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Historical water and sewer line records
Information about water and sewer line records at the King County Archives.
Historical water and sewer maps
Road Services Division historical utilities maps and plans, 1914-present
The King County Road Services Division's Map and Records Center maintains maps and other supporting documentation about the establishment, construction and maintenance of county structures and facilities which are, or have been, the responsibility of the division or its functional predecessors. King County Archives holds the original, hard-copy maps, while Road Services maintains digital and microfilm copies. The digital copies are available on the Road Division's Map Vault.
Materials held by King County Archives include maps and plans of water systems, sewer (wastewater) systems, and storm sewer systems. The bulk of these maps date from 1940, but some earlier items are present.
Road Engineer sewer system reference maps, 1940-1960
This collection includes paper copies of sewer system maps maintained as a reference collection by King County engineers. They include:
- Bellevue Sewer District, 1941
- Greenwood sewers (proposed), 1947
- Lake City Sewer District (utility LID #17). 1960
- North Beach #1 sewer extension,1940
- Rainer Vista sewers, 1946
- Ridgecrest sewers, 1940-1950
- Roxbury sewers; as-built, 1945
- Skyway sewerage and drainage district #4, 1942-1944
- Southwest Suburban Sewer District, 1951, 1955
- Val Vue Sewers, 1941
- White Center, 1943
Real Property Division utility franchise files and system maps, c.1940-1988
These records document individual utility franchises issued by King County to water companies; water and sewer districts; and local municipal governments. After 1945, numerous franchises to water companies and water and sewer districts reflect post-World War II housing construction.
Franchise file documents vary over time but generally include a letter of application, a legal description of the proposed franchise, and records of the county's response. Additional correspondence may be present.
Maps accompany most text records and may be either annotated copies of commercial or plat maps, or original maps created by the applicant.
Boeing Field maps, 1929-1999
This series includes utility maps (air, electrical, fire systems, lights, plumbing); sanitary and storm sewers, storm drains and pump stations; plans of Boeing Company structures located at the airport; maps of fuel tank locations; environmental inventories and maps and plans relating to water pollution control programs.
Please visit King County Wastewater Treatment Division's glossary for more information on wastewater and sewer.
Historical utility district records
Franchise files
King County Archives holds records that document how county government relates to utility taxing districts: establishing them, setting their boundaries, and collecting and distributing taxes raised. Specifically, the Archives holds franchise files, which contain utility taxing district information.
Auditor's annual reports, 1885-1969
The auditor's annual report of the financial status of King County details monies received from all sources, principally taxes, and the disbursement of monies by county agencies. It also summarizes the county's general resources, liabilities and indebtedness. Records of specialized taxing districts (e.g., water or sewer districts) are presented separately.
Department of Transportation photograph and moving image files, 1960-2002
King County photographers documented neighborhoods and street infrastructure in unincorporated King County prior to sewer or water line construction. Photographs can be found by keyword, road or street name, sewer or water district name or number, intersection, and sometimes homeowner name. Reference maps showing sewer connections and locations of photographs are often present in these files.
Establishment records (at Puget Sound Regional Archives)
Establishment records for utility taxing districts can be found in county legislative files. Supporting documentation (petitions, resolutions and maps relating to annexations, absorption by incorporated areas, and dissolution) can be found in the King County Commissioners' Water District Files (1916-1973) and Sewer District Files (1936-1972). These files are organized by district number and held by Puget Sound Regional Archives in Bellevue. Please contact the Regional Archives for more information.
Water and Sewer District records (at Puget Sound Regional Archives)
Utility taxing districts, such as water and sewer districts, are not a part of King County government. Records generated and maintained by water and sewer districts are held by the districts themselves or by Puget Sound Regional Archives in Bellevue. Please contact the Regional Archives for more information.
Utility taxing district reports and studies
Water and sewer district plans and studies
This record series contains engineering plans and studies commissioned by municipalities, water and sewer districts in King County. They were most likely collected and kept as a reference collection by the Road Engineer or by the Building and Land Development (BALD) Division.
There are two components: (1) a numeric section for water districts, arranged by water district number, and (2) an alphabetic section arranged by name of municipality, sewer or water district. Many of these are comprehensive plans generated as part of a combined water-and-sewer study for a given district or municipality.
King County Document Collection
This collection of individual reports and studies includes such items as aquifer protection studies; engineering reports; environmental impact statements; hydraulic analyses; sewerage system plans, amendments and updates; and water system plans, amendments and updates.