Water Utility Engineering

The 2019 Water System Plan Update was prepared in accordance with Chapter 246-290 of the Washington Administrative Code, as presented in the Washington Department of Health regulations for Group A Public Water Systems. The 2019 Water System Plan is the latest version and is primarily an update to the 2012 Water System Plan. In June 2021, the Plan was adopted by Renton City Council (Resolution No. 4438) and it was approved by the Washington Department of Health in September 2021.

The purpose of this Water System Plan is to develop a long-term planning strategy for the City’s water service area. The Plan evaluates the existing system and its ability to meet the anticipated requirements for water source, quality, transmission, storage, and distribution over a twenty-year planning period. Water system improvement projects have been developed to meet the changing demands of regulatory impacts and population growth, as well as infrastructure repair and replacement.

2019 Water System Plan Update

• Executive Summary and Chapters 1-10(PDF, 65MB)
  • Chapter 1 – Introduction
  • Chapter 2 – Existing System
  • Chapter 3 – Demand Projections
  • Chapter 4 – Water Use Efficiency and Conservation Plan
  • Chapter 5 – Policies and Standards
  • Chapter 6 – Water Supply and Quality
  • Chapter 7 – System Analysis
  • Chapter 8 – Operations and Maintenance
  • Chapter 9 – Capital Improvement Plan
  • Chapter 10 – Financial Program
• Appendices A-J(PDF, 62MB)
  • Appendix A - SEPA Checklist and Determination of Non-Significance
  • Appendix B - Agency/Adjacent Purveyor Comments and Approval
  • Appendix C - Adopting Resolution and Ordinance
  • Appendix D - Current Service Area Agreements
  • Appendix E - Water Facilities Inventory Form (WFI)
  • Appendix F - System Map
  • Appendix G - Water Loss Control Action Plan
  • Appendix H - Detailed Demand Projection
  • Appendix I - King County Water Reclamation Evaluation Checklist
  • Appendix J - Updates of the Wellhead Protection Program
• Appendices K-O(PDF, 82MB)
  • Appendix K - Water Design Standards and Details
  • Appendix L - Cross Connection Control Plan
  • Appendix M - Water Rights Documents
  • Appendix N - Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Plan
  • Appendix O - Water Shortage Response Plan
• Appendices P-T(PDF, 66MB)
  • Appendix P - Calibration Field Plans and Testing Locations
  • Appendix Q - Hydraulic Model Development and Calibration
  • Appendix R - Detailed CIP Costs
  • Appendix S - CIP Prioritization
  • Appendix T - CIP Sheets
• Dept. of Health Water System Plan Approval Letter(PDF, 211KB)

For emergencies such as leaky water meters, no water, broken pipes, or flooding of residential streets or businesses, please contact the Maintenance Services Division at 425-430-7400.

After 3:30 p.m. or on weekends, if the emergency cannot wait until the next business day, please call the Renton Police Department at 425-430-7500.

For water availability, please contact the Permit Center or call 425-430-7200 or 425-430-7266.

A plumbing permit is required for any repair, replacement, or installation of water lines. For information on obtaining permits, please contact the Permit Center.

Water conservation should not just be a response to droughts. It can, with a little effort, become a habit that not only saves money, but helps preserve the environment as well.

Renton, as a member of the Saving Water Partnership (a group of local water utilities in Seattle and King County working together to help customers save water and money) supports the region's water conservation goals.

To comply with the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, which requires water utilities to provide annual "consumer confidence" reports to their customers, the city prepares the annual Water Quality Report.

In 2024, the City of Renton Water Utility completed an initial inventory of the water service lines (small, buried pipes that bring water from the water main in the street to building plumbing) in our community.  The lead water service line inventory is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  In Renton, we have split ownership: there is a utility-owned portion from the water main to the water meter, and a customer-owned portion from behind the water meter to the house/building.

To complete the initial inventory, the Water Utility reviewed historical records, city ordinances, city engineering water standards, building inspection permits, and water maintenance staff performed field inspections. An approved statistical approach was used for randomized field inspections that demonstrates 95% statistical confidence. Water Maintenance performed the potholing of 381 service lines by hydro-excavation method to observe water piping materials. Using all of these inventory methods, the city did not encounter lead service lines for the utility-owned portion or customer-owned portion. 

The Water Utility will continue to update the inventory periodically as new water piping material data is collected during routine maintenance and utility improvement projects.

Water service line material information is available to the public via COR Maps. Material information can be viewed under “Operational Layers > Utility Systems > Drinking Water System > Water Lateral Lines.” 

Our source water does not contain lead and our drinking water currently meets all federal and state water quality regulatory standards. Lead is most likely to come from corrosion of private household plumbing. Examples of lead sources include materials inside the home or building, such as copper pipes with solder installed prior to the state’s 1986 lead ban, some faucets purchased prior to January 4, 2014, and lead paint in homes that pre-date 1978. The city’s drinking water is conditioned by adding sodium hydroxide to slightly raise its pH which helps prevent corrosion of household plumbing.

The Cross Connection Control Program's purpose is to protect the public water supply by preventing contaminants from entering the public water system. To prevent the potential for backflowwater into the public water system, backflow prevention devices must be installed and tested annually.

The city of Renton is partnering with iBackflow to manage our cross-connection program and accept online backflow test reports. For information about the program and how to setup an account, please visit Cross Connection Control Program.

• Water System Plan Update 2012 Final
• Water System Plan Update 2012 Appendices