EPA v. KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Final Order With Penalty
Case summary
On 5/22/2025, the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington entered a modification to the 2013 consent decree for combined sewer overflows within King County, Washington. The County requested modifications to the 2013 consent decree to allow for more time to control combined sewer overflows, citing increasing rainfall intensity and other impacts of climate change, supply-chain disruptions, and the increased costs of construction in the Seattle area, as support for its request. The modification to the consent decree extends the completion date for some of the projects from 2030 to 2037 and commits the County to significant increases in wastewater storage and treatment capacity. The additional time also enables closer coordination between the City of Seattle and the County on projects to reduce stormwater volumes, and additional planning and design work to ensure that new wet-weather control facilities are more resilient to a changing climate. The County estimates the cost of the injunctive relief included in the CD modification to be $1.74 billion. The County estimated an increase of 32.2 million gallons of storage and an additional 39 million gallons per day of treatment for the projects in the CD modification.
Defendants (1)
- King County, WashingtonNamed in complaintNamed in settlement
Facilities (1)
KING COUNTY WEST POINT WWTP
1400 DISCOVERY PARK BLVD, SEATTLE, WA, 98199
Registry ID: 110000563523
Statutes cited
- CWA 301/402 — NPDES Permit Violations
Enforcement conclusions (2)
KING COUNTY, WASHINGTONentered 2025-05-22
Primary law: CWA
KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - CONSENT DECREEentered 2013-07-03
Primary law: CWA
Federal penalty: $200,000 · State/local: $200,000
Timeline (11 milestones)
- 2010-04-28Referred To Dept Of Justice
- 2010-05-12Enforcement Action Data Entered
- 2013-04-16Complaint Filed With Court
- 2015-08-26Send Demand Letter
- 2015-12-01Send Demand Letter
- 2016-11-21Send Demand Letter
- 2023-11-27Send Demand Letter
- 2024-11-15Final Order Lodged
- 2024-12-03Send Demand Letter
- 2025-05-22Final Order Entered
- 2025-09-23Send Demand Letter
Case metadata
- EPA activity ID
- 1800098542
- Case number
- 10-2010-0154
- DOJ docket
- 90-5-1-1-10030
- Lead agency
- EPA
- EPA region
- 10
- Voluntary self-disclosure
- No
- Primary statute
- NPDES Permit Violations
Sourced verbatim from EPA ECHO Enforcement Case Report for case 10-2010-0154 . Bulk data: ICIS-FEC download summary.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.