In a city famously associated with rainfall, Seattle’s commercial building owners are no strangers to stormwater maintenance. 

Seattle and the surrounding cities’ strict stormwater regulations are designed to keep people, properties and the environment safe from the effects of storm runoff, and while local building owners may understand the importance of staying compliant, that doesn’t always mean it is easy to do. 

Felicity McDougall, business development manager at sustainable water management company Aqualis, said regulations vary by the property’s location, which can complicate things for building owners. 

“Business owners will find that their property in Renton may have different regulations than the property in Bellevue,” McDougall said. “Even when operations on both sites are identical, the cities reserve the right to enforce regulations that are stricter than the rest of the state. This can be frustrating for owners, especially as a business expands.” 

Property owners can be responsible for anything from annual submittals to mandatory inspections, or the city may ask for the past five years’ worth of inspections and maintenance records as needed, she said. However, McDougall recommended all property owners work with a company like Aqualis to conduct an annual stormwater inspection and regular seasonal maintenance. For properties with high traffic or at risk of high levels of pollutants, this frequency may need to be increased. 

Mixed-use buildings are subject to extra scrutiny because tenants and shoppers share the space, she said. There is additional pressure for the property to remain safe not only from typical threats but also from pooling water and failing stormwater assets that can lead to sinkholes. 

One challenge is that many of Seattle’s stormwater storage and treatment devices are underground to save footprint and protect them from freezing temperatures. Since they stay so far out of sight, they are often forgotten about until the city asks for inspection and maintenance records or a large issue surfaces. 

“In these situations, property owners and managers cannot ignore the issues, and the cost to repair or remediate can be significant,” McDougall said. “Regularly inspecting and maintaining stormwater assets ensures that small issues are caught swiftly, before costs are driven up.” 

Stormwater assets are designed to either treat or store runoff and snowmelt. Sometimes they do both. As rain runs across parking lots and roads, it accumulates oil, mulch, trash and more, she said. Stormwater assets like catch basins, ponds and vaults collect these pollutants and allow the treated rainwater to be released into lakes and streams. 

Because pollutant buildup makes these assets less effective, regular maintenance is necessary. If pollutants aren’t cleaned out and properly disposed of, the treatment equipment becomes less effective. 

“That is when concerns arise,” McDougall said. “Flooding and sinkholes are examples of stormwater emergencies. Sinkholes start as hairline cracks, and, if ignored, they can result in large cavities that open at the surface. Flooding occurs when stormwater assets have exceeded capacity, which may occur for a variety of reasons: system backup due to pollutant overload, infrastructure collapse or extreme weather.”

Aqualis can step in as the liaison for all compliance needs, she said. The company’s local Seattle experts know the variations in regulations and can ensure each property maintains compliance by handling regular maintenance and inspections as well as managing communication with the city. 

With more than 30 years of experience, Aqualis knows the ins and outs of stormwater treatment and storage, she said. Underground assets are prone to hairline cracks that compound over time. Water rushing past the cracks and variable freeze-thaw temperatures, along with heavy equipment loads like cars parking above the asset, can culminate in the perfect storm for failure. 

“Of course, this happens over months and potentially years, but if your site hasn’t been inspected in over three years, it is imperative you do so to safeguard your property,” she said. 

Safety and compliance issues are less likely to occur when a stormwater asset is regularly maintained and inspected, McDougall said. Aqualis is here to partner with property owners and managers to avoid these extreme situations, she said. 

“Our experts manage stormwater maintenance, inspections and other compliance needs for businesses across the country,” she said. “With an office in Edmonds, we provide stormwater compliance, engineering and emergency services.” 

This article was produced in collaboration between Aqualis and Studio B. Bisnow news staff was not involved in the production of this content.

Studio B is Bisnow’s in-house content and design studio. To learn more about how Studio B can help your team, reach out to studio@bisnow.com.