Bellevue utilities preview 10-year storm and surface water plan; outreach, equity and funding flagged

City utility staff briefed the Environmental Services Commission on September 4 on an early-stage update to Bellevue's storm and surface water system plan, saying the effort will combine data collection, stronger public outreach, asset assessment and a capital-investment strategy through a roughly 20-year planning horizon.

"The star is storm and surface water system plan," said Eric Lafrance, planning manager for utilities, opening the presentation. He said the city is updating the plan on about a 10-year cadence (the last update was in 2015) and that the update will feed the utility's capital investment plan and future policy recommendations.

Divya Passapuletti, who presented the technical slides, summarized the plan's purpose: identify system needs and capacity, recommend projects for flood control and water quality, estimate financial needs and recommend operations and maintenance practices. "Stormwater is nothing but rainwater," she said while explaining how runoff can both replenish water bodies and carry pollutants.

Staff described outreach methods already underway — in-person tabling, social media, surveys and focus groups — and said a recent…