Search toggle
Contact toggle
Contact toggle
Search toggle
Say hello.
Focus Str. 5th Ave, 98/2 34746 Manhattan, New York
+1 222 44 55
hello@acme.com
What are you looking for?
Real Briefings

Water Resources Advisory Board

BEL-WRA-2025-03-25 March 25, 2025 City Council Regular Meeting City of Bellingham
← Back to All Briefings
Mar
Month
25
Day
—
Min
Published
Status

The Water Resources Advisory Board received comprehensive presentations on three interconnected and financially significant infrastructure challenges facing Bellingham's utility system. The evening began with concerning scientific data from Western Washington University showing continued degradation of Lake Whatcom water quality, followed by presentations on a $530 million water system capital improvement plan and a staggering $1.5 billion wastewater infrastructure program driven primarily by nutrient reduction requirements. The meeting's most sobering revelation was the projected utility rate increases: water rates would rise 11% annually for four years starting in 2026, followed by 9% increases, while wastewater rates would jump 18% for two years, then 14% for two more years. Combined utility bills for single-family customers would nearly triple from $135 per month today to $350 by 2035, reaching $600 by the mid-2040s. These dramatic increases are primarily driven by regulatory mandates from the Department of Health for water infrastructure and from the Department of Ecology for nutrient reduction at the Post Point wastewater treatment plant. Public comments focused heavily on the water system plan's treatment of Urban Growth Area reserve areas and compliance with Growth Management Act requirements. Multiple speakers, including professional planners and industry representatives, raised concerns that the draft water plan fails to adequately address potential annexation areas and doesn't properly coordinate with the city's comprehensive plan. The adjudication of water rights in Whatcom County was also highlighted as a major planning consideration missing from the analysis. The Lake Whatcom monitoring presentation revealed troubling trends including declining dissolved oxygen levels, increasing algae growth, and a concerning feedback loop where low oxygen conditions release more phosphorus from lake sediments, fueling additional algae growth. Nitrogen levels are p

No formal votes were taken during this meeting, as this was a presentation and discussion session. The Water Resources Advisory Board received information for review and comment but did not make formal recommendations. **Items for Future Action:** - Board will provide comments on the Water System Plan by June 6, 2025 - Final Board endorsement of Water System Plan expected after Department of Health review (poten…

About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Water System Plan and Growth Management Act Compliance** The most substantial policy discussion centered on whether the draft Water System Plan adequately addresses Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements and coordination with the city's comprehensive plan. Multiple public commenters argued that the plan lacks explicit consideration of Urban Growth Area reserve areas and fails to demonstrate how water service delivery aligns with comprehensive plan development projections. Professional planner Derek Spear provided detailed guidelines to the Board, emphasizing that the Water System Plan must conform to the comprehensive plan's 20-year planning horizon for population, employment growth, and housing. He argued that current UGA areas and urban growth boundaries are not explicitly addressed in the current draft plan, creating a potential compliance gap. Building Industry Association representative Perry Eskridge echoed these concerns, specifically noting that the plan doesn't consider the City Council's serious consideration of a UGA swap that would bring two significant areas into city limits. He also pointed out the lack of discussion about recent park purchases on Samish Crest and their impact on planned tank and pump station projects. **Water Rights Adjudication Oversight** Eskridge raised a critical policy concern about the complete absence of water rights adjudication discussion in the plan. He emphasized that the adjudication process, which began discussions in 2019 and will be well underway during the plan's 20-year horizon, represents "probably the single largest event that will…
About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Public Commenters:** **Bill Geyer (Engineering consultant):** Advocated for inclusion of UGA reserve areas in the water plan to provide the city with flexibility for future annexations. Emphasized this serves both city and client interests by maintaining development options. **Derek Spear (Professional planner, AICP certified):** Provided detailed quality control guidelines for the Board's review, arguing the current plan lacks adequate linkage to the comprehensive plan and GMA requirements. Called for explicit identification of service delivery to areas designated for residential, commercial, and industrial development. **Carrie Burnside (Silver Beach Neighborhood Association President):** Requested Board assistance with Chapter 9 of their neighborhood plan specific to Lake Whatcom preservation. Sought creation of a subcommittee to collaborate on reinvigorating watershed protection items, particularly education for rental properties and new residents unfamiliar with watershed responsibilities. **…
About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Perry Eskridge, on water rights adjudication:** "This is probably the single largest event that will form Whatcom County for the foreseeable future. The planning horizon on this plan is for the next 20 years, in which the adjudication will be well underway." **Derek Spear, on GMA compliance:** "I am certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners, and I'm here primarily to assist the board members in your quality control in reviewing this water system plan... I have not seen that …
About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →

**Immediate Timeline (March-June 2025):** - Water System Plan distribution to water agencies begins March 26, 2025 - City Council presentation scheduled for April 14, 2025 - Department of Health review begins (90-180 day timeline) - Board comments on Water System Plan due by June 6, 2025 - Rate decision by City Council targeted for June 2025 **Mid-Term Actions (Summer-Fall 2025):** - Final Water Resources Advisory Board endorsement of Water System Plan expected August 2025 (may slip based on DOH review timeline) - Rate implementation targeted for January 2026 - Post Point emissions…

About 50% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
**Water System Planning Accuracy Enhanced:** The new all-pipe hydraulic model identified approximately 20,000 feet of existing pipe needing upsizing for fire flow requirements and numerous other deficiencies not captured in previous skeletal models. **Regulatory Uncertainty Increased:** The February 2025 invalidation of the Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit created new uncertainty about the timeline and mechanism for nutrient reduction requirements, though not their inevitability. **Rate Increase Timeline Accelerated:** Staff accelerated the rate decision timeline to run parallel with Water System Plan revi…
About 49% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
## Meeting Overview The Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board convened for its March 25, 2025 meeting, marking a significant milestone in the city's long-term utility planning. Present were board members including Commissioner McDade, along with city staff including Mike Wilson, Internal Director of Public Works, Steve Bracho, Superintendent of Plants, Brandon Brubaker, Operations Superintendent, and Brent Baldwin, Development Manager. Several consultants were also in attendance, including representatives from FCS Group and Cool Engineers who had been working on comprehensive studies that would define Bellingham's water and wastewater infrastructure future. The evening's agenda focused primarily on two major planning documents: a comprehensive Water System Plan and a financial forecast that would reshape utility rates across the city for the next two decades. What made this meeting particularly significant was the presentation of rate projections that would see dramatic increases — water rates climbing 11% annually for four years, and wastewater rates jumping 18% in the near term, eventually leading to combined utility bills that could reach $600 per month by the 2040s. This was the first public presentation of these findings, with City Council review scheduled for April 14th, setting the stage for what would undoubtedly be some of the most consequential utility decisions in Bellingham's recent history. ## Public Comment: Growth Pressures and Planning Concerns The public comment period revealed the intersection of development pressures and infrastructure planning that has long defined Bellingham's growth challenges. Bill Geyer, representing clients in North Bellingham, raised concerns about reserve areas that have been discussed for years. "You guys probably know better than me. I just understand that water and sewer has to have that in the water plan and sewer plan before it can get to the Comp plan," Geyer explained, emphasizing that his goal wasn't to force development but to ensure the city maintained flexibility for future options. Derek, a certified planner with 48 years of local experience, took a more technical approach, distributing guidelines to board members about Growth Management Act requirements. "The Water System plan for the Growth Management Act is required to be coordinated with the city's comprehensive plan," he stated, expressing concern about what he saw as insufficient linkage between the water system plan and comprehensive …
About 11% shown — sign up free to read the rest Sign up free →
The Bellingham Water Resources Advisory Board met on March 25, 2025, to review the draft Water System Plan and hear presentations on Lake Whatcom water quality monitoring and major utility rate impacts. This meeting covered critical infrastructure planning that will affect water and wastewater rates for the next 20 years. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Water System Plan:** A comprehensive 20-year planning document required by the Department of Health that identifies infrastructure needs, capacity requirements, and capital improvements for the city's water system. This plan must be updated every 10 years. **Capital Improvement Plan (CIP):** A prioritized list of infrastructure projects totaling $530 million over 20 years for the water system, including treatment plant upgrades, pipeline replacements, storage tanks, and pump stations. **Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit (PSNGP):** A regulatory permit requiring wastewater treatment plants to reduce nitrogen discharge into Puget Sound. Recently invalidated by the Pollution Control Hearings Board but still driving planning efforts. **Nutrient Reduction Evaluation:** A study examining how to reduce nitrogen in wastewater discharge, potentially requiring $1.5 billion in capital improvements over 20 years. **Growth Management Act (GMA):** State law requiring coordination between water system planning and comprehensive land use planning, including Urban Growth Areas (UGAs). **Lake Whatcom Stratification:** Summer layering of lake water where warm surface water sits above cold bottom water, preventing oxygen mixing and creating conditions for phosphorus release from sediments. **Debt Service Coverage:** A financial ratio measuring the utility's ability to pay bond obligations, with 1.25 being the legal minimum and 1.7 being the city's internal target. **WIFIA Loans:** Federal low-interest loan program (Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act) that can defer payments up to 5 years to help utilities ramp up rates. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Derek King | Chair, Water Resources Advisory Board | | Alicia Tony | Board Member (new, environmental consultant) | | Bill Geyer | Public speaker, consulting engineer | | Perry Eskridge | Public speaker, Building Industry Association | | Kerri Burnside | Public speaker, Silver Beach Neighborhood Association President | | Mike Wilson …
About 50% shown — premium members only Upgrade to premium →

Share This Briefing

Tags & Connections

Utilities Budget & Finance Environmental Government Operations Building Industry Association Building Industry Association Whatcom County City Council Cool Engineers Department Of Ecology Department Of Health Fcs Group Post Point Treatment Plant Silver Beach Neighborhood Association Water Resources Advisory Board Western Washington University Alicia Tony Bill Geyer Carrie Burnside Derek Spear Michael Lander Orly Cool Engineers Perry Eskridge Robb King Rush Mcbride Todd Fcs Customer Assistance Program Growth Management Act Growth Management Act Compliance Infrastructure Investment Lake Whatcom Lake Whatcom Monitoring Nutrient Reduction Puget Sound Nutrient Permit Urban Growth Area Utility Rates Water Rights Adjudication Water System Plan