Portion of Alki Beach closed after sewage spill now reopened

1,655 gallons of sewage spills into Puget Sound after century-old mainline collapses at Alki Beach

SPU said the mainline that collapsed is nearly 100-years-old. Some people who live near the beach said they are starting to question the integrity of infrastructure in the area.

WEST SEATTLE, Wash. - Crews are repairing a century-old mainline that collapsed and caused about 1,655 gallons of raw sewage to spill into the Puget Sound. Seattle Public Utilities responded to the overflow at Alki Beach around noon on Tuesday and was able to stop the spill at about 6:00 that night.

As of Thursday, the water area has reopened.

"That’s alarming," said Valerie Gilbert who lives near Alki Beach. "It’s a shame that it happened at all."

The pipe that broke is located at the intersection of Alki Avenue SW and Bonair Drive SW in West Seattle. SPU said the mainline that collapsed is nearly 100-years-old. Some people who live near the beach said they are starting to question the integrity of infrastructure in the area.

"I live in West Seattle and it’s like the whole thing is falling apart, right?" laughed Pam who lives in West Seattle. "A friend of mine was on the bridge 20 minutes before they closed it."

Contact with fecal-contaminated water can cause serious illnesses like gastrointestinal issues, respiratory and skin infections. People who live and work in the area say they’re also concerned about how the contamination will affect wildlife.

"I’m wondering how the seal’s going to do with a sewage leak, that’s not so great," said Pam. "There’s all the water birds out there, I know there’s a nest up here. You know it’s going to affect the fish. There’s already little dead crabs from something."

More information about SPU’s Spill Response Program is available online.

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