Frequently Asked Questions

For water quality data for non-regulated parameters, such as pH, alkalinity, hardness, and conductivity, are provided on SPU's website at:

https://www.seattle.gov/utilities/services/water/water-quality/analyses

To start a new service, you have three options:

1. Complete our online form
2. Email us at info@kcwd90.com
3. Call the District office at 425-255-9600

Please click to open the form.

Please click to open the form

Each year, a few Water District No. 90 customers call to ask about a slimy pink substance that sometimes forms in moist areas around their homes. They most frequently observe it in toilet bowls, on the surfaces in shower stalls, bathtub enclosures, in sinks, and in pet water dishes.

Red or pink-pigmented bacteria known as Serratia marcescens is thought to be the cause of the pink stuff. Serratia bacteria are common inhabitants of our environment and can be found in many places, including human and animal feces, dust, soil, and in surface water. The bacteria will grow in any moist location where phosphorous containing-materials or fatty substances accumulate. Sources of these substances include soap residues in bathing areas, feces in toilets, and soap and food residues in pet water dishes. Serratia can also grow in tap water in locations such as toilets in guest bathrooms where the water is left standing long enough for the chlorine residual disinfectant to dissipate. Serratia marsescens is not known to cause any waterborne diseases.

Once established, the organism usually cannot be eliminated. However, periodic and thorough cleaning of the surfaces where the pink slime occurs, followed by disinfection with chlorine bleach appear to be the best way to control it. Scrub the surfaces where phosphorus and fatty substances, or the bacteria accumulate with a brush and a household cleanser. Then disinfect the surfaces where the slime has formed with a strong chlorine bleach solution. Leave the disinfectant solution on the affected surfaces(s) for 10-20 minutes before thoroughly rinsing it away with clean water.

To control “pink stuff” in toilets, clean the bowl thoroughly and spray chlorine bleach into the bowl and under the bowl rim. Also, add ¼ cup of bleach to the toilet tank. Let the bleach stand for 15-20 minutes. After 15-20 minutes, flush the toilet a couple of times to rinse the disinfectant out of the tank and the bowl.

NOTE:

Bleach should not be left in the toilet tank for prolonged periods; it will damage the rubber valves and seals inside. Whenever a pink film starts to reappear, repeat the cleaning and disinfection process.

If you have further questions, contact our office at 425-255-9600 or email info@kcwd90.com.

https://kingcounty.gov/depts/health/emergency-preparedness/preparing-yourself/boil-water-order.aspx

Address:

15606 S.E. 128th Street
Renton, Washington 98059

Office Hours:

Monday through Friday, 8:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

Phone Number: (425) 255-9600

Fax Number: (425) 277-4128

Email: info@KCWD90.COM

All homes should have a shut-off valve located at the residence. However, if your home does not have one, you may (in an emergency), turn the water off at the water meter. Meters are generally located at the front of the property, near the road. The recommended tools to have on hand are a crescent wrench and/or a meter wrench which can be purchased at your local hardware store (approximately $15.00). Firstly, locate the valve (silver dollar-sized, brass-colored with a raised bar in the center). Place the wrench over the raised bar and turn it to the right until the “eyes” on the valve are aligned. Repair leak(s) and reverse the process to re-establish water service to the residence.

Meters are maintained by the District, but in emergency situations, it is advantageous that the homeowner turn the water on/off. When turning the water back on, reverse the steps in the "How can I turn my water off in an emergency?" FAQ section. Turn the raised bar only ¼ turn counter-clockwise to bring the water back into the system slowly. Then open the valve all the way.

Yes. In the event that there is a planned shut down, the affected customers will be notified prior to the shut down. For customer convenience, our field crew will leave a door tag with the date and estimated down time. However, in the event of such a shutdown, customers should make sure that they do not operate dishwashers, washing machines and showers during the shut down period. However, there may be critical circumstances which would result in an unplanned shut down (e.g., an accident, main break, etc.). In this situation, there would be no notification to our customers. The main focus would be to repair and/or restore water service as quickly as possible with a minimum impact to our affected customers. Please note that customers can call our main phone number 24-hours-a-day for information and/or to report an emergency.

Yes. The range of fluoride for all of the District’s water sources is between 0.8 and 1.2 parts per million (ppm). The average is 0.8 ppm. The EPA’s maximum allowable limit is 4.0 ppm.

The District is committed to providing residents with a safe and reliable supply of high quality drinking water. SPU and private laboratories tests our water regularly using sophisticated equipment and state of the art procedures. We are proud to report that the water provided by the District meets or exceeds established State and Federal standards for appearance, safety and water-quality standards. Each spring the District sends a “Water Quality Report” to every customer. The report details the District’s water quality analysis for the previous year. It also includes additional health information, information for sensitive people, and a detailed list and quantity of all detected compounds.

If you are the owner of a rental, you must have an “Owner Account”. You will need to call the office and we will set one up for you. You will start receiving a duplicate copy of the renter’s bill, which allows you to know if your renter is making their payments.

When you know the date your renter is moving in or out, notify us immediately. We will schedule a meter read to close their account.

The District's fee is $25.00 to close an account. This fee is to cover field and office expenses involved to close an account.

Please note: We allow 30 days for the renter to pay the final bill before we transfer the balance onto an Owner Account.

You may call us to verify that the renter paid their final bill before you give back their deposit.

Please be advised, unlike any other utilities, Washington State Law requires that the “water service stay with the property” (ref. RCW 57.08.081). This means, if a renter vacates your rental property with an unpaid balance, after 30 days the Owner is ultimately responsible for the water bill.

If you are planning to be away for an extended period of time, contact the District office to have the water shut off at the meter.

Inside your home, you should, shut off your hot water heater (at the circuit breaker) and open a hot and cold water faucet in the house and one outside faucet to drain the water system and leave faucets open.

To protect outside faucets from freezing, cover them with some type of insulation.

Make sure to let us know if you will be gone for over four (4) months so we can note your account and in some cases, we can put your account under a “non-use” rate. In that situation, we would need to have specific departure and return dates.

When you return, shut off all faucets and turn on the water at the meter. Open faucets one at a time to remove any air in the line. Turn the water back on in the house and check for any leaks by watching the water meter for movement.

If you are a homeowner or a tenant the procedure is the same. Simply call the District office. We will need to know the closing date; new owner/tenant name (if known); and forwarding address information. If you are selling your home and going through escrow, the Escrow Company will fax a final bill request to our office. We encourage both the previous and new owner/tenant to call us.

The regularly-scheduled Board meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month, commencing at 4:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend. If you have item(s) and/or concerns you would like included on the agenda, please contact the office during normal business hours. Your request must be received at least 48 hours prior to meeting dates.

The District purchases approximately 70% of its water from Seattle Public Utilities (SPU). SPU draws its water from the Cedar and Tolt rivers. Additionally, 30% of our water is produced from our own well. The water you normally consume from KCWD 90 comes from the Cedar River and our well.

Any complaints or concerns should be directed to our District staff who will work with you in resolving your complaint and/or concerns. Unresolved complaints can be taken to the Board of Commissioners.

Acceptable forms of payment are:

• Check, money order, or cash in the office. 
• KCWD90 Automatic Payment method a FREE service provided by the District. To download the form, go to the Forms Tab.
• InvoiceCloud (Third Party) Payment Portal. You are able to pay online or over the phone. A $3.95 convenience fee for online payment and $3.45 for pay by phone is added to your bill. You will need your seven digit account number and last name.
• US Mail directly to our office.
• Automatic deducted from your checking account.
• Drop-Box is located at the SE corner of the the District parking lot.

Water bills are due on the 15th of the month (or the Monday following the 15th if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday). Late charges are applied on the first business day of the following month. Late fees are 10% of your most current water bill.

There is a bi-monthly base charge for our residential customers of $70.90 as of January 1, 2023. The base charge includes the first 5 hundred cubic feet of water. One hundred cubic feet of water equals 748 gallons. Additional water usage will be billed according to actual consumption per one hundred cubic feet, based on the following schedule: 0 - 5 ccf's included in base rate; 6 - 15 ccf's $4.35 per ccf; 16 - 25 ccf's $5.00 per ccf; 26 - 35 ccf's $5.65 per ccf; 36+ ccf's $6.30 per ccf.

In June, July, August, and September of each year there is also a summer surcharge applied to all ccf's. As of January 1, 2023, the summer surcharge is $1.25 per ccf. 

For your convenience, the District has two payment drop-boxes. One is located at the South East corner of the property and the other is located by the handicap parking spot, near our building entrance. All payments dropped off in the box will be posted to your account the following morning. Please, no cash in the drop box.

If you overpaid your water bill account, refunds are processed on approximately the 20th of each month. In the event that you are entitled to a refund, it is important that we have the correct forwarding information available.

The District bills customers on a bi-monthly basis. Your bill should arrive during the first week of the month on either odd or even months. If you do not receive your bill, please notify the District office. Payments are due on the 15th of the month; failure to receive your bill is not an excuse for non-payment.

Many new homeowners are not aware that water charges (unlike other utilities) are associated with the physical property rather than with the individual incurring the charges. What this means is that property ownership is transferred along with any unpaid balance to the new owner. When the District is notified of a change in ownership, a final bill is prepared. However, if the previous owner and/or tenant does not pay the final bill, the responsibility lies with the new owner.

The purpose of this lighting is generally to enhance the night-time visibility of neighborhood streets and intersections. If street lights have been installed in your area, a street light charge may also be included on your bill or, if applicable, via your Homeowner’s Association. The District is billed by Puget Sound Energy (PSE) and those charges are distributed evenly to all of our affected water service customers. The District does not maintain street lights. If you have an outage call PSE at 1-888-225-5773. Be prepared to provide the numbers on the light pole.

Why are PSE Street Light charges on water bills?

This is what we refer to as a "legacy" system. This practice went into effect in the "50's" when not every home was a customer of PSE. At the time, the most effective method to collect all of the funds was through the water Districts, which had connections to nearly everyone.

The District's responsibility, as far as the water distribution system is concerned, ends at the water meter. The customer owns the service line from the meter to the residence. Repair of leaks along the service line or in the house are the customer's responsibility.

The District makes every effort to notify customers that a leak may be present. District Staff are "flagged" by the "Conintuous Flow Report", provided by Neptune 360, which notifies the District staff that there may be a leak at the customers location.

Notification of a potential leak by the District is considered a courtesy, and not a requirement. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the homeowner to determine if their higher usage is due to a leak.

Since our community's water supply is limited and using it efficiently is of prime importance, we urge customers to repair all leaks promptly. To support our customers in this endeavor, the District offers a one-time leak adjustment (Review No. 6). Leak adjustments are applied to one billing period (two months).

However, if the same leak extends into a second billing period, a second leak adjustment can be considered. In no instance will a leak period longer than two billing periods (four months) be considered for adjustment.

To qualify for the leak adjustment, leaks must be repaired within 30 days from the District’s leak notification or 30 days from the time the customer detects the leak.

Leak adjustments are for leaks in the service line only (from the meter to the house).

Leak adjustments do not include irrigation/sprinkler systems, running toilets, faucets, water heaters, hoses, or other above-ground or in the home systems.

The owner is eligible for a one-time leak adjustment during the life of the user’s service line. A new owner is eligible for a one-time leak adjustment on the same service line the previous owner received. Although, if a second leak is discovered and the owner replaces the total service line (meter to the house) a second adjustment can be considered once documentation or inspection by the District verifies the replacement.

Please note, consideration to approve additional leak adjustments is on a case-by-case basis and is at the sole discretion of the General Manager.

To be eligible for the leak adjustment, a customer's usage must be at least $50 above an average bill.

To initiate the process, the customer must complete the District's Leak Adjustment Request Form. A downloadable version is available the application from our Website in the Document Library > Applications section. Copies of receipt(s) from the plumber or contractor's work and materials used in the repair must be submitted along with the Leak Adjustment Request form.

Once the District office has received the request form, our field staff will verify that work has been completed and the service line is no longer leaking.

The leak adjustment is calculated by collecting the previous three-year consumption history (or the number of years of history available up to three years). This billing history is used to calculate an "average water usage" for the same billing period during the previous years.

The average water usage figure is then deducted from the leak water bill usage. Next, the cost of additional water purchased from Seattle Public Utilities is determined. Credit is calculated that is equal to the amount billed, less both the customer’s average consumption and the cost of additional water purchased by the District. The leak adjustment is then applied to the customer’s current bill, and a copy of the adjustment is sent to the customer.

The first step is to find a plumber or contractor that can help you identify and fix the leak or plan to fix the leak yourself. The District encourages customers to call more than one contractor to get competitive quotes.

Stop by the office Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., call (425) 255-9600 or email us at info@kcwd90.com.

King County Water District No. 90

Cross-Connection Control Program

Per WAC 246-290-490

https://www.kcwd90.com/forms/000161.pdf

A cross-connection is a temporary or permanent connection between a public water system, providing drinking water, and any secondary system containing non-potable (undrinkable) water or other substances.

Backflow can be caused by a number of situations such as:

• Fire fighting: The Fire Department hooking up to a hydrant to fight a fire, creating a dramatic increase in demand and pulling all available water toward the hydrant;
• Main break: High water withdrawal lowering main pressure (e.g., an open hydrant or main flushing).
• Reduced pressure: A reduction in water pressure on the suction side of a booster pump.

Backflow into a public water system can pollute or contaminate that system; potentially causing that water to become unusable or unsafe to drink. Each water supplier has the responsibility to provide water that is usable and safe to drink under all foreseeable circumstances.

A backflow device is required in order to prevent contaminated water from entering the drinking water system.

Examples of customers requiring backflow devices are premises with:

1. Fire sprinklers or private hydrants

2. Mobile home parks and shopping malls

3. Fish and/or decorative ponds

4. Hot tubs and swimming pools (unless there is an air gap)

5. Irrigation systems

6. Service locations with dialysis machines, x-ray equipment or dental equipment;

7. Fire protection systems

The Washington State Law requires annual testing of your backflow device. In conformance with this State requirement, the District prepares letters to all affected customers and the letters are mailed out on or about May 1. Test results must be returned to the District no later than June 30. Any exceptions should be coordinated directly with the District office.