The City of Olympia has enacted a Stormwater Ordinance in order to establish minimum stormwater management requirements and controls to protect and safeguard the general health, safety, and welfare of the public residing in watersheds within this jurisdiction. The City of Olympia is the permitting authority for all land disturbing activities and requires the land owner to maintain all on-site stormwater control facilities and all open space areas (e.g. parks or “green” areas) required by the approved stormwater control plan. The City of Olympia will only provide construction permits to projects that establish a plan to manage stormwater runoff occurring during the construction process. The City of Olympia, under the NPDES program, also has the authority to inspect properties for noncompliance and can issue a notice of violation (NOV) for any deficiency or infraction onsite. Property owners are responsible for the maintenance of any stormwater facilities or practices located on the property. The City of Olympia has the authority to inspect stormwater facilities and practices in order to ascertain that they are properly maintained and functioning.
The purpose of Olympia’s Storm and Surface Water Utility is to protect public and environmental health by ensuring that surface water runoff is collected and conveyed to streams, rivers, and Puget Sound with the aim of reducing the frequency and severity of flooding, improving water quality, and protecting, enhancing, and restoring aquatic habitat.
The Utility plans and manages the built and natural storm and surface water system to achieve the Natural Environment and Utilities goals of the Olympia Comprehensive Plan (see Chapter 5).
The Utility operates within the Public Works Department as part of the Water Resources line of business, which includes the Wastewater and Drinking Water utilities (see Chapter 3). It works in cooperation with other City departments, neighboring jurisdictions, state and regional agencies, and the public.
A. All stormwater facilities that discharge to the storm drainage system must be inspected by the Public Works Department prior to final approval or occupancy to ensure proper installation of such stormwater facilities.
B. The construction, use, maintenance, or continued existence of illicit connections to the MS4, is prohibited. This prohibition expressly includes, without limitation, illicit connections made in the past, regardless of whether the connection was permissible under law or practices applicable or prevailing at the time of connection. A person is in violation of this chapter when that person connects a line conveying sewage to the MS4 or allows such a connection to continue.
C. If, after notice and opportunity to cure as provided in OMC 4.44.030, the owner does not abate the illicit connection(s) as directed by the City, the City may abate such connection(s) and bill the owner for all reasonable costs. Any delinquent payments constitute a lien on the parcel.
D. If the discharge is occurring from a vehicle, trailer, or other mobile equipment or a vehicle, trailer, or other mobile equipment is blocking access to any public facility for testing and cleanup of a discharge, the vehicle or equipment is subject to being tagged by Parking or Code Enforcement staff and a warning issued to the owner, agent, lessee, or other person occupying or having charge or control of the equipment or vehicle requiring access to said public facility that may be blocked immediately. Failure to do so may result in removal by the City at the owner’s expense and will be a violation per OMC 13.16.180 and subject to OMC 10.16.030.
A. Any person, business, or entity storing or using materials containing contaminants in any manner that may result in a prohibited discharge shall implement the source control BMPs described in the Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual.
B. Any person operating a facility or performing an activity described in the Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual shall implement the source control BMPs described therein for the facility or activity.
C. Full implementation of all stormwater BMPs required by an NPDES industrial stormwater permit or State Waste Discharge Permit constitutes compliance with this section.
D. Full implementation of the source control BMPs described in subsections A through C of this section constitutes the minimum required actions an owner, occupant, or operator of real property must take toward preventing prohibited discharges from the real property. Full implementation of the BMPs required by this section does not exempt a person from also complying with any other requirement of this chapter.
E. Technical assistance and education may be provided by stormwater staff.
F. If an illicit discharge occurs through failure to implement effective BMPs, the City may take enforcement action as described in OMC 13.16.180.
(Ord. 7325 §1, 2022).
Whenever a parcel is developed, the applicable development permit must require the owner(s) to construct that portion of the MS4 abutting said parcel in accordance with the City’s comprehensive plan and applicable development policies and standards for stormwater. Provided that the Public Works Department shall establish policies and procedures for applying local improvement districts, latecomers agreements, and City participation.
Whenever necessary to make an inspection to enforce any provision of this chapter, or whenever there is reasonable cause to believe there exists a violation of this chapter upon a parcel within the jurisdiction of the City, any authorized official of the City may, upon presentation of proper credentials and consent of any owner or occupant, enter such parcel at all reasonable times to inspect the same or to perform any duty imposed upon him or her by this chapter. If no owner or occupant consents to entry, the official may apply to any court of competent jurisdiction for an order allowing such entry.
Parcel owners shall inspect all stormwater facilities located on their parcels and maintain the facilities in accordance with the Manual, so they function as designed.
If the City determines that maintenance or repair is required for a stormwater facility on a parcel not owned by the City, the City shall notify the owner of the parcel of the specific maintenance or repair required. The City shall set a reasonable time in which such work is to be completed by the person given notice. The owner shall complete the maintenance or repair within the time for completion established by the City. If the required maintenance or repair is not completed within the time set, the City will notify the owner that the City intends to perform the maintenance or repair and to bill the owner for the expenses incurred. The expenses charged to the owner become a charge on the owner’s storm drainage service charge bill and may be collected by the City in the manner authorized for collection of such bills.
If at any time the City determines that a stormwater facility on private property creates an imminent threat to public health or welfare, the City may take immediate measures to remedy such threat, without providing notice to the owner.
(Ord. 7325 §1, 2022; Ord. 7221 §1, 2019)
Stormwater systems are the infrastructure that capture and transport stormwater runoff before it flows into our streams, lakes and Puget Sound. Private stormwater systems often include features such as stormwater ponds, swales, ditches, pipes, catch basins and sometimes filters.
Property owners are responsible for cleaning and maintaining their private stormwater system and must submit a stormwater facility maintenance summary form and required documentation by August 31 of each year.
To keep your stormwater system functioning properly and stay in good standing with your City agreement, follow these steps:
1. Inspect your stormwater system
Select the appropriate sections from the Stormwater Facility Checklist that apply to your system.
2. Perform maintenance and fix problems
Some maintenance requires a qualified or certified service professional, such as treatment vaults and filters (view inspection and maintenance specs). You may need to contact different contractors for different types of services.
3. Submit required documentation
Complete the summary form and return it with checklists, invoices and photos. See website for more details.
City of Olympia Code of Ordinance