Forum helps find ideas for stormwater management

By John Larson

Fife Free Press
jlarson@tacomaweekly.com
Published on: November 06, 2008

Pollution knows no political boundaries. Stormwater runoff does not stop at any city limits, so it makes sense for staff from local governments to share ideas on protecting wetlands and rivers from pollutants.

Jurisdictions around Puget Sound, and around the nation, are required to comply with the federal Clean Water Act. A section of the law covers the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.

Lorin Reinelt, watershed and lead entity coordinator for Pierce County Surface Water Management, explained that the act regulates how jurisdictions are to manage stormwater. In 1995 the state Department of Ecology issued stormwater permits to larger governments such as Pierce, King and Snohomish counties and the cities of Seattle and Tacoma. These are considered phase I permit holders.

In February 2007 Ecology issued permits to phase II jurisdictions, which are officially considered those with populations between 10,000 and 100,000. However, it is pulling in many with populations less than 10,000, meaning nearly every city in the Puget Sound region is subject to the regulation, according to Reinelt.

Phase I governments have more components and monitoring requirements to their permits while phase II is more limited in scope, Reinelt explained. However, both share a common goal of protecting water quality.

Phase II permit holders are embarking on public outreach efforts to inform residents about things they can do to keep pollutants from reaching rivers and the sound, such as not pouring motor oil in catch basins and not washing cars near storm drains.

“There are things we all do every day that pollute,” Reinelt said. Automobiles are perhaps the worst culprits. They leak anti-freeze and oil, and brake lining flakes off. “All of that is left on the streets and the roadways, and eventually washes into the streams and wetlands, and eventually Puget Sound.”

Lawns and gardens can also contribute to the problem. In September and October Tacoma/Pierce County Health Department, in conjunction with the cities of Fife, Milton and Edgewood, held a series of workshops at Milton City Hall to explain yard care practices that are friendly to the environment.

Counties and large cities have more staff to address stormwater issues, as well as money to hire consultants, than smaller cities.

Ken Gill, assistant city engineer for Fife, is among a handful of people who deal with stormwater issues in a city with environmentally sensitive areas, ongoing industrial development and a recent housing boom. Fife was granted its permit in January 2007; it expires in February 2012.

The Ecology permit requires much paperwork, Gill explained. “That is the toughest part. I do not have a lot of money for consultants.”

One way Gill shares ideas with people like Reinelt and their counterparts with area cities is through Puyallup River Watershed Council Forum, which meets on a regular basis at Sumner City Hall. “It is an excellent source of information,” Gill said. “The way that you make it work is you spend some time looking at what others have done.”

Orting hired a consultant to do its annual stormwater report, which Gill was able to borrow.

As an engineer, he can get locked into a certain mindset. At one forum meeting an economist talked about Puget Sound as an asset. Hearing from other professionals is valuable. “That changes the way you think.”

Fife has a low groundwater table and water quality  related to Wapato Creek. Gill hired a specialist to assist on those issues.

David Sherfield previously was with the city of Sumner. He is a geographic information system/computer aided drafting specialist. Gill said phase II cities need to map their system. “A person who has those skills is very valuable. We did not have that a year ago.”

Fife updated its stormwater manual in April. It filled a three-ring binder five inches thick. “It is a lot to digest,” Gill said.

This helps in planning for housing developments and retention ponds for  warehouses.

Gill’s  grandfather fished at Point Defiance. “This is my contribution to keeping it so my grandchildren can fish there, too.”

Story Tools

This Week's
Front Page