Sewer Rates for Wastewater Treatment

Investing in clean water

Under long-term agreements with local sewer agencies in its service area, King County charges each agency a monthly amount for providing wastewater treatment. That amount is based on King County’s monthly sewer rate and the number of customers served by the local agency. In turn, the local agencies bill the residences, businesses and industries in their wastewater collection system to recover the county charge plus the amount needed to operate their local collection systems.

The 2008 monthly sewer rate is $27.95 for single-family residences. The charge for multifamily, commercial and industrial customers is $27.95 for each 750 cubic feet of water used.

July 2008 Update - Effective Jan. 1, 2009, the county's wholesale monthly sewer rate will increase from $27.95 to $31.90. (This new two-year rate will be for 2009-2010.) The monthly capacity charge for new connections will increase from $46.25 to $47.64. View news release.

Rates cover operating costs and debt service

Over the next several years, King County will undertake several projects to upgrade and expand the regional wastewater system to prevent sewer overflows and meet the needs of growth. King County’s monthly rate generates revenue to cover operating expenses and debt service, including the bonds that fund the county’s capital program.

In addition, the sewer rate helps pay for King County responsibilities that include controlling combined sewer overflows and cleaning contaminated sediment in the Duwamish River and Elliott Bay.

King County sewage-treatment capacity charge

Because of dramatic population growth in our region, King County 's wastewater treatment utility must expand the capacity of its facilities. To make sure all customers pay their fair share for the cost of building new facilities, King County levies a capacity charge on new connections to the sewer system.

Beginning January 1, 2008, the charge for new connections to the sewer system is $46.25 per month for 15 years for a single-family residence. The charge for connections to the system before 2008 is the amount in effect at the time of the connection.

See Capacity Charge Program for more information.

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Wastewater budget

Revenues. King County's adopted wastewater budget for 2008 includes about $234 million in revenue from the sewer rate and about $28 million in revenue from the capacity charge. The 2008 budget also includes about $15 million from investments and about $7 million from other income (such as fees for industrial waste and sewage removed from septic tanks).

The 2008 budget includes a contribution of $18 million from the rate stabilization reserve. The rate stabilization reserve preserves the sewer rate at $27.95 per month over a two period (2007-2008).

Expenditures. Of the total revenue (about $302 million), the Wastewater Treatment Division is budgeted to spend about $100 million to operate and maintain its facilities and about $202 million for planning, designing and building facilities ($29 million for direct capital payments and $173 million for debt service on earlier capital activity).

2008 Forecast Operating Revenues ($302 Million)	2008 Forecast Expenditures ($302 Million)

For more information

• If you have billing questions about the capacity charge, please call 206-296-1450.
• If you have billing questions about your monthly sewer rates, please contact your local sewer agency.
• If you have questions about King County's wastewater treatment finances, please contact Dennis Barnes at dennis.barnes@kingcounty.gov or 206-684-1114.

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Updated: July 31, 2008