Bellevue Sewer Rates Set to Rise 10.1% in 2027 and 2028. Most of It Is King County.
October 22nd, 2026
Eastside · Utility Rates
BELLEVUE, WA – October 22, 2026
By The Drain Authority · Reviewed by Shane Caldwell, Owner & Lead Drain Technician · WA Contractor Reg. #DRAINDA756MA
Bellevue’s proposed 2027–2028 budget raises the combined water, sewer and storm bill 8.5% next year and 8.6% the year after. The sewer piece rises faster than the rest, 10.1% in each year, and the city’s own forecast shows where most of it goes: 6.5 points of the 2027 increase pass straight through to King County’s wastewater treatment charge.
The short answer
How much are Bellevue sewer rates going up?
Bellevue’s proposed 2027–2028 budget raises sewer rates 10.1% in 2027 and 10.1% in 2028, as part of combined utility increases of 8.5% and 8.6%. In 2027, 6.5 percentage points of the sewer increase are King County’s wholesale treatment cost and 3.6 points are local, including 1 point to expand utility bill assistance. The City Council takes up the rates with the budget in November 2026.
10.1%
Proposed sewer increase, 2027 and again in 2028
6.5 pts
King County pass-through inside the 2027 increase
51%
King County’s share of Bellevue’s 2026 sewer operating budget
$103.9M
Sewer capital plan, 2027–2032
What the council heard on October 13
The rates came up during the council’s second of three budget study sessions, the city’s council roundup reported. Staff presented combined water, sewer and storm and surface water increases of 8.5% in 2027 and 8.6% in 2028, citing higher wholesale costs from the King County Wastewater Treatment Division and Cascade Water Alliance along with local investment in critical operations and aging infrastructure. The Environmental Services Commission voted on September 17 to support the proposed budgets and rate increases.
Utility
2027
2028
Water
6.7%
6.7%
Sewer
10.1%
10.1%
Storm & surface water
6.0%
6.0%
Combined bill
8.5%
8.6%
Proposed rate increases to fund Bellevue’s 2027–2028 utilities budget, per the Environmental Services Commission recommendation to council.
King County’s treatment charge made up 51% of Bellevue’s 2026 sewer operating budget, so when the county moves, Bellevue’s bill moves with it. The King County Council approved raising its monthly wholesale rate from $62.66 to $70.65 on June 23, effective January 1, 2027, a 12.75% increase we covered when the county vote became official.
The pipes under the lake
The local share is about infrastructure that is getting old at the same time. The forecast says most of Bellevue Utilities’ system infrastructure is well past mid-life and that the sewer utility is just beginning systematic asset replacement. The 2027–2032 sewer capital plan totals $103.9 million, with $94.3 million going to replace aging infrastructure: pipeline repairs, pump station improvements and pipeline replacement.
Many of those estimates trace back to the Lake Washington Lake Line Management Plan. About 15 miles of Bellevue sewer lines run along the Lake Washington shoreline, either underwater or on land next to the lake. Most were built in the 1950s and ’60s, connect to 15 pump stations and eight flush stations, and serve more than 1,900 people. The city warns that without planning ahead, the lake lines will begin to fail, and it has named Meydenbauer Bay as the first priority area.
The angle most coverage is missing
Coverage has framed this as a one-budget story. The forecast says otherwise. After 10.1% in 2027 and 2028, Bellevue’s preliminary numbers show sewer revenue increases of 11.2% in 2029, 11.2% in 2030, and 9.4% in each of 2031 and 2032. The proposed increases are not the peak of the curve.
Two forces stack. The county’s wholesale charge keeps climbing, and Bellevue is only now starting to replace a system that is largely past mid-life, with renewal funding set to ramp up over the next two decades to cover the lake lines. Households planning for the long run should treat double-digit sewer increases as the expected path, not a one-time event.
The relief side is changing too. One point of the 2027 sewer increase funds a broader Utility Bill Assistance program: households at or below 80% of area median income would get a 35% discount on basic utility costs, and low-income seniors and residents with disabilities would keep their 70% discount.
What it means at your property line
None of this money touches the pipe on your lot. Bellevue’s Wastewater Division maintains the main sewer lines, including service connections within the city’s right of way and dedicated easements. The city’s wastewater system plan puts side sewers on private property on the owner, and the city does not perform locates on private property.
“A lot of Bellevue homeowners assume a bigger sewer bill means the city is covering more of the system. It isn’t. The city’s side is the main and the connection in the right of way. The pipe running from your foundation across your lot is still yours, and nobody else is going to check on it.”
Shane Caldwell, Owner & Lead Drain Technician, The Drain Authority
Your sewer bill is going up. Your side sewer doesn’t have to fail with it.
We serve Bellevue from our Ballard shop. A camera inspection tells you what is in your line and whether it needs anything at all.
How much will Bellevue sewer rates increase in 2027?
Bellevue’s proposed 2027-2028 budget includes sewer rate increases of 10.1% in 2027 and 10.1% in 2028. Combined water, sewer and storm rates would rise 8.5% in 2027 and 8.6% in 2028.
Why are Bellevue’s sewer rates going up?
In 2027, 6.5 percentage points of the 10.1% sewer increase pass through King County’s higher wholesale wastewater treatment cost. The remaining 3.6 points are local: 1.9 for capital and asset replacement, 1.0 for utility bill assistance, 0.4 for operations and 0.3 for taxes and interfund charges.
When will Bellevue adopt the new utility rates?
The rates are part of Bellevue’s 2027-2028 budget, which the City Council is scheduled to consider in November 2026. The Environmental Services Commission voted in support of the proposed rates on September 17.
Is help available with Bellevue utility bills?
Bellevue proposes expanding Utility Bill Assistance to households at or below 80% of area median income, with a 35% discount on basic utility costs. Low-income seniors and residents with disabilities would continue to receive a 70% discount.
Who is responsible for the sewer line on my Bellevue property?
Bellevue’s Wastewater Division maintains the main sewer lines, including service connections within the city’s right of way and dedicated easements. Side sewers on private property are the owner’s responsibility, and the city does not perform locates on private property.
The Drain Authority is a drain and sewer specialist serving King and Snohomish counties from Ballard. Bellevue’s rates are proposals until the City Council adopts the 2027–2028 budget. Featured photo: downtown Bellevue above a Lake Washington marina, by Zac Gudakov on Unsplash.
