Drafter
Clerk 03/25/2026
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AN ORDINANCE updating the capacity charge methodology; and amending Ordinance 13680, Section 16, as amended, and K.C.C. 28.86.160.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. The council, as the legislative body of the metropolitan municipal corporation, has authority to impose a capacity charge under RCW 35.38.570.
2. The capacity charge is based on the cost of capital facilities necessary to provide wastewater treatment to new users of the system. Revenues collected through the capacity charge must be used for construction of wastewater facilities designed to protect water quality.
3. All structures connecting to a local wastewater collection system that conveys wastewater flows to King County's regional wastewater system since February 1, 1990, have been subject to a capacity charge.
4. The office of the King County auditor reviewed the methodology in 2016 and recommended developing a simpler and more transparent approach to calculating the capacity charge, which would also allow for independent and periodic review.
5. The wastewater treatment division ("WTD") engaged a consultant, beginning in 2020, to prepare an updated capacity charge methodology based on current industry-accepted practices and consistent with RCW 35.58.570.
6. Utility planning documents provide the system capacity and cost data that informs calculation of a capacity charge.
7. The initial Clean Water Plan effort was underway in 2020 when WTD initiated the consultant study and was to be the source of planning inputs for the updated charge. When the Clean Water Plan was paused, the methodology update was put on hold as well.
8. An update to the Regional Wastewater Services Plan ("RWSP") plan began in 2025 and transmittal to the council is estimated in 2029. Interim planning documents that identify conveyance and treatment plans out to 2060 will be used to source the capacity charge calculation inputs until the updated RWSP is complete.
9. This ordinance's changes...

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