The city of Redmond is seeking public input regarding its stormwater system.

The city has been under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit, or NPDES, since 2007. The permit was issued to the city by the state Department of Ecology in order to comply with the Federal Clean Water Act.

The purpose of enacting the NPDES permit was to reduce the amount of polluted stormwater runoff flowing into the lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater.

“The permit requirements are extensive but fall under a few basic programs: public education, outreach and involvement, illicit discharge detection and elimination, storm system mapping, stormwater runoff controls, both during and after construction, and storm system inspection and maintenance,” said David Juarez, director of public works for the city of Redmond. “In this current permit cycle, 2019-24, we will introduce two new programs: stormwater planning and source control, basically business pollution prevention.”

Under the NPDES permit, the city is required to involve the public through outreach and education. Along with instilling proactive daily habits to reduce stormwater pollution, the city is also seeking input on the stormwater management program plan, a document that outlines the current and planned efforts to implement the permit, according to Juarez.

“We welcome input on any aspect of our stormwater management program,” he said. “The current request focuses on the stormwater management program generally. Are we prioritizing the right activities? If not, what should our focus be?”

Additionally, the city is asking the community to respond and report any spills or illegal dumping by calling the Redmond pollution hotline at, 425-556-2868.

“Throughout the year, we rely heavily on the Redmond community to call our water pollution hotline if they see illegal dumping or spills into the storm system,” Juarez said. “We also conduct various public outreach campaigns, based on the interests and needs of the community.”

More information regarding the NPDES permit requirements can be found at tinyurl.com/wlelqn5. To report spills or illegal dumping call the Redmond pollution hotline or click on the feedback link on the webpage.