When sewage spills happen, we have the data

Wastewater treatment is one of the most important - and least visible - things that happens in your community every day. For many people, water from your sink, shower, and toilet travels through a network of pipes to a treatment facility. The wastewater gets cleaned and eventually returned back to the environment. When that system works as it should, you never have to think about it.

But sometimes things go wrong, a pipe breaks, equipment fails, or the power goes out. When that happens, untreated or partially treated sewage can spill before it is cleaned by the treatment process.

We created the sewage spills webpage and list so Washingtonians have clear, timely information about sewage spills in their community.

How does wastewater become clean water?

Before we talk about sewage spills, most people don't think about what happens after you flush a toilet or the water in the sink drains, so let's spend a bit of time diving into how wastewater is treated and cleaned.

In many cases, there is a complex plumbing system that transports all of the water you use in your home. Your kitchen sink is connected to a pipe that takes wastewater from your house to the sewer main pipes, which are usually buried under streets and sidewalks, through a series of pumps and pipes that flow through your town, ending at your local wastewater treatment facility.

Not only are there different types of treatment technologies, but facilities must also use multiple steps to remove solids and other harmful pollutants. Although facilities are different, most go through these general steps below.

Screening: A mechanical process where the wastewater moves through a screen that removes large materials such as sticks, wipes, toys, trash, and other debris.

Primary treatment: Wastewater goes to large tanks so that solid material (poop) sinks to the bottom and fats, oils, and grease float to the top. The "floaters and sinkers" are removed and processed, then the water moves onto the next step.

Secondary treatment: Bacteria and microbes consume and break down waste and remove some pollutants.

Secondary clarification: The water rests in basins so that bacteria and microbes and other solids will clump together and settle out of the water. At this point some of the bacteria and microbes are recycled and put back into the treatment step.

Disinfection: Usually the final step, disinfection often with ultraviolet light or chlorine removes any remaining pathogens.

Washington has more than 300 wastewater treatment facilities, and each one must meet our water quality standards. All facilities must have operators (workers) that are state certified. We issue permits that set limits on what can be discharged, and those permits are enforced through regular monitoring and inspections.

What is a sewage spill?

Because the sewage collection and treatment system is so complex, there is no system emergency shutoff valve like the one you have for the water in your home that can stop the flow of an entire community's wastewater when something goes wrong.

Because of that, many wastewater treatment facilities have parts of the system that are designed to bypass, or flow around, some of the required treatment. Purposely bypassing part of treatment (making a sewage spill), in an emergency, can help minimize facility damage and reduce the time it takes to get the facility working properly.

Specifically, a sewage spill is defined by the Sewage Spill Public Notice Law (RCW 90.48.632 and 90.48.636) as the intentional or accidental discharge of untreated or undertreated wastewater that comes from a permitted sewage treatment facility or a collection system.

Raw or partially treated sewage can include fecal coliform bacteria, pathogens, solids, and toxins - all of which can harm people, fish, and wildlife if touched or swallowed. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses such as gastroenteritis, skin rashes, and upper respiratory infections. We encourage you to contact your local health agency for any warnings about recreational contact with waterbodies, and the Department of Health for any warnings about fish or shellfish consumption.

New webpage shares sewage spill information

Following the Sewage Spill Public Notice Law, we created a webpage to share information about sewage spills reported to us from permitted wastewater treatment facilities.

We issue permits to facilities to ensure that they follow the proper steps to make sure a community's wastewater is clean before releasing it back to the environment. Permitted facilities must immediately report sewage spills to Ecology, relevant state and local health districts, and file an additional detailed report within five days. We post the initial report information and the follow up report on our webpage.

The webpage includes these key details for each spill:

• Where it happened: the facility and the potentially impacted geographic area, including any water bodies where sewage flowed directly into
• When it happened: start and end dates and times, and total duration
• How much spilled: usually reported in gallons and usually an estimate
• How much treatment: amount of treatment the sewage received before the spill occurred

This list only includes sewage spills reported to us from permitted wastewater treatment facilities, which means we do not include information from other sewage issues such as septic systems, spills on private property, or illegal dumping.

Also, because we rely on self-reported information from facilities, we do not independently verify every spill. If you're concerned about a beach or swimming area near a spill, please check with your local health district, they are the right source for beach closure information and health advisories.

Our role in responding to sewage spills

When a sewage spill is reported to us, we investigate and respond accordingly. We review the facts about what led to the spill, how the facility responded to the spill, and what the facility plans to do to prevent the spill from happening again. We use education, technical assistance, and cooperation-based programs to achieve voluntary compliance first before moving to formal enforcement.

When a community needs financial assistance to make facility upgrades or conduct special studies, they can apply for funding through our Water Quality Combined Funding Program. This program provides millions of dollars of financial assistance each year for wastewater infrastructure improvement projects across the state.

See something, say something

While this new tool uses reports that come directly from our permitted facilities, we have other methods to investigate environmental issues.

Our Environmental Report Tracking System (or ERTS) is our system where people can report any environmental issues they see. Reports are reviewed by regional coordinators who route them to the appropriate place for follow-up or further investigation.

Clean water doesn't happen by accident. It takes facilities, certified operators, regulatory oversight, reporting systems, and informed communities all working together.

To report an environmental issue, call 1-800-OILS-911 or visit ecology.wa.gov/ERTS.