Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) employees provide drinking water, sewer, drainage, and waste services every day—essential work to support healthy communities and protect our environment.
The Utility also prepares for complex challenges such as climate change, pollution, earthquakes, unpredictable materials costs, and more. Our Strategic Business Plan (SBP) Update outlines the investments we need to help ensure a healthy population and environment for the coming decades.
We recently gave an overview of the SBP, which you can read here, as well as information about how SPU delivers equitable essential services and protects health and the environment. Here, we’d like to take a moment to answer some frequently asked questions. If you have other questions, please let us know at Brian.Brooke@Seattle.gov.
The Seattle City Council’s Committee on Parks, Public Utilities, and Technology passed SPU’s Strategic Business Plan on August 14. The plan now heads to the full City Council which is expected to consider it on September 3. Public comment is welcome at City Council meetings.
The City Council meeting will start at 2 p.m. and be held at City Hall at 600 Fourth Ave., Seattle, Washington 98104.
Is my bill going to go up, and if so, by how much?
The SBP Update proposes a 4.7% average annual rate increase over the next six years. Monthly costs for a typical single-family home will increase by about $70 between 2025 and 2030. Typical monthly costs for an apartment unit will increase by about $40 over the same six-year period.
The rates in the Strategic Business Plan enable SPU to make necessary investments in critical water and waste infrastructure and services, which will help ensure a healthy population and environment for decades to come.
Why are rates going up?
To ensure reliable delivery of essential water, sewer, drainage, and waste services, we have to invest in our infrastructure. That means maintaining and replacing pipes, water treatment facilities, and other critical assets at a time when prices for everything, from loans to concrete, are increasing steadily. The increase in our rates helps the Utility keep pace with inflation as we continue making needed repairs and improvements. It also helps pay for the employees who do this vital work.
Factors increasing costs include:
- Maintaining aging infrastructure such as sewer lines and pump stations
- Complying with state and federal regulations
- Increased interest rates
- Inflation
- Higher than expected increases in King County wastewater treatment charges
We have worked hard to limit increases to our costs, but rate increases are necessary to maintain the system. With that in mind, we have smoothed out the increases over time to increase predictability and prevent unexpected spikes. We also provide affordability programs to support individuals and families who are most affected.
What if I can’t afford my bill?
Our customers should have access to essential services regardless of their financial situation. SPU offers bill assistance and programs to help customers save money, including:
- Conservation and education programs that help customers understand how their usage affects their bills and identify ways to potentially reduce them;
- The Utility Discount Program, which provides ongoing bill assistance to income-qualified customers;
- The Emergency Assistance Program which provides credits to reduce past-due balances for income-qualified customers facing financial hardship; and
- Payment plans that provide customers with flexibility in payments timed to fit their needs.
To learn more, visit our Discounts & Incentives webpage or call (206) 684-3000.
Do the new rates get us new projects, upgrades, or services?
The rate increases will keep us on track with critical work. For example, we are
- Building a new North Operations Facility to support water, drainage, and wastewater operations;
- Working to protect communities by reducing flood risks in the Duwamish Valley;
- Ensuring a clean water supply by making our watersheds more resilient to drought and wildfires; and
- Improving the sustainability of our operations and aiming to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Did SPU try to avoid raising rates? What alternatives did you look at?
SPU is a public utility, so we exist to provide services, not to make a profit. We only raise rates when there is no alternative.
Currently, costs outside of SPU’s control are affecting our budget. These factors include inflation, higher-than-expected increases in King County wastewater treatment charges; and increased capital expenses related to regulatory compliance, aging infrastructure, and higher interest rates.
That said, we are always striving for cost savings and efficiencies. In the last two years, we have aimed to limit the increase in the cost of services by securing low-interest loans, refinancing bonds, renegotiating contracts, and improving project planning. These efforts have allowed us to keep rate increases under 5 percent and lower than regional inflation.
How does SPU make sure that customers’ money is used efficiently and effectively?
We take ratepayer dollars very seriously, and we want our customers and residents to know and understand the work we’re doing. This means constantly working to improve accountability and transparency.
The two most significant demonstrations of that commitment are:
- Our Strategic Business Plan guides all our work. Every three months, we report on our progress. Those reports go to the SPU Customer Review Panel and are shared online.
- The public can follow the progress of SPU capital infrastructure projects online. A map of projects is on our “Current Projects” webpage, and many major construction projects have web pages with more information about the need for the project, the approach, what to expect during construction, schedules, and more.
Are there plans to promote water conservation or waste reductions, and how does that impact customer bills?
Customers who decrease their water usage or reduce their waste can save money on their bills. For instance, customers might reduce costs by taking shorter showers and switching to smaller garbage bins by recycling and composting more. We also offer rebates for installing cisterns and rain gardens that capture rainwater for irrigation, prevent pollution from entering our waterways, and contribute to flood prevention.
If you have questions, please visit the SPU website or contact us at (206) 684-3000.