Seattle drains Options

[FuelDrop]

The odds of anyone on this site being part of whatever body is responsible for maintaining Seattle's stormwater system, but I learned long ago that anything is possible.

Anyway, I wanted to ask if anyone can tell me about Seattle's plumbing. I'm planning the group's next run, and I was hoping that the sewers or stormwater drains will be large enough to be an option for the group to bypass the perimeter. The run is at the Everett docks, if that is important.

Anyone got any intel I could use?

EDIT: If there are no docks in Everett, then I should be embarrassed.

[Umidori]

The only thing I know about Seattle's plumbing system is that originally, it used to just be a sluice straight into the ocean, and at high tide the toilets would actually flush in reverse.

Seattle's a weird place. Take the Underground, for example. I've been in it. The story I heard is that for whatever reason (probably due to sewage backing up into the streets) they decided to raise all the streets 10 feet, making the second stories of all the buildings into the first (or if you're European, making the First Floors into the Grounds Floors). Everything that used to be at ground level was now a basement. But they didn't bother to raise the sidewalks. So unless a local business or residence owner built their own sidewalk at the new street level, the road just ended and there was a sheer ten foot drop to the old sidewalk level.

People put up ladders, so they could climb up to road level, cross the road, and then climb down again, but supposedly there was a problem with people going to bars, getting drunk, having to cross a road on their way home, and forgetting to climb down off the road, plummeting ten feet and cracking their skulls open. I'm told the police had to invent the term "involuntary suicide" to categorize these accidents.

They say the best thing that ever happened to Seattle was that if burned to the ground. Twice.

...oh, right, storm drains. Uhh. Lemme get back to you on that. Rest assured there are docks in Everett, though.

~Umi

[FuelDrop]

The only thing I know about Seattle's plumbing system is that originally, it used to just be a sluice straight into the ocean, and at high tide the toilets would actually flush in reverse.

Seattle's a weird place. Take the Underground, for example. I've been in it. The story I heard is that for whatever reason (probably due to sewage backing up into the streets) they decided to raise all the streets 10 feet, making the second stories of all the buildings into the first (or if you're European, making the First Floors into the Grounds Floors). Everything that used to be at ground level was now a basement. But they didn't bother to raise the sidewalks. So unless a local business or residence owner built their own sidewalk at the new street level, the road just ended and there was a sheer ten foor drop to the old sidewalk level.

People put up ladders, so they could climb up to road level, cross the road, and then climb down again, but supposedly there was a problem with people going to bars, getting drunk, having to cross a road on their way home, and forgetting to climb down off the road, plummeting ten feet and cracking their skulls open. I'm told the police had to invent the term "involuntary suicide" to categorize these accidents.

They say the best thing that ever happened to Seattle was that if burned to the ground. Twice.

...oh, right, storm drains. Uhh. Lemme get back to you on that. Rest assured there are docks in Everett, though.

~Umi

Wow.
Seattle sounds fascinating. If I ever go to the US then I'll have to check it out.

[Umidori]

The Ork Underground is really more fun to imagine when you've actually been in the inspiration for it.

Like walking down here, which I had the pleasure to do. That glass there? Yeah, that's a sidewalk. The portion I saw was just the cleaned up official tour sections, and I can only imagine what the unspoiled and unseen sections are like.

One place I can't find a photo of to link will always stick with me. There's this big metal I-beam that crosses the roof of the tunnel. Our guide pointed it out to us, explaining how it was originally put there because the city felt the ceiling above it was too weak and needed reinforcing. He then pointed out to us the fact that it wasn't secured to the walls in any way - which, once you knew to look for it, was plainly evident. So there's this ungodly heavy metal beam just friggen bolted to the ceiling, offering absolutely no structural support, and in fact compromising it instead. Good enough for government work!

~Umi

[FuelDrop]

Definitely worth checking out.

[Voran]

The old DNA/DOA module (1st ed) had sewer related romping. It was almost a dungeon crawl (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Sendaz]

One place I can't find a photo of to link will always stick with me. There's this big metal I-beam that crosses the roof of the tunnel. Our guide pointed it out to us, explaining how it was originally put there because the city felt the ceiling above it was too weak and needed reinforcing. He then pointed out to us the fact that it wasn't secured to the walls in any way - which, once you knew to look for it, was plainly evident. So there's this ungodly heavy metal beam just friggen bolted to the ceiling, offering absolutely no structural support, and in fact compromising it instead. Good enough for government work!

~Umi

And you can bet there was a very well paid committee who made the design for that I-Beam on top of the actual costs of getting it there and installed. Ah government paperwork at its finest (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[binarywraith]

The old DNA/DOA module (1st ed) had sewer related romping. It was almost a dungeon crawl (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

There's a story in one of the novels (I can't remember which off the top of my head) that involved the Seattle Public Works guys who deal with the freaky shit that lives in Seattle's sewers. Ghouls and devil rats and weirder shit than that is their usual.

One place I can't find a photo of to link will always stick with me. There's this big metal I-beam that crosses the roof of the tunnel. Our guide pointed it out to us, explaining how it was originally put there because the city felt the ceiling above it was too weak and needed reinforcing. He then pointed out to us the fact that it wasn't secured to the walls in any way - which, once you knew to look for it, was plainly evident. So there's this ungodly heavy metal beam just friggen bolted to the ceiling, offering absolutely no structural support, and in fact compromising it instead. Good enough for government work!

~Umi

You sure it's not holding the walls apart?

[Tecumseh]

I'm certainly no expert on Seattle's stormwater system but here's what I know based on living in the area. All of this is with the very large caveat that things are probably different 60 years in the future and that the GM could have things work however he/she wants.

Seattle does not treat its stormwater. Most of it goes directly into Elliott Bay / Puget Sound. Seattle treats its wastewater at the West Point Treatment Plan in Discovery Park. I think the ACHE and the Aztechnology Pyramid have their own treatment plants. I don't know how many other buildings would as well. The sewers under Current day downtown Seattle streets are definitely large enough to be navigable by people.

Everett absolutely has docks. Conveniently, Everett's wastewater treatment center is 3km directly east of those docks. This plant treats both the stormwater and the wastewater collected from the downtown Everett area. It's called the "Combined Sewer area". See this page. Check out the map; the light blue portion on the north end is downtown Everett. The west side of that portion is the docks; the east side of that (past I-5), directly east of the docks, is Everett Water Pollution Control Facility. Based on the amount of rain in Everett, and the fact that their combined sewer system must account for wastewater too, I would definitely expect the sewers in downtown Everett to be large enough for metahuman traffic. Just don't go when it rains.

Conclusion: The combined sewer system of Everett should be large enough for a team of shadowrunners to bypass the perimeter of the docks. But gross.

P.S. Most of what Umidori says is true, although I only know of Seattle burning to the ground once. There were also some lols with the ladies having to ascend and descend ladders to and from street level, and gentlemen that would guard the bottom of the ladder from less-gallant types looking for an upskirt view.

[Mantis]

Hey great insight on Seattle's history Umidori and Tecumseh. Cool pics too. I always wondered where the idea for the Ork Underground came from. Didn't realize they'd elevated the damn city in the past. The certainly explains a lot.

[Sendaz]

Came across this sometime back. Scroll down to the Toxic tunnels section about 3/4th of the way down for a fun sewer concept.

[Wakshaani]

Incidently, sewage treatment ins Seattle, and trash pickup, is handles by Eta ... somethingsomething. Crap. Horrible time to draw a blank. At any rate, it's a private company. SHiawase's been after the contract for decades but has never managed to snatch it away.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Incidently, sewage treatment ins Seattle, and trash pickup, is handles by Eta ... somethingsomething. Crap. Horrible time to draw a blank. At any rate, it's a private company. SHiawase's been after the contract for decades but has never managed to snatch it away.

Yeah, because that is an industry I want to be involved in. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

[Tecumseh]

Pecunia non olet.

[Wakshaani]

Yeah, because that is an industry I want to be involved in. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

Eta Engineering's the name of the things. They handle all teh trash, waste water, and recycling/landfills in Seattle. These used to be mob jobs, and teh Mafia's not amused by the loss of their 'Disposal business'.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Eta Engineering's the name of the things. They handle all teh trash, waste water, and recycling/landfills in Seattle. These used to be mob jobs, and teh Mafia's not amused by the loss of their 'Disposal business'.

Still would not want that job. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Achsin]

This PDF might be useful

http://www.seattle.gov/dpd/codes/dr/DR2009-17.pdf

After chapter 4 there's a bunch of schematics and diagrams for how to construct different sections of the system.

[Sendaz]

Still would not want that job. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

SewerRun™

It's a Sh**** job, but some poor slag has to do it.

Watch as things get messy when Shiawase sends in Sewerrunners to sabotage Eta systems and send their stock plunging.

Olfactory & Taste Blocker cyberware open availability and 50% cost break for all players at chargen.

[Wakshaani]

Just 'cause I'm a Shaodwrunner, it doesn't mean that I wanna smell poogas!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me8nwMPn3nM

(Or, for a longer version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onzPn6Weppk
Bwa-haha.)

[tete]

There's also an interesting abandoned tunnel system from what was going to be a subway that runs along the aurora/hwy 99 corridor from about 85th st down to the bridge to queen Ann hill. I've connected that tunnel system to the underground in vampire games. Nothing like having to run along the open catwalk under the bridge while the sun is rising (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)