A pedestrian walks through the rain in November 2019 at Kerry Park in Seattle. Credit: KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
Heavier rainfall to cost Seattle area billions to avoid sewage spills Apr 07, 2021
More-intense storms are expected to cost the Seattle area billions of dollars in coming decades â and that doesn t include the potential for more flooding or landslides.
The extra billions would be needed to build sewage treatment plants big enough to handle heavier runoff as the climate changes.
King County is already in doo-doo for not doing enough to keep raw sewage from pouring into local waters after big storms.
In December, state and federal agencies fined the county and the City of Seattle for âcombined sewer overflows,â when heavy rainfall overwhelms sewage treatment plants, and the untreated mix of runoff and sewage is shunted into the environment.
Washington beaches have always conjured their own off-kilter magic: tidepools and driftwood, not sand dunes and sunburn. Which means that in winter our stretches of shore don t lose their essential appeal, even if we do need to add an extra jacket or two.Â
A great blue heron passes Richmond Beach Saltwater Park.
1. Richmond Beach
Like so much of the state s waterfront, Shoreline s Richmond Beach Saltwater Park is better stocked with skipping stones than soft sand. A pedestrian bridge over rail lines separates the parking lot and playground from the beach acreage, making the 40-acre city park feel larger than it should. An off-leash dog park is open November through March, the rare winter-only attraction.
Suquamish tribal members harvest clams in Liberty Bay on the Kitsap Peninsula in 2018. Credit: Tiffany Royal/Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
King County blames power outages for big sewage spills. Tribe blames the county. Jan 15, 2021
While King County officials blame power outages from a wind storm for millions of gallons of sewage entering Lake Washington and Puget Sound early Wednesday morning, critics say the county needs to be held accountable for the pollution.
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, power outages and intense rainfall combined to knock out the West Point sewage treatment plant â King Countyâs largest â in Seattleâs Discovery Park. The weather also knocked out pumping stations in Medina, Seattle, and Shoreline.