The National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES)is a permit program created by the Clean Water Act to regulate stormwater discharges to receiving water bodies. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers the program and has delegated authority to the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) to implement NPDES programs in our state.  The Western Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit (Permit) is one type of NPDES permit and applies to municipalities with populations less than 100,000 located within, or partially within, an urbanized area and that operate a municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) which discharges to a water of Washington State. The Permit provides regulatory requirements and deadlines that permittees must follow to comply with the Clean Water Act. The current permit became effective  August 1, 2019 and expire July 31, 2024.

The Permit governs over 80 municipalities, including Kenmore. The Permit authorizes the discharge of stormwater runoff from the municipality’s MS4 into the state’s surface waters (i.e., streams, rivers, lakes, Puget Sound, wetlands, etc.) and groundwater as long as all Permit requirements are followed.

All Phase II municipalities are required to submit an annual report and a Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) Plan to Ecology by March 31^st each year.  The annual report and SWMP Plan document many of the required activities outlined in the Permit.  These submittals are required to be provided on each permit holder’s website by May 31^st each year.

We encourage the public to contact us if you have any comments or questions about the NPDES program or any of the annual report documents. Please email Richard Sawyer at rsawyer@kenmorewa.gov or call 425-398-8900.

Current Annual Report

The City must submit an Annual Report to Ecology by March 31^st of each year.  Please click on the following link to download and view the current annual plan.

2023 Annual Report 

Current SWMP Plan

The City must submit a Stormwater Management Program (SWMP) Plan to Ecology by March 31^st of each year.  Please click on the following link to download and view the current SWMP Plan.  Additional SWMP Plan supporting documentation and information is provided below.

2023 (Reporting Year) Stormwater Management Program Plan 

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Stormwater Planning 

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The City implements a stormwater planning program to inform and assist in the development of policies and strategies as water quality management tools to protect receiving waters.  This is achieved through coordinating with long-range plan updates, continuing to require low impact development code-related requirements and stormwater management action planning (SMAP).

• March 31, 2023 Stormwater Management Action Plan  Click on this link to view the Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP) for Tributary 0057.

• June 20, 2022 Receiving Water Prioritization Click on this link for documentation regarding the City’s receiving water prioritization, which is part of the SMAP process.  Stormwater management action planning is an on-going process, and the city encourages the public to get involved and comment, ask questions and provide feedback.  Please email rsawyer@kenmorewa.gov to get involved.

Public Education and Outreach

The City implements a public education & outreach program to build general awareness about methods to address and reduce impacts from stormwater runoff, effect behavior change to reduce or eliminate behaviors and practices that cause or contribute to adverse stormwater impacts, and create stewardship opportunities that encourages community engagement in addressing the impacts from stormwater runoff.  The City works collaboratively with neighboring municipalities and other stakeholders to implement this program.

• 2019 Community Survey
• 2012 Community Survey
• 2009 Community Survey

Public Involvement and Participation

The City encourages the public to participate in the implementation of its NPDES permit through City Council meetings, Planning Commission meetings, public hearings (when applicable) City public events, and surveys.  The City posts its annual report and updated SWMP Plan every May on the City webpage and encourages the public to provide feedback at any time.

MS4 Mapping and Documentation

The City maintains maps of its municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) in geographical information system (GIS) format.  GIS maps are available anytime on the city’s website at this link.

Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination (IDDE)

The City implements an ongoing program designed to prevent, detect, characterize, trace, and eliminate illicit connections and illicit discharges into the MS4.  The IDDE program utilizes field screening, citizen reports, spill hotline notifications, and construction inspections to find and respond to IDDE issues.  The City uses education and its regulatory authority (as defined in KMC 13.45) to eliminate IDDE issues.

• KMC 13.45 
• 2017 IDDE Manual

Controlling Runoff From New Development, Redevelopment and Construction Sites

The City implements a program to reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff to the City’s MS4 from new development, redevelopment and construction site activities.  To achieve this the City adopts and implements a program and surface water design manual that provides the minimum requirements, limitations, and criteria that will protect water quality, reduce the discharge of pollutants to the maximum extent practicable, and satisfy the State requirement under Chapter 90.48 to apply all known and reasonable technologies prior to discharge.

• 2021 King County Surface Water Design Manual(Effective June 30, 2022)
• 2021 King County Surface Water Design Manual Addendum 
• 2016 King County Surface Water Design Manual
• 2012 Low Impact Development (LID) Manual

Operations and Maintenance

The City implements a program to inspect and regulate maintenance activities of privately operated facilities and to inspect and conduct maintenance activities on the City’s MS4 to prevent or reduce stormwater impacts. 

• 2022 Operations and Maintenance Practices and Policies Manual
  
• 2015 Operations and Maintenance Practices and Policies Manual

Source Control Program for Existing Development

The City implements a program to prevent and reduce pollutants in runoff from existing developed areas that discharge to the MS4.  The program includes inspection of sites that have the potential to discharge pollutants based upon their existing land use and activity and may require, if necessary, application of best management practices (source control or structural).

Swamp Creek Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)

The City implements a program to comply with total maximum daily load (TMDL) requirements.  A TMDL (or water quality improvement project) is implemented when a water body is evaluated and found to exceed water quality standards for one or more parameters and is put on the state’s polluted water list, known as the 303(d) list.  The City has a TMDL for Swamp Creek for bacteria pollution.  Additional information can be found on the City’s Swamp Creek TMDL webpage at this link.  

• 2015 Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)

Monitoring and Assessment

• The City complies with monitoring and assessment Permit requirements by providing annual payments to Ecology to participate in Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM).  SAM provides the framework for Permit holders to collaborate with Ecology and combine resources to conduct both regional status and trends and source identification projects.  For more information regarding SAM follow this link.

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