Ridgefield to Update Stormwater Oversight, Regulations for Businesses and Developers

Norman Helgason / [email protected]

Ridgefield business owners, homeowners associations and developers can expect to see more inspections from the city in the coming years.

As Ridgefield has grown to more than 10,000 residents by the 2020 census, the Department of Ecology is requiring the city to update its stormwater code through a municipal discharge permit. The permit is a state-mandated framework for larger cities to implement stricter regulations and commit to more frequent inspections, ensuring runoff doesn’t carry pollutants into Ridgefield’s waterways.

During the Thursday, June 11, City Council meeting, Ridgefield Utilities Manager Ryan Thamert explained that city staff will increase inspections of the city’s more than 2,000 manholes and commit to more frequent street sweeping before changes are made to Ridgefield’s stormwater code.

Next year, the Ridgefield Department of Public Works will develop a code, to be completed by 2026, that will primarily regulate and inspect stormwater facilities owned by businesses and HOAs. In addition, staff will establish the authority to conduct mandatory “source control” inspections, aimed primarily at businesses.

“Source control looks at how companies handle cleaning and waste,” Thamert said. “What do they do when they mop floors, when they have soaps and detergents? … How do they handle cleaning carpets, rugs and mats? Do they do it outside, right above the manhole, or do they collect the water and put it down the drain?”

In late June, the city closed one of three off-street parking lots in the downtown area to conduct a stormwater cleanup that is expected to last until early 2025. According to a city news release, a liquid chemical solvent used in dry cleaning was released into the soil and groundwater during the operation of the former laundromat, which operated from 1965 to 1977. The site, which has been used as a parking lot since then, has been off-limits to development because of groundwater contamination. New business inspections that will be added to the city code next year will ensure that contaminated water does not end up in the stormwater retention basin.

During the briefing, Councilwoman Jennifer Lindsay asked if the panel had a plan for non-commercial car washes. Thamert confirmed that driveway car washes contaminate groundwater, but said the city does not have the resources to enforce the measure. The panel is leaning toward educating the public about washing cars in driveways.

“We don’t have a formal plan yet, but we have had internal discussions to encourage the use of commercial car washes,” Thamert said.

In addition to the code updates, the Ridgefield Department of Public Works will revise the code in 2026 to create a “stormwater handbook” for developers. Among the code updates, major construction projects will be phased to minimize soil instability near stormwater features. In addition, new developments must include stormwater ponds with increased capacity to hold stormwater runoff.

“The facilities (for stormwater drainage) will be bigger or there will have to be more of them,” Thamert said.

The new regulations will be implemented to minimize environmental impacts. Developers will be required to install erosion control measures, including silt tarps, and leave trees and plants in place if possible. While the regulations increase the scope of the work, City Manager Steve Stuart explained that developers should be prepared because cities larger than Ridgefield have already implemented similar regulations.

“We are one of the last in Clark County that is subject to these requirements,” Stuart said. “Our contractors and developers have been working under these requirements for over 10 years…”

The City of Ridgefield will create a website later this year with more detailed information about its stormwater management plan.