Marina Park in Kirkland was reopened Friday after King County wastewater utility crews cleaned up a wastewater overflow that occurred Thursday at the King County Wastewater’s Kirkland Pump Station.

During a brief power outage, an estimated 8,000 gallons of wastewater overflowed for 18 minutes through an emergency outfall into the local stormwater conveyance system that drains to Lake Washington near Marina Park. Most of the material was contained in the stormwater system and crews were able to remove some of it from stormwater pipe.

As a precaution, county staff posted the pubic beach area as closed. They also took water quality samples in Lake Washington and notified health and regulatory agencies about the overflow. The signs were removed Friday with approval from Public Health – Seattle & King County.

The July 14 overflow was caused by a power surge that occurred while King County Wastewater Treatment Division crews were performing routine maintenance. The pump station has an emergency generator that failed to engage because of a faulty breaker. An electrician was able to restore power and limit the overflow to 18-minutes.

People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County’s wastewater treatment program. The county’s Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer utilities and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for more than 40 years.