Vasa Park beach reopens following sewage overflow

Seattle and King County on Thursday approved the reopening of Vasa Park beach, which was temporarily closed following a brief sewage overflow from the Sunset Pump Station on Monday afternoon.

The following comes from a King County Public Health press release:

Seattle and King County on Thursday approved the reopening of Vasa Park beach, which was temporarily closed following a brief sewage overflow from the Sunset Pump Station on Monday afternoon.

King County’s Sunset Pump Station is located at 3730 West Lake Sammamish Parkway in Bellevue.

An electrical failure inside the station shut down pumping equipment, causing about 13,000 gallons of sewage to overflow into nearby Vasa Park and Lake Sammamish. Crews restored power in about an hour and the pump station quickly resumed normal operation.

King County immediately contacted health and regulatory agencies about the overflow, posted warning signs in the park, and took water quality samples. Laboratory tests over several days confirmed water quality is safe for recreation.

The Sunset Pump Station has been serving the West Lake Sammamish Area for nearly 50 years.

Over the next few years, King County plans to invest $70 million in major capital improvements that include upgrades to the Sunset Pump Station, which will modernize equipment and increase system reliability.

More information about the project is available online.