Upper Bear Creek Unincorporated Area Council

Serving 22,000 people in north-central King County
between the Sammamish and Snoqualmie Rivers and
north of Redmond and east of Woodinville.

Upper Bear Creek UAC Meeting Minutes

Date: April 28, 2009

Subject: Brightwater

Location: Woodinville Water District Offices

Board Attendees: Nancy Stafford.

CountyAttendees: Marissa Alegria & Gunars Sreibers of King Co, Megan O’Brien of Snohomish Co.

Community Attendees: Emma Dixon, Bill Kaufman, Richard und, Megan DeSantis, Leonard Case.

Gunars Sreibers, project manager - spoke for King County:

In addition to the wastewater treatment plants in Renton and Magnolia, plans for Brightwater Treatment Plant began in 1998 at a current estimated cost of 1.8 Billion. The location on Highway 9 consisting of 114 acres was decided in 2003. The plant will occupy 70 acres and is expected to be on line in September of 2011.

At this report, Brightwater is 50% completed. Thirteen miles of large diameter tunnel will bring material to Brightwater for treatment from areas of Payne Field in Snohomish Co. and areas north of Lake Sammamish. The same tunnel will be used for inflow of sewage and out flow of treated water.

At Brightwater, a membrane system developed 10 years ago by the water supply industry will separate out solids, creating bio-solids for land application in forests and agricultural areas of eastern Washington. (Membranes need to be replaced about every 3-5 years.) Class A reclaimed water will be available for use in the Sammamish Valley for watering golf courses and sod production. Initial plant capacity is 36 million gallons per day with a peak of 130 mg at “peak flow” events.

Processed water will be released from special hoses 600 ft deep & 1 mile off shore into Puget Sound, arriving there via the thirteen miles of Brightwater tunnels that range from 40 feet to 450 ft underground. Several pump stations along the way will assist gravity flow. This plant is expected to meet projected needs until 2040.

Emma Dixon followed Sreibers with information about earthquake faults thought to be on the site of Brightwater, feeling that King County did not investigate thoroughly or answer citizen concerns about them. There followed a question and answer session that ran overtime!

n stafford