Stormwater System

STORMWATER SYSTEM

Stormwater Management

Stormwater Management is an important part of the community’s effort to improve water quality, protect fish habitat, and protect properties and infrastructure from flooding. “Stormwater” refers to runoff from urban areas. Stormwater flows to storm drains, gutters, ditches, swales, or a system of pipes, ending up in the Columbia Slough Watershed and then eventually the Willamette River. Wood Village’s stormwater system is separate from the wastewater system. Unlike wastewater from indoor plumbing, stormwater is not treated before emptying into our rivers and streams. We use those waterways for recreation and resources, which is why it’s important for everyone to do their part in keeping the City and our water clean.

The City of Wood Village values environmental leadership and managing a safe and healthy stormwater system is critical to protecting our environment. The EPA has developed the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). NPDES attempts to reduce polluted stormwater runoff by requiring operators of Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) to implement best management practices to prevent contaminants from reaching our streams via stormwater runoff. Learn More about NPDES and MS4 Permits.

The proposed MS4 Plan outlines proposed actions that will be taken in each of the following areas:

• Public Education and Outreach – informs residents, businesses, and industries about urban stormwater runoff and pollution prevention.
• Public Participation – involves the public in the stormwater planning process and stewardship.
• Illicit Discharge of Contaminants – addresses illegal or illicit dumping of pollutants, whether accidental or intentional.
• Construction Site Erosion Control – work with contractors and developers where land clearing or construction may result in erosion, sedimentation, and soil loss.
• Post-Construction Runoff – ensures that new developments “build in” features (such as bio-swales) to continuously manage and treat stormwater runoff.
• Good Internal Housekeeping – assesses the City’s own maintenance practices and policies to ensure that work crews use the best practices to minimize pollution in their everyday tasks and storage of materials.

Our goal at Wood Village is to develop a cost-effective, environmentally sound, and well-engineered Stormwater Management Plan that is accepted by DEQ, the public, our Board of Commissioners, and city staff.  This Plan must comply with the requirements of NPDES Phase II regulations and be compatible with surrounding jurisdictions. The City of Wood Village is within the stormwater drainage system of Arata Creek, No Name Creek, and Fairview Creek.  Multnomah County Drainage District controls the surface water management in the area, and the City maintains a series of stormwater collection and treatment facilities.  Additional stormwater facilities are owned and maintained by Multnomah County.

Additional Tools & Resources