Bothell introduces $532 violation fine in updated Water Shortage Contingency Plan

Bothell introduces $532 violation fine in updated Water Shortage Contingency PlanSpurred by a recent statewide drought declaration, the Washington municipality is aligning its curtailment framework with Seattle Public Utilities and establishing strict financial penalties for non-compliance during severe water shortages.

The proposed updates to Bothell Municipal Code will grant the city authority to enforce water curtailment through warnings and a $532 fine during Mandatory or Emergency shortage stages.

Bothell's Water Shortage Contingency Plan aligns with Seattle Public Utilities, which supplies the majority of the city's day-to-day municipal water.

Despite a statewide drought declaration by the Department of Ecology in April 2026, the city does not anticipate supply impacts for its customers this summer.

In a separate consent agenda action, the council awarded a $1.34 million contract to Holocene Drilling for the Riverside HVOC Site In Situ Groundwater Treatment Project.

The City of Bothell, Washington, is advancing updates to its Water Shortage Contingency Plan (WSCP) and municipal code to establish formal enforcement authorities—including a $532 fine—for water-use violations during severe shortages. During a July 14, 2026, City Council meeting, municipal staff presented the proposed framework, which is designed to complement the contingency plan of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), Bothell's primary wholesale water supplier. The review of the WSCP was prompted in part by the Washington State Department of Ecology declaring a statewide drought on April 8, 2026. While SPU and Bothell do not anticipate immediate summer impacts for their customers, the declaration highlighted the need for a robust enforcement mechanism. Historically, Bothell has managed water shortages through voluntary reduction measures. The updated code will allow the city to enforce mandated curtailment measures during the Mandatory, Emergency, or Immediate Crisis stages of a shortage. Enforcement will follow a progressive structure, beginning with a mailed courtesy notice, followed by a final warning, and culminating in a $532 civil penalty for subsequent offenses. Repeated violations could also result in water shut-offs for irrigation customers. During the briefing, Councilmember Dodd inquired if the fines could be scalable based on the severity of the violation. Municipal staff explained that a flat fee was selected because calculating exact overages for different customer classes presents significant billing complexities. The $532 figure was chosen to align with the city's existing fees for meter tampering and water theft. Councilmember Curd suggested utilizing door hangers instead of mailed notices to ensure customers are alerted to violations more quickly, preventing them from accruing significant financial penalties while waiting for mail delivery. Curd also recommended coordinating with the Department of Health to explore emergency non-potable water use from the city's Penn Park Well during a crisis. Staff plan to incorporate the council's feedback and return in September 2026 for formal adoption of the updated WSCP and code amendments. In a separate water-related action, the council unanimously approved its consent agenda, which included awarding a $1,349,902 construction contract to Holocene Acquisition Company LLC, doing business as Holocene Drilling. The contract covers the construction of the Riverside Halogenated Volatile Organic Compounds (HVOC) Site In Situ Groundwater Treatment Project, a remediation effort funded partially by a Department of Ecology grant.