Drafter
Clerk 12/10/2009
Title
A MOTION approving the wastewater treatment division's planning process to determine if, how, when, where and by what funding mechanisms over the next thirty years King County's existing reclaimed water program should expand.
Body
WHEREAS, King County is committed to creating resources from the byproducts of the wastewater treatment process, and
WHEREAS, the wastewater treatment division currently recycles one hundred percent of the biosolids produced at its South and West Point treatment plants, uses about seventy percent of the digester gas produced at these plants to generate heat, electricity, and natural gas, and recycles approximately one percent or two hundred million gallons per year of the average amount of wastewater processed each day at the county's wastewater treatment plants, and
WHEREAS, the Regional Wastewater Services Plan, as codified in K.C.C. 28.86.010 and 28.86.040 through 28.86.150, includes water reuse policies that are intended to guide the county in continuing to develop its program to produce reclaimed water and encourages the county to investigate the use of reclaimed water to enhance or maintain fish runs, supply additional water for the region's nonpotable uses, preserve environmental and aesthetic values, and defer the need to develop new potable water supply projects, and
WHEREAS, the wastewater treatment division has been producing, using, and distributing reclaimed water at South plant and producing and using reclaimed water at West Point plant for more than a decade, and
WHEREAS, the county made decisions to expand the system to include the Carnation plant and Brightwater backbone, and
WHEREAS, the 2008 King County Budget Ordinance, Ordinance 15975, authorized funding in the wastewater treatment capital program to develop a reclaimed water comprehensive plan, and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the reclaimed water comprehensive plan is to determine if it makes sense to expand the existing reclaimed water system and if so, how, when, where and by what funding mechanisms over the next thirty years King County's existing reclaimed water program should expand, and
WHEREAS, conducting the planning process now will help the county continue to effectively manage its wastewater utility into the future, and
WHEREAS, from July 2008 through April 2009, the wastewater treatment division held over thirty meetings and a regional workshop with representatives from interested parties, including tribes, the metropolitan water pollution abatement advisory committee, cities, water and sewer districts, environmental groups, business associations and regulatory agencies to solicit input on the process to develop a reclaimed water comprehensive plan, components of the plan and a regional participation strategy to involve interested parties and individuals in the planning process, and
WHEREAS, based on input received from interested parties and individuals, the wastewater treatment division has prepared a planning process depicted in Attachment A to this motion to determine if, how, when, where, and by what funding mechanisms over the next thirty years King County's existing reclaimed water program should expand, and
WHEREAS, the planning process is designed to engage a broad range of people, ensure an open and transparent planning process, and provide assurance that there is no preconceived outcome by allowing for flexibility in the process, including check-in points to assess next steps based on results of previous steps and King County council oversight and action at key decision points;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The planning process to determine if, how, when, where and by what funding
mechanisms over the next thirty years King County's existing reclaimed water program should expand, Attachment A to this motion, is hereby approved.