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Sewage releases in Seattle and King County
Sewage releases happen when sewage that hasn't been cleaned enough, or at all, gets released onto the ground, underground, or into water.
Sewage can be released from on-site sewage systems (septic systems), and public sewer systems. Since public sewer systems are much bigger than individual septic systems, sewage releases from them have a bigger impact on our environment and people's health.
Health and environmental impacts
Sewage that hasn’t been cleaned has harmful germs and chemicals that can pollute our environment and make us sick. The impacts of a sewage release depend on many factors, including how much the sewage has been cleaned, the amount of sewage, and where it is released. For example, while one gallon of sewage released hundreds of feet underwater in Puget Sound might not be a great risk to people’s health, hundreds of thousands of gallons of sewage released into a lake where many people swim is a bigger concern.
Tips to stay safe
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Look out for signs
Don't go into a body of water if you see a beach closure or sewage/water pollution sign. This includes avoiding swimming, wading, fishing, boating, paddleboarding, kayaking, shellfish harvesting. Don't let your pets go into the water if you see a closure sign.
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Check the Combined Sewage Overflow (CSO) status map
If you swim in Lake Washington or Puget Sound, check the CSO status map regularly to make sure there have not been any recent CSOs in the area you swim: Combined sewer overflow status.
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Take action if you accidentally come in contact with sewage or contaminated water
- Wash with soap and clean water immediately.
- Be on the lookout for the following symptoms within two weeks: Nausea, Vomiting, Stomach Cramps, Diarrhea, Fever, Jaundice. If you have any of these symptoms, seek out medical care. You're more likely to get sick if you accidentally swallow the water.
Why do sewage releases happen?
There are many reasons sewage releases happen, and almost all are unplanned. Some of the most common reasons include:
- A clogged or broken sewer pipe.
- Heavy rains causing too much sewage to enter a wastewater treatment plant.
What does Public Health do to protect people's health?
We partner with Washington State Department of Ecology and the local sewer districts in King County to quickly respond to sewage releases by assessing the public health impact of the release and making recommendations for next steps. This includes recommending an area be closed, posting signs to alert people about the sewage release and collecting and analyzing water samples. Typically, signs are posted for one full week as that’s how long the bacteria last.