Do you have questions about your future recycling, compost, or garbage service with Recology?

Would you like to talk in person with Recology representatives, or see the trucks and equipment it will use on Mercer Island?

All residents are invited to a community open house on September 25, from 5:00-7:00pm, at the Mercer Island Community Center. Light refreshments available, and kids are welcome!

In the meantime, please visit Recology's website, or call the direct hotline (open seven days a week)  at  206-381-6980.

By State law, any high-risk plumbing connection that could potentially allow dirty water to enter the clean side of the City's drinking water system must be protected by a  backflow prevention device, which must be tested annually. 

Common property features that require a backflow prevention device include irrigation systems, swimming pools, and fountains. View examples here.

Test results are due to the City by  June 30 each year; about one third of the Island's water service connections are covered by this requirement.

Backflow Assembly Testing is now overdue, and 138 locations still have not submitted their test results even though they have now received three written notices. The City's Water Utility has a goal of 100 percent compliance by month's end. These non-compliant accounts are facing termination of water service after September 30. The final alert from the City will be a door hanger placed in late September advising of imminent shutoff.

The good news is, it's easy to submit results: certified backflow assembly testers simply enter their results on the City's Web Portal and receive a confirmation number of their submittal. 

Learn more about the process from this updated City webpage: www.mercergov.org/Backflow. 

The City is committed to providing safe drinking water to all its users and the cross-connection control program provides an essential component of the multi-barrier approach to ensure it can achieve that commitment. 

Starting this week, the City's Thrift Shop donation center hours will be changing to 9:00am-3:00pm, Monday through Saturday, in order to allow staff to efficiently price and move goods onto the store shelves.  

Donation volumes have recently increased by 40 percent, outpacing available storage space and staff capacity. This extra processing time each day should allow staff to catch up.

 

The Youth and Family Services Department truly appreciates donations by the local community and understands how useful a convenient drop off location can be. This decision will be revisited periodically to explore whether donation hours can be restored.