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Bellevue utilities propose $478 million, 6-year CIP; water main work and larger reservoir drive increases
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Summary
Bellevue Utilities presented a proposed $478 million 2027'2 Capital Improvement Program, with $287 million for water projects (including an expanded 6-million-gallon Maidenbauer South Reservoir), $105 million for sewer, and $86 million for stormwater; staff said the plan accelerates water-main replacement and addresses project cost escalations.
Bellevue's Environmental Services Commission heard an informational briefing April 2 on the proposed 2027'2 Utilities Capital Improvement Program, a $478 million six-year plan that staff said prioritizes renewal and replacement of aging water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure.
"The CIP is a critical component of utilities' ability to continue providing reliable water, wastewater, and stormwater services to our customers," said Dave Veish, assistant director of engineering for utilities. He told commissioners the proposed six-year total is roughly $182 million higher than the current adopted CIP and that water projects account for about 60 percent of the increase.
Staff presented fund-level totals: approximately $287 million for the Water Fund, $105 million for the Sewer Fund and $86 million for the Storm and Surface Water Fund, for a combined proposed CIP of about $478 million. Bridal Shah, the utilities' CIP portfolio manager, said the increase reflects a mix of accelerated project schedules, scope changes and higher construction costs.
One of the largest drivers is an expansion of the Maidenbauer South Reservoir (also called West Operating Area Storage) from a previously planned 3 million gallons to a 6 million-gallon facility. Veish said the larger reservoir and related transmission main are intended to meet projected downtown and Wilburton growth and that staff have accelerated the construction schedule to finish by 2030. "We increased the size, from 3,000,000 gallons to 6,000,000 gallons to maximize the use of the site and meet our future storage needs," he said.
On water-main replacement, staff said the program's goal is about a five-mile average per year; they expect to accelerate to about 5.6 miles in 2026 and 6.4 miles in 2027 to address known system needs. "We have a goal of replacing about an average of 5 miles per year," Veish said, adding that replacement cadence equates to a life cycle of roughly 120 years at current rates and noting some materials (for example, asbestos-cement pipe) fail sooner.
Commissioners pressed staff on contingency and inflation assumptions. Staff said the budget uses a general 3 percent annual inflation assumption for projections but acknowledged some projects have been recosted by roughly 15'20 percent versus prior estimates because of market and supply-chain shifts. "We track all of our bid and unit prices and update that," Shah said, adding that contingency rates start higher in early planning and shrink as projects near construction.
Sewer-program highlights include a ramp-up in pump station rehabilitation (planning or work on major rehabilitation at nine stations and planning for additional projects) and an increase in the sewer pipeline repair and replacement allocation from about $2 million per year toward $8 million per year by 2032. Staff also outlined a Lake Washington lake-line management program and a pilot septic-to-sewer extension in a Southeast 42nd Street neighborhood; staff said connection-fee structures and environmental abandonment requirements will be evaluated.
The stormwater program increases spending for conveyance rehabilitation, flood-control culvert work and water-quality retrofit projects intended to help meet state NPDES permit requirements. Staff noted recent emergency culvert work (Lakemont and Lakehurst) and said some flood-control projects secured competitive grants from the King County Flood Control District ($1.1 million for Kelsey Creek work; $1.0 million for Valley Creek work).
On staffing and delivery capacity, staff told commissioners they had not proposed additional operational staff in the budget and that the department is relying on scheduling, contracting and delivery efficiencies to manage the larger program. Shah said the proposed plan includes carry-forward land-acquisition funding and design funding timing adjustments for an operations-and-maintenance yard and other facilities.
The presentation was informational; no action was required of the Commission. Staff outlined the next budget steps: a fiscal presentation of operating and CIP proposals on June 4, a rate-forecast presentation June 18, an ESC recommendation due Sept. 17 and plans to present recommendations to council in October.
