Utility companies serving the Green River Valley in south King County will present flood-preparation plans to state regulators in two meetings this month in Olympia – Oct. 15 and Oct. 29.

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) has scheduled two meetings in Olympia to hear utility companies’ preparations surrounding the possible flooding this fall and winter in the Green River Valley. Both meetings will be held in the second-floor hearing room at the UTC’s Richard Hemstad Building headquarters, 1300 S. Evergreen Park Dr. S.W., Olympia.

The first meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 with presentations by Puget Sound Energy, Olympic and Williams pipeline companies. The second meeting is scheduled after the 9:30 a.m. public meeting, Thursday, Oct. 29 and will include telecommunications and solid-waste companies’ preparations involving the possible flooding in South King County.

The Green River Valley is facing a higher risk of flooding this winter due to water seeping more rapidly through an earthen bank next to the Howard Hanson Dam after record-high water last winter. Until the Army Corps of Engineers can make repairs, it must limit the amount of water it stores behind the dam. If flooding occurs, up to 35,000 people could be affected in the communities of Auburn, Kent, Tukwila and Renton.

The three-member UTC regulates the rates and services of telecommunications companies, investor-owned electric and natural gas utilities, garbage-collection haulers and petroleum pipelines within the state of Washington.

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