Determining the Effectiveness of Municipal Stormwater Practices and Activities in Eastern Washington
Stormwater management programs are required by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) to choose and implement practices and activities, many of which are presumed to be effective at minimizing or eliminating pollution to surface waters of the State. Municipal stormwater managers from various cities and counties in eastern Washington are working to prioritize and answer questions about the effectiveness of these presumed practices and activities.
Ecology regulates 18 cities and 6 counties in eastern Washington for municipal stormwater discharges to surface waters of the State through a permit. The permit requires collaboration and implementation during the next several years to develop stormwater effectiveness studies. The City of Spokane Valley Stormwater Utility applied to Ecology and received grant funding to help the City and other communities in Eastern Washington develop meaningful effectiveness studies and meet permit requirements from 2013-2017. Eight individual studies are now progressing with lead entities (jurisdictions), including the cities of Wenatchee, Ellensburg, Kennewick, Spokane and the counties of Yakima and Spokane.
Key Documents