In wake of devastating flooding, South Park residents worried about water quality

SEATTLE — It’s been practically one week since fast-rising flood waters submerged houses in Seattle’s South Park neighborhood.

Greater than a dozen households had been displaced and compelled from their houses into lodges.

For a lot of, it’s nonetheless not protected to return. Electrical energy can’t be restored to all, so that they’re caught at the hours of darkness. Mildew and E.coli are additionally burgeoning considerations.

Home-owner Jill Reese tells KIRO 7′s Lauren Donovan they’re involved concerning the ft of water they needed to wade by way of final Tuesday.

“It was like we had been in a tub or a trough simply sitting, clearly soiled water,” stated Reese. “Scum floating on it, rubbish floating in it.”

Reese believes town ought to have prioritized testing that water however didn’t.

“Initially, we had been advised there was no sewage in it,” stated Reese. “A neighbor who really is pregnant requested that town check the water. They hadn’t even examined it.”

Reese says her family misplaced two bedrooms value of belongings. She’s nonetheless figuring out whether or not or to not salvage a few of her different belongings or throw them out.

Not solely is the Duwamish River a brilliant fund web site, however when it spilled over its banks Tuesday, it handed by way of blocks of heavy trade.

“Simply very polluting industries actually concentrated on this industrial space, and the water got here by way of all of that,” stated Reese.

KIRO 7′s Lauren Donovan reached out to Seattle Public Utilities for extra info on water testing within the neighborhood however has but to listen to again.

Seattle Public Utilities has arrange sanitation stations, port-a-potties and pop-up showers for these dwelling within the impacted blocks. Clear-up crews hauled away an estimated 9,500 kilos of rubbish and particles.

Neighbors are grateful for that help.

“We’ve actually shifted into restoration and clean-up mode now,” stated Keri Buchard-Juarez with Seattle Public Utilities. “We’re working with households one after the other to know how they had been impacted.

The division has additionally employed interpreters like Kathleen Perez to interrupt language limitations.

“They’re traumatized; they’re making an attempt to simply clear stuff up,” stated Perez. “I’m afraid there’s in all probability going to be sickness, and there’s in all probability going to be mould points.”

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