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Drainage System Information & Inspections
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Pollution Control Inspections
Pollution Control Inspections
Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) inspects businesses and works with them to prevent pollutants from entering private and public storm drains. It’s important to keep pollutants out of stormwater because these systems eventually discharge untreated water to nearby streams, lakes, and Puget Sound.
Business inspections are part of the City’s stormwater pollution prevention program, a requirement of the Washington State Department of Ecology administered through the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for municipal stormwater discharges.
Property owner responsibilities
If your property or business drains to the city stormwater system, then you are responsible for:
- • Maintaining your drainage structures, including conveyance systems, detention systems and treatment systems
- • Maintaining streets, driveways, parking lots and sidewalks
- • Identifying and eliminating illegal connections to the drainage control system.
If your property or business conducts one or more high-risk pollution-generating activities, such as fueling, washing commercial fleets or building exteriors, storing liquids in above-ground tanks or outdoor portable containers, then additional requirements apply.
These additional requirements to control stormwater pollution include putting together a spill kit and spill plan and implementing the best management practices for your particular activity. See 8 High-Risk Pollution Generating Activities (link at right) for details.
In the case of new development, your property or business may be required to build structural source controls such as enclosing the pollution generating activities or treating your drainage before it leaves the site. For details, see Stormwater Pollution Prevention Requirements (link at right).
Related links
Maintenance Inspections
Report Surface Water Pollution
Links to Other Sites
Resource Venture
Seattle Source Control Technical Requirements Manual (PDF) - Describes City of Seattle requirements for operational and structural source controls to reduce stormwater pollution.
Seattle Department of Planning and Development
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