TagWater Quality(53)

This document is an NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit fact sheet for Sea-Tac International Airport, issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology. It details the locations of numerous water discharge outfalls across the airport property, covering industrial wastewater, stormwater from industrial activities, and stormwater from construction activities. The discharges flow into several local waterways including Des Moines Creek, Miller Creek, Walker Creek, Gilliam Creek, and Puget Sound.

The Pollution Control Hearings Board ruled largely in favor of community groups ACC and CASE in their challenge to Sea-Tac Airport's water pollution permit, ordering stricter wastewater treatment standards and rejecting most of the Port's appeals. Key victories included requiring the airport to meet long-overdue water quality standards for its industrial wastewater discharged into Puget Sound, mandating improved toxicity testing during de-icing season, and directing a professional wetlands analysis of Lake Reba. Of the seven final directives issued by the Board, six favored the community appellants and only one favored the Port.

This document explains the Washington State Department of Ecology's review process for Sea-Tac Airport's applications to fill wetlands as part of its third runway project. Sea-Tac submitted three separate applications between 1996 and 2000, with the third ultimately receiving a Section 401 water-quality certificate that was later put on hold after the Airport Communities Coalition appealed. The Pollution Control Hearings Board identified three key concerns driving the stay: contaminated fill material, insufficient water rights for dry-season stream flow, and inadequate wetlands mitigation plans.

This document lists 16 permit conditions related to environmental protections at what appears to be a Port development project, showing which conditions were accepted and which were appealed. Conditions covering stormwater management, wetland mitigation, fill criteria, and water quality monitoring were contested, with 8 of the 16 conditions formally appealed. Accepted conditions include stormwater sampling, wetland hydroperiod matching, and long-term contamination monitoring requirements.

A Sierra Club special report critiques Washington Governor Gary Locke's environmental record, with particular focus on the SeaTac Third Runway project, where Ecology Director Tom Fitzsimmons allegedly removed staff who sought to enforce environmental laws and signed the 'Toxic Fill Bill' allowing contaminated materials to be used in runway construction. The report details how the Port of Seattle's $1 billion-plus runway expansion required building one of the world's largest retaining walls over fish-bearing streams and wetlands in an earthquake-prone area. The Pollution Control Hearings Board ultimately found state permits insufficient and imposed 16 additional environmental conditions on the project.

This NPDES permit fact sheet for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport details the locations and receiving waterways for all stormwater and industrial wastewater discharge outfalls at the facility. It covers three categories of discharge: industrial wastewater flowing to Puget Sound, stormwater from industrial activities flowing to local waterways such as Des Moines Creek, Miller Creek, and Northwest Pond, and stormwater from construction activities discharged to Des Moines Creek, Miller Creek, Walker Creek, and Gilliam Creek. The document lists both existing and future planned outfall locations with precise latitude and longitude coordinates for each discharge point.

The Highline Water District's 2022 Consumer Confidence Report details the sources, treatment, and quality testing of drinking water served to customers in the Kent and SeaTac, Washington area. Approximately 75% of the district's water comes from Seattle Public Utilities' Cedar River Watershed, with the remaining 25% drawn from local groundwater wells, all of which are treated and tested for over 200 contaminants before reaching customers. The report confirms that Highline Water District's water meets all state and federal safety standards and is significantly below EPA maximum contaminant levels.

This 2021 annual review by the Washington State Department of Health assesses water quality and shellfish harvesting conditions in Poverty Bay, located near Des Moines and Federal Way. The area holds a mix of Approved, Conditionally Approved, and Prohibited classifications, with most stations meeting bacteriological standards, though Station 701 and Station 720 raised concerns due to elevated fecal coliform levels. Pollution sources such as stormwater runoff and past sanitary sewer overflows continue to be monitored, with ongoing correction efforts supported by Public Health Seattle-King County grant funding.

The Highline Water District 2020 Annual Report details the operations and infrastructure of a public water utility serving the Kent, Washington area, which supplied approximately 2.3 billion gallons of water to nearly 19,000 active meters that year. The report covers water production and quality, preventative maintenance, and capital improvement projects, including the $9.4 million Mansion Hill Reservoir Relocation. It also describes how COVID-19 impacted district operations, leading to modified work schedules, suspended late fees, and delays in several planned infrastructure projects.