Your Daily Guide

Sewage Rates To Rise Due to More Powerful Storms

Double-digit sewage rate hikes are coming for King County residents. County officials have proposed a 12.75% rise in 2027 rates. The county is seeking ways to pay for $14 billion in infrastructure upgrades over the next decade, and the county’s Wastewater Treatment division says this is likely just the beginning of a series of double-digit percent rate escalations. [Seattle Times]

• 💰 What will this cost? If the increased rates are approved by the King County Council, they would cost the average wastewater treatment ratepayer an additional $8 per month. As we covered in a previous newsletter, other utilities are already increasing in cost. This impacts homeowners and landlords, who are passing the cost down to renters via systems like RUBS. [Seattle Times]
• ⛈️ Why storms impact our sewers: In older buildings and systems, stormwater and sewage flows through the same pipes. When Seattle gets a lot of rain, it overloads the sewage system. To keep sewage from backing up into homes and businesses, King County will let overflow drain into our lakes and other bodies of water. They are now being required to reduce sewage overflow. Solutions include: building storage tunnels, separating pipes for sewage and rainwater, and increasing treatment plant capacity. But, as you might expect, this costs a lot of money, hence the rate hikes.
• 🌊 Is climate change to blame? King County said climate change-fueled weather events are creating more stormwater runoff. And according to a 2018 NASA study, atmospheric rivers could decrease in frequency as a result of climate change but become 25% wider and longer, effectively doubling the amount of rain they deliver.

💊 AI denies care: Medicare patients in our state are experiencing delays and denials for treatments due to the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction program or “WISeR”. It requires doctors to obtain authorization from a third-party artificial intelligence contractor before providing care. “What’s happening is AI is being used as a denial device,” said Senator Maria Cantwell during a recent hearing. [Seattle Times]

🛝 What are those stickers? Seattle Parks and Recreation has placed sidewalk markers around the hill for a guided urban “hike” that connects nearly a dozen public spaces. The two loops are about 1.5 miles each and can be combined to create a 5k option. They start at Cal Anderson Park and are meant to address concerns related to public safety. [CHS Blog]

🫠 Agency avoids disillusion: It seems the King County Regional Homelessness Authority has avoided being dissolved, for now. As we explained on Monday’s podcast 🎧, an audit found the agency could not account for $13 million. Following that episode, the board voted to establish a finance committee, to pause most hiring and discretionary spending, and to fill the empty chief financial officer position. [KUOW]