History

The King County Wastewater Treatment Division will save $83.5 million by qualifying for low-interest loans awarded by the state Department of Ecology that will help fund two critical water quality projects.

The King County Council recently approved the loan agreement, which will provide the Wastewater Treatment Division with $165.3 million for a water quality project along the Lake Washington Ship Canal and funding for the new Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station, both of which will reduce stormwater pollution.

“These investments are critical to a clean and healthy Puget Sound – now and in the future,” said Kamuron Gurol, Division of Wastewater Treatment Director. “Our strong track record in financial management allows us to secure excellent financing options, including these low-interest loans. This helps get the most mileage out of these projects while reducing the burden on taxpayers.”

The Department of Ecology’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan applies to two projects:

• The Ship Canal Water Quality Project, a partnership with Seattle Public Utilities that will prevent an average of 75 million gallons of contaminated stormwater and wastewater from flowing into the Lake Washington Ship Canal, Salmon Bay and Lake Union each year.
• The Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station, which King County began operating in late 2022 and now treats up to 70 million gallons of combined stormwater and wastewater per day during heavy storms to better protect the Duwamish River and Puget Sound.

Contaminated stormwater – runoff that occurs during heavy rainfall – is considered one of the biggest threats to water quality today in King County. It carries toxins—motor oil, metals, pesticides, fertilizers, pet waste and more—directly into streams, rivers and the Puget Sound. It contributes to the dramatic decline in native salmon and threatens the survival of southern killer whales.

Both projects advance King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan to prepare the region for climate impacts and the Wastewater Treatment Department’s strategy to reduce and control combined sewer overflows. They are in addition to other projects that improve the region’s sewage system, making it more reliable and resistant to climate impacts. The wastewater treatment department recently began a decade of improvements at the West Point Treatment Plant that will replace pumps and pipes, make seismic upgrades and give crews a more reliable power supply.

Securing low-interest loans is one of several ways in which the sewage treatment department minimizes the consequences for ratepayers, in addition to careful project planning and cost-cutting measures.

King County’s Wastewater Treatment Department protects public health and improves the environment by collecting and treating wastewater while recycling valuable resources for the Puget Sound region. The division provides wastewater treatment services to 18 cities, 15 local sewer districts and the Muckleshoot Tribe, including nearly 2 million residents over a 420 square mile area in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties.

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Quotations

These investments are critical to a clean and healthy Puget Sound – now and in the future. Our strong track record in financial management allows us to secure excellent financing options, including these low interest loans. This helps to get the most mileage out of these projects, while at the same time reducing the burden on taxpayers.

For more information, contact:

Marie Fiore, Wastewater Treatment Department, 206-263-0284