Property Tax Search
Home › Comp Plans › Whatcom County › Utilities
Whatcom County · WC-CP-2021 · Pages 1-18

Utilities

This chapter establishes goals and policies governing the location, permitting, operation, and expansion of all utility systems in Whatcom County, including electric power, natural gas, petroleum pipelines, telecommunications, water supply, sewage treatment, and solid waste. It directs that utility corridors be shared where feasible, that urban-level services be limited to designated urban growth areas, and that permitting processes be streamlined to avoid delays in utility provision. The chapter also addresses pipeline safety, energy conservation, renewable energy, and water supply planning in coordination with state and regional authorities.

Utilities Economy Environment Governance Safety

“Only 3 of 65 Utilities policies (5%) include a concrete, measurable commitment.” Real Record SAY vs DO analysis · Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan

About this analysis

Real Record applies the SAY vs DO accountability framework to every chapter of every Washington comprehensive plan we publish. Each policy in the chapter is read individually and scored into one of four buckets:

  • Measurable — the policy names a specific target, deadline, dollar amount, or action that can be verified later.
  • Strong — binding action language (“shall,” “will adopt,” “require”) without a measurable threshold.
  • Aspirational — encouraging or supportive language (“encourage,” “support,” “consider”) with no enforcement.
  • Monitor only — policies that commit to tracking or reporting but not to action.

The accountability score shown in the sidebar is the share of policies in the chapter that landed in the “Measurable” bucket. A score of 0–19 (red) indicates most policies use aspirational language without concrete accountability; 20–49 (orange) is mixed; 50 or higher (green) means the chapter is dominated by measurable commitments.

The underlying text comes from the official adopted comprehensive plan published by the Whatcom County planning department. Scoring is performed by Real Record analysts using a structured rubric; the raw policy text and bucket assignments are archived in the Real Record civic data warehouse.

Read the full methodology, sources, and rubric at Real Record · About.

What the Plan Promises
Formal targets adopted in the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan.
50% source-separated recycling diversion (Goal 5V); 500-foot setback from transmission pipeline centerline for high-population land uses (Policy 5N-7); 1,000-foot pipeline notification area (Map 5-2)
Goals (18 total)
  • Goal 5A: Specify a clear process for determining appropriate locations for future needed utility facilities
  • Goal 5B: Support the development and use of new utility and information technologies
  • Goal 5C: Facilitate accessibility of utilities
  • Goal 5D: Minimize the time required for processing utilities permits
  • Goal 5E: Reduce unnecessary obstacles to land use development applications
  • Goal 5F: Identify and remove impediments to effective siting of necessary utility facilities
  • Goal 5G: Support cost-effective conservation as a significant supply factor and implement policies that promote energy conservation measures
  • Goal 5H: Support cost-effective renewable energy projects and implement policies that promote renewable energy projects
  • Goal 5J: Facilitate maintenance and rehabilitation of existing utility systems and facilities and encourage use of existing utility corridors
  • Goal 5K: Be responsive to new information on electric and magnetic field (EMF) research progress
  • Goal 5L: Support direct and indirect economic benefits to Whatcom County originating with energy or utilities in general
  • Goal 5M: Protect the citizens and the environment of Whatcom County through informational, educational, and regulatory measures
  • Goal 5N: Develop locational siting criteria specific to special conditions regarding transmission and large distribution pipelines
  • Goal 5P: Resolve county water issues through proactive participation in processes leading to a solution of water-related conflicts
  • Goal 5Q: Work with water purveyors to provide service to all existing and designated urban growth or industrial areas
  • Goal 5R: Ensure that potable water supplies required to serve development are available at the time the development is available for occupancy and use
  • Goal 5S: Reduce the incidence of on-site sewage treatment system failure through system management and enforcement of standards
  • Goal 5T: Support development of new sewage treatment facilities, including new pipelines and extensions of existing pipelines, to areas designated for urban-level growth
  • Goal 5U: Support waste prevention for both solid waste and hazardous waste as a primary focus prior to waste management
  • Goal 5V: Achieve 50 percent source-separated recycling waste diversion goal
  • Goal 5W: Make safe, effective, economical, and environmentally sound techniques for solid and hazardous waste disposal available
Stronger Policy Language (27 policies in this chapter)
  • Policy 5C-7: Public facilities and utilities will be designed and located in a manner that protects the integrity of planned land uses, existing land forms, drainage ways, natural systems, critical areas, and resource lands.
  • Policy 5C-8: Extension of urban utility services shall be limited to areas designated for urban development.
  • Policy 5E-2: Require evidence of compliance by the applicant with all relevant easement provisions as a condition of all discretionary and non-discretionary land use approvals.
  • Policy 5E-3: Utility companies shall provide notification of proposed projects to abutting landowners consistent with County code.
  • Policy 5M-4: Require transmission pipeline operators to provide accurate 'as-built' pipeline maps as a condition of approval for any county development permit.
  • Policy 5N-7: Prohibit new land uses with high on-site populations that are difficult to evacuate or new essential public facilities from being located nearer than 500 feet from the centerline of a transmission pipeline.
  • Policy 5R-1: Building permit applicants, new subdivisions, short plats, and binding site plans will be required to provide evidence that adequate and legal supplies of water are available prior to approval.
  • Policy 5W-2: Maintain and enforce standards for disposal of bio-solids, including management of the amount of heavy metals and other pollutants and management of impacts to sensitive areas.
Show all 27 stronger policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 23 stronger policies are catalogued in the Real Record civic data warehouse and indexed by policy number against the adopted plan text. See how policies are scored →
Aspirational / Monitoring Language (35 policies in this chapter)
  • Policy 5A-3: Encourage utility purveyors to consider underground installation of distribution facilities consistent with WUTC rates and tariffs.
  • Policy 5B-2: Support development and use of new technologies.
  • Policy 5C-5: Encourage regional planning of public facilities and utilities that will facilitate coordinated land-use management and capital facility construction.
  • Policy 5G-2: Encourage and support the use of conservation-based methods and technologies.
  • Policy 5H-2: Encourage and support the development of renewable energy projects and technologies, including pursuing renewable energy supply portfolios for the County from power suppliers.
  • Policy 5J-1: Encourage utility providers to explore expanded and/or joint use of existing utility corridors before seeking sites for new rights-of-way.
  • Policy 5M-8: Encourage the Office of Pipeline Safety to enact stronger safety measures for transmission pipelines, and to encourage pipeline applicants to voluntarily enact stronger safety measures.
  • Policy 5P-2: Encourage and actively participate in forums, workshops, and other water-related planning activities.
Show all 35 aspirational / monitoring policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 31 policies in this bucket use language like “encourage,” “support,” “consider,” or “monitor” — phrasing that does not create an enforceable commitment. See how policies are scored →

SAY vs DISCUSS: Did this come up in meetings?

Real Record has not yet indexed any Whatcom County briefings tagged to this chapter’s topics. Browse all Whatcom County council and planning briefings to see related discussions in context.

View Whatcom County Briefings →

SAY vs DO: Where the Money Goes

Departments related to Utilities in Whatcom County — what the city actually funds, year over year.

Budget analysis for this chapter is in progress. Real Record has mapped 4 Whatcom County departments to this chapter, but the FY2006 / FY2025 line-item totals are not yet loaded into our civic data warehouse. In the meantime, browse the city-wide budget comparison on the index page.