Title
Annual Stormwater Management Program Plan Review
Recommended Action
Briefing Only
Report
Issue:
Receive a briefing on the Draft 2027 Stormwater Management Program Plan.
Staff Contact:
Susan McCleary, Stormwater Associate Planner, Public Works Water Resources, 360.570.3794
Presenter(s):
Susan McCleary, Associate Planner
Kym Foley, Senior Planner
Background and Analysis:
The City’s stormwater management program operates under the Western Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit (Permit), issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). The Permit requires annual updates to the Stormwater Management Program Plan (SWMPP). The SWMPP includes how the City is meeting both ongoing and new Permit requirements. Within the current Permit cycle (2024-2029) City staff will complete a new Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP) for lower Percival basin.
Key Updates to the Draft 2027 SWMPP include:
• Reports from enhanced public participation opportunities, particularly overburdened and highly impacted communities.
• Integration of community feedback into the SMAP and SWMPP through the Engage Olympia site survey.
• New SMAP basin selection.
• Collaboration with community groups and partners to increase capacity and accessibility.
• New PCBs in building Materials Workshop.
• New operations and maintenance procedures for televising pipes.
• New water quality projects.
• Adopt A Drain behavior change campaign.
• Budd Inlet Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) nutrient loading analysis.
• Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual (DDECM) updates.
Staff seek Utility Advisory Committee (UAC) feedback on:
• The revised public involvement approach and Engage Olympia survey results.
• Draft SMAP actions.
• Recommendations for future improvement.
The 2024-2029 Permit emphasizes creating opportunities for the general public, overburdened communities and highly impacted communities to participate in decision-making processes. This includes the development, implementation and updating of the City’s SWMPP and SMAP.
Staff have made significant revisions to the SWMPP development process to increase public involvement and accessibility. Staff are eager to receive feedback on this approach and suggestions to further improve engagement.
During this briefing, staff will provide an overview of the Draft 2027 SWMPP, including lower Percival basin SMAP. The Draft 2027 SWMPP is included as an attachment to the staff report.
Additionally, the current Permit includes many new requirements including best practices related to PCBs, mapping our stormwater system, overburdened communities, tree canopy and more.
Climate Analysis:
Climate is considered in Permit required programs in the following ways:
• Green Infrastructure: Olympia continues to implement development-related low impact development (LID) codes. Staff are collaborating with regional partners to host 3 LID workshops in 2027. Workshops will be designed to inform planners, engineers, developers and neighborhoods about LID and green infrastructure benefits and best practices. In 2027, construction will begin on the grant funded Green Stormwater Retrofit at Rogers and Hays.
o Green infrastructure provides multiple climate resilience co-benefits such as urban heat island reduction, flood and drought risk mitigation, and increased biodiversity and cleaner water.
• Habitat and Property Actions: Existing Stormwater Action Plan (Indian Creek SMAP) actions include property acquisition and habitat restoration that promote native vegetation, tree planting and preserving aquatic habitat. Such actions bring multiple co-benefits for watershed protection, climate adaptation and mitigation. Lower Percival Basin SMAP will continue to incorporate these strategies and actions.
• Education and Emission Reduction: The “Stormwater Week” curriculum for 6th grade students provides hands-on field experiences at each middle school, removing the need to bus students off-site, reducing costs and transportation related greenhouse gas emissions.
Equity Analysis:
Equity is a growing consideration in Permit required programs and is being advanced through several initiatives:
• Held Latinx focus group and Black Community Listening Session to engage diverse community members to better understand their stormwater-related concerns and potential solutions.
• Translated several outreach materials into Spanish.
• Provided financial support for the Puget Sound Starts Here digital media campaign, which includes content on car care in English, Spanish, Korean and Vietnamese languages.
• Implemented the 2025-2027 Equity Action Plan for the Regional Environmental Education Program.
• Used the Stormwater Utility Equity Index and other mapping tools to identify overburdened communities, analyze stormwater infrastructure (treatment facilities, outfalls, discharge points), and assess tree canopy coverage in these areas.
• Within the Stormwater Management for Existing Development Program tribal benefits, and benefits to overburdened communities and highly impacted communities are considerations when prioritizing projects and making investment decisions.
• Responded to feedback from the Latinx focus group. in 2026, Olympia launched a new multifamily-focused mailer called Oly Connection. This publication contains materials that are specifically tailored to multifamily community members.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Protecting local waterways and aquatic habitat for people and wildlife remains important to the Olympia community. City programs developed under the guidance of the Permit and Olympia’s Drainage Design and Erosion control Manual (DDECM) are designed to:
• Prevent stormwater pollution, protect and improve water quality, and restore aquatic habitats.
• Meet regulatory requirements.
• Be responsive to community input.
• Lead by example.
• Build community trust and support.
• Serve rate payers in an efficient, effective and transparent manner.
• Anticipate and respond to future challenges and regulatory requirements.
• Meet the City’s Comprehensive Plan utility, climate and equity goals.
Financial Impact:
Work performed to implement the SWMPP is funded primarily from storm and surface water utility rates, supplemented by grant funding for specific projects. The SWMP integrated into the broader work of the organization.
Attachments:
2027 Draft Stormwater Management Program Plan
Join the Stormwater Conversation Engage Olympia weblink