CITY OF RENTON WASHINGTON

See a recurring drainage problem? Site visits to investigate recurring drainage problems and local flooding are made by the surface water utility upon your request. Contact surface water utility at 425-430-7392.

Homes in danger of flooding

Owners of home in danger of flooding should call maintenance services division, 425-430-7400, to report the condition and obtain assistance.

Emergencies

For emergencies after 3:30 p.m. or on weekends, and if the emergency cannot wait until the next business day, call the Renton Police Department, 425-430-7500.

As part of Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) nationwide effort to update and to convert all flood insurance rate maps into digital flood insurance rate maps, FEMA published Preliminary Digital Flood Insurance Rate Maps.

• Renton's FEMA floodplain map.

Floods are one of the most common hazards in the United States and can be caused by weather conditions such as heavy rainfall associated with severe storms, melting snow and ice. Flood effects can be local, impacting a small area, neighborhood, entire community or regional. Floods can occur anywhere under the right conditions and are highly unpredictable.

The National Weather Service monitors incoming storms and weather conditions in an effort to provide some warning if flooding is probable. What is difficult to estimate is the amount of water that could be seen and the direction it might take, so everyone needs to take a reasonable approach to the risk and prepare now.

• Prepare for flooding emergencies

Owners of homes in danger of flooding should call the maintenance services division at 425-430-7400 to report the condition and obtain assistance.

Twenty-four hour emergency service is available for flooding, hazardous road conditions, down or damaged stop or yield signs, no water, sewer overflows, and water main breaks.

For emergencies after 3:30 p.m. or on weekends, and if the emergency cannot wait until the next business day, call the Renton Police Department at 425-430-7500.

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit took effect on August 1, 2019, by the Washington State Department of Ecology under the provisions of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Water Act. There are a total of 83 cities and five counties in Western Washington that have to comply with the permit.

The permit has specific requirements and deadlines for implementation of programs to minimize the discharge of pollution from municipal stormwater systems into our streams, lakes, rivers and wetlands to protect their beneficial uses (swimming, boating, fishing, aesthetics) and other environmental resources.

Stormwater ponds are important facilities that protect streams and rivers by improving water quality and by buffering high runoff flows. Ponds prevent sedimentation and erosion of natural streams and creeks, and prevent flooding in the streets, if they are maintained.

• Pond maintenance

The Stormwater Pollution Source Control program (Source Control) aims to protect the quality of the city’s watercourses from the discharge of pollutants into the city’s storm system by controlling pollutants at their source.  

Source Control is the process of identifying sources of pollution and reducing the likelihood of pollutants reaching  surface waters (streams, creeks, rivers and lakes) or groundwater (our drinking water source).  

By using Source Control Best Management Practices (BMPs), business and property owners can prevent pollutants from reaching our valuable waterbodies. The following Source Control BMPs are required at every site:

• Inspect, clean, and maintain your storm system regularly
• Eliminate illicit connections to your storm system
• Create a pollution prevention team
• Develop a spill response plan
• Train employees on the importance of pollution control measures and spill response
• Keep dumpster areas clear of debris, lids closed, and replace containers that leak

Following a site visit, activity specific BMPs may be required. For additional information, please visit Source Control. 

Renton’s Surface Water Utility System Plan represents the City’s first comprehensive city-wide surface water planning effort since the 1990s. The Plan examines the existing surface water management system, with primary focus on projects and programs that identify and minimize flooding, erosion, and water quality problems as well as improve riparian habitat and meet regulatory requirements. The Plan is intended to guide programmatic and capital investment needs for the Surface Water Utility for the next six years and for future years’ guidance. This includes identifying and developing long-term solutions, prioritizing needs of the community, quantifying operations and maintenance needs of the Surface Water Utility, and ensuring adequate funding to implement the Plan’s recommendations.

Watersheds are a basin-shaped area that drains into a river, lake, or the ocean. It includes freshwater (ground and surface) as well as saltwater from Puget Sound. Large watersheds can include two or more smaller watersheds or basins, since large rivers are made up of smaller rivers and streams that flow together.