Over the past few years, our Trees for Neighborhoods program has needed a more consistent supply of climate change-ready tree species. Getting the right trees, at the right time, and in the right quantities has been challenging—especially when you do not have a place to store them year-round. This year,… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is excited to introduce five new members to the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) for 2025: Phil Churilla, Travis Close, Marcus Johnson, Jacob Melaragno, and Mike VanReken. These individuals join a group of community, nonprofit, and industry representatives who play an important role in shaping how… [ Keep reading ]
The weather is starting to change, but it has been mostly sunny and dry — and we’re not out of the woods yet. Our water supply remains below normal for this time of year. While upcoming fall storms will help, we need consistent rainfall to fully refill our reservoirs. With… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle City Council banned plastic carryout bags back in 2011. So why are they back— in a thicker form? Seattle residents likely can remember a time between 2012 and 2020 where plastic carryout bags were not offered at grocery stores and other retail establishments. Only paper bags were available. This… [ Keep reading ]
It was a glorious day at Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) Watershed Headquarters in North Bend, WA, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Cedar River Watershed Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) – a 50 year plan that was prepared under the Endangered Species Act. Check out more event photos on Flickr…. [ Keep reading ]
This summer has been another hot and dry one, and the dedicated team of water managers at Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) was prepared. Since we started the year with lower-than-average snowpack, they began refilling our mountain reservoirs earlier in the year and topping them off higher than usual to help… [ Keep reading ]
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is stepping up the fight against illegal dumping. After a year of promising results from our Illegal Dumping Camera Pilot, we’re expanding the program in 2025 to Phase 2, adding four new cameras in areas where dumping is most common. Why This Matters Illegal dumping isn’t… [ Keep reading ]
Last week, Seattle hosted the international ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit, a gathering of leaders from government, business, and hunger‑relief organizations aiming to tackle one of the biggest challenges in our waste stream: food. Right here in our city, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is at the forefront of developing smart,… [ Keep reading ]
Zero Waste Events at Seattle Center Could Soon Be a Reality We’re excited to share that Seattle has been named one of 50 finalists from 33 countries in the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge, a global competition that supports bold and innovative urban solutions to major challenges cities face. This… [ Keep reading ]
The South Fork Tolt Hydroelectric (is one cool little) Project In the Seattle area, most of the drinking water we use has generated power on its way to our faucets. The very same water serves a third purpose, too. The reservoir behind the South Fork Tolt (SFT) Hydroelectric Project on the South… [ Keep reading ]
