Bellevue Utilities provides essential services you use every day, including:
- Drinking water
- Wastewater treatment
- Storm and surface water management
- Garbage and recycling (solid waste)
To keep these services running smoothly and safely for everyone in our community, the City does prudent planning.
Planning for Today and Tomorrow
Bellevue Utilities develops a system plan for each utility service. These plans help the City:
- Understand what people need today
- Prepare for changes in the future
- Use resources wisely
- Keep services high-quality and affordable
- Protect community health
What is in a System Plan?
Each system plan includes:
- Purpose and Goals: Why a plan is needed, and what it accomplishes.
- Policies and Requirements: Guidelines we follow to meet laws and safety standards.
- System Check-Up: Look at how things are working now.
- Problem Areas: Where we need to make improvements.
- Capital Investment Project and Programs – Recommendations of projects and strategies to make things better.
- Budget Info – How we plan to pay for needed changes.
- Daily Operations – How we run and maintain the systems.
Why It Matters
Good planning helps us make smart choices, avoid problems, and keep costs low. It also helps protect our environment and make sure our community stays healthy and strong.
Current Utility System Plans
The City has adopted separate system plans for the water, wastewater, and storm and surface water systems.
- Water System Plan (2016)
- Wastewater System Plan (2014)
- Storm and Surface Water System Plan (2015)
King County is the lead agency for solid waste planning. The comprehensive plan for solid waste management was last updated in 2019.
When Are Utility System Plans Updated?
Bellevue's foundational policy document is the Comprehensive Plan 2044. It helps guide how the city grows and changes over time. Policy UT-12 in the Comprehensive Plan says the city updates utility system plans regularly. These plans look ahead at least 20 years to make sure our systems can handle future needs. Bellevue updates each utility system plan about every 10 years. All three utility plans (water, wastewater, and surface and storm water) will be updated 2025–2026.
Opportunities for Engagement
There will be opportunities to hear more about Utility System Plan updates and provide feedback:
- Spring 2025 - Environmental Services Commission meetings Water System Plan
- Spring 2025 - Environmental Services Commission meetings Watershed Planning
- Aug 2025 - Water Use Efficiency Open House (Public Meeting)
- Summer 2025 - Environmental Services Commission meetings Surface and Storm Water System Plan
- Fall 2025 - Environmental Services Commission meetings Wastewater System Plan
Helpful Links
Utility System Plans Introduction to Environmental Services Commission (ESC)
Bellevue Comprehensive Plan 2044