Public areas reopened after Ravenna Creek cleanup

Popular recreational areas in the University Slough south of Northeast Clark Road are open again after a successful cleanup of contaminated sediments from a recent sewage spill near Ravenna Creek.

Public areas were closed on May 23 when county sewer utility workers discovered that an estimated 6.4 million gallons of wastewater was accidentally released into the slough over a 10 day period.

Following initial cleanup, water quality quickly returned to normal in popular swimming and boating locations. Public Health – Seattle & King County was concerned about the upstream between Northeast 45^th Street and Northeast Clark Road where bacteria counts remained high.

The county’s Wastewater Treatment Division implemented aggressive cleanup measures, temporarily rerouting Ravenna Creek into the sanitary sewer system and dewatering the University Slough so vacuum trucks could remove accumulated sediments. Cleanup was completed on June 10.

The county is continuing to coordinate restoration and water quality monitoring of the cleanup area with the University of Washington. The 700-foot waterway between Northeast 45^th Street and the Clark Road Bridge will remain closed to the public while this work is under way.

More information about the spill and response is available at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/community/sewer-spill-response/0805-RavennaCreek.htm.

People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater treatment program. The county’s Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer districts and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years.

People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater treatment program. The county’s Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer districts and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years.

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Note to editors and reporters: Visit the WTD Newsroom, a portal to information for the news media about the Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/newsroom/.

Related Information

Ravenna Creek Wastewater Spill

King County Wastewater Treatment Division