Marlene Feist, Director of Strategic Development, Public Works & Utilities, No Phone Number Available
Friday, July 14, 2017 at 10:28 a.m.
Whoosh! With the press of a button, crews complete a “flush test” at the construction site at Lincoln Street and Summit Boulevard.
They are nearing the end of work on an approximately 1 million gallon underground storage tank that will help prevent overflows from combined wastewater and stormwater sewers from entering the Spokane River. The flush chamber that crews were testing is used to clean the tank of debris following each use.
In some parts of the City, wastewater and stormwater sewers are linked together and during periods of heavy rain or rapid snowmelt, these pipes can become overwhelmed and overflow to the river. Tanks like this store the excess water until the storm surge subsides and the water can be sent to the Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility for treatment.
Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) projects like this one are under way all over the City this summer. A hot, sunny afternoon tour took us to four of those sites this week.
Beside the project on Lincoln north of the river, we visited three more sites where excavation is in full swing to accommodate eventual underground infrastructure.
The three other project sites included:
These projects—as well as projects near Liberty Park, on Upriver Drive, and soon on Riverside near Napa—are part of the City’s Cleaner River Faster initiative. The City is investing more than $300 million in projects to improve water quality in the Spokane River. It’s All About the River!
Spokane Falls CSO Tank Site
Excavation for the tank at First & Adams
Excavation for the tank at TJ Meenach
