Case Study: Public Involvement Outcomes in Four Seattle Communities Targeted for New Combined Sewer Overflow Facilities

Abstract

This paper describes a public outreach effort conducted by the King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) in four shoreline communities in the City of Seattle, WA. A public outreach plan was developed to support planning and siting for new wastewater facilities for Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) control. Despite similarities in project communities and both approach and timing of outreach activities, public reaction varied, apparently dependent upon proposed facility location, with park land creating the greatest level of opposition and requiring the most effort to address. The project team adjusted the outreach plan and added resources to accommodate response level and information needs in each project community after alternatives were presented. We conclude that project managers need to allow sufficient schedule and scope for extensive public outreach when new facilities are sited in urban areas, especially parks and open spaces, and to identify community-specific outreach strategies throughout the project. PROJECT BACKGROUND The capital projects described in this paper were initiated by King County, WTD’s (CSO) Control Program to meet regulatory requirements for untreated discharges from combined sewer and stormwater systems (King County 2008). The county provides sewage conveyance and treatment for thirty-four local sewer agencies including the City of Seattle. While much of the service area has separate sewage and stormwater systems, King County provides service to a combined service area in the City of Seattle. Seattle is one of over seven hundred cities across the nation that were established with combined stormwater and sewer systems, with peak flow discharges