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Committee backs sale of SPU'owned Glacier Well site to King County Water District 125
Summary
The Governance and Utilities Committee recommended passage of council bill 121166 to declare Seattle Public Utilities' Glacier Well property in SeaTac surplus and authorize its sale to King County Water District 125 for $280,200; the purchase requires the district to decommission the well within one year, central staff said.
The Governance and Utilities Committee on March 12 recommended passage of council bill 121166, authorizing Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) to sell the Glacier Well property, a 28,900-square-foot parcel in SeaTac (King County Parcel 162304905), to King County Water District 125 for $280,200.
SPU real property manager Jerry Caruso introduced the item and said the city followed the disposition process set out in council resolutions and administrative procedures. Senior real property agent Brian Solensas told the committee SPU purchased the site in 1986 and drilled a 550-foot well. Over time, tests showed water-quality issues related to manganese and hydrogen sulfide; SPU abandoned plans to develop the well in 2022 and completed a water-right transfer to the Seattle well field with Department of Ecology approval in 2023.
The purchase-and-sale agreement would transfer fee ownership and the existing easement (access via South 138th Street) to Water District 125, which plans to build a pump station and install a 12-inch service and main to serve SeaTac-area customers. Solensas said the Highline School District was contacted during the disposition process and declined to acquire the parcel; the district currently holds a permit that allows schoolyard improvements along the property's southern boundary, and the buyer has agreed to coordinate a replacement permit so the school's existing use can continue.
Central staff (Brian Goodnight) recorded that the sale requires the district to decommission the well within one year, noting water rights have already been transferred away from the site and the decommissioning reduces potential future liability for the city.
Council member Strauss characterized the transfer as a utility-to-utility land disposition and urged the council to update property-disposition policies to ensure government-to-government consultation with federally recognized tribes. Council member Kettle confirmed the school district had no interest because the permit preserved the district's access and use.
Because a public hearing had been held, Chair Joy Hollingsworth moved to suspend the rules to permit a same-day vote. With no objection, the committee voted to recommend passage of council bill 121166: Council member Kettle Aye; Council member Strauss Aye; Chair Hollingsworth Yes. The committee's recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council meeting scheduled March 17, 2026.
The motion recorded on the committee floor named Chair Joy Hollingsworth as the mover; the record does not name who seconded the motion.
