Bellevue Utilities is developing a long-term management plan for rehabilitation and/or replacement of an aging sewer line that runs along the Lake Washington shoreline through Bellevue. Residents and nearby property owners are invited to weigh in on the plan and a related environmental impact statement.

Details about the lake line plan and a link to a survey can be found at Lake Line Management Plan. Residents can comment on what should be studied in the EIS via an online open house at EngagingBellevue.com/lake-washington-line. The open house includes details about the options for maintaining or replacing sections of the lake line. 

In addition to the open house, a virtual EIS scoping meeting will be on Tuesday, July 26, 6-7 p.m. (registration). The community will have an opportunity to engage directly with the planning and EIS team at the scoping meeting.

Nearly 15 miles of sewer line run along the eastern shore of Lake Washington, serving property owners in Bellevue, Medina, Beaux Arts and the Points communities. The pipes that constitute the line, which are in or near the lake, were built in the 1950s and ‘60s, and Bellevue Utilities is considering how best to manage them for continued reliable wastewater services and protection of the lake’s ecosystem.

The management plan is intended to document a long-term approach to rehabilitation or replacement of the lake line and connected pump and flush stations. Options may vary for different parts of the line.

People have until Aug. 5 to comment on the scope for the EIS. There will be another opportunity to provide further comment on the draft EIS, possibly in early 2023, with a current goal of finalizing the management plan possibly by the end of 2023.

Source: City News