PORT ANGELES — A free presentation will discuss stormwater runoff as a resource rather than a problem.
The lecture, hosted by the Clallam County Department of Community Development, will be at 6 p.m. Monday in Room 160 at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St., Port Angeles.
In “Stormwater Runoff Isn’t a Problem, It’s an Untapped Resource,” J. Scot Kindred of Aspect Consulting will present ways in which stormwater runoff can augment water supplies, said Carol Creasey, senior planner.
Topics covered
The two topics covered in the presentations will be:
• How deep infiltration can significantly increase the flow control provided by low-impact development facilities (such as rain gardens).
• Quantifying the benefits associated with rainwater harvesting, including flow control and reducing your water bill.
The presentation is the first of three scheduled by the planning department.
Other stormwater-related presentations are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 2, and Monday, Dec. 13, at Room 160 of the courthouse, Creasey said.
Kindred, who specializes in the design and implementation of stormwater infiltration systems, said that stormwater has been identified as the leading cause of contamination in Puget Sound and other surface water in Washington state, Creasey said.
The conventional perspective views stormwater as a problem that often is addressed by limiting development, developing new regulations and constructing expensive stormwater detention and treatment systems, she said.
At the same time, some steams run dry during the summer, and groundwater levels are dropping in many areas across the state, she said, problems that are predicted to increase because of population increases and lessening snowpack because of climate change.
Timing important
However, most of our current and future water problems are because of timing of water availability rather than the total amount of water, Kindred said.
His presentation will focus on managing stormwater as a resource rather than a problem “and in the process helping to address both water quality and water quantity issues across the state,” Creasey said.
Kindred is an associate water resources engineer and has 20-plus years of consulting experience, primarily in the areas of hydrogeology and environmental remediation.
Aspect Consulting has offices in Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Mount Vernon and Wenatchee.
Additional information about these presentations will be made available at www.clallam.net/real estate/html/stormwater_management.htm or by phoning the planning department at 360-417-2423.
