Seattle Area Struggles After Flood Takes Out Waste Plant

Last month, Washington’s West Point treatment plant was hit with heavy rains and flooding, leading to catastrophic damage and a multi-million-dollar price tag for repairs.

The flood started by taking out the plant’s pump station, per The Seattle Times, then began to fill the plant itself. As upstream levels of sewage coming into the plant rose, the emergency bypass gate opened, sending the sewage to an outfall pipe leading into the Puget Sound. Despite this, the flood had already caused irreparable damage to the plant.