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Thanks to everyone for participating in Clean Water Plan. King County has decided to take some time to consider the feedback we’ve received to date and the status of two major regulatory efforts underway that have significant financial and policy effects on the Clean Water Plan. Those are:

1. Ecology’s Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit. Learn more here.

2. Negotiations with Ecology and EPA regarding King County’s Consent Decree for the CSO control projects. Learn more here.

While we don’t know today exactly where these regulatory efforts will land, King County is committed to complying with all regulatory obligations. We believe a pause in the Clean Water Plan process will allow for more regulatory clarity, which will help all of us to move forward more effectively, and will give the Clean Water Plan team the opportunity to develop responsive changes and adjustments to the planning process.

Family at beachOur relationship to water is part of what makes this region special. Puget Sound and our lakes, rivers, and streams give us food, transportation, jobs and fun. This water is central to Native people’s cultures and traditions, and the ecological health of salmon, orca and other fish and wildlife. We all play a part in protecting this resource for future generations, and preserving the beauty and health of the Puget Sound region.

The clean water services provided by King County have protected water quality, public health, and our environment for decades. We are working on a wastewater comprehensive plan that will guide the County’s work for decades to come.

Learn More

Visit the project library for public engagement materials, plan documents and resources.

Over the next few decades our region will collectively spend billions of dollars on protecting water quality. King County needs to update its wastewater plan so that we make the right investments at the right time for the best water quality outcomes. We feel strongly that when the County hears from everyone, we all benefit.

The Clean Water Plan will outline WTD’s future and address broader water quality concerns. We are facing a number of complicated issues, including:

  • Serving a growing population
  • A changing climate resulting in more extreme weather events
  • Further reducing the amount of untreated sewage and polluted stormwater that overflows into local water bodies during storms
  • Maintaining our 50-year old system of wastewater pipes, pumps, and treatment facilities  
  • Better coordination of water quality investments to get the best outcomes for human health, habitat, and wildlife
  • Ensuring benefits of water quality investments are distributed equitably
  • Making treatment facilities more resilient to storm and earthquake risks
  • How to finance water quality improvements
  • And more
We are committed to a fair and inclusive planning process. To do this, we will aim to break down barriers to involvement and hear from all kinds of people — including long-time participants in water quality discussions and new, interested parties. The County is committed to including the voices of historically underrepresented populations including native peoples, communities of color, immigrant and refugee communities, limited English-speaking communities, low-income populations and people with disabilities.
We will use people’s input to develop a plan that helps guide future actions around water quality. We will share what we hear with the King County Executive and Council who are responsible for making final decisions.

Join the conversation

King County is undertaking this large planning effort because it is facing critical decisions that will affect the region’s water quality.

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