How Far Should City Leaders Go In Managing Stormwater?

For local leaders, bad weather presents an age-old question: How far should they go to manage stormwater?

This question, recently posed by the Portland Tribune, is regularly debated by policymakers across the nation.

When local and regional policies fall short, storm damage can present major cleanup challenges. On the other hand, excessive stormwater planning can mean red tape and major expenses for cities and utilities. Stormwater regulations can include measures aimed at “interagency cooperation, enforcement and management issues and integration with state and federal regulations,” according to a report published by the Sustainable Cities Institute.

Policymakers in Portland, OR, are currently debating these issues. “Much of Lake Oswego was developed prior to the state’s implementation of stormwater requirements, and city officials say streams and lakes within the city are falling short of minimum water quality levels as a result,” the Tribune reported.

Planning Commission Vice Chairman John LaMotte explained the problem. “A big part of the city has never been looked at for stormwater management — older sections and subdivisions never had requirements 40 or 50 years ago,” he said, per the report. “The city has to catch up (to stormwater requirements) in these areas.”

What would proposed rule changes accomplish? The report explained:

LaMotte says the proposed changes to the city’s Stormwater Management Manual implement “more modern” techniques for addressing runoff. But he says there is concern on the commission — and in the community — that the proposed new regulations will be too burdensome for homeowners.

Gerry Good of the Citizens Budget Committee explained potential drawbacks. “If you add a patio to your backyard, you would trigger the entire regulatory requirement of the new code. You could have to add rain gardens and other ‘mitigation’ measures for stormwater to your property. And that could cost you thousands of dollars — all because of a new patio,” he said, per the report.

This debate is not going away anytime soon. Climate change has thrust stormwater management debates center-stage in many cities.

“Most climate change scientists agree on one thing: we’re going to see more frequent and intense storm and rainfall events along with increased flooding, stormwater runoff, and soil erosion. The increased runoff and flooding will force planners and stormwater specialists to develop strategies to deal with the increased volume and velocity of stormwater,” according to Leslie Dorworth, aquatic ecologist, and Robert McCormick, a planning expert, in a Purdue University newsletter.

For similar stories, visit Water Online’s Stormwater Management Solutions Center.