Seattle plant failure dumps millions of gallons of sewage

SEATTLE — Millions of gallons of raw sewage and untreated runoff have poured into the United States’ second-largest estuary since a huge sewage treatment plant experienced equipment failures that forced it to stop fully treating Seattle’s waste.

The county-run facility has been hobbling along at about half-capacity since the Feb. 9 electrical failure resulted in catastrophic flooding that damaged an underground network of pumps, motors, electric panels and other gear.

The sewage treatment plant — Washington state’s largest — is only partially treating dirty water that goes down Seattle toilets and washes off roofs and roads before discharging it into Puget Sound.

County officials say crews have been working around the clock to repair about $25 million in flood-related damage and bring the plant to full capacity by the end of April.

Years of work have gone into trying to clean up the estuary, a vast inlet where water from the Pacific Ocean mixes with water draining from thousands of streams and rivers.

Untreated sewage and storm water can be harmful to people and aquatic life because they release chemicals and disease-causing germs.