What is the $113 million Everett pipeline project? On April 2, 2026, the Everett City Council approved $113 million for the construction phase of new combined stormwater and sewer pipes plus a 48-inch water main replacement along West Marine View Drive — from the Grand Avenue Bridge in the north down to Hewitt Avenue in the south. The pipes feed the planned Port Gardner Storage Facility, a state-mandated combined sewer overflow project budgeted at more than $200 million that will hold approximately 7 million gallons of excess stormwater so it can be treated rather than discharged into Port Gardner Bay or the Snohomish River. Construction could begin as early as June 2026 and continue through the end of 2027. Engineers expect the facility to reduce combined sewer overflows by approximately 95%.
The two projects, and how they work together
What got approved on April 2 is the connective tissue. The $113 million pays for the pipes that carry the flow. Those pipes feed the Port Gardner Storage Facility — a separate, much larger project currently estimated at more than $200 million. The storage facility is the catchment basin; the pipes are the route. Without the pipes, the storage facility is a giant tank with no way to fill it. Without the storage facility, the pipes are oversized infrastructure with nowhere to send the flow.
That is why the council is treating the funding as a single decision tree even though the dollar figures are split. The April 2 vote authorized the construction phase of the pipe component. The storage facility funding sits in its own approval and procurement track. Both have to land for the system to function.
What the $113 million buys
The ordinance allocates the construction-phase funding for three concurrent scopes inside the West Marine View Drive corridor:
- A new combined stormwater-and-sewer pipe sized to carry significantly more flow than the existing system
- Replacement of the existing 48-inch water main running along the same corridor
- Connections that tie the new pipes into the upstream Port Gardner Storage Facility
The corridor runs from the Grand Avenue Bridge at the north end of the waterfront down to Hewitt Avenue at the southern downtown waterfront — the entire length of the road that connects the north end of the city to the marina, the port, and the downtown waterfront.
Why the state is making Everett build this
Combined sewer systems are a 19th- and early-20th-century engineering pattern. In a combined system, stormwater and sanitary sewer share the same underground pipe. On a normal day that works fine. During a heavy rain, the system gets overwhelmed and the pipes do what they were designed to do as a safety valve — they overflow at designated points, sending a mix of rainwater and untreated wastewater into the nearest body of water.
In Everett, the nearest bodies of water are Port Gardner Bay and the Snohomish River.
The Washington Department of Ecology has been requiring cities with combined sewer systems to reduce overflow events for decades. Everett’s combined sewer overflow reduction program has been ratcheting down the number of allowed overflow events year by year. The Port Gardner Storage Facility — and the $113 million pipes that feed it — is the city’s response to the most recent compliance requirements. This is not an optional project. The state has ordered it. The schedule is enforceable. The $113 million is the price of compliance.
The 7-million-gallon answer
The Port Gardner Storage Facility, once built, will hold approximately 7 million gallons of excess stormwater during heavy rain events. Instead of overflowing into the bay, that flow gets metered out through the treatment plant in the hours and days after the storm. Engineers expect the facility to reduce combined sewer overflows by approximately 95%.
The downstream effect is significant. Port Gardner Bay is the working waterfront, the marina, and an active recreational and ecological zone. Reducing overflow events there has water-quality, shellfish-safety, and habitat implications that compound year over year.
Where the money comes from
This is the part that often gets lost in the headline. The $113 million pipeline funding comes from the city’s water and sewer utility fund, not the general fund. That money cannot be redirected to parks, police, libraries, or general government. Utility fund revenue comes from utility ratepayers, and it is restricted to utility infrastructure spending.
What that means in practice: the project is not a tradeoff against other city services. It does, however, sit inside the broader rate-setting conversation that determines water and sewer bills going forward. As the city carries the cost of large combined-sewer-overflow compliance projects, the pressure on ratepayer bills increases. That conversation runs in parallel with the budget deficit story already covered in our complete 2027 budget deficit guide.
The construction footprint
Construction could begin as early as June 2026 and continue through the end of 2027. The corridor — Grand Avenue Bridge to Hewitt Avenue along West Marine View Drive — is one of the most-driven roads in the city. It connects the north end of Everett to the downtown waterfront and the Port. Multi-month lane impacts are realistic for a project of this scope and length, particularly during pipe-trench excavation phases.
For commuters, marina users, and waterfront business operators, the practical advice is to assume sustained corridor disruption and watch the city’s project page for phase-by-phase closure schedules. The lane configuration that exists today is not the lane configuration that will exist for much of 2026 and 2027.
How this fits with the rest of the waterfront story
The pipeline and storage facility are not happening in isolation. The waterfront is in active redevelopment — see the Waterfront Place complete guide, the Millwright District Phase 2, the Edgewater Bridge reopening, and the broader Imagine Everett vision. The combined sewer overflow infrastructure is the unglamorous foundation that makes everything above ground possible. Without compliance, future shoreline development gets harder. With it, the bay water quality story moves in the right direction over the next decade.
What to watch next
- June 2026 construction start signal — confirms the ramp into the heavy work
- Port Gardner Storage Facility procurement milestones — the $200M-plus parent project
- Department of Ecology compliance reporting on overflow events
- Water and sewer rate notifications — the pass-through to ratepayers
- Lane closure communications from the city — the operational impact
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the $113 million pay for?
The $113 million funds the construction phase of new combined stormwater and sewer pipes plus replacement of an existing 48-inch water main along West Marine View Drive, from the Grand Avenue Bridge to Hewitt Avenue. The pipes feed the planned Port Gardner Storage Facility.
What is the Port Gardner Storage Facility?
The Port Gardner Storage Facility is a state-mandated combined sewer overflow project, currently estimated at more than $200 million, that will hold approximately 7 million gallons of excess stormwater during heavy rain events. Instead of overflowing into Port Gardner Bay or the Snohomish River, the stormwater is held until it can be treated.
Why did the state require this project?
The Washington Department of Ecology requires cities with combined sewer systems — older systems where stormwater and sanitary sewer share one pipe — to reduce overflow events. Everett has been ratcheting down its allowed overflow count for decades; this facility is the city’s response to the most recent compliance requirements.
When does construction start?
Construction could begin as early as June 2026. Work is expected to continue through the end of 2027.
Where does the money come from?
Funding comes from the city’s water and sewer utility fund. That money is restricted to utility infrastructure and cannot be redirected to general government services like parks or police.
How much will combined sewer overflows be reduced?
Engineers expect the Port Gardner Storage Facility, once operational, to reduce combined sewer overflows by approximately 95%.
Will my water bill go up because of this?
Utility infrastructure spending of this scale puts pressure on the rate-setting conversation that determines water and sewer bills. The exact rate impact moves with the broader utility fund and bond pictures; watch city utility billing notifications and the rate-setting public meetings for specifics.
Will West Marine View Drive be closed?
Multi-month lane impacts are realistic for a project of this scope and corridor length. Watch the city’s project page for phase-by-phase closure schedules; the lane configuration in place today is not the configuration that will be in place for much of 2026 and 2027.
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