Update November 6, 2011

The City is currently working on a Basin Plan for Ecology approval that will document the design of the various Regional Facilities proposed within the downtown area.   

Since 2005, the City Council has supported a plan that will transform the stormwater infrastructure in downtown Redmond in just a few years. This rapid retrofit to the stormwater system will dramatically reduce the amount of pollutants flowing from city streets and parking lots into the Sammamish River. This transformation may also help to spur redevelopment in our downtown core by addressing the stormwater impacts associated with that development up front.

Developers will contribute to the cost of these facilities, and working together will make larger improvements to water quality than they could alone. In a relatively short span of time, the main projects completed or scheduled to be constructed are:

2007. McRedmond Water Quality Facility (WQF). This underground facility is located in the parking lot of Luke McRedmond Landing Park. This facility used an innovative filter technology and is being carefully monitored for performance through Ecology's TAPE protocol.

2008. Leary Stormwater Treatment Wetland (STW). This project, Redmond's first stormwater treatment wetland, takes advantage of the natural vegetation processes in a wetland to remove pollutants from stormwater.

2011. Bear Creek Water Quality Facility (WQF). This project is located next to the Bear Creek trail behind Safeway and will filter stormwater.

This project was completed in the summer of 2011. The facility is lined to allow it to hold water to support the wetland plants, although the liner may take a few months to form its final seal. This project was funded by the Washington State Department of Ecology’s FY2011 Stormwater Retrofit Grant Program.

2011. The Redmond Way Storm Trunk is currently under construction. The new trunk, located primarily within the Burlington Northern Railroad Right-of-Way that was recently acquired by the City, will carry stormwater to treatment and then to the river so expensive ponds and vaults need not be built throughout downtown. This project has been partially funded by grants from the Washington State Department of Ecology.

2013. Redmond Way Water Quality Facility. This underground system will provide treatment for all the flows collected by the Redmond Way Storm Trunk. The City hopes the performance of the McRedmond Water Quality Facility demonstrates it will be suitable for use at this site and also at 85th Street.  The City is currently designing this facility and evaluating various alternative technologies to provide treatment. This project is being partially funded by the Washington State Department of Ecology’s FY2011 Stormwater Retrofit Grant Program.

2018. 85th Street WQF. This underground facility, built on the City campus, will treat water from the north downtown area. It will be similar in design to the Redmond Way Facility.

The City is seeking state grants to help support this program. The project is also being funded by the Stormwater CIP and developer contributions through the regional capital facilities charges.