1) RESIDENTIAL RAINWISE PROGRAM

Managing Stormwater at Home
"Rain falling on our roofs, driveways, or compacted soil rushes off quickly to the nearest drain or stream. In big storms, this excess “storm water” can cause sewer backups, or pollute and erode our streams. We can all help reduce runoff and pollution with simple RainWise practices." from the Seattle Rainwise webpage

go to the Residential Rainwater Program webpage

document.write('@');spu/usm/documents/webcontent/spu01_006289.pdf" target="_blank" class="urlHot" >Rainwise Guide

document.write('@');spu/usm/documents/webcontent/spu01_006291.pdf" target="_blank" class="urlHot" >Installing a Cistern

document.write('@');spu/usm/documents/webcontent/spu01_006290.pdf" target="_blank" class="urlHot" >Using Rock-filled Trenches
to convey and infiltrate stormwater

document.write('@');spu/usm/documents/webcontent/spu01_006288.pdf" target="_blank" class="urlHot" >Rain Garden Handbook

2) NATURAL DRAINAGE SYSTEMS (NDS) are an innovative alternative to traditional stormwater management systems. The pipes and ditches of traditional drainage systems carry runoff with traces of everyday contaminants such as oil, paint, fertilizer, and heavy metals directly into creeks, lakes, and Puget Sound. The speed and volume of water coming out of pipes erodes stream channels.

NDS street designs "limit the negative impacts of stormwater runoff by redesigning residential streets to take advantage of plants, trees, and soils to clean runoff and manage stormwater flows. Vegetated swales, stormwater cascades, and small wetland ponds allow soils to absorb water, slowing flows and filtering out many contaminants."

Go to the
Seattle Public Utilities Natural Drainage Systems website