King County crews quickly stop wastewater overflow at sewer pump station in Bellevue

News

King County Wastewater Treatment Division workers quickly stopped a wastewater spill at a sewer pump station in east Bellevue early morning on Aug. 15.

At about 6:45 a.m., wastewater crews responded to a mechanical failure that resulted in a line break in one of the two underground force mains at the Heathfield Pump Station, located in the 3500 block of 163rd Avenue Southeast in Bellevue. Within 20 minutes, crews stopped the wastewater overflow that entered Squibbs Creek and continued into Lake Sammamish.

Preliminary repairs and cleanup are already under way. Operations have been fully restored through the use of the second force main.

King County notified property owners and residents in the area of the overflow and posted beach closure signage along the creek and beach.

King County reported the overflow to Public Health – Seattle & King County and the state Department of Ecology and immediately began testing water quality along the creek and Lake Sammamish shoreline, which will continue over the next several days as needed. About one mile of Squibbs Creek requires cleanup. The beach at Vasa Park Resort on private property is expected to be closed until water testing confirms the water is safe. 

The pump station is part of the conveyance system that moves wastewater collected from homes, schools, and businesses in the area to South Treatment Plant in Renton where it is treated.