County testing soil conditions in North Beach

As King County moves forward with its project to control Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) at the North Beach location, crews will be taking soil samples starting today.

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A truck-mounted drilling rig will bore holes up to 60 feet below the surface at up to five different locations on N.W. Triton Drive, Blue Ridge Drive N.W., N.W. 100th Street and on King County’s North Beach Pump Station. “King County will conduct geotechnical investigations to evaluate soil and groundwater conditions to inform the design and construction of an underground storage pipeline and odor control/electrical facility,” Monica Van der Vieren with King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division.

Crews will work 7 a.m. to 7p.m. except for one drill location on NW 100th Street, where work hours are restricted from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. According to the flyer (.pdf) sent out to residents, “People may experience noise close to the work area. During drilling, people will hear the sound of a motor. Maximum noise will occur for 2‐3 minutes during sampling.”

King County plans to build an underground facility to store about 230,000 gallons of excess wastewater and stormwater during large storms. Once the storm has passed the water will be sent to the Carkeek Wet Weather Facility for conveyance or treatment. The two-year construction project is slated to start in 2013.