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Council to review draft limits on construction dewatering in critical aquifer recharge area
Summary
Staff presented proposed code amendments to restrict temporary construction dewatering in Redmond’s Critical Aquifer Recharge Area (CARA) to utilities, elevator pits and crane footings, allow dewatering under 500 gpm, and requested a study session Feb. 25 and adoption on April 15 with an effective date of June 28.
City staff briefed the committee on proposed amendments to the Redmond Municipal Code (RMC) addressing temporary construction dewatering (TCD) in the city’s Critical Aquifer Recharge Area (CARA). Staff said the amendments are intended to reduce risks to the drinking water utility by limiting large-volume dewatering within the CARA.
Staff described the changes as the final phase of a TCD policy effort that began in 2020. The proposed code would limit dewatering within the CARA to utilities, crane footings and elevator pits; dewatering less than 500 gallons per minute would continue to be permitted. Staff said those features typically have smaller footprints and shorter dewatering durations than large underground parking structures. The proposal includes an effective date of June 28 timed to align with related Redmond 20/50 code updates.
Staff also reported receiving stakeholder feedback late in 2024 from a representative of a development firm. That feedback led staff and the Redmond 20/50 team to add a single additional allowable building height in downtown and Marymoor Village where dewatering for underground parking would occur. Staff proposed a study session on Feb. 25 to review background, code specifics and stakeholder input; the final amendments are tentatively scheduled for the April 15 consent agenda.
Council members requested the study session to include plain-language background on how the city gets its water, how dewatering affects the water utility, what developments could be affected, and a before-and-after depiction of development allowances (for example, underground parking). Several council members emphasized that TCD limits aim to protect drinking water and identified Marymoor Village and downtown as areas primarily affected.
