Tolt Watershed The storms over the last two weeks have caused high turbidity (muddy water) in the Cedar River, which supplies two-thirds of Seattle’s regional water supply. The other third comes from the South Fork Tolt River, which is not experiencing turbidity issues right now. To maintain our high standards for water quality, SPU is changing our operations near Maple Leaf Reservoir. We are bringing more Tolt River water to our customers to offset the Cedar River supply until conditions recover after the recent storms.
On December 18, SPU began increasing the amount of Tolt water from a pipeline near Maple Leaf Reservoir. As a pre-caution, we are alerting customers in parts of North Seattle (in neighborhoods directly north, south and west of Maple Leaf Reservoir) that they may see some non-harmful water discoloration, as the change may stir up normal sediment in the distribution pipes. The water is still safe to use.
The operations will occur over several days, as SPU is making small changes incrementally to reduce the possibility of discolored water. Once operations are complete, any discoloration should stop. While we are noting this possibility of discolored water, customers in the area may not see any discoloration at all.
This temporary change allows us to maintain our standards for quality, safety, and adequate supply of drinking water.
If you notice discoloration in your drinking water:
- Wait until it clears before drinking.
- Run cold water for a few minutes to check whether the discoloration clears.
- If the water is still discolored, stop running it and let the water sit for 1–2 hours.
- After waiting, run cold water for a few minutes using your bathtub or shower.
- Avoid running hot water while cold water is discolored to prevent sediment from entering the hot water tank.
If the water remains discolored after these steps, contact the Operations Response Center at (206) 386-1800. More information about water events can be found here on our website: Cloudy Water – Utilities | seattle.gov.