Stormwater Infrastructure Maintenance—Why Does it Matter?

What does stormwater facility maintenance include?
•  Cleaning catch basins and pipes to remove sediment, debris, oils, and pollutants.
•  Inspecting ponds, swales, and detention facilities to ensure they’re functioning properly.
•  Vegetation management and repairs to keep systems flowing, reduce erosion, filter sediments, and improves capacity to reduce flooding.

This year, the City of Lake Stevens has:
•  Maintained 121 stormwater facilities (out of 125)
•  Cleaned 2,932 catch basins (of 5,985 total)
•  Cleaned 8.6 miles of stormwater pipes
•  Removed 94 tons of sediment & pollutants

Did you know? A Department of Ecology study found cleaning just one catch basin removes about 1.8 lbs of sediment & pollutants from our waterways.

Why it matters for Lake Stevens
•  Clean stormwater facilities and basins filter oils, nutrients & sediments before they reach our creeks and lake, reduce flooding, and reduce erosion.
•  Less nutrients to the lake improve water clarity and reduces algal blooms.

Catherine Creek Neighborhood Stormwater Detention Pond

BEFORE

AFTER

What can our community do to help?
Stormwater facilities serving individual neighborhoods are the responsibility of homeowner’s associations (HOAs) and homeowners to maintain. The City of Lake Stevens has a program to work with HOAs and homeowners to maintain these facilities. Currently, about 45% of private facilities are meeting maintenance standards, and we’re steadily working to improve this. Maintaining private systems help filter pollutants, reduce flooding, and protect Lake Stevens for everyone. To learn more about this program and how you can make a difference in your neighborhood, visit our website.