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Anacortes staff outline stormwater maintenance, inspections and new reporting rules
Summary
Stormwater program manager Aaron Estrel briefed council on inventory, permit responsibilities under MPDES Phase 2, planned stormwater master plan, new street‑sweeping reporting and expanded mapping (including tree canopy) to inform capital priorities.
Aaron Estrel, Anacortes stormwater program manager, presented the city’s annual stormwater maintenance plan on March 23, describing inventories, inspections and permit obligations under the MPDES Phase 2 program.
Estrel said the city must inspect public stormwater infrastructure annually, inspect private permanent BMPs, and perform catch basin inspections on a two‑year cadence where required. He emphasized public education and outreach, illicit‑discharge prevention programs, construction inspections, and new Ecology reporting requirements for street‑sweeping (mileages and collected material quantities).
"There's so many people in the city that still believe we have a combined storm water and sewer system," Estrel said, urging better education and outreach. He also described mapping efforts (tributaries, basins, outfalls) and a planned stormwater master plan to prioritize capital retrofits and drainage projects. Estrel said the city participates in Stormwater Action Monitoring and does not currently have any TMDLs.
Council members asked about street‑sweeper scheduling, high‑risk outfall identification, and how tree canopy mapping ties into stormwater management. Estrel said mapping and a planned maintenance system will help the city provide at least time windows for sweeping and identify areas for inspection and retrofit.
