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March 15, 2001
New customers to pay for growth in sewer system
King County Executive Ron Sims today announced that new residential customers will pay an additional capacity charge for hooking up to the County's wastewater system to meet the growing needs of King and South Snohomish Counties.
"Existing customers have already paid for our current sewage treatment system, which has kept our waters clean and of the highest quality for years," said Executive Sims. His expanded regional sewer plan that was approved last year will ensure similar services for the region for the next 40 years. "As our system expands to meet the challenges of growth, it is only right that those with new hook-ups pay this additional capacity charge, making growth pay for growth."
A third sewage treatment plant to serve the growing region, which will be sited somewhere in north King or south Snohomish County this year, will be operating by 2010. The new plant will add another 53 million gallons of daily capacity to the regional wastewater system by 2030. The system's two existing plants today treat a combined average of 200 million gallons of wastewater per day.
As adopted, the regional sewer plan policies for setting the capacity charge require that "growth pay for growth." The proposal Sims issued today reflects that policy. Customers that hook up to the wastewater system after January 2002 will pay a monthly capacity charge of $21.48 per month in addition to the monthly sewer rate all customers pay. Once implemented, these capacity charge policies would save existing ratepayers $1.87 per month on their sewer rate.
"With skyrocketing energy costs, it is even more critical that King County do everything possible to keep the rate structure equitable and operate our regional wastewater system as cost-effectively as possible," said Sims.
"King County has successfully kept rates stable since merging with Metro, and will continue to hold down rates for current homeowners despite the extraordinary new costs brought on by the energy crisis," said King County Councilmember Larry Phillips, vice chair of the Regional Water Quality Committee (RWQC). "The region consistently receives high marks for livability and business activity because we have protected our environment in a fair and responsible manner, while addressing the demands of population growth."
"The capacity charge is a fair way for newcomers to pay for new wastewater facilities," said Pat Hawkins, Clyde Hill City Councilmember and a member of the RWQC that has endorsed the regional wastewater plan and the capacity charge.
Once received by the County Council, the capacity charge legislation will be forwarded to the RWQC. The RWQC will review the proposal and forward its recommendation to the Council.
This is the second piece of legislation Executive Sims has proposed to save ratepayers money, to control costs and increase savings while it deals with rising energy costs to run the wastewater system. The other measure was Sims' pilot Productivity Initiative in which wastewater treatment will be run more like a private business, an effort that is projected to save $67 million over the next 10 years.
Updated: March 15, 2001
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