City sewer work must be done

The problem can arise — literally and disgustingly — during storms when heavy rains flood Everett’s antiquated combined sewer and stormwater system. The stormwater and sewage are churned into a potent mix of bacteria and pollutants, and, when it can’t flow fast enough into Everett’s wastewater treatment plant, backs up in one or both places: into basements and bathrooms or into Port Gardner and Possession Sound.

In addressing replacement of the combined system, the city of Everett has selected the least expensive option for its ratepayers, a realistic decision, even if it falls short of what really should be done in the interests of the environment and long-term costs to residents.

Still to face a Dec. 17 public hearing and the City Council’s approval, the plan would spend $320 million over 10 years to separate some sections of the combine sewage and stormwater lines, upgrade the treatment plant and reduce the frequency of sewage and stormwater backing up into homes and bays. Two other options — a total replacement and separation that would have cost $1 billion and taken until 2045 to complete and another with a price tag of $480 million and taken 20 years — would have meant too big a monthly hit to the city’s residents. As it is, sewer rates will increase, eventually doubling over the next 10 years. But the increase is not an unfair one. Everett residents pay one of the lowest water and sewage utility rates in the region; Seattle residents pay about two-and-half times Everett’s typical rate of $49.

Here’s what residents will get for that investment: less frequent episodes of sewage backing up into homes or out into the bay; a healthier environment and fewer beach closures; and insurance against future failures of a system in need of replacement.

In selecting the least expensive option, the city is choosing to address some but not all of the necessary work the system needs. We hope Everett officials can use the other options as considerations for longer-term work in the future. And we’d like to see the city look for opportunities to make the most of work that tears up city streets to make repairs to roads and other utilities.

We also encourage all homeowners in Everett and throughout the county to consider things they can do to treat the stormwater on their property. The Snohomish Conservation District can offer advice on installing rain barrels, rain gardens and permeable paving that can slow or even divert stormwater from the system, preventing pollutants from entering streams and bays.

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