|
 Crews use heavy equipment on barges to place backfill in the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Site after removing contaminated sediment. Photo credit: Lower Duwamish Waterway Group
It’s a wrap for the first season of construction work cleaning up the Lower Duwamish Superfund site. Equipment has been demobilized from the barges, and all will go quiet during the summer months for fish passage.
Led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Ecology, we’re working with the City of Seattle and Boeing to remove legacy pollution and improve water quality in Seattle’s only river after more than a century of industrial and commercial use.
November kicked off the first season of work under a contract managed by King County. During this period, the contractor removed approximately 14,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment, filling 222 rail cars, and reached about 18% of the cleanup area in the first “upper reach” segment of this 10-year project.
The contractor will resume cleanup activities for the second construction season in October.
|
|
Interested in working with us? Join King County for our second annual in-person contractor networking and open house! This highly anticipated event is FREE and aims to create valuable connections between small, minority- and women-owned businesses in the Puget Sound region and prime contractors and consultants.
Discover opportunities and gain insights into upcoming capital projects and contracts from various King County agencies, including Wastewater Treatment Division, Parks, Solid Waste Division, Water and Land Resources Division, Metro Transit, Road Services, Local Services, and Facilities Management Division.
-
Date: Monday, April 21
-
Time: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
-
Location: Muckleshoot Events Center, 2402 Auburn Way S, Auburn, WA 98002
|
|
 Exploring the work behind King County’s efforts to protect public health and the environment.
High school students can apply for the Clean Water Ambassadors Internship, a year-long program that includes a five-week summer intensive program running July 7 to Aug. 7. Interns explore clean water careers, take field trips, and develop communication skills. ORCA cards are provided. Applications open April 1.
College students can apply for communications internships, a 10-week paid opportunity to gain hands-on experience in content creation, media relations, and public engagement in the areas of sustainability and environmental stewardship. Five interns will be embedded in communications teams within the Department of Natural Resources and Parks, including the Wastewater Treatment Division. Applications due March 31, 2025.
|
|
 Swimmers cool off on a hot day in Lake Washington.
Nearly 2 million people in the Puget Sound region rely on our regional wastewater system. Most of that work happens out of sight, which is why we are pulling back the curtain to give you an inside look into how our system works to protect public health and the environment every day while planning for the future.
The Community Report covers:
- How the King County Wastewater Treatment Division treats 183 million gallons of wastewater every day
- The investments we’re making to modernize our system and prepare for the future
-
How we’re carefully managing costs to ratepayers, and the value we bring to communities
- The dedicated people operating this system 24/7, rain and shine
The Community Report is available in English and in Spanish.
|
|
 A group of fifth graders tours South Treatment Plant in Renton as they learn about the relationship between humans and the water cycle.
There’s nothing better than seeing the work up close! We invite the public into our facilities to learn about what goes into the process of making dirty water clean again. And we have some impressive numbers to share.
In 2024, our Education & Engagement Unit reached over 12,000 people through 468 programs, including 10,000 K-12 students and 1,500 adults from community groups and universities. Students in our education programs came from schools that were 62% BIPOC and 40% from low socioeconomic backgrounds.
We host tours at Brightwater Center in Woodinville, South Treatment Plant in Renton, and Georgetown Wet Weather Station in Seattle to demonstrate how wastewater is cleaned and safely returned to the environment. Our free education programs make it easy for schools and community groups to visit, and Wheels to Water provides free bus transportation to schools and community groups.
We might be a little biased, but we are pretty sure these are the best field trips!
|
|
 Big pipes for big flows, this historic photo is from the construction of West Point Treatment Plant in 1966.
|
|
|
Did you know we’re putting lots of great content on Facebook and Instagram? Check out some of our most popular posts where we share exciting updates, inspiring stories, and fun behind-the-scenes moments – there’s always something interesting going on around here. Follow us and stay connected to all the action!
|
|
|
King County’s Loop Vehicle Maintenance Facility shines as Washington ranks fourth for LEED projects in 2024.
|
|
Cooking up something delicious? Keep your pipes happy by disposing of used oil properly—cool it, store it, and toss it, not down the drain!
|
|
Is spring on anyone else’s mind?
Clean water + great weather = ❤️
|
|
|
|
|
