Water Conservation and Pollution Prevention. Water conservation is the main focus of Level Three of the King County Green Schools Program. After each school or school district completes the Level Three Best Practices Guide, recognition is awarded. For a description of the program, visit How it Works. Schools can play a vital role in reducing our region's water consumption and protecting this precious natural resource. Schools use water for a variety of purposes including classroom instruction such as in science labs, and for drinking, cooking and cleaning. Water consumption in schools can be reduced by properly maintaining plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems, investing in faucet aerators and other water-efficient tools, and through simple actions such as regularly checking for leaks and drips. For ideas on how your school or district can decrease its water consumption and teach students about the importance of conserving and protecting water, see the Level Three Best Practices Guide.
Criteria and resources top of page. Water Conservation School Criteria. Clean Water Act: Better at 40. Department of Ecology. Stormwater Permit. The Case for Low-Impact Development. Stormwater Permit for cities. We recently updated you on the new stormwater permits that will soon dictate how Washington State’s most populated areas manage polluted runoff that damages water quality and can flood low-lying property.
Here we’ll tackle the new Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit, which covers the next most populated areas and affects nearly 100 cities around the state. These cities are legally obligated to try to control water that runs off pavements, roofs and streets in built areas every time it rains. Along the way, that water picks up toxic metals, motor oil, lawn fertilizers, animal droppings, and a cocktail of other pollutants before it washes into local waterways and oceans. The rules governing how cities and other jurisdictions manage this dirty runoff are contained in municipal permits, which were recently updated in Washington State and are about to kick in throughout much of the state.
As you may imagine, there are significant differences between two region’s Phase II permits. Annual Report Questions for Cities, Towns and Counties. Water and Land Resources Division: Annual rates. Fee discounts Discounts are aimed at decreasing runoff and promoting the reduction of impervious surface – the main contributor to surface water runoff and its effects: poor water quality, erosion, flooding, and sedimentation – to comply with the federal Clean Water Act. To find out what discounts are available, visit the SWM Fee discounts page.
Impervious surface reduction cost-sharing program King County will share the costs of converting impervious surface to native-vegetated landscape, compost-amended lawn, or grassed modular-grid pavement. Reduction in impervious surface could potentially place you into a lower rate category, reducing your fee assessment. To find out more, refer to our SWM fee cost-sharing program. Administrative appeals process Visit the Common Questions and Answers page for answers to other surface water management-related questions. Re-measurement To ensure King County’s measurements of your impervious surface are accurate, re-measurement is always available. King County Surface Water Management (SWM) Fee Facts. Surface Water Management Fee Discounts and Cost-Sharing Program. For non-residential parcels You can estimate the surface water management fee and discounts for a non-residential parcel by using the SWM fee calculator.
To promote the reduction or mitigation of impervious surface -- the main contributor to surface water runoff and its adverse effects (such as water quality degradation, erosion, flooding, and sedimentation), several discounts, credits, and cost-share opportunities are available to owners of developed parcels. These are briefly described below and explained in detail in a procedures document titled, SWM Fee Protocols.You can also contact a surface water customer service representative by calling 206-477-4800.
Runoff mitigation discounts Your parcel may qualify for one of the two runoff mitigation discounts described below. Stormwater facility discount A key feature of the new non-residential discount program is a tiered system of percentage discounts that can add up to a maximum 90 percent discount. 65-10 discount Open space discount.