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Stormwater is generally rain and melting snow that runs off surfaces
that cannot readily absorb water. These surfaces include rooftops, pavement,
compacted gravel lots, and even frozen ground. As it flows towards receiving
waters such as streams, lakes, rivers or infiltrates down into the aquifer
it picks up pollutants. These pollutants are such things as sediments,
airborne dust, pet waste, oil, grease, fertilizers, chemicals,
litter and whatever else we have left on the ground or poured down our
drains and grates that can be carried or dissolved in water. Stormwater
pollution is caused by all of us. Some of it can be treated. Most of it must
simply be prevented.
Stormwater runoff causes pollution, erosion and flooding problems. These
problems occur because we altered the land and changed the way that water
moves through the landscape.
As Redmond grows and we build more rooftops, driveways, streets and
other hard or impervious surfaces, the land’s capacity
to soak up and carry away excess water decreases. As a result, conditions that might
result in a flood once every 100 years in an undeveloped area can cause
flooding every four or five years after development has covered the land
with impervious surfaces.
As water from rain and melting snow runs across these hard surfaces and
over lawns and gardens they pick up pollutants such as sediments, pet waste,
oil, grease, pesticides, and fertilizers. Stormwater carries these
contaminants to our streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands and our aquifer. More
and dirtier stormwater runs off each year, but we have fewer and fewer
options to deal with it. Since individual contributions to stormwater are
small, it is hard to believe that we really impact the quality and quantity
of stormwater entering our water systems. The cumulative and long-term
effects have a substantial impact to the health of our waterways.
Fortunately, something can be done to keep stormwater flooding and
pollution problems from becoming worse. We can:
- manage stormwater to control flooding and erosion;
- plan and construct stormwater systems so contaminants are removed
before they pollute our surface waters or our groundwater resources
- acquire and protect natural waterways where they still exist or
can be rehabilitated;
- look for opportunities to build "soft" structures such as ponds,
swales or wetlands to work with existing or "hard" structures, such as
pipes and concrete channels;
- revise current stormwater regulations to address our comprehensive
stormwater needs;
- enhance and enforce existing ordinances to make sure property
owners consider the effects of stormwater before, during and after
development of their land;
- educate ourselves about how our actions affect the quality of our
water, and about what we can do to improve water quality; and
- plan carefully to create solutions before problems become too
great.
WATERSHED PLANNING
The City has been divided into 68 drainage areas – or watersheds –
for study. We are taking a detailed look at each watershed to determine
the best way to handle stormwater from existing and future development.
Watershed plans will enable us to make better choices about how to plan,
maintain, and construct our drainage systems so they can better meet the
community’s many needs.
MAINTENANCE
We are improving the way we maintain ponds, swales, catch basins,
drywells, ditches and culverts. We are mapping the location of each
stormwater facility, monitoring their condition and tracking the time it
takes to maintain them. This will help us determine which ones are working
well, which ones aren’t and which ones we need to replace immediately to
save money.
RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS/COMPLAINTS
When you have a stormwater concern in your neighborhood, call the
stormwater utility to find out what can be done. We use your calls to help
us determine which facilities need to be replaced or repaired, use our
webform, or call 425-556-2825 or email
nr@redmond.gov.
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AWARENESS
We are informing the public about drainage systems, how they function
and how to take care of them. This will help reduce threats to water quality
and prevent flooding problems. CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
Stormwater funds are paying, through the
Stormwater CIP Program and the
Neighborhood Drainage CIP Program, for
construction by City crews and by contractors of projects to repair or
rehabilitate failed stormwater facilities and construct new regional
facilities to better manage stormwater throughout the City. Stream
restoration efforts to repair eroded areas, restore fish habitat, and
enhance stream buffers are examples of other Capital Improvements projects
funded by the Stormwater Utility. More information can be found in the Stormwater
Utility's Frequently Asked Questions page.
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