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City of Mill Creek Surface Water Utility Frequently Asked Questions What Will the Fee Pay For?The City of Mill Creek’s Surface Water Utility is responsible for the quality of the water in North Creek as it leaves the city limits. Your fee is part of the financing that supports the utility. Responsibilities of the utility will include improving maintenance and operation activities, addressing watershed issues and illicit discharges, capital improvements, developing and enforcing better development standards, and performing public education and outreach. Is Stormwater Runoff A Problem in Our Area? Definitely. Stormwater runoff starts as rainwater that flows over the land into ponds, wetlands, streams, and eventually the Sammamish River and Lake Washington. Before the environment was disturbed by development, abundant trees and other vegetation helped control this runoff. The forests slowed down the rate that rain hit the ground, and unpaved land with plants and established root networks was able to absorb most of the runoff. This natural system prevented erosion and cleaned the rainwater through ground filtration. Today, Mill Creek is quite different. When houses, streets, shopping centers, and businesses are built, natural soil and plants are replaced by hard or impervious surfaces, such as asphalt and pavement. And when rain falls on these hard surfaces, it cannot soak into the ground, so it quickly becomes runoff. The runoff ultimately drains into Mill Creek’s streams and ponds, increasing the water levels and washing debris, chemicals, and other kinds of pollutants into the area’s streams. An increase in stormwater runoff will often lead to flooding and property damage, and can threaten public safety. The faster and higher flows in the streams can also destroy crucial streamside vegetation, destroying the habitats of fish and other wildlife. Does Stormwater Runoff Affect Water Quality? Yes. Hard surfaces like rooftops, streets, and paved parking lots turn rain into fast-flowing stormwater runoff, which will erode stream banks and deposit sediment in the streams. In fact, stream bank erosion and runoff from construction sites are the two major sources of sediment in streams. Sediment from sources such as these can ruin spawning habitat for the fish that reproduce in the streams. Water quality is also harmed by various pesticides, animal droppings, motor oils, heavy metals, and other pollutants that are carried as part of the runoff from paved and urban areas. Fish are harmed by the lack of shade over streams, which is needed to keep the water cool. The combination of sediment and other pollutants in stormwater runoff poses a real threat to Mill Creek’s streams and ponds. The City will soon be required to obtain a permit required by the federal government to prevent these types of water quality problems from stormwater runoff. What Specific Environmental Resources Are Threatened? Many valuable natural resources in Mill Creek are in danger of harm from stormwater runoff. The six major streams in the City contain trout and several species of salmon. The wetlands in Mill Creek are home to wildlife and provide a natural method of improving water quality. Yet unless steps are taken now, these and other environmental resources may be seriously damaged and a higher cost will be required to restore them. The City of Mill Creek Surface Water Program is a start to protecting these valuable resources. This program contains recommendations and ultimately ordinances and resolutions that will enable the City to solve problems and establish a framework to comply with new regulations. Are There New Regulations That Will Affect the City? Yes. The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II permit was issued to the City of Mill Creek on January 17, 2007 by the Washington State Department of Ecology. The NPDES Program was established as the fundamental regulatory mechanism of the Clean Water Act. The City is required to comply with the regulations of this program, which require public education, new development standards, elimination of illicit discharges into stormwater, and expanded operations and maintenance to improve water quality. Complying with the new stormwater regulations will be a significant undertaking in terms of both financial and technical resources. The City is also faced with new regulations under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) for salmon. The listing of several salmon species under ESA could have serious impacts upon Mill Creek and will affect land-use practices and stormwater runoff and control. The range of responses required by the federal regulations is potentially very broad—and could range from added restrictions on new development to aggressive habitat restoration and acquisition programs.
Surface Water Management Program (SWMP) Document for Public Review. One of the permit requirements is to post the City of Mill Creek's Surface Water Management Program (SWMP) document for public review. The SWMP is designed to reduce the discharge of pollutants from the City's stormwater system to the maximum extent practicable, and to meet water quality requirements. The public is welcome to review the attached document and make comments regarding the SWMP by filling out a citizen comment form. All comments must be in written format. Citizen comment forms are available on the front page of the website or you can come in person into City Hall and ask for a citizen comment form to fill out. The SWMP will be updated annually (March) for submittal with the City's Annual Report to Ecology.
What Can I Do To Help? To protect Mill Creek’s natural resources, your help is absolutely necessary. Taking an active interest in our local streams is the first step toward preserving them. By making a personal commitment, you can make a difference.
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