Heathfield Pump Station Wastewater Overflow Response in Bellevue

Aug. 23, 2024 Update

King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) is contacting you to provide an update on our wastewater overflow response at the Heathfield Pump Station. You may unsubscribe from these emails at any time.

The following is a summary of our response activities to date. We will continue to keep the community, jurisdictions, and agencies up to date.

Pipe repair and condition inspection

Initial inspection of the ruptured force main pipe started on Thursday, Aug. 22, and will continue in the coming days. We have determined that about 100 feet of additional pipe near the pump station needs to be replaced as soon as possible.

King County’s contractor will mobilize a construction crew at the pump station property as early as Monday, Aug. 26, to begin this work.

This phase of the repair work is expected to take 2-3 weeks.

Work activities at the pump station property will include:

• Pipe and other material deliveries.
• Excavation and trenching to remove the existing pipe.
• Installation of the replacement pipe.

What to expect for near neighbors:

• Permitted work hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Crews will typically work 8-hour shifts on weekdays within the permitted work window but may work longer if needed.
• Noise and vibrations typical of an active construction project.
• Street parking restrictions near the pump station.
• The contractor may use flaggers to help direct deliveries to the pump station property and direct traffic, as needed.
• Emergency vehicle access will be maintained.
• Garbage, recycling, composting, mail, and delivery service will be maintained.

We are continuing to assess and make plans for permanent repairs to the pipe. We will share our plans once they are available.

The force main pipe that was damaged on Aug. 15 was installed in 1983 and was not part of the 2022 upgrade project.

Vasa (aka Squibbs) Creek

Cleanup and restoration efforts of the Vasa/Squibbs Creek continue. On Thursday, Aug. 22, King County’s environmental team visually surveyed the creek and documented current conditions. We are continuing to coordinate with the City of Bellevue, state Department of Ecology, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to assess the need and scope for further creek cleanup and restoration activities.

Due to recent weather and the overflow, the creek conditions are variable. We ask that the public continue to avoid contact with the creek until further sampling and investigation activities have been completed.

Environmental/Water quality response

Consistent with direction from Public Health - Seattle & King County, beach closure signs around Vasa Park Resort were removed yesterday, Thursday, Aug. 22.

Please note that the lab results may continue to show elevated E. coli counts in some places. It is common in urban creeks to see elevated E. coli counts right after it rains due to pet and wildlife waste.

For public swimming beaches, you can always check King County’s Lake Swimming Beach map for more information on good beaches for swimming. 

Stormwater Vault Cleanup

The City of Bellevue (Bellevue) has requested that King County clean out and disinfect a nearby stormwater vault to protect area waters from further impacts. Our contractor has been removing wastewater and cleaning the vault this week. This large stormwater vault connects to Vasa/Squibbs Creek. We will conduct tests and work with Bellevue to determine if further cleanup is needed.

We understand this cleanup work in the cul-de-sac has been noisy for neighbors. We will keep you updated on this important activity.

The map below shows the location of the stormwater vault (in blue) in the cul-de-sac on SE 37th Street.

Public information and outreach

We are grateful for community members who have shared information and connected us with their neighbors who may not have been home and others who live outside the immediately affected area.

To find out more about this incident, please visit: kingcounty.gov/WTD-Incident-Response and sign up for email or text alerts.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not approach workers onsite, for your safety and the safety of the crew. Instead, call the Community Services hotline at 206-296-7432 and leave a message. Someone will return your call as soon as possible.

We appreciate the community’s cooperation as we address this unanticipated incident at the Heathfield Pump Station.