Public engagement

Discover how King County engaged the community around the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station, from public art to community meetings and events.

How we worked with the community

King County worked with the community to help protect the investments being made to clean up the Duwamish River. Together, we can create a better, cleaner river for South Park, Georgetown, and the region to enjoy. We shared information through:

Individual meetings with community groups, organizations, and leaders
Briefings to local community groups, agencies, and jurisdictions
Community meetings
Newsletters and fliers
Project web page
News releases
Standard mailing
GovDelivery listserv

New public art

King County Wastewater Treatment Division spends one percent of the cost of design and construction of an eligible projects with above ground structures on public art installations.

In June 2016, the County partnered with 4Culture for an Evening of Art + Water. Artists Tristan Surtees and Charles Blanc of Sans Facon presented the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Master Plan, and attendees listened to a panel discussion about artists in collaboration with water infrastructure.

The CSO Master Plan artists envisioned the treatment station art as "a monument to rain." Their art reminds us of the hidden infrastructure all around us and highlight how weather interacts with it to benefit us.

The “Theater of a Storm” by Blanca Lighting lights up the facility as wastewater moves through the treatment process to get cleaned.

The “Theater of a Storm” by Blanca Lighting lights up the facility as wastewater moves through the treatment process to get cleaned

Coming to the site in 2024, “a monument to rain,” by Sans façon and El Dorado will recreate rain events. When it is raining outside, it will not be raining inside the 35-foot-high clear cylinder. Once the rain stops, it will start to rain inside the cylinder mirroring the rainfall the treatment station just experienced. Stay tuned for pictures!

Students' art

The Nature Consortium and Seattle Public Schools partnered with King County in the spring of 2017 to connect students at Maple Elementary to infrastructure and the environment through art. Nature Consortium Program Manager Yeggy Michael developed an eight-week curriculum to introduce students to the Duwamish watershed and water art techniques. After learning about water systems, 80 fifth grade students worked in teams to create artwork reflecting the value that water has for them and their families. The students’ artwork, and their words, help to connect families and communities to clean water. Our hope is that the students' voices will help carry inspiration and perspective far beyond Georgetown.

The students’ art was on display throughout the Arts in Nature festival in Summer 2017 and was also incorporated in banners that hung on construction fencing around the treatment station. To learn more about this art project watch our video below or read a blog article.

Design advisory group (DAG)

In 2015, the King County Wastewater Treatment Division formed a design advisory group. Members were selected based on expressed interest and their connection to the Georgetown community. The DAG, and the broader community, influenced the final design of the treatment station.

The group:

Reviewed project information to understand what King County needed to build
Provided input on the character and landscaping of the site
Advised the County on the look of the station to help it fit into the community
Reviewed design as it progressed to ensure it reflected the design guidelines

Seven meetings were held at the South Seattle College Georgetown campus between January 2015 and October 2016.

Meeting materials (agendas, handouts, summaries) are posted in the archive below.

Design Guidelines Handout (109KB)

Project meetings and events

View the May 2021, Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station project update.

Georgetown Community Council presentation (874KB)

View the May 18, 2020, construction update.

Georgetown Community Council presentation (472KB)

March 1st, 2018
1 to 2 pm
Location: Treatment station site at 6185 4th Avenue South

Ground-breaking celebration: King County’s project team and Executive Dow Constantine hosted a ground-breaking celebration on March 1, 2018, to celebrate the start of construction on the treatment station.

Attendees were asked to wear appropriate closed-toe footwear. Refreshments from a local Georgetown bakery were provided. Those needing special accommodations were asked to contact Bibiana Ocheke-Ameh.

View the Ground-breaking invite (364KB).

Duwamish River Festival: King County was at the Duwamish River Festival on Saturday, August 26, in Duwamish Waterway Park. We were there from noon to 6 pm to discuss the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station and share what’s happening with construction and final design plans for the treatment station.

Arts in Nature Festival: King County also invited people to view a unique community art display supported by the Georgetown project. The Arts in Nature Festival at Camp Long in West Seattle included artwork developed in partnership with Nature Consortium and Seattle Public Schools. It began when fifth grade students at Maple Elementary learned about combined sewer overflows, the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station, and King County’s work in cleaning up the Duwamish River. From this experience, students created water art that speaks to their connection to clean water and the river. This art has been shown on the site fence during five years of construction. Visit the WTD blog and watch the video to learn more about this special community art project.

View the invite to Duwamish River Festival and Arts in Nature Festival (542KB)

King County Wastewater Treatment Division joined the garden walk in Georgetown celebration on Sunday, July 9. We had a table at the Bank of America parking lot (1112 South Bailey Street) from 10 am to 3 pm.

We discussed the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station with attendees. Construction on the station, located at the corner of 4th Avenue South and South Michigan Street, is expected to wrap up in 2022.

For avid gardeners, we handed out samples of our GroCo (now called Loop) compost.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016
6 to 8 pm
South Seattle College
(Building C, room C110/111)
Georgetown campus
6737 Corson Avenue South

Design Advisory Group meeting #7

Topics included design developments between the 30 and 60% design milestones, upcoming construction preparation, and a general project discussion. The meeting was open to the public.