Ballard Tunnel Effluent Pump Station
The Ballard Tunnel Effluent Pump Station (TEPS) is part of the Seattle Public Utilities’ (SPU) Ship Canal Water Quality Project (SCWQP), the largest infrastructure project of its kind in the city’s history. The project includes a 2.7 mile-long water storage tunnel, four drop structures, and a pump station sited along the Lake Washington Ship Canal. It collects the stormwater runoff from Seattle’s Wallingford, Fremont, and Ballard neighborhoods. JA designed the above-grade portion of the system, an 80’ tall tower wrapped in an illuminated stainless-steel lattice programmed to communicate water levels, weather events, and more. New landscaping, local art, seating, and walking paths will be built around the station.
Details
LOCATION Seattle WA
SIZE 10,000 SF Occupiable
COMPLETED Expected Spring 2027
Jeffrey Veregge's story: Artist Jeffrey Veregge’s origin story describes a love between the moon and the Octopus Woman, expressed through the 20-foot sculpture on site and its relationship to the lit tower beyond.
A S’KLALLUM TALE: SEDUCTION OF THE MOON
Octopus women, a queen of the Salish sea would go out each night and dance while gathering food for herself under the light of the Moon.
Every night while The Moon shown brightly, she would playfully dance around his reflection to show her love and gratitude for helping her hunt.
Her movements were a ballet that spoke to directly to the Moon’s soul.
For hours she would perform under his light, until she had her fill and then she would sleepily return to her home.
Watching her graceful movements, a beautiful seduction of motion, the Moon became smitten with Octopus Woman. He was so enraptured by her dance and beauty that he would blow her countless kisses that would land gently upon the skin of the emerald sea.
However being in love, he did not think of what his kisses might do and didn’t realize that some of the sea creatures would absorb the light he sent from his heart, and as a result that is why certain fish and plankton glow at night and in the deep.