Translate
Vision for Clean Water
King County is creating a Vision for Clean Water with broad input from the community, national water leaders, and wastewater professionals to guide us through the next 75 years. Our vision will make sure our wastewater system can continue to protect the waters that connect us.
From the snowcapped Cascades to the glacier-cut Sound, water defines the natural environment of our Puget Sound region. King County’s wastewater system cleans and protects the waters that sustain life for the people and creatures that call this special place home.
How we choose to care for our water will allow us to pass on a legacy of clean water to coming generations. Our population is growing, our infrastructure is aging, and our climate is changing. We must make sure our wastewater system can continue to protect the waters that connect us—for today and for future generations.
Together we set out to create a Vision for Clean Water with broad input from the community, national water leaders, and wastewater professionals. This Vision will guide us through the next 75 years, helping steer important decisions toward a brighter future.
Shape the future of clean water in King County
Keeping the water in our rivers, lakes, and Puget Sound clean is key to building a healthy future for our region. King County wants to hear what matters most to you and the future you envision as we update our wastewater system. Your ideas and experiences can help shape how our wastewater system protects our water for generations to come.
At WTD, success means clean water. It means honoring our legacy while keeping a promise to another generation that our beautiful environment will be there for them to enjoy.
A Vision for protecting water quality
Whenever you send water down the drain, King County’s wastewater system collects and cleans the water. This process helps protect public health and the environment, serving over 2 million people in the service area..
The Regional Wastewater Services Plan (RWSP) is our long-term roadmap for operating and investing in the wastewater system over the coming decades. We are updating this plan to ensure it addresses future challenges and guides sustainable investments.
The RWSP must be updated regularly to prepare for challenges from climate change, aging pipes, and population growth. The Vision for Clean Water will serve as a guiding light for where we want our regional wastewater system to be by the year 2100.
Everyone can be part of imagining the future of clean water in King County
King County is planning for the future based on the needs and priorities of the people who live here. A key part of this process has been hearing from communities about what they care about so that the Vision for Clean Water broadly reflects our region’s values and goals. Our region has big, significant choices to make about how to invest in our regional wastewater system, and the Vision will guide these decisions.
King County sought input from the public on several options for the Vision in 2025, and will be finalizing and announcing the Vision for Clean Water in early 2026.
Public involvement library
Regional Engagement Report (Summary), December 2025
This report highlights community input gathered between April and July 2025, when we heard from more than 1,500 community members who live and work in King County what matters most about clean water. It provides details about the engagement process and key themes that emerged.
Wastewater Leader Insights, May 2025
To envision the future of our wastewater system by 2100, King County sought inspiration from wastewater leaders nationwide and beyond. By leveraging peer insights and proactively addressing challenges, we can secure a resilient and flourishing future. These leaders, selected for their expertise and notable contributions to the water sector, shared success stories and perspectives on opportunities wastewater utilities can harness over the coming decades. Their insights helped set the foundation for shaping vision options for King County’s Vision for Clean Water.
Challenges and Opportunities Informing the Vision for Clean Water, April 2025
This document describes 11 key issues affecting our wastewater system and what we are doing to address them now and in the coming decades. These are drivers which will inform the development of the Vision. By addressing these challenges and embracing these opportunities, we can ensure our wastewater system can meet the needs of the region equitably and well into the future.
Vision for Clean Water Options handout, April 2025
This document describes the core commitments that support the final vision statement, and the vision options that present different paths King County could take to achieve our core commitments.