Effluent still flowing into Puget Sound after plant failure

SEATTLE – King County is still dumping raw wastewater into Puget Sound after equipment at a wastewater treatment plant in Seattle failed earlier this month.

The Seattle Times reported that King County spokesman Doug Williams says as much as 50 million gallons of untreated effluent a day is being dumped into the sound out of the damaged West Point Treatment Plant.

The wastewater is being dumped through an emergency bypass because the treatment plant can’t manage heavy flows resulting from unusually heavy rains over the last few weeks. The county is also diverting about 150 million gallons per day of effluent to other treatment plants in the area.

The plant has been running at half capacity since Feb. 9 after a pump failed, causing some portions of the plant to flood and damage equipment.