Annual ‘Be Flood Ready’ brochure helps residents prepare for flooding in King County
The 2020-2021 “Be Flood Ready” brochure is now available to King County residents to help them prepare for the flood season.

Update: Beaches near Kirkland and Medina re-open after water testing confirms safe conditions
Dec. 24 update: The beach and waters near Kirkland and Medina have been re-opened to the public after water quality testing showed safe results. The beach was closed out of an abundance of caution on Dec. 21 following an overflow during heavy rains at nearby York Pump Station, and testing confirmed that the water is safe.

Heavy rains cause overflow into Puget Sound from Richmond Beach Pump Station in Shoreline
King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s Richmond Beach Pump Station experienced intermittent overflows on Monday, Dec. 21 as a result of heavy rains in the service area. The pump station was operating properly but high flows exceeded station capacity.

King County and The Trust for Public Land partner to preserve unique Raging River habitat, vital to Chinook salmon
Valuable habitat along the Raging River favored by endangered Chinook salmon and many other fish and wildlife species is now permanently preserved, thanks to a public-private partnership announced today by King County Executive Dow Constantine.

Heavy rains cause overflows into Lake Washington from King County’s Kirkland and Medina pump stations
King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s Kirkland and Medina pump stations experienced overflows as a result of heavy rains in the service area. The pump stations are operating properly but flows are exceeding station capacity, and the overflows are expected to end when flows subside.

Broken pipe causes surface overflow from King County’s York Pump Station
King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s York Pump Station in Redmond experienced an overflow as a result of a broken pipe joint. The staff acted to bypass broken piping and quickly returned the station to normal operations and the surface-level overflow did not reach any waterbodies.

Beaches near Discovery Park re-open after water testing confirms safe conditions
Dec. 5 update: The beach and waters near West Point at Discovery Park have been re-opened to the public after two consecutive days of water quality testing showed safe results. The beach was closed out of an abundance of caution on Dec. 2 following a brief bypass at the West Point Treatment Plant, and testing confirmed that the water is safe.

Brief wastewater bypass occurs during routine equipment testing at West Point
The King County Wastewater Treatment Division is investigating a brief wastewater bypass at West Point Treatment Plant on Dec. 2.

Utility line break at South Treatment Plant is quickly contained, water released was fully treated
King County Wastewater Treatment Division crews quickly responded to a broken pipe carrying fully treated wastewater at the South Treatment Plant campus on Saturday, Nov. 14.

King County Flood Warning Center to close as rain eases and flows stabilize on Snoqualmie River
With rain diminishing and stream flows stabilizing, the King County Flood Warning Center is planning to close at 10 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, following about 10 hours of closely monitoring minor flooding along the Snoqualmie River. County employees will continue to monitor weather forecasts and stream conditions.

King County Flood Warning Center opens as more rain brings another minor flood threat to Snoqualmie River
The King County Flood Warning Center opened at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5, to monitor potential minor flooding from heavy rainfall along the Snoqualmie River.

King County launches Sewer Heat Recovery pilot program
Commercial property owners and developers have the opportunity to extract and re-purpose heat energy from sewer pipes through the King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s new Sewer Heat Recovery pilot program. King County invites commercial property owners and developers to apply for consideration as potential users.

King County Flood Warning Center closes following brief period of monitoring high flows along Snoqualmie River
The King County Flood Warning Center closed at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, after monitoring high flows on the Snoqualmie River for several hours. County employees will continue to monitor weather forecasts and stream conditions.

King County Flood Warning Center opens as rain brings minor flooding to Snoqualmie River
The King County Flood Warning Center opened at 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, after hours of heavy rainfall led to minor flooding along the Snoqualmie River.

King County Wastewater Treatment Division recognized as Utility of the Future Today, wins awards for outstanding performance
King County Wastewater Treatment Division has received national recognition as a Utility of the Future Today. Several of the division’s treatment plants have also been honored by the Washington State Department of Ecology for outstanding performance and by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies for complete and consistent National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit compliance.

King County reminds motorists to improve road safety during Secure Your Load Week, Oct. 19-25
King County Solid Waste Division encourages everyone to properly secure their loads to keep roadways safe, avoid fees and prevent litter as the annual Secure Your Load campaign takes place the week of Oct. 19-25.

Utility work to require intermittent lane closures on Cedar Grove Road for the next several days
A pipeline inspection and repair project will require intermittent lane closures on Cedar Grove Road SE between SE Lake Francis Road and the Maple Valley Highway starting Thursday, Oct. 15, through early next week. Drivers should expect delays or plan alternate routes.

King County ready for flood response during pandemic; Leaders urge preparedness for possible active flood season
Following an active and destructive 2019-2020 flood season, the King County Executive and King County Flood Control District Chair urge residents to prepare now for seasonal flooding, announcing October as Flood Awareness Month.

King County hosts online community meeting, virtual open house for Fall City Floodplain Restoration Project
King County is hosting a virtual open house and online community meeting for residents to learn about the Fall City Floodplain Restoration Project that will reconnect the floodplain and restore this historically productive area for salmon.

Siting advisory committee meeting on Oct. 14 kicks off new recycling and transfer station project in north King County
King County’s Solid Waste Division will host its first siting advisory committee meeting for the Northeast Recycling and Transfer Station Project via Zoom on Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Community members with an interest in the project are invited to attend and observe.