Facts about the King County regional wastewater system
All data current for 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, unless otherwise noted.
-- means "not applicable" or "does not apply"
XX means "information not available at this time"
mgd means "million gallons per day" and
mg/yr means "million gallons per year"
Ratepayer Report, April 2016
2016
| System | West Point | South | Vashon | Carnation | Brightwater | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wholesale customers |
34 local agencies (includes 17 cities, 16 sewer districts, and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe) | -- | -- | 1 sewer district | City of Carnation | -- |
| Population Served (estimated) | Approximately 1.7 million residents | 683,000 | 742,000 | 1,100 (based on census data) | 2,000 | 226,000 |
| Area served |
424 square miles | 113 square miles | 241 square miles | 660 acres (by 2050) | 821 acres (in city and surrounding urban growth area) | 67 square miles |
| System | West Point | South | Vashon | Carnation | Brightwater | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sewage treated (volume expected in average rainfall year) (million gallons/day) | 179 mgd | 95 mgd | 66 mgd | 0.15 mgd | 0.09 mgd | 18 mgd |
| Sewage treated (2016) (million gallons/day) | 188.3 mgd | 98.5 mgd | 71.4 mgd | 0.17 mgd | 0.09 mgd | 18.1 mgd |
| Septage treated (2016) (million gallons/year) | 26.6 mg/yr | -- | 26.6 mg/yr (2,220 dry tons) | -- | -- | -- |
| System | West Point | South | Vashon | Carnation | Brightwater | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Treatment plants | 5 | West Point Treatment Plant, Seattle | South Treatment Plant, Renton | Vashon Treatment Plant, Vashon Island | Carnation Treatment Plant, Carnation | Brightwater Treatment Plant, Snohomish County north of Woodinville |
| Pump stations | 47 | 20 | 19 | 4 | -- | 4 |
| Regulator stations | 25 | 23 | 2 | -- | -- | -- |
| CSO wet weather treatment facilities | 4: Alki, Carkeek, Mercer/Elliot West, Henderson/Norfolk | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| CSO storage facilities | 3: Murray, North Beach, South Magnolia | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| Conveyance storage | 2: Logboom, North Creek | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| King County sewer conveyance lines | About 391 miles | -- | -- | 3.2 miles | 1.6 miles | -- |
| Sewer pipe diameter (smallest to largest) | 2.5 inches to 14 feet, 8 inches | 8 inches to 14 feet, 8 inches | 8 inches to 14 feet, 8 inches | 2.5 inches to 8 inches | 8 inches to 12 inches | 8 inches to 14 feet, 8 inches |
| Outfalls, length and depth | -- | 3,600 feet long; 240 feet deep; 1 diffuser at 600 feet long Discharge to Puget Sound. |
2 parallel pipes, 10,000 feet long each; 625 feet deep; 4 diffusers at 500 feet long each Discharge to Puget Sound. |
2,850 feet long; 200 feet deep; no diffuser Discharge to Puget Sound. |
Primary discharge: Chinook Bend Wetland Enhancement Project Backup: Snoqualmie River at Carnation Farm Road Bridge |
2 parallel pipes, 4,600 feet long each; 600 feet deep; 2 diffusers at 250 feet long each Discharge to Puget Sound. |
| West Point | South | Vashon | Carnation | Brightwater | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average wet-weather flow (non-storm) (million gallons/day): This number is often used to describe the size of the treatment plants. It is based on average wet-season flow (November through April) but does not include extraordinarily large storms in the average. It is based on an average that does not show the maximum flows that can be handled at a plant. |
133 mgd | 115 mgd | 0.26 mgd (estimated) | 0.22 mgd | 30 mgd |
| Maximum monthly average flow (million gallons/day): | 215 mgd | 144 mgd | 0.52 mgd | 0.27 mgd | 40.9 mgd |
| Average dry-weather flow (million gallons/day): | 110 mgd | 96 mgd | -- | 0.21 mgd | 25.2 mgd |
| Biological oxygen demand (BOD) influent loading (annual average) | 168,000 pounds/day | 220,000 pounds/day | 526 pounds/day | 314 milligram/liter | 66,063 pounds/day (maximum month) |
| Total suspended solids (TSS) influent loading (annual average) | 181,000 pounds/day | 201,000 pounds/day | 526 pounds/day | 314 milligram/liter | 61,400 pounds/day (maximum month) |
| Instantaneous maximum capacity (million gallons/day): Maximum flows that can be handled at the plants—often for short periods; some portions of these flows get minimal treatment. | 440 mgd | 325 mgd | 1.14 mgd (2.05 mgd with on-site storage) | 1.4 mgd | 100 mgd (until 2025 or until fifth IPS pump set is installed) |
| West Point | South | Vashon | Carnation | Brightwater | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit (NPDES) renewal dates: View permit limits (BOD, TSS, fecal coliform, chlorine residual) for each treatment plant. | NPDES permit 1/31/2020 | NPDES permit 7/31/2020 Reclaimed water permit 7/31/2020 |
NPDES permit 2/28/2022 | NPDES and reclaimed water permit (combined) 12/31/2018 | NPDES permit 7/31/2016 Reclaimed water permit 7/31/2016 |
| System | West Point | South | Vashon | Carnation | Brightwater | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity produced (2016) | 33.00 million kilowatt hours | 17.87 million kilowatt hours | 15.13 million kilowatt hours | -- | -- | -- |
| Methane gas sold (2016) (Both West Point & South Plant also use digester gas to power plant equipment, such as boilers and digesters) | 0.173 million therms | -- | 0.173 million therms | -- | -- | -- |
| Loop biosolids produced (2016) | 122,194 wet tons (or 29,922 dry tons) | 40,737 wet tons at 29% solids (or 11,822 dry tons) | 63,650 wet tons at 23% solids (or 14,614 dry tons) Note: South Plant receives untreated solids from Vashon and Carnation plants. |
467,146 gallons at 2% solids (or 38.9 dry tons). Untreated solids hauled to South Plant for further treatment. | 1,023,980 gallons at 2% solids (or about 85.4 dry tons). Untreated solids hauled to South Plant for further treatment. | 17,807 wet tons at 19.6% solids (or 3,486 dry tons) |
| Carbon sequestration (2016) (From Loop biosolids land application. MtCO2e = metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents) | 41,092 MtCO2e (the equivalent of taking 8,000 cars off the road) | 16,465 MtCO2e | 19,771 MtCO2e | -- | -- | 4,856 MtCO2e |
| Reclaimed/recycled water (filtered) used at treatment plants (2016) | 711 million gallons per year | 170 million gallons per year Note: Additional lower quality (non-Class A) water is also used for in-plant processes. |
70.9 million gallons per year Note: Additional lower quality (non-Class A) water is also used for in-plant processes. |
-- | -- | 470 million gallons per year |
| Reclaimed/recycled water (Class A) distributed offsite (2016) | About 83 million gallons per year | -- | 6.3 million gallons per year (offsite use for irrigation, street cleaning, & sewer flushing) | -- | 33.5 million gallons per year (distributed to Chinook Bend Natural Area Wetland Enhancement Site) | 42.7 million gallons per year (distributed for irrigation, toilets/urinals, and public art) |
| Wholesale sewer rate | $44.22 per month (beginning 1/1/2017) |
|---|---|
| Sewage treatment capacity charge | $60.80 per residential customer equivalent (RCE) per month (beginning 1/1/2017) |
| Annual budget (2017) | Operating: $148.5 million Capital-related: $192.6 million |
| Number of employees (as of Jan. 2017) | About 659 full-time equivalents (FTEs); 56 term-limited temporary (TLT) employees and 23 short-term temporaries and interns |
| WTD expenditures for capital facilities through 2030 View projects under construction |
$3.1 billion (2015–2030) |
| Industrial pretreatment program |
|
| Significant industrial users | 114 |
| Industrial/commercial facilities with letters and discharge authorizations | 552 |
| Approximate number of compliance samples taken (except BOD and TSS ) | 1500 |
| Inspections conducted | 309 |
| Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) CSO control program |
|
| Baseline volume (1980–83) | 2.3 billion gallons per year |
| Current volume (Jan.–Dec. 2016) | 1.06 billion gallons per year (view CSO reduction graph) |
| Number of King County CSOs | 39 (view CSO location map) |
| Total rainfall (measured at SeaTac) | Total rainfall (2016): 45.18 inches Long-term average annual rainfall: 37.49 inches (1949–2016) |
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Map data ©2017
