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- Private Drainage Inspection
Stormwater drainage systems protect property and buildings from flooding. Rainfall accumulates on hard surfaces like roofs, streets, and parking lots. If there were no drains, these buildings and properties would flood when it rains.
Stormwater drainage systems are a series of pipes, drains, vaults, ponds, and swales that stormwater flows through. Drainage systems deliver stormwater to lakes, rivers, streams, and other waterways, including groundwaters that flow beneath our feet.
The City’s current private drainage system inspection activities focus only on those commercial, industrial, manufacturing, and multi-family residential properties with stormwater drainage systems installed after 2009. Inspection of these newer stormwater drainage systems is a minimum requirement of Redmond’s municipal stormwater permit issued by the Department of Ecology. The proactive and comprehensive Private Drainage Inspection Program as it existed in prior years, has been mostly discontinued due to funding cuts.
Although the comprehensive Private Drainage Inspection Program is not active, City Municipal Code (RMC 13.06.080) is still in effect: “Property owners are responsible for the maintenance, operation and repair of storm water drainage systems and source control BMPs within their property... in compliance with the requirements of this chapter and the City of Redmond Storm Water Technical Notebook.”
Please feel free to contact the Program Administrator if you have additional questions about the City’s private drainage inspection work, the above referenced Redmond Municipal Code, or if you have a specific concern related to the function of a private storm drainage system in Redmond.
