King County, Wash., sewer utility crews recently responded to a small overflow that occurred in the University Slough after a day of unseasonably heavy rains.
It is estimated that 100,000 gal of storm water and wastewater flowed into the slough for close to an hour. The University Slough is located just south of Northeast 45th Street near University Village. County staff took water samples and told health and regulatory agencies about the overflow.
Some pipes in the area are more than 100 years old, and many carry both storm water and sewage that can reach capacity and overflow during rainy weather. King County has been working with several agencies, including city of Seattle, on a short-term plan to prevent overflows while engineers develop a permanent solution.
