Carnation pursues legal action after another false alarm at Tolt Dam

During a press conference March 28, Carnation Mayor Jim Ribail detailed several steps the city will take to hold Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and King County accountable for the “botched” management of the Tolt Dam Early Warning System.

The conference came 24 hours after the historically faulty system set off the eighth false Tolt Dam failure alarm since 2020 at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 27.

“After every false alarm, we are told this issue is a priority for the City of Seattle,” Ribail said. “Sadly this is not true as false alarms continue to happen and cause fear and ongoing PTSD for our citizens.”

Ribail announced the city plans to seek legal action regarding SPU and King County’s management of the Tolt Dam and demanded the alarm system be deactivated immediately.

The mayor stated the city’s opposition to the dam’s re-licensing in 2029. He called upon SPU to activate emergency personnel to monitor the dam 24/7 — at the cost of SPU — and a more efficient alert system in Carnation.

“There are two sacred principles in government,” said Carnation City Manager Ana Cortez. “One is predictability, and one is consistency. Seattle has failed in these two areas.”

King County is responsible for leading communication efforts regarding emergency management, while SPU operates the dam and its alarm system, said Cortez.

SPU, in October 2023, installed a new alarm system, claiming that the previous and out-of-date system was at fault for the uptick of false alarms.

However, the new system has brought different issues to the city.

“Since October 18, we’ve been unable to hear the siren and its message during the Wednesday tests,” said Laura Smith, executive director of Empower Youth Network, in a past interview with the Valley Record.

That claim rang true on Wednesday, with many residents, including Mayor Ribail’s family, unable to hear the 10 a.m. alarm — a problem SPU claimed to have resolved by installing more powerful speakers earlier this month.

Those who heard it either began to evacuate or ignored it, and according to a social media post, at least one Carnation resident views SPU and King County as “the boy who cried wolf.”

“I myself heard the alarm and went back to work,” said Carnation City Councilmember Jessica Merizan. “The safety mechanisms put into place by the City of Seattle and King County have failed the Carnation community and created a lack of trust and urgency.”

The city immediately reached out to the Tolt Dam Control Center to confirm the alarm, but their call went unanswered. The Riverview School District connected with the control center at 10:15 a.m. and spread the news of the false alarm.

A second alarm at 10:26 a.m. informed Carnation that the dam was safe, but was again muffled, leading to more confusion.

“This is a continued demonstration of willful disregard of prioritization,” Merizan said. “Or perhaps it’s weaponized incompetence that has led to systematic apathy. … It’s an injustice to all the rural communities that hydrate major urban areas across the county.”

At 10:37 a.m., King County sent an “all-clear” text to residents registered with their ALERT system.

SPU, at the time of the press conference, had no explanation for the false alarm, but “sincerely apologized for the incident” in a statement.

The Tolt Dam currently provides 30% to 40% of Seattle’s residential water supply and brings in nearly $30 million annually, according to SPU. Carnation, which sees none of the revenue, plans to seek compensation from Seattle for evacuation plan updates and costs associated with the trauma suffered by its residents.

“We are done with ‘I’m so sorry,’” said Carnation Public Information Officer Ashlyn Farnsworth. “We aren’t quite sure what that legal action will look like, but we will pursue action.”