News & Events

The King County Wastewater Treatment Division secured a $498.3 million loan package from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to complete 14 infrastructure projects that will help improve water quality, while saving millions in interest costs.

King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division secured a nearly $500 million loan package under a new master agreement from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to complete 14 critical infrastructure upgrades that will better protect water quality in the Puget Sound region for decades.

The capital projects will build on other enhancements King County has made in recent years that have made the regional wastewater treatment system safer, more reliable, and more resilient to climate impacts.

"The Biden administration is once again demonstrating its strong commitment to protecting the natural environment throughout the country, including one of the nation’s premier waterbodies, the Puget Sound,” said Executive Constantine. “Earning a half-billion-dollar commitment for clean-water infrastructure reflects King County’s reputation as a trusted fiscal and environmental steward, producing the best results for each public dollar we invest for people, salmon, and orcas.”

King County received the first installment of funding, a $194 million loan package funded by the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act. This initial loan will save King County ratepayers $19.8 million in interest fees. The extended repayment period also lowers the county’s annual debt payments.

The $498.3 million commitment, the largest amount ever for the regional wastewater system, will support infrastructure projects across King County, including seismic upgrades at two regional wastewater treatment plants, improvements to the recycled water system, and upgrades to miles of conveyance and sewer pipes, among others. Here are a few of the 14 projects:

• Eastside Interceptor Section 8 Rehabilitation repairs one of the largest conveyance pipes in the system in Bellevue that is nearing the end of its service life.
• Lake Hills and Northwest Lake Sammamish Interceptor Upgrade installs 4.5 miles of sewer pipe serving Redmond and Bellevue.
• Sammamish Plateau Diversion adds capacity to treat wastewater flow from East Lake Sammamish area.
• West Point Treatment Plant Primary Raw Sewage Pump Replacement replaces the original raw sewage pump system and makes seismic upgrades to the pump building at the plant, located in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle.
• South Treatment Plant Influent Pump Station Seismic Upgrades protects the Renton-based plant from large seismic events.

“Puget Sound is a national treasure, and King County has a responsibility to protect and improve water quality for people, salmon and orcas,” said Kamuron Gurol, King County Wastewater Treatment Division Director. “We need and appreciate this package from our federal partners so that our ratepayers aren’t left alone to shoulder the burden of these clean-water investments.”

The King County Wastewater Treatment Division will invest $10 billion over the next decade to reduce sources of pollution in local waterways, maintain and repair aging assets, and build new infrastructure to prepare for climate change.

This marks the third time the Wastewater Treatment Division has earned a federal loan for major infrastructure projects. The EPA considers how soon construction can begin, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan, and the project’s overall benefit to the community in its application review.

King County was the first loan recipient under the federal act when the EPA issued a $134.5 million loan in 2018 to help fund construction of the Georgetown Wet Weather Treatment Station. In 2021, King County closed on a $96.8 million loan to help design and construct the Ship Canal Water Quality Project, which is a partnership with Seattle Public Utilities.

This has been the most productive five-year period for improvements since the regional treatment system was built in the 1960s. The Wastewater Treatment Division has advanced dozens of capital projects, including seismic upgrades, replacing aging pumps and pipes, and building a 24,000-square-foot structure at West Point Treatment Plant that will house 80,000 pounds of high-voltage batteries, providing operators with a more reliable power supply.

King County is launching a new initiative, Re+, to return valuable materials to the economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions created by the region’s waste system. Re+ aims to recover nearly 70% of materials that are currently being sent to the landfill that could avoid becoming waste in the first place by being reused, recycled, or composted.

King County Executive Dow Constantine today launched Re+, an initiative to reinvent the region’s waste system to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions and transition to a sustainable circular economy.

While King County has achieved one of the highest recycling rates in the country, nearly 70% of the materials currently brought to the regional landfill could be reused, recycled, or composted, rather than buried as waste that generates potent greenhouse gas emissions. Re+ will mobilize the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to extend producer responsibility, make it more convenient to recycle, reduce food waste, and invest in new technologies that recover valuable materials.

Re+ will advance a goal in King County’s 2020 Strategic Climate Action Plan to cut countywide greenhouse gas emissions in half by the end of the decade.

"Re+ is our commitment to reinventing the waste system to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and transition to a more sustainable economy,” said Executive Constantine. “The people and businesses of King County want to contribute to climate solutions. With these systemic changes, we will make it easier and less expensive for everyone to make sustainable choices.”

Re+ includes the following actions:

• Forming partnerships and supporting state legislation that gets companies to take greater responsibility for the design, reuse, and recycling of their own products and packaging.
• Expanding curbside food and yard waste collection and working with businesses to prevent highly recyclable and compostable materials – food, paper, yard waste, and cardboard – from going to the landfill and producing more emissions.
• Investing in new technologies that recover valuable materials from garbage and get them back into the economy.
• Providing support to local businesses so they can keep their food waste out of the landfill and get edible food to those who need it.
• Offering inclusive, equitable grants and technical assistance to small businesses, communities, and nonprofits that are creating innovative zero-waste and recycling strategies.
• Partnering with cities and state legislators to make recycling and composting practices more consistent.

Producing, packaging, shipping, and disposing of products all contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, but some of the best opportunities for improvement are in food waste, which accounts for about one-third of materials that currently end up at the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill in Maple Valley.

Businesses and households in King County in 2019 threw out enough edible food to feed everyone in Kirkland – about 92,000 people – for an entire year. Food production requires large amounts of resources – particularly water and energy – while creating significant greenhouse gas emissions. If food is not eaten and ends up at the landfill, its decay can create methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

By enacting new policies, supporting state legislation, coordinating with cities, and partnering with businesses, King County can reduce the amount of waste currently generated, decrease the demand for virgin materials and the energy required for manufacturing, and make recycling and composting more convenient.

King County Executive Dow Constantine released the following statement after the King County Council unanimously passed a $15.8 billion biennial budget that adopts major investments in his priority areas focused on battling the climate crisis and restoring our environment, ensuring every person has a home, ensuring a community where every person is safe, and uprooting racism and racial disparities.

“This budget is a map of King County’s values – prioritizing investments in our environment, in prosperity, and in communities and populations farthest from opportunity, access, and justice – to make ours a welcoming community where every person can thrive.

“Thanks is due to the King County Council, and especially Budget Chair Joe McDermott, for thoughtful deliberation these past eight weeks since I delivered my proposed two-year budget. I also want to thank and acknowledge all the community members who participated in the budget process to have their voices heard.

“This budget allows us to not only continue transforming the way government operates, to solve problems, and to deliver services to all our residents, but also to show the way for others, regionally and nationally – whether improving quality of life, working for a just society, or ensuring the survival of our planet.

“The collaborative process led by Council Budget Chair McDermott, Council Chair Balducci and others showcases that, together, we can take on the extraordinary challenges of this time and build the future our children deserve.”

Executive Constantine unveils 2023 – 2024 budget, highlights investments in key priority areas including clean energy, public safety, housing projects, and behavioral health

Focusing on four priority pillars of work first introduced in his 2022 State of the County, King County Executive Dow Constantine joined the King County Council today to deliver his 2023 – 2024 biennial Proposed Budget. The $15.8 billion budget will make major investments in the Executive’s priority areas focused on battling the climate crisis and restoring our environment, ensuring every person has a home, ensuring a community where every person is safe, and uprooting racism and racial disparities.

In his prepared remarks, Executive Constantine spoke to each of these areas emphasizing that this budget proposal is a road map to King County’s values – prioritizing investments in communities and populations farthest from opportunity, access, and justice, in order to ensure that King County is making a welcoming community where every person can thrive.

The King County Council on Tuesday approved a $672 million supplemental budget.

The King County Council on Tuesday approved a $672 million supplemental budget. The approved 2021 mid-biennial supplemental adds funding for climate equity projects, gun violence reduction, bus service restorations, tiny home villages, waterfront shuttle service, bike helmet awareness, economic recovery, and much more.

Councilmembers voted unanimously to approve the budget.

“Over the past two years, we’ve been able to make important and equitable investments in public health, transit, housing, and public safety, and this mid-biennial budget continues these across the County,” said Councilmember and Budget Chair Jeanne Kohl-Welles. “These new investments will be transformative for folks whose jobs are being restored, individuals who will be able to obtain shelter and permanent supportive housing, those living with mental illness and drug dependency or in need of opioid addiction services, and for families utilizing the Best Starts for Kids programs. And new climate equity projects will support those disproportionately impacted by climate change. As we close out our last budget of 2021, I continue to be appreciative of the creativity and dedication of my colleagues at the Council, as well as Executive Constantine and his team, in our response and recovery initiatives in meeting the extraordinary challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic as well as a serious recession.”

With more promising revenue forecasts since adoption of the 2021-22 biennial budget last November, the Council was able to restore a number of cuts that were made at the time, including in the Mental Illness and Drug Dependency program, in public transit and more.

The following are some key investments in the adopted budget:

• $4 million to restore reductions and eliminate furloughs for 2022 which were included in last November’s 2021-2022 adopted biennial budget to meet target reductions due to the recession;
• $20 million of Climate Equity Capital bond funds for projects identified with community partners to support frontline communities disproportionately affected by climate change and increase opportunities for those communities to benefit from emissions reductions and energy efficiency;
• $3.1 million for expanded regional gun violence and peacekeeping efforts, including additional community outreach, violence interrupters, and life coaches;
• $4.3 million for the new adult felony Community Diversion Program, including resources for a loss recovery fund that provides financial supports for harmed parties; assessment and referral staff; and community-based service contracts;
• $4 million in underspent funds for hiring and retention bonuses for commissioned King County Sheriff’s officers to help fill open positions in furthering public safety;
• $17.4 million in Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) to restore program cuts and some program expansion;
• $126 million for Best Starts for Kids (BSK) funds, consistent with the passage of the renewed BSK levy by voters in August 2020 and the implementation plan;
• $18.6 million for bus service restorations including 241,000 more transit service hours and flexible services increases; and
• $80.5 million for accelerating the planned appropriation for building electric bus charging capacity for 105 battery electric buses at Metro's Interim Base, an Access electric vehicle pilot, and base electrification planning.

Full details of the budget can be found online here.

Additional quotes:

Councilmember and Vice Chair of Budget and Fiscal Management Committee Rod Dembowski: “I’m very pleased with the significant investment this budget makes in speeding up our bus electrification initiative, as well as an initial climate bond for important capital projects to address climate change and its impacts. We must do a lot more, and do it more quickly to address climate change and I hope we can send to the voters a major climate bond proposal in 2022 that builds on this initial work.”

Council Vice Chair Reagan Dunn: “I am glad the Council has taken an important first step to improving public safety in King County by providing $4 million for retention and hiring bonuses for King County Sheriff deputies as well as a recruiting officer. Together, these investments will help us hire and keep quality law enforcement officers. Given the severe staffing shortages that the Sheriff’s Office is experiencing, this funding is necessary to provide basic level of public safety services for our residents. While this is a step in the right direction to rebuild our law enforcement, the Council must continue the necessary work of re-investing in our Sheriff’s Office and in the safety of our residents.”

Councilmember Kathy Lambert: “I support a budget that continues to build on our economic development, COVID recovery, and public safety. King County residents rightfully expect a high level of service from the Sheriff’s office. The investments adopted include an opportunity to recruit and fill the 59 vacancies that will help make sure that the Sheriff is appropriately staffed and continue to provide the level of service that residents have grown accustomed too. Budgets often focus on the major investments, however this budget includes some very impactful small investments as well. For example, this budget will help create an inventory of privately owned sole-access roadways to aid in emergency planning. While small, this project will improve emergency planning efforts and help make sure all residents of the county can have more tools that help will be available if it is ever needed.”

King County Executive Dow Constantine's proposed $617 million mid-biennial supplemental budget – transmitted to the King County Council today – includes $20 million for Climate Equity bonds for projects supporting frontline communities disproportionately affected by climate change. Other notable investments in the budget include:

• $65.8 million to accelerate Metro bus electrification from 2040 to 2035, including investments in base electrification and electrification of Water Taxis and Access vehicles.
• $20 million of Climate Equity bond funds for projects identified with community partners to support frontline communities disproportionately affected by climate change and increase opportunities for those communities to benefit from emissions reductions and energy efficiency.
• $3.1 million for expanded regional gun violence and peacekeeping efforts, including additional community outreach, violence interrupters, and life coaches.
• $4.3 million for the new adult felony Community Diversion Program, including resources for a loss recovery fund that provides financial supports for harmed parties; assessment and referral staff; and community-based service contracts.
• $17.3 million in Mental Illness and Drug Dependency (MIDD) to restore program cuts and some program expansion driven by increased sales tax revenue projections.
• $5.5 million to accelerate work on culvert replacement and sidewalks in lower-income neighborhoods in unincorporated King County funded by additional excise tax funds.
• Restoration of undesignated fund balance in the General Fund to 8% and the Rainy Day Reserve in the MIDD Fund to 60 days due to increased sales tax projections.
• Appropriation of an additional $126.6 million for Best Starts for Kids (BSK) funds, consistent with the passage of the BSK levy by King County voters in August and the implementation plan.
• $45 million for the preservation of over 1,900 acres of open space throughout King County.
• $1.5 million to expand access to dental care for low-income, uninsured adults in King County regardless of citizenship status, funding 4,000 to 5,000 dental visits at community health centers.
• $1.4 million for investments in the Office of Equity and Social Justice supporting community engagement, disability equity, and Office policy and operations; this includes the use of one-time funds from the City of Seattle to support the Coalition Against Hate and Bias.

"The past two years have proved what we've been saying: That we can’t wait – not on climate, not on early childhood education, and not on remaking public safety - and the investments in this budget will create a more equitable, just, prosperous King County,” said Executive Constantine. “We are focusing our funds on making transportation more efficient and accessible, ramping up Mental Illness and Drug Dependency treatment, prioritizing our environment through preservation and climate equity bonds, and investing in King County’s future."

The proposal also includes the restoration of reserves in the General Fund, Diversion Program fundsfor the imminent start of the program, and deployment of REET funds for the acceleration of culvert replacements and sidewalks in low-income neighborhoods.

The proposed supplemental budget was transmitted to the County Council on Sept 30. The mid-biennial budget is used to adjust the Council adopted 2021-2022 $12 billion budget and generally reflect changed circumstances such as revised revenue forecasts, new grants, and updated opportunities.

King County Executive Dow Constantine today transmitted a $600 million spending plan to the King County Council, funded in part by the American Rescue Plan. Executive Constantine’s priorities include continuing the public health response and increasing vaccinations; community supports and anti-racist-work; economic recovery with a new program that promotes access to jobs and housing supports.

King County Executive Dow Constantine released the following statement on the $1.74 billion Harborview Medical Center bond measure after King County Elections posted that it was passing by 77 percent of the vote in early returns.

"While there are still many votes to be counted, I thank the voters of King County for their support for Harborview Medical Center. These investments will ensure that our region continues to be the best place in the country to receive emergency medical care, and needed seismic upgrades will protect the lives of patients, employees, and visitors to Harborview. Besides helping people with behavioral health needs and better preparing the region to fight pandemics, the measure creates thousands of family-wage construction jobs at a time when our region needs them the most.

"Every generation has stepped up to support Harborview Medical Center. I am proud that this generation is no different."