Kirkland residents and businesses are encouraged to review the 2016 Stormwater Management Program Plan and submit comments by March 14. The Stormwater Management Program Plan outlines actions that the city of Kirkland takes to reduce stormwater pollution such as public education, outreach and involvement, illicit discharge detection, runoff control, pollution prevention, and water quality monitoring. Stormwater pollution is a result of driving, yard care, pet waste, car washing, and land development. Kirkland has a permit that allows the City to discharge stormwater from impervious surfaces like buildings and roads into rivers, lakes, and streams as long as the City implements programs to reduce pollutants in stormwater.
The Federal Clean Water Act requires government and private entities to obtain a permit through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program in order to discharge stormwater to surface waters regulated by the Federal Government. Stormwater is a significant pollutant source, and the NPDES program and the City’s draft Stormwater Management Program Plan are designed to improve the quality of water in lakes and streams. Cleaning up stormwater will involve both reducing the amount of pollution that we put onto the landscape (source control), and removing contaminants from runoff before it reaches local waters (treatment).
The draft document is available online at www.kirklandwa.gov, search “2016 NPDES SWMP”, at the Kirkland City Hall reference desk (123 Fifth Avenue), or by calling the Public Works Department (425) 587-3800. Comments can be provided via e-mail to Stormwater@kirklandwa.gov or via mail addressed to the City of Kirkland Public Works Department, 123 Fifth Avenue, Kirkland, WA 98033.
For more information about the City’s Storm and Surface Water Management Programs, search “surface water” at www.kirklandwa.gov or contact Jenny Gaus, Kirkland Public Works Department, at 425-587-3850 or jgaus@kirklandwa.gov. To learn more about the State Department of Ecology stormwater permit, search “Phase II Western WA Stormwater Permit” at www.ecy.wa.gov
