Heavy rains cause overflow into Puget Sound from Richmond Beach Pump Station in Shoreline

December 22, 2020

Summary

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.

Story

King County reported sewer overflows into Puget Sound on Tuesday, Dec. 22, as a result of a powerful rainstorm that dumped nearly 2 inches of rain across most of the county on Dec. 21.

Located in Shoreline, just south of Point Wells, the Richmond Beach Pump Station is operating at full function. Large volumes of rainfall throughout the day on Dec. 21 exceeded the capacity of the pump station, and overflows happened intermittently between approximately 2:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Monday.

King County has notified health and regulatory agencies, will monitor water quality and has posted signs warning people to avoid contact with the water over the next several days as a precaution to protect public health.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Marie Fiore, 206-263-0284 or mfiore@kingcounty.gov 

About the King County Wastewater Treatment Division
King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and enhances the environment by collecting and treating wastewater while recycling valuable resources for the Puget Sound region. The division provides wastewater treatment services to 17 cities, 17 local sewer districts and more than 1.8 million residents across a 420-square-mile area in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.