Washington 2019-2024 Phase II Permit Compliance.

Western Washington MS4 Phase II 2019-2024 Permit Compliance table templates are available. The City of Battle Ground, Newcastle, and Thurston County/Gig Harbor have created compliance tables for the Phase II 2019-2024 permit available to Phase II permitees to use as a template for their jurisdictions.

                         W. Washington templates are available here.

                         E. Washington templates are available here.

Washington Stormwater Municipal Conference 2019 updates!

Thanks to everyone who came out and made The 2019 Washington Stormwater Center Municipal Conference a huge success! It was a great group of dedicated people sharing and learning and we hope that you all came away from the event excited to continue the important work that you do every day. We wanted to take the opportunity to share some of the numbers behind Municon 2019:

- 455 stormwater professionals registered for the event, maxing the capacity for our venue.

- 368 Municipal Permittees in attendance, 62 representing Eastern WA and 344 from Western WA.

- 36 presentations spanning 4 Tracks with 26 municipal lead/co-presenters.

- 4 interactive half day workshops on various stormwater subjects.

For those of you looking to revisit some of the information presented during the conference or if you were unable to attend this year, we are pleased to share the following resources:

The 2019 Washington State Municipal Stormwater Conference presentations and videos, along with the power point presentations are now available for view through the Washington Stormwater Center Website.

Conference presentations are posted under Conference Schedule & Abstracts. Click on "Day 1 Workshops" or "Day 2 Breakout Sessions" to find the presentation(s) you are looking for. You will also see a link to the WSC YouTube Channel for the video playlist. Videos are available for the Day 2 presentations only (the workshops were not videotaped).

You can also check out the Municon lunchtime slideshow, featuring work from 19 municipal stormwater projects completed by municipal permittees from across the state!

Thanks again and we look forward to seeing you all in 2021!

Washington Stormwater Center Online LID Training Program

We’re excited to announce the launch of the Washington Stormwater Center online LID Training Program! This multi-part curriculum will earn participants a Design Certificate, an Operations & Maintenance Certificate, or both. These courses offer a concise introduction to LID BMPs for Washington State as outlined in The Department of Ecology's Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington.

Upon completion of the course modules and assessments associated with the LID Design Certificate, participants will have the necessary knowledge to better communicate across disciplines when designing and installing LID practices. Completion of the certificate will also increase technical knowledge of LID BMPs, thereby improving the design, planning, implementation, and review of LID projects during all stages of development.

Completion of the Operations & Maintenance Certificate ensures participants will have the knowledge to adaptively manage LID practices for effective long-term performance. This Certificate provides essential operations and maintenance concepts associated with LID practices, and the technical knowledge to design a maintenance plan.

If you would like to earn both certificates, you will need to register for each one separately.

Register Now!

Washington Stormwater Center 2018 Annual Report

It's been a busy year for the Washington Stormwater Center! This year our research has taken center stage with groundbreaking findings on the pollutant problems caused by stormwater and innovative solutions to protect Washington's increasingly at risk waterways. We envision a future in which communities are knowledgeable about stormwater research and apply planning and tools to minimize flooding, protect clean water and promote thriving ecosystems.

View the full report.

The Washington Stormwater Center in the news!

Check out this story on K5 News featuring our very own Jennifer McIntyre discussing the dangers of stormwater runoff to coho salmon, as well as the solutions her research has helped uncover.

Dr. John Stark, Director of the Washington Stormwater Center Interviewed

Both Dr. Stark, also a Professor of Ecotoxicology with WSU, and Dr. Nat Scholz, Ecotoxicology Program Manager for NOAA Fisheries, were tapped for their expertise in a recent article published by The Center for Investigative Reporting. The final article focusing on the cessation of federal reviews of toxic pesticides can be read on the Reveal website.

Ecology proposes new water quality standards for water contact recreation

The Department of Ecology proposed updates to Chapter 173-201A, the Water Quality Standards for Surface Waters of the State of Washington.

We are now accepting public comments through September 14, 2018.

The proposed rule includes new bacterial indicators for water contact recreation use criteria, modifications to the water contact recreation use classes, and improved location information in use designation tables 602 (use designations for fresh waters) and 612 (use designations for marine waters).

Learn more about the proposed rule

• Read the proposed rule language (pdf)
• Ready the rule proposal CR-102 form (pdf)
• Read other supporting rule documents, including the draft EIS, Preliminary Regulatory Analyses, and draft Rule Implementation Plan

How can I comment?

You may submit comments on the proposed rule through September 14, 2018, via the following methods:

• Submit comments online
• Mail comments to:
  Department of Ecology Water Quality Program
  Attn: Becca Conklin
  300 Desmond Drive SE
  Lacey, WA 98503
• Comment at a public hearing

Stay informed

Interested parties can stay informed about the rulemaking and public involvement opportunities as described below.

• Visit the rulemaking web page
• Sign up to receive e-mail notices on this rule, and other water quality activities

Questions?

Contact Bryson Finch, rule lead, at bryson.finch@ecy.wa.gov or 360-407-7158

Ecology Seeks Comment on 2019 SWMMWW draft

Ecology is pleased to announce the release of the Draft 2019 Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington (SWMMWW) for public comment. Also, in August 2018 the Draft 2019 Municipal Stormwater Permits are scheduled to be released for public comment.

Looking for your feedback

The comment period for both the Draft 2019 SWMMWW and the Draft 2019 Municipal Stormwater Permits will end on November 14, 2018. The front page of the manual has information for how to submit your comments on the manual.

Contact

Amanda Heye, P.E.
Technical Editor
Amanda.Heye@ecy.wa.gov

For more information visit the SWMMWW Website

Shore Stewards guide to dealing with dog waste

Did you know that dogs across the Puget Sound produce an estimated 133,821,712 lbs of waste annually? Luckily, the folks at Shore Stewards have published this informative guide to help all you pet parents out there protect yourselves, your furry friends, and the environment by disposing of waste properly.

Dealing with Dog Waste Summer 2018 (pdf)

Putting Science to Work

Stormwater is a growing threat to surface waters and aquatic organisms nationwide. In recent years, green stormwater infrastructure best management practices (BMPs) are increasingly being used to mitigate stormwater impacts. In this project, conducted by Washington State University and the Washington Stormwater Center, permeable asphalt and bioretention BMPs were evaluated for their potential to improve stormwater quality and quantity.

A summary detailing the basics of the research and findings (docx) is available on this site. For the entire report, or for questions about this project, please contact Lisa Rozmyn.

Registration for the Online Portion of the Hybrid LID Certificate Program is Open!

We are pleased to be offering a new year of the Hybrid Low Impact Development (LID) Certificate Program - formerly known as the Statewide LID Training Program! Beginning in 2018, the training program has transitioned from a solely in-person training system to a hybrid (online and in-person) system. The online, self-paced courses include the theoretical basis for designing and maintaining LID systems. The in-person trainings will provide critical practical skills and real-world examples taught by the foremost practicing experts in the field.

Learn more about the new program and register today

In-person trainings will be offered in the fall of 2018, with locations and dates to be determined.

Remember—you must register for both the in-person AND online portions of the certificate of your choice (LID Design and/or LID Operations & Maintenance) in order to receive that certificate. Working through the online curriculum is also required before attending the associated in-person trainings.

• Read the full details of the new hybrid system on the program webpage
• Register for the online portion of the LID Operations & Maintenance Certificate
• Register for the online portion of the LID Design Certificate

Don't forget to LIKE US on Facebook!

As part of our outreach efforts, we are now on Facebook and Twitter. Follow us to stay informed about everything happening at the Washington Stormwater Center, including upcoming events and activities!