EPA and Washington fine Seattle, King County for sewer overflow violations
(UI) — The Washington Department of Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have jointly issued penalties to Seattle and King County for violations related to combined sewer overflows. The fines stem from infractions between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023, involving untreated or partially treated sewage discharges into waterways.
Seattle faces a total penalty of $71,000, including $50,000 for 20 sanitary sewer overflow incidents and $21,000 for seven wet weather overflows caused by system maintenance failures. Some of these discharges reached Puget Sound, Lake Washington, and other local water bodies, while others caused sewage backups into homes and buildings.
King County was fined $46,000, which includes $40,000 for discharges from its wet weather treatment facilities that failed to meet disinfection and pollution standards. An additional $6,000 penalty was issued for two wet weather sewer overflow events caused by operational failures.
Combined sewer systems, which carry both stormwater and sewage, were originally designed with overflow points to handle large storms. However, federal and state laws now require minimizing untreated sewage discharges to protect water quality and public health.
These penalties are enforced under consent decrees negotiated in 2013 between Ecology, EPA, Seattle, and King County. The agreements require compliance with state regulations and outline fines for unpermitted discharges. Recently, the decrees were modified to extend the deadline for controlling all outfalls to 2037, allowing for larger, climate-resilient projects and prioritizing work in the Lower Duwamish area.
“Seattle and King County have made progress in reducing combined sewer overflows, but additional efforts are necessary to meet state requirements,” Ecology and EPA stated.
The penalties will be split evenly between the two agencies. Ecology’s share will support the state’s Coastal Protection Fund, which provides grants for water quality restoration projects.
Both Seattle and King County have committed to continued infrastructure investments and maintenance improvements to further reduce sewer overflows and protect water resources.
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