Storm and Surface Water Utility System Maintenance

City of Bainbridge Island Public Works Department is responsible for the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) as permitted under the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit. MS4 infrastructure collects, conveys, stores, and in some cases provides treatment of stormwater before it is discharged to surface waters, namely Puget Sound.

Operations & Maintenance staff work conscientiously to keep Bainbridge’s MS4 working effectively as designed to prevent and reduce flooding and pollution for human and environmental safety.

Storm and Surface Water Utility Management (SSWM) Fee dollars help to pay for staff, equipment, and materials needed for inspecting, operating, and maintaining the storm and surface water decant facility and extensive MS4 infrastructure components including:

• Catch basins
• Pipes and outfalls
• Culverts
• Ditches
• Ponds, detention tanks/vaults, bioswales, and all other flow control and water quality treatment facilities

The SSWM Fee also helps to pay for inventorying and mapping built MS4 infrastructure and natural features (i.e. wetlands and creeks), and for preparing and documenting all storm and surface water management activities planned and achieved by the City.

Common maintenance activities include:

• Removing sediment and debris (e.g. sand, gravel, vegetation, litter, etc.) from and restoring catch basins, ditches, pipes, culverts, etc.
• Street sweeping
• Cleaning up found or reported pollutant spills (illicit discharges)
• Preventing and correcting localized flooding before and during heavy rain events

For more information, please visit our Water Resources page.