Source Control – Business Inspection and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program
GIS Intern
The City of Normandy Park is currently recruiting for one full-time or two part-time positions intended for temporary work with limited duration as provided…
Source Control Inspection Program
The City of Normandy Park is launching a Business Inspection and Stormwater Pollution Prevention program to help prevent stormwater pollution from businesses and government properties. This program implements federal and state requirements, but more importantly, it helps keep our streams, lakes, and groundwater healthy for residents, businesses, and wildlife.
What is Source Control Stormwater Pollution Prevention?
Spills or improperly stored materials outdoors can get washed into lakes and streams when it rains. This creates polluted stormwater runoff that can harm the water, the ground, and wildlife habitat. Pollution Source Control is accomplished by business practices that keep pollution out of contact with rainwater and prevent unauthorized stormwater discharges. In the simplest of terms, source control is controlling pollution to stormwater at the source. Examples of source control are covering dumpsters, proper use and storage of hazardous materials, and training of staff, which are referred to as Best Management Practices, or BMPs. Examples of some specific common pollutants and BMPs include the following:
- Pollutant: oil, fuel, solvent, automobile liquids, and other petroleum products and their wastes
- Pollutant: commercial discharge from cleaning activities or restaurant waste
- Pollutant: institutional discharge, such as from materials stored outdoors and from dumpsters and compactors
Free Technical Assistance
The City will provide free technical assistance to businesses that have the potential to cause stormwater pollution, even in small amounts. The technical assistance will be provided through inspections at qualifying businesses and advice on the use of BMPs for pollution prevention.
What Types of Businesses Qualify?
The City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, or NPDES, Permit provides guidance for what types of businesses should be included in a source control program. Business types that qualify for the program include, among others:
- automobile and equipment repair and rental, auto body
- gasoline stations, car washes, auto detail
- restaurants, cafes, bars, bakeries, food trucks
- veterinarians and pet shops
- dentists and medical laboratories
- institutions, schools, and municipal sites
- mobile businesses that provide on-site services
- landscapers, storage yards, and sites with outdoor operations
Why We Have this Program
The Washington State Department of Ecology, through the City’s NPDES Permit, requires Normandy Park and other jurisdictions to have a Source Control Program beginning in 2023. Municipalities over a certain size throughout the state are required to have source control programs by the Department of Ecology.