February 8, 2016

County to spend $197M on water infrastructure

The King County Wastewater Treatment Division said it's planning to spend $196.8 million on infrastructure projects in 2016.

Priorities include upgrading aging facilities, planning for growth, controlling overflows of stormwater and sewage during heavy rains, and supporting the cleanup of Puget Sound and the Lower Duwamish Waterway.

Projects will involve upgrading aging facilities as well as adding new capacity.

Here are some of the biggest projects:

• North Creek Interceptor, $22.8 million: Complete construction to repair and replace a 2-mile pipeline serving the Bothell area.

• Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station, $13.4 million: Continue design for a new facility in Seattle's Georgetown neighborhood to treat up to 70 million gallons of stormwater and sewage.

• South Treatment Plant, $12.7 million: Equipment replacements and upgrades.

• Murray Combined Sewer Overflow Control: $12.5 million to complete construction of an underground storage tank at the Murray Pump Station in West Seattle.

• Fremont Siphon Replacement, $12 million: Begin construction on a new pipeline under the Lake Washington Ship Canal to carry untreated wastewater from Fremont to the West Point Treatment Plant in Magnolia.

• West Point Treatment Plant, $12 million: Equipment replacements and upgrades.

The county wastewater treatment system includes 391 miles of sewer lines, 47 wastewater pump stations, 19 regulator stations, four stormwater treatment facilities, three regional wastewater treatment plants, and two local treatment plants.

Last week the King County Council approved refinancing of $281.5 million in sewer revenue bonds. The move is expected to yield about $65 million in savings over the next 25 years.