Stormwater Utility

Welcome to the Stormwater Division. Our mission is to ensure that stormwater facilities are designed and maintained properly to prevent flooding and erosion and protect water quality.

Report a Stormwater Problem - Call 688-0321

If you are having problems with road drainage, blocked storm drains, property or basement flooding, or would like to report illegal dumping of oil, garbage, or other materials in stormwater facilities, fill out this report or call our hotline number at 509-688-0321. 

The Stormwater Regulations are governed by Municipal Code 22.150.

Stormwater is runoff from a rainstorm or snow melt. Development reduces vegetated areas and creates impervious surfaces that reduce the natural capacity of the land to infiltrate stormwater into the ground. If left unmanaged, runoff can lead to flooding, erosion, pollution, and road degradation. 

The City of Spokane Valley established a storm and surface water utility in January of 2003, to provide for the development, maintenance and control of storm drainage and surface water within the City. 

A Stormwater Utility creates a dedicated funding source to provide basic stormwater services to the community. We provide the following services:

• Manage and treat public stormwater
• Maintain public drainage facilities
• Undertake capital projects to reduce flooding
• Provide street sweeping
• Compliance with state and federal regulations

The City has developed a Stormwater Management Work Plan that explains the proposed activities of the Stormwater Utility for the upcoming year. These work activities help the City meet the requirements of the Ecology Municipal Stormwater permit.

The City of Spokane Valley will be conducting an inventory of all municipal separate storm water system (MS4) components and all underground injection control facilities (UIC) including waterbodies of the state, inlets, pipes, structures, ponds, and 208-swales within the city limits.

 

City staff will utilize Global Positioning System (GPS) to locate permanent structures that drain stormwater to the MS4 for the purpose of developing a Geographical Information System drainage map. It is our intention not to disturb or damage public or private property during the inventory process. In the event a stormwater feature is covered, buried, or not easily accessible, the City will contact the property owner before proceeding to access the area or structure. During the stormwater drainage inventory process, City staff will wear bright colored vests or outerwear to ensure proper identification and safety.

Stormwater Utility Funding

All properties within the City of Spokane Valley are charged a one-time yearly stormwater fee to fund the Stormwater Utility program. The stormwater fee pays for maintenance costs, solves stormwater runoff problems, and improves and protects the water quality of the aquifer and surface waters. Learn more.

History of Stormwater Management

Stormwater generated from streets and development has traditionally infiltrated into the ground through drywells and swales. Drywells are concrete barrels surrounded by drain rock buried in the ground. Prior to the early 1980’s, stormwater was discharged directly to the ground without any provisions for removing contaminants. The City now owns approximately 5,600 drywells. See the History of Stormwater Management.

Grassy Swale Maintenance & Responsibility

Swales are grassy depressions that are used to store and treat stormwater runoff from impervious areas. The vegetation and soils in the swale filters pollutants from stormwater prior to infiltrating into the ground. 

It is typically the responsibility of the individual property owner to maintain the swale on their property. This includes:

• Keeping the grass or vegetation healthy
• Cleaning fine silt and sand out of the swale every spring
• Core aerating the grass in the swale to break up any silt that washed in
• Not overwatering in the summer months
• Bark, trees, rock, soil, etc. can not be used for ground cover in the swale
• Cleaning paint, mortar or concrete from the swale that may washed in during construction
• Keeping the swale open (no fences, paths, trees, cars, etc.)

Grasses for Unwatered Areas

Interested in knowing what types of grasses work best for unwatered areas? Here is a list of dryland grasses that will survive without supplemental watering.

When the City of Spokane Valley (City) incorporated, the City adopted the Spokane County Stormwater Guidelines for Stormwater Management (SGSM) by City Ordinance 03-032 as interim guidelines. The SGSM was first adopted in 1980 by Spokane County with the last update done in 1998. The SGSM is in great need of updates and revisions. Revisions to the SGSM had been on hold since 2001 because Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) was in the process of drafting a Stormwater Manual for Eastern Washington. 

In September 2004, Ecology finalized the Stormwater Management Manual for Eastern Washington (SMMEW). The City of Spokane Valley, the City of Spokane and Spokane County started working together to revise the SGSM in 2004. The intent was to have one manual for the Spokane region, update the SGSM with the latest techniques and methods, and have a technical-equivalent manual to the SMMEW.

The City of Spokane Valley adopted the Spokane Regional Stormwater Manual (SRSM) on April 8, 2008. The manual became effective May 18, 2008, and will be applied to all new permits and land actions from that date forward. The link below will take you to the table of contents for the Manual.