Sewage plant in Seattle no longer polluting after failure

SEATTLE – Officials say the state’s largest sewage treatment plant is back in compliance with its environmental permits.

The Seattle Times reported Wednesday was the first 24-hour sampling period of the West Point Treatment plant’s discharge to Puget Sound that showed full compliance with its state and federal environmental permits.

The facility had run at limited capacity for weeks after flooding Feb. 9 that caused at least $25 million in equipment and other damage. Millions of gallons of raw sewage and untreated runoff also poured into Puget Sound.

King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks director Christie True says electrical repairs will continue at the plant until about October. The department has authority over wastewater treatment for the Seattle metro region.

The state Department of Ecology and the county are undertaking monitoring to better understand the environmental effects of the unprecedented plant failure.