Recent Development in Washington State: New Map Shows Enormity of Storm Sewer Outfall Problem in Puget Sound

News Release on April 23, 2009

People For Puget Sound have  released a map that dramatically shows for the first time all the public storm drains carrying pollutants into Puget Sound.  The map was produced by a team of University of Washington GIS students for People For Puget Sound.  

The student team found that there are at least 4,500 public manmade stormdrains to Puget Sound.  This is in addition to the 2,123 natural drainages that also receive inputs from the watershed system of additional drains.  The team also included 297 Washington Department of Transportation stormdrains and 70 bridges. 
 
“This map shows the enormity of the stormwater problem which impacts most of Puget Sound,” said Bruce Wishart, Policy Director for People For Puget Sound.  “It demonstrates that we need significant funding to address the problem.”
 
According to Wishart, House Bill 1614, Invest in Clean Water, currently before the state legislature would go a long way towards fixing the problem. By imposing a $1.50 per barrel fee on petroleum products that contribute to stormwater pollution, Invest in Clean Water would address one of the most pressing water quality problems in the state. The fee would raise over $100 million in new funds for cities, counties, ports and the Department of Transportation.
 
The new GIS map of Public Stormdrains into Puget Sound can be downloaded at the People For Puget Sound website: 
http://pugetsound.org/programs/policy/stormwater
 
These public manmade drains primarily carry rainwater and stormwater from paved surfaces. Stormwater-related pollutants and stressors have been identified by scientists as the most important water quality problem of the Puget Sound Basin.  Recent toxics loading assessments by WA Department of Ecology found that metals such as copper and zinc, as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and 52,300 million tons per year total petroleum hydrocarbons (largely oil and petroleum from vehicles) flow in these drains to Puget Sound. 
 
“The students went well beyond their class project and have created a terrific map that really advances our knowledge of stormwater inputs,” said Heather Trim, Urban Bays and Toxics Program Manager, People For Puget Sound. “We have been told by agencies that it would be years before we could get this map and yet the students have produced this tremendous resource.”
 
“This project involved contacting local jurisdictions all over Puget Sound and we found that staff were very helpful in providing information to us,” said student Liz Green. 
 
Matt Yarrow, another student working on the project agrees.  “Almost all of the local jurisdictions had information on the location of their outfalls.  We know this is a first cut and will be refined over time but this information provides the basis for doing some preliminary modeling that can help us understand the impact of stormwater on the Sound.”
 
Industrial and private drains were not included in this project.  “If you add in the thousands of additional drains from private property and industrial sites, you would easily triple or quadruple the number of drains” said student Collin O'Meara.
 
Robyn Carmichael, the fourth student on the project said, “We are proud to have accomplished this project that helps move the discussion forward.  When you see those thousands of outfalls dotting the shoreline, it's a strong visual reminder why stormwater is the largest contributor to water pollution in the state. This project underscores the urgency and magnitude of the work needed to make the Sound a healthier place.”