The Problem
The city of Seattle operates a combined sewer system. This system collects the rainwater that falls on our rooflines, the stormwater in the street & the sewage from our houses. Most of the time this system collects this water, and the pollutants it carries, and transports it to waste treatment facilities. However, in a heavy rain the system cannot handle the volume of stormwater & begins to overflow into the Puget Sound & Lake Washington. 24,000,000 gallons of untreated stormwater & sewage are flushed into Lake Washington annually.
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Locations of Combined Sewer Outfalls in Seattle.  |
Stormwater & sewage overflowing into Lake Washington Dec 12, 2010. This untreated discharge carries with it a vast array of pollutants besides raw sewage, including; motor oil, copper, zinc & fertilizer runoff. It is without question the main driver of water quality degradation in the Puget Sound and Lake Washington, and an existential threat our local Salmon runs. |
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