Sewer systems fall in that category of “things people don’t want to talk about.” We want them to work, but don’t necessarily want to learn all the inside details. So, when King County began thinking about how to reduce combined sewer overflows (CSOs) at Murray Basin Pump Station from an average of five annual discharges to no more than one per year, they teamed up with EnviroIssues to find a way to keep the Sound—and the conversation—clean.
We convened a design advisory group to work on a design that would integrate with and benefit the community. With art inlays, rain gardens and a public staircase leading to the beach, the end result resembled more of a park than a pump station.
And the facility construction was no small feat, the station’s underground storage tank alone encompassed 6,000 square feet. We helped King County keep local residents informed during construction and when work was complete, EnviroIssues introduced residents to their new one-million-gallon neighbor with public tours and a community celebration.
Municipal Water Protection Award
