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 Crews use a crane to help assemble the refurbished Grandfather’s Wisdom art installation at Brightwater’s public space.
Grandfather's Wisdom has returned to the public trails at the Brightwater Treatment Plant in Woodinville. The old-growth cedar art piece was removed last year to be restored. Local artist Andrea Wilbur-Sigo modeled the piece after a traditional Native longhouse. It includes carved motifs featuring Killer Whale, Octopus, and Thunderbird, creatures of universal importance among Coast Salish tribes. Alongside partner 4Culture, WTD is committed to community art and creating spaces that are meaningful and accessible to the public. Learn more about the artist and watch a video of Grandfather’s Wisdom’s reinstallation.
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 Clean Water Ambassadors take a tour of a wastewater treatment plant.
WTD’s summer Clean Water Ambassador program is coming to an end with many great experiences and a new appreciation for what it takes to make dirty water clean. “It made me realize how connected I am to the water,” said one intern. The paid summer internship program has hosted dozens of high school students since it began in 2016 as a partnership with Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust. WTD is cultivating the next generation of clean water professionals and is building ties to the communities in our service area. Read the full story.
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 WTD crews use vacuum trucks to clear blockages in the sewer and stormdrain system.
WTD is ready for the upcoming rainy season. We prepare for wet weather by clearing stormdrains, inspecting the system, making sure the pipes are free of blockages and debris, testing generators and ensuring employees are trained, ready, and available to work 24/7 through storms and in case of emergencies. You can help our team keep stormdrains clean by clearing debris from your street and disposing of leaves in your yardwaste bin.
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 Join WTD and other workforce development groups on Friday, Sept. 29 for our first annual Green Jobs, Green Futures Summit at The Fremont Foundry in Seattle! King County, in collaboration with the Port of Seattle, City of Seattle, Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County, and Seattle Good Business Network, is bringing you an interactive, one-day event geared towards creating community connections and highlighting businesses in the local green economy. Hope to see you there!
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 Students on a fieldtrip to a King County Wastewater Treatment Plant learn about clean water.
WTD welcomes students back to school with great opportunities to learn all about what happens after you flush. From fieldtrips to curriculum, there’s even a video game to teach students how our clean water services work. WTD’s education program helps children understand how we provide clean water to the Puget Sound region and the essential role everybody plays in protecting our water quality.
Last year, WTD hosted more than 7,600 school children from schools that are 65% BIPOC and 45% low socio-economic status. All WTD education programs are free, and programs can include free bus transportation for schools or community groups in need through the Wheels to Water program. We hope to see you and your child at an upcoming education event!
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 One of three pumps is moved by crane onto a truck for transportation to a local repair shop.
Three enormous pumps that haven’t seen the light of day in 30 years were removed from their underground stations at West Point Treatment Plant and given a new lease on life. By tapping into the expertise of local repair shops, WTD was able to extend the lifespan of these pumps another 20 years and saved ratepayers millions of dollars. Read more about the pump project.
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WTD has contributed to an important, growing body of research on the impacts of systemic racism. WTD looked into how the history and impact of racially restrictive real estate practices in King County reduced the long-term wealth of BIPOC families across multiple generations. Homeownership rates are still much lower for some of these groups. The report, Impact of Redlining and Racist Real Estate Practices on King County Residents, was directed by King County Council to examine how the WTD Capacity Charge program could offset the impacts of discrimination. It serves as a resource for other regional entities to address racist practices that still impact people today.
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 Seven massive trusses, each weighing 30,000 pounds, will form the roof of a new building at West Point Treatment Plant. The building will house a battery system to improve the power quality necessary for plant operation.
Back in February WTD poured concrete for the foundation of the new battery building at West Point Treatment Plant in Seattle’s Magnolia neighborhood. After a long summer of work, the trusses for the roof have gone up. At 86 feet long, each truss weighs over 30,000 pounds and is so big they had to be delivered under police escort. Watch a video of the work.
When completed, the reinforced building will house 88,000 pounds of batteries that will ensure our operators have high quality power to clean wastewater, even when the power sags during storms — all to benefit clean water in Puget Sound. Learn more about the project and its progress.
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