SE Redmond Industries Pollute Evans Creek, A Review

Industrial septic stormwater pond 60 feet from
salmon-bearing Evans Creek

CONCLUSION: 

Evans Creek is salmon bearing according to the City yet a grandfathered 50 foot buffer is all that separates polluting industries from infiltrating dirty septic stormwater. Current code requires a 200 foot buffer.    

King County Environmental Health Manager Fay reassured me that fecal coliform bacteria issues should probably not be a big concern from the old SE Redmond city septic systems. Many thanks to King County Councilmember Kathy Lambert (and Redmond resident) for her assistance in this matter. Dave Garland of Ecology also reported inconsequential fecal bacteria in Evans Creek.

It appears the industries & City will achieve a workable solution by re-routing Evans Creek 500 feet to the south to widen the buffer.  County Councilmember Kathy Lambert, and Redmond Councilmembers Hank Myers, Dave Carson and Jon Spangler (Redmond DNR) toured of the Evans Creek county shoreline with me to study the Evans re-route and the industries proximity to the creek.  The city is working with the polluting RICE industries on a regional stormwater plan while the old sewers on 197 Ave. NE are replaced. 

BACKGROUND:   7/14 - 

Two unintended consequences arose today during my meeting with staff:

1) The inaccurate city-county "zoning jurisdictional city web map" caused undue strain and waste of staff and citizen time during this fact-finding process. 

2) Presently, no planner is assigned to the SE Redmond industrial district to review permit applications on site for either conforming or nonconforming uses. Photos are not required by permit to identify the "creeping" of uses like oil trucks onto the Evans Creek buffer in SE Redmond. 

Councilman Hank Margeson, Chair Public Works Committee noted at a council meeting I was concerned about the integrity and safety of the county septic systems in SE Redmond. This is inaccurate and a misunderstanding; and probably attributed to the outdated & confusing jurisdictional map on the city website.  

 I've since edited my article to clarify my concern is about city septic systems. Mr. Jon Spangler, DNR, was aware of my intentions and concern about aging city septic in SE Redmond at: Cadman Gravel 'Olympian PreCast,' Skanska, Rainier Welding and most likely Genie Industries. I may be requesting public records to identify & confirm the location of these septic systems (and the newer sewer lines partially servicing 192nd Ave. Ne ) city industrial. In talking to the Redmond Department of Natural Resources (DNR) East Redmond Properties, LLC (Watson Asphalt Co.) appears hooked up to the sewer line on 192nd Ave NE, though the department was unsure if All Wood Recycling, Inc. (AWR) was hooked up to sewer...hmmm.

UPDATED, 6/26 - after a 30 minute conversation with Jon Spangler of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) I was told the SE Redmond city septic systems are safely operating and probably good for at least another five years.

During the June 17 council meeting, Public Works presented a proposal to install the regional city stormwater facility for SE Redmond. The facility would service over 300-acres in the vicinity of Union Hill and 192th Ave. NE adjacent Evans Creek. 

Below are excerpts from the staff report:

"Stormwater infrastructure in the area is primarily characterized as uncontrolled flow of stormwater from paved surfaces into sandy gravel areas where the water seeps into the ground to enter groundwater flowing towards the City’s municipal drinking water wells." !

"With minimal stormwater infrastructure, this contaminated stormwater can flow into the City’s groundwater (drinking water supply) and into Evan’s Creek, jeopardizing water quality for both of those resources." !

"In response to the need to end the practice of infiltrating potentially contaminated stormwater in this area, and in response to three currently proposed projects (Costco, extension of 188th Ave NE, and Union Hill Road Phase 3) City staff have worked to identify and size potential regional stormwater facilities to meet the current and future needs in this watershed."

In review of the archived tape of the 6/17/08 Council meeting, it sounds like most of SE Redmond's untreated stormwater currently flows slowly towards Wellhead #5. According to the Public Works director Jon Spangler Wellhead 5 is our most productive well and very important to our supply for affordable drinking water and is some places the aquifer is only 6 inches deep.  

According to Jon Spangler of the Redmond Department of Natural Resources, within the last two years SE Redmond city businesses have partially converted to city sewer. In past decades the city businesses relied exclusively on city septic tanks and septic drain fields to treat wastewater. The drain fields are decades old and are buried near the shallow aquifer.

"R.I.C.E" businesses on the 192nd Ave. NE sewer line  ("East Redmond Properties." "Cadman Gravel' Olympian PreCast,' Skanska, Rainier Welding  All Wood Recycling, Inc. (AWR) )and possibly Genie Industries lobbied Council to water-down the proposal (against new municipal code) to continue infiltrating and not improve the 50-year flood capacity of the facility.  SE Redmond city businesses are located in a 100-year floodplain above a very shallow aquifer

Think about the benefits of sewer and regional stormwater when you look at the filthy industrial stormwater pond. This detention pond is the only one I'm aware of in SE Redmond. It's located adjacent Evans Creek on 42nd Street on city property. 

Take a quick look at the Department of Ecology's "Citizen Guide to Monitoring Streams - fecal coliform bacteria". Does this answer some of your concerns? Click this link to read my last story on "Evans Creek - what went wrong?"

And not to forget, the City of Redmond "2007 Water Quality Report" has city contact information. This 2007 report was printed & delivered this summer of '08. The city's new slogan is: "Safe Drinking water is our highest priority" ... sure looks like they are working hard towards that end. Thank you, Department of Natural Resources & Council for your efforts!

-- Bob Yoder, 2007 Opinion, Edited 9/29/2024

cc: city council, mayor, city clerk, Redmond Code Enforcement Officer. WDOE.