Storm and Surface Water Utility System Maintenance

Storm and Surface Water Utility Management (SSWM) fee dollars help to pay for City staff, equipment, and materials needed for inspecting, operating, and maintaining the public stormwater infrastructure (MS4). MS4 infrastructure collects, conveys, stores, and in some cases provides treatment of stormwater before it is discharged to surface waters, namely Puget Sound. MS4 components include:

• Catch basins
• Pipes and outfalls
• Culverts
• Ditches
• Flow control and/or treatment facilities including: ponds, detention tanks/vaults, media filters, bioswales and rain gardens
• Decant facility for waste spoils

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

The 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. Public Works staff work conscientiously to keep Bainbridge’s MS4 working effectively as designed to prevent and reduce flooding and pollution for human and environmental safety. For more information, please visit our Water Resources page.

Inspections and maintenance of private stormwater systems are completed by property owners per BIMC 15.21, Stormwater Facilities Maintenance Program. Please visit the Private Stormwater System page for more information.