Critics worry sewage plan might create mosquito haven

King County wants to try a new way to control stormwater
runoff and keep untreated sewage out of Puget Sound. Some
people are concerned the plan will create new breeding
grounds for mosquitoes.

The county plans to build 185 landscaped drainage
systems called “bioswales” along parking strips in front
of homes in two southwest Seattle neighborhoods. They’re
designed to keep heavy rains from overwhelming the sewer
system.

The swales are natural depressions that collect runoff and
help it drain deep into permeable soils, preventing
polluted runoff from getting into Puget Sound. They’d be
landscaped with trees and shrubs. The Environmental
Protection Agency is promoting what it calls green
infrastructure, built in cities such as New York and
Portland, Ore.

Some wary King County residents are concerned the
swales will create mosquito habitat, be neglected and
eliminate needed street parking. A petition is now being
circulated to stop the project.

Advocates say the bioswales are the most cost-effective
method of controlling stormwater runoff and protecting the
environment.