facilities that would be improved or built to do that by the 2025 deadline.
Seattle’s plan includes traditional sewage-storage projects, as well as projects that would address polluted stormwater runoff without sewage in it. This option prioritizes projects that prevent polluted-stormwater runoff. The stormwater projects would be implemented before some smaller sewage-overflow projects. Those deferred projects would then have an extended deadline of 2030.
For those unable to attend the June 24 public hearing, comments may also be submitted by June 30 to Betty Meyer, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Municipal Tower, Suite 4900, P.O. Box 34018, Seattle, WA 98124-4018.
Input can also be provided via email to betty.meyer@seattle.gov.
Learn more about the Plan to Protect Seattle’s Waterways at www.seattle.gov/cso.