Policies & Director's Rules

The General Manager/CEO of Seattle Public Utilities, under ordinance (SMC 3.32.020), adopts rules that are useful for the conduct of the city’s water, sewer, drainage, and solid waste business and services. At SPU, these rules are called "Director's Rules" which implement laws and apply to the general public, as well as to the utility. Official public notice of proposed Director’s Rules are issued in the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce, the City of Seattle’s official newspaper. 

Utility accounts

  • FIN-160: Customer Account and Billing Management - October 31, 2019
  • CS-104: Customer Billing and Service Disputes Within the Customer Service Branch - Retail - November 1, 2005
  • CS-310: Customer Billing, Payments, and Collections – May 1, 2013
  • CS-310.1: Customer Billing, Payments, and Collections - Jan. 3, 2017
  • CS-310.5: Sewer Maximum Recalculation - Aug. 15, 2012
  • CS-320: Billing Adjustments for Retail and Wholesale Customers (Procedure) – October 15, 2020
  • CS-325: Leak Adjustment for Retail Customers - May 25, 2020
  • CS-330: Refund for Retail and Wholesale Customers (Procedure) – October 15, 2020
  • CS-340: Waivers for Retail Customers (Procedure) – February 1, 2020
  • CS-360: Pay Plans and Payment Arrangements for Retail Customers - March 20, 2020
  • CS-700: Utility Discounts- June 1, 2017

Drainage and wastewater

  • DR-2011-004: Requirements for Design and Construction of Side Sewers (Drainage and Wastewater Discharges) - Apr. 8, 2011
  • DR-2011-005: Side Sewer Code Enforcement - Apr. 8, 2011
  • DWW-200: Stormwater Manual, vol. 1-5 - Aug. 31, 2017
  • DWW-202.7: Project Thresholds and Right-of-Way Related Utility Work - Aug. 26, 2015
  • DWW-205: Ditch Replacement - July 27, 2016
  • DWW-240: Surfacing Groundwater Management within the City Right of Way – July 1, 2016
  • DWW-260: Stormwater Facility Credit Program – August 8, 2016
  • DWW-260.2: Stormwater Facility Credit Calculator - Jan. 1, 2017
  • DWW-340.1: Condition Assessment Requests for the First Connection – June 1, 2016
  • DWW-350: Approved Location of Side Sewers Serving Private Property - Mar. 10, 2014
  • DWW-351: Sewer-Backup Prevention—Backwater Valves - June 15, 2018
  • DWW-352 - Inflow and Infiltration Mitigation Thresholds for CIPs in Separated Sewer Areas - July 23, 2018
  • DWW-370.1: Conditional Discharge of Contaminated Industrial Stormwater to the Sanitary Sewer - July 1, 2016
  • DWW-380: Groundwater Discharges to the Municipal Sewerage System — Billing - Oct. 8, 2014
  • DWW-420.1: Yesler Terrace Allowable Stormwater, Groundwater, and Sewer Release Rates to the Combined Sewer System and Infiltration Zones - Feb. 4, 2015
  • DWW-430.1: Flow Control Requirements for Projects in Identified Public Combined Sewer Basins - Jan. 1, 2017

Solid waste

  • DR-01-03: Cathode Ray Tubes - Mar. 17, 2003
  • DR-01-07: What Constitutes Beneficial Use for Construction and Demolition Waste Hauling - Nov. 1, 2007
  • SW-402.1: Prohibition of Recyclables in Garbage - July 1, 2017
  • SW-403.1 - Curbside Electronics Recycling Rates - April 1, 2019
  • SW-405.2: Waste Diversion Report Submittal Process - June 1, 2017 
  • SW-406.1: Temporary Container and Bag Placement and Removal at Curbs and Public Alleys - May 1, 2014
  • SW-500: Temporary Exceptions to Food Service Ware and Packaging Products (Director's Rule) - July 1, 2020
  • SW-620: Requirements for Qualified Construction and Demolition Receiving and Recycling Facilities (Director's Rule) - July 1, 2020
  • SW-640: Construction and Demolition Disposal Ban Delay (Director's Rule) - July 1, 2020  

Water

  • CS-100: Changes to the Water Distribution System By a Property Owner - Oct. 17, 2003
  • CS-101: Water Availability Certificate - May 9, 2011
  • CS-102: Water Service within the Direct Service Area - Oct. 17, 2003
  • CS-105: Cross-Connection Control Program – May 18, 2006
  • WTR-435: New Water Services - November 16, 2015
  • WTR-436.1: Connection Charge - May 1, 2019
  • WTR-460.1: Use of Hydrants by Others - August 22, 2015
  • WCM-001: Wholesale Water Customer Metering & Billing Dispute - Jan. 1, 2006

Engineering & construction

  • ENG-430.1: Utility System Improvement Dispute Process - May 15, 2020
  • ENG-450.1: Latecomer Agreements for Construction of Utility Improvements - Oct 8, 2014

Special charges, fees, and exemptions

  • DR-02-03: Connection Charge - May 20, 2004
  • FIN-211.1: Qualifying Streets for Drainage Fee Exemption - Jan. 1, 2017
  • FIN-211.2: Qualifying Riparian Corridors for Drainage Service Charge Exemption - Jan. 1, 2017
  • FIN-211.3: Qualifying Wetlands for Drainage Service Charge Exemption - Jan. 1, 2017
  • FIN-220.1: Customer Charges – Oct. 1, 2018
  • FIN-220.2: Development Charges – Jan. 1, 2019
  • FIN-220.3: Water Quality Analysis Laboratory Charges - Jan. 1, 2019
  • FIN-220.4: Real Property Charges – Jan. 1, 2019

Other rules and policies

  • FFM-510, FFM-510.1: Incidental Use of Real Property - Dec. 5, 2012
  • FFM-520.1: Open Space - Dec. 28, 2006
  • MDAR-17-01: Operating Hours for City Properties; Unauthorized Camping on City Properties; Enforcement Procedures; and Removal of Unauthorized Property (multidepartment) - Apr. 3, 2017
  • CAM: Client Assistance Memos (CAMs)

Related

Other city director's rules can be viewed at:
Seattle City Light
Department of Construction and Inspections
Department of Transportation
Department of Finance and Administrative Services