|
|
|
|
|
|
Back to West Point 40th Anniversary | 40 Years of Clean Water
|
||||||||
Remembering West Point
|
||||||||
|
On an exciting July day 40 years ago, the first phase of the West Point Sewage Treatment Plant was dedicated. To understand just how thrilling this event was you need to travel back in time a few more years to the early 1950s when the seeds of the present Metropolitan Sewage Disposal System were first sown.
Millions of gallons of raw and partially-treated sewage were then being dumped along the shores and estuaries of Puget Sound and Lake Washington by more than a dozen cities and districts and hundreds of private sources. This was a time before there was an EPA or a Federal Clean Water Act (external link) or a system of national grants for pollution abatement; it was the time when Rachel Carson wrote her seminal book “Silent Spring” and long before “Earth Day” had been thought of.
In the 1950s, a walk along Seattle's downtown waterfront featured large mats of floating toilet paper spewing from pipes at your feet. On the beach at West Point the stench of sewage solids on the rocks was overpowering; packs of rats and flocks of seagulls were constantly feeding. |
In the 1950s, a walk along Seattle's downtown waterfront featured large mats of floating toilet paper spewing from pipes at your feet. On the beach at West Point the stench of sewage solids on the rocks was overpowering; packs of rats and flocks of seagulls were constantly feeding. Why did people tolerate this pollution for decades? For most residents it was out of sight out of mind. For public officials dumping into the nearest water course was the easiest and cheapest disposal method and had been going on as long as anyone remembered. In fairness to our predecessors their footprint on the land was much smaller than ours.
In the same 1950s Lake Washington, scenic crown jewel of the area and provider of drinking water for several lake front communities, found itself surrounded by fast growing development. A heavy load of nutrients from septic tanks, overloaded treatment plants and combined sewer overflows was growing algae at an alarming rate. Beaches were being closed to swimming. At the south end of the lake three small treatment plants, run by three different agencies were located within rifle range of each other. In the north end the fast growing Lake City Sewer District was adding a huge new load of treated effluent to the stew. In Meydenbauer Bay the outfall of the Bellevue Sewer District Plant was within 100 yards of the intake for the Bellevue Water District.
More than 20 different cities, districts and private companies were discharging waste into the lake when Dr. W. T. Edmondson of the University of Washington (external link) warned that algae fed by sewage waste could destroy the recreational and aquatic values of the lake. Some political leaders publicly acknowledged that they couldn't clean it up by acting alone, but privately distrusted the other agencies needed for a joint effort.
Enter a group of ordinary citizens who aimed to change the public tolerance of pollution, to push separate governments into a common effort for clean water, to move a specific plan through the state legislature and to run two regional election campaigns. Today we celebrate the year 1966 when the dreams of these citizen activists took the shape of a great Metropolitan Sewage Disposal System. After a ten year struggle they saw a light at the end of the tunnel of futility. Lake waters began to clear. It was an exciting time to be alive.
The bridge to that time and place was not built by power, nor wealth, nor an established elite. In plain truth, it was built by the citizenship of people no larger than ordinary life. |
The bridge to that time and place was not built by power, nor wealth, nor an established elite. In plain truth, it was built by the citizenship of people no larger than ordinary life. At the start of their work they were a handful of citizens looking for something better for their community. Civic organizations brought them together and gave a base of support and continuity. They met at noon at the Y.M.C.A. like hundreds of committees before and since. They wrote reports that provoked concern — they stirred official thinking — they drew an enabling statute while sitting around Mary Lou's kitchen table. There is something commonplace and unique in the fact that they tackled such a big job and that they succeeded.
These were people who left their rest or pleasure to work for something that seemed a long way off and sometimes beyond their reach. They were looking for a way to protect all of the waters of this basin for all time. Behind them was a deep-seated history of separate waste disposal by independent agencies. They knew that it would be difficult and costly to reverse this course and that the first results would be at least ten years away. There was a strong temptation to settle for fast, low cost, stop-gap measures. Borrowing a phrase from Omar Khayam, it would have been far easier to “take the cash in hand” and forget the “brave music of a distant drum.” The names of Kirkland's Albert King, Bellevue's John Henry and Lake City's Robert Beach characterize the roster of more than a dozen men and women who began to spin this long civic thread. Without exception, they spurned short term solutions, looked well into the distance and set their sights for the next generations.
In 1957, action meant the passage of major legislation. There was leadership from men like Mayor Clinton, Governor Rossellini, Senator Grieve, House Speaker O'Brien and Representative—later Governor—Evans, but the force of the citizen movers was decisive in Olympia. They were better organized and more determined than their opponents and the metropolitan municipal corporations act became law. The roster of citizen activists grew and the names of Alec Bayless and Joel Pritchard exemplified the fusing of partisan loyalties for the public good.
In 1958, action meant waging two major campaigns. The first election was the kind of defeat which sends most fair weather citizens back to TV watching—but the reformers came back to raise money again, to speak again to every group which offered a platform, to doorbell the area with a march by hundreds of mothers. And they won. It was the last of a series of make or break tests before the clean waters plan could even begin. By this time the civic roster was large and the names of Madeline Lemere, Richard Riddell, Williamena Peck, Dr. Clayton Wangeman, Dorothy Block and Morell Sharp were a few of many we honor at this celebration.
In 1959, citizens passed their torch to officials. County Commissioner Bill Moshier, Renton Mayor Joe Baxter and Seattle Mayor Gordon Clinton exemplified commitment to the Metro ideal at the sacrifice of personal welfare and political fortunes. Carey Donworth carried his civic dedication into the chairmanship of the Metropolitan Council. L. R. Durkee backed his faith in the area with federal advances to plan this regional experiment—a faith justified by Metro's re-payment of every dollar. Frank Kersnar typified the high skill and extra effort which professional engineering gave to the project. Finally, Harold Miller exemplified the dedication of the Metro staff by giving 110% of his energy and talent to perform this mission and finally dying at his desk from overwork.
This civic thread was a long time spinning but now the result can be seen. The trust given by civic activists to officials and professionals has been well kept. The difficult initial project was built ahead of schedule and within the estimated cost. The later secondary treatment expansion was successfully steered through siting and design controversy by Metro's John Lesniak and community activist Bob Kildal. A walk along the West Point Waterfront trail reveals how beautifully this huge plant now fits into its natural setting. And the waters the metropolitan system was designed to save are being restored.
I can't help wishing that each man and woman who played a part in the 1950s citizen crusade could be here today—each member of the working committees—each person who gave money on faith—each officeholder who risked his image—each citizen who phoned or mailed or marched—each speaker who stirred an apathetic group or gave the lie to gossip—in short, each citizen who did his duty. I wish they could pause to share a minute of pride in the job they started and to see that the promises have been kept.
Without achieving a miracle or utopia, the Metropolitan Sewage Disposal System has nevertheless brought its original advocates some satisfying rewards. It has demonstrated the great potential of local initiative in the federal-state-local framework. It has proved the value of taking a fresh look at a physical problem—above prejudice, across boundaries and beyond existing systems. In a time of explosive development there will be a core system ready to do its part to serve a growing population. The foot-draggers and the fault-finders have been pulled along and the dire predictions of the doomsday literature have been confounded.
Fifty years ago this urban drainage basin was heavily polluted and this site was a federal fort. Today most of these waters have shown dramatic improvement and land around it has become Discovery Park.
|
For many, however, the clearest satisfaction lies in proving the compatibility of an urban community with its natural setting. Forty years is a short day in the life of a great community. We are transients on these hills and shores and the waters are not ours to spend. Fifty years ago this urban drainage basin was heavily polluted and this site was a federal fort. Today most of these waters have shown dramatic improvement and land around it has become Discovery Park. There have been many turning points. The work of Donald Vorhees and Senator Henry Jackson sparked the creation of this park. A grass roots effort gave birth to the Metro Comprehensive Plan and built the largest single pollution abatement project of its time. Forty years later we celebrate one turning point in the continuing story of our lakes and rivers and inland sea. Here we mark some proof that we can live and work in a beautiful land without destroying beauty.
It is fitting that we celebrate this example, but will it be heeded down the years? Conditions will change. Will our successors be willing to stay the course over time? Will they pay the necessary price of vigilant operation? Will they deal with new pollution sources as they emerge? This is not the celebration of a project for its own sake. Nor simply the honoring of deserving people. It is rather the celebration of a quality in mankind—the quality of the long look and the will to serve.
To build the new King-Snohomish Brightwater project will require steady courage from leaders like Ron Sims and Larry Phillips. Over time we will need to stake out new ground in sustainable waste reuse, to reclaim water for appropriate uses, to produce Class A biosolids, to add carbon budgeting to our operating disciplines and to help our forests and farms perform their special roles in absorbing and storing carbon dioxide. This intricate sewage system needs creative adapting and meticulous monitoring because our lakes, rivers and inland sea need high quality water to stay healthy and productive. The species that depend on them can be destroyed by short term cost savings, or if left once too often for someone else to protect? We can't let short term cost and private gain be the length of our view of the urban destiny of this beautiful country. Perhaps future citizens, following a bright thread from this story, will again listen for and heed the brave music of the distant drum.
Community leader James R. Ellis, who led the citizen effort to create Metro and build the existing regional wastewater treatment system now operated by King County.
West Point 40th Anniversary
April 22, 2006
Click image to enlarge.
Bert the Salmon greeting a visitor
Princess Sparklingclear made an appearance! Back in the 1960's, she banished Polly Pollution and King Algae from Lake Washington during a light-hearted ceremony.
Earth Day art and displays by Dimmitt Middle School (external link) students
Displays about natural yard care and
safe cleaning products for our homes
King County staff handed out free samples of GroCo (a composted mixture of 3 parts sawdust to 1 part biosolids)
The Suquamish Tribe danced and drummed — blessing the waters and the natural wonders of this area
Bob Kildall, former president of
Friends of Discovery Park (external link), received a framed King County poster displaying how the park was protected during the plant's expansion to secondary treatment in the 1990's.
View poster (PDF, 242 KB).
King County Council Chair Larry Phillips addressed the crowd.
Following commemorative speeches, several people took advantage of
treatment plant tours and guided walks
on nearshore ecology and archeology.
King County Executive Ron Sims (far right), and King County Council Chair Larry Phillips (3rd from right), pose with civic leader James Ellis (2nd from right) and other plant neighbors to commemorate this historic milestone.
West Point Treatment Plant banner.
From the Archives
History of King County's Regional Wastewater Treatment Utility
Better Than Promised: An informal history of the Municipality of Metropolitan Seattle, 1995
|
Department of Natural Resources and Parks Updated: Aug. 10, 2006
King County | Natural Resources & Parks | Wastewater Treatment Division Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by King County. |
For questions about the Wastewater Treatment Division Web site, please send an