Bellevue, WA Environmental Rules: Stormwater Management (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Bellevue Utilities Department
- Drainage connection permit term
- Expires 2 years from issuance
- Permit extension
- Director may extend up to 1 year
- Base civil penalty
- Up to $500 per day
- Max repeat-violation penalty
- Up to $5,000 per day
- Governing code
- BCC Chapter 24.06
Summary
Bellevue requires a drainage connection permit before any property connects to or modifies the public storm and surface water system, and larger detention or treatment work needs a utility developer extension agreement. Permits expire after two years, and the Utilities Department enforces the code with civil penalties reaching $500 per day.
B. Drainage Connection Permit. 1. A drainage connection permit is required to connect to or modify the public storm and surface water system or to modify a private storm and surface water system for activities referenced in BCC 24.06.065, unless a utility developer extension agreement is required pursuant to subsection (C)(1) of this section or unless the work is specifically covered under another permit... 3. Drainage connection permits expire two years from the date of issuance. The director may extend the duration of an open drainage connection permit for up to one year; provided the utility receives payment for any applicable fees; and 4. Open applications for drainage connection permits that have not been issued shall be canceled by the utility if not issued within one year from the date of submittal.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
06 BCC, the storm and surface water utility code, governs how Bellevue property owners connect to, build, and maintain drainage facilities. A drainage connection permit is required to connect to or modify the public system, unless the work needs a utility developer extension agreement instead, falls under a clearing and grading or right-of-way permit, or is below permit thresholds. Drainage connection permits expire two years after issuance, and the director may extend an open permit up to one additional year if fees are paid; unissued applications are canceled after one year from submittal.
Utility developer extension agreements are required whenever new development or redevelopment needs detention or other runoff control facilities, runoff treatment beyond spill control, or work on the public system within the right-of-way. Contractors must be licensed under state law and registered with the city tax office. 250. 125, enforced through the city's illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) program. 135 after notifying the owner.
Violations & Fines
Enforcement runs through BCC 1.18.075. A base violation of Chapter 24.06 carries a civil penalty of up to $500 per day, with each day treated as a separate violation. Repeat violations within two years escalate: up to $1,000 per day for a first repeat, $2,000 for a second, $3,000 for a third, $4,000 for a fourth, and $5,000 per day for each violation after that. Penalties are personal obligations due within 10 calendar days of the hearing examiner's decision, and the city attorney may sue to collect unpaid amounts and abatement costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to connect to Bellevue's storm drain system?
What happens if I miss the deadline on a Bellevue drainage permit?
How much can Bellevue fine a stormwater code violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
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Stormwater Management in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle stormwater management.