King County justice center in Kent to reopen Wednesday after being closed due to sewage leak

KENT, Wash. -- Officials say a King County justice center had to be closed Tuesday due to a sewage leak.

The Maleng Regional Justice Center, including a courthouse, building, law library, and community service center, was closed after discovery of the leak, which officials said extended through the facility. Several court hearings were reportedly canceled.

King County said pumps at the Maleng Regional Justice Center courthouse in Kent failed on Tuesday.

"The malfunction caused wastewater to leak into a small section on the ground floor of the building. Employees and the public were moved out of the courthouse as a precaution, and no injuries were reported. The detention center at MRJC was not affected by the incident," the county said in a news release.

"Crews from King County and a contractor worked through the afternoon to clean up the spill, remove affected material, and assess damage. A courtroom and associated holding area sustained the most damage, but both are expected to be operational tomorrow. A dollar estimate on the damage is not yet available. The malfunctioning pumps were repaired, and the MRJC courthouse will open to the public on Wednesday at 9 a.m. with all services available."

King County Facilities Management is investigating why the pumps failed, the county said.