Low Impact Development - Runoff Reduction Best Management Practices

What is Low Impact Development (LID)?

Low impact development is a stormwater management strategy that emphasizes conservation and use of existing natural site features integrated with distributed, small-scale stormwater controls to more closely mimic natural hydrologic patterns in residential, commercial, and industrial settings. LID employs principles such as preserving and recreating natural landscape features and minimizing impervious surfaces to create functional and appealing site drainage that treat stormwater as a resource rather than a waste product. Practices that adhere to these LID principles include bioretention facilities, rain gardens, vegetated rooftops, rain barrels, and permeable pavements.

This webpage includes information on two LID practices: rain gardens and rainwater harvesting.

General

Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, Green Roof Infrastructure Industry Association
Low Impact Development, Kitsap Home Builders Foundation - See Kitsap LID Resources, including LID design guidelines
Low Impact Development, U.S. EPA - Includes LID factsheets and reports, design guidance manuals, and information resources
Low Impact Development Center - Nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of low impact development technology; includes publications, rain garden template, green highways and green infrastructure
LID Local Regulation Assistance Project, Puget Sound Partnership - Archival information about project from 2005-2009
Low Impact Development Technical Guidance Manual for Puget Sound (), Puget Sound Action Team, revised 05/2005 - Manual update underway, 2011, Puget Sound Partnership
Low Impact Development: An Alternative Approach to Site Design, by Asa Foss, PAS Memo, May/June 2005 (Available through MRSC Library Loan)
Low Impact Development, Smart Growth/Smart Energy Toolkit, Massachusetts
The Practice of Low-Impact Development (), NAHB Research Center, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 07/2003
Stormwater & Low Impact Development (LID), Puget Sound Partnership
Urban Design Tools for Low Impact Development - Includes LID techniques and design examples

LID Regulations

Developing Low Impact Development (LID) Standards, Department of Ecology
Washington State Decision Makes LID Mandatory, by Henrietta H. P. Locklear, Stormwater, July/August 2009

Local Government Provisions

Bellingham
- Bellingham Ordinance No. 2001-01-001 () - Regarding land use controls in Lake Whatcom Watershed (Silver Beach Neighborhood), and adopting limits on permitted uses, impervious area, earthwork, and related water quality protection measures, passed 01/2001
- Low-Impact Development - Includes native plant guide and information on rain gardens and rain barrels
Bothell
- Low Impact Development Report (), 2011
- Ordinance No 1988 () - Provides low impact development (LID) regulations within the Fitzgerald/35th Avenue SE Subarea, passed 2008
Fife Green Factor - Low Impact Development -Includes ordinance and Green Factor worksheets
Island County Low Impact Development - Includes local examples
King County
- Green Building and Low Impact Development
- Low Impact Development for Roads
Kirkland Surface Water Low Impact Development - Includes tools and requirements for rurface water development and LID elements, such as pervious pavement, green roofs rain barrels, and rain garden
Kitsap County Low Impact Development Manual (), 07/2009
Lake Forest Park
- Low Impact Development Techniques (), Stormwater Management Fact Sheet Series, no. 2
- Low Impact Development brochure ()
Mercer Island Low Impact Development
Pierce County
- Low Impact Development Introduction, Pierce County Public Works and Utilities
- Low Impact Development(), Volume VI of Stormwater Management and Site Development Manual, adopted 08/2008, effective 03/01/2009
Port Angeles Ordinance No. 3293 () - Adds Planned Low Impact Development Zone, passed 08/2007
Redmond Low Impact Development
Sammamish Ordinance No. O2008-236 - Low Impact Development Regulations, adopted 09/16/2008
Seattle Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Snohomish County
- Ordinance No. 03-037 () - Extending reduced drainage discharge housing demonstration program, and reenacting Ch. 30.34B, adopted 06/09/2003
- Ordinance No. 06-115 () - Requires use of low impact development techniques for new development in Little Bear Watershed, adopted 12/20/2006
- Ordinance No. 10-024 () - Repeals and replaces Ch. 30.63C, low impact development, 06/09/2010
Tacoma Surface Water Studies - Includes Low Impact Development Technologies
Thurston County
- Low Impact Development, Barriers Analysis (), 03/16/2011
- Low Impact Development (LID) (), Ch. 2, Thurston County Drainage Design and Erosion Control Manual, Vol. V, 07/2009
Tumwater Municipal Code Ch. 13.22 - Zero Effect Drainage Discharge
Yakima County Low Impact Development (LID) and Green Infrastructure Overview, Regional Stormwater Management Program

Rain Gardens

Bothell Rain Gardens
Kitsap County Rain Garden brochure ()
Pierce County Rain Garden how-to’s () - Informative brochure on rain gardens
Puget Sound Rain Gardens, WSU Extension, Snohomish County - Includes general rain garden information and links to rain garden resources in Puget Sound counties
Puyallup Rain Gardens
Rain Garden Handbook for Western Washington Homeowners (), by Curtis Hinman, WSU Extension, 06/2007
Rain Gardens Infiltrating Wisconsin, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Rain Garden Design Templates, Low Impact Development Center
Reining in the Rain: A Case Study of the City of Bellingham's Use of Rain Gardens to Control Stormwater (), Puget Sound Action Team, in Partnership for Puget Sound Archives, 03/2004
Seattle
- Seattle - Building a Rain Garden to slow and filter roof or driveway runoff (), RainWise factsheet, Seattle Public Utilities, revised 03/2011
- Green Roofs in Seattle (), by Annika McIntosh, 08/2010
Shoreline Rain Gardens brochure, WSU Extension
Tacoma Rain Gardens

Rainwater Harvesting

Rainwater Collection in Washington State, Washington State Department of Ecology - Includes links to other information sources
- DOE Water Resources Program Policy regarding Collection of Rainwater for Beneficial Use (), POL 1017, effective 10/09/2009
- Focus on Rainwater Interpretive Policy, by Judy Beitel, Washington State Department of Ecology, Publication 09-11-026, 10/2009
Mercer Island Rainwater Harvesting for Irrigation () brochure
Seattle
- Rainwater Harvesting for Beneficial Use - Green Building CAM, Client Assistance Memo CAM 520, revised 04/29/09
- Rainwater Harvesting and Rainwater Permit, Seattle Public Utilities
- Residential RainWise Program and Rainwise Tools, Be Rainwise

Statutes allowing reduction of stormwater charges

Specifically, statutes for any new or remodeled commercial building that utilizes a permissive rainwater harvesting system.

RCW 35.67.020(3) - Re: sewage systems
RCW 35.92.020(3) - Re: municipal utilities
RCW 36.89.080(2) - Re: storm water control
RCW 57.08.005(7)(b) Re: water-sewer districts
RCW 86.15.160(4) - Re: flood control zone districts

Ordinances - Stormwater rate reductions for rainwater catchment systems

Edmonds Ordinance No. 3682 () - Interim ordinance removing barriers that discourage installation of rainwater collection and reuse systems; amends definition of street setback and defines rainwater collection tank, passed 04/2008
King County Board of Health Agenda packet for Proposed No. BOH11-03.1 () - Amendments to Board of Health Title 13 - Onsite Sewage Systems; addresses the use of rainwater catchment systems for potable water supply. Includes King County Council news release, New Public Health rules allow rainwater as sole source for residential drinking water, 07/21/2011
Kitsap County Ordinance No. 315-2004 () - Amends Kitsap County Code Sec.12.40.050 to establish a surface and stormwater management program rate reduction for permissive rainwater harvesting systems, infiltration systems, and direct discharge systems
Snohomish County Ordinances 05-102 and 05-103 provide reductions in surface water management rates and charges for commercial properties with approved rainwater harvesting systems, passed 10/2005

Organizations

American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) - Nonprofit organization that promotes rainwater catchment systems in the U.S. See ARCSA Resources and Documents
Harvest H20.com - Online community promoting sustainable water management practices; includes FAQs, articles, and other resources
International Rainwater Catchment Systems Association - Includes factsheets and links

Other Reference Sources

Rainwater Harvesting (), Oregon Smart Guide, Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, Building Codes Division
Rainwater Harvesting, Portland, OR Office of Sustainable Development
Rainwater Harvesting: Moderate Investment Can Yield Big Results (), by Doug Pushard, OnTap, Summer 2008
The State of Rainwater Harvesting in the U.S (), by Tammie Stark and Doug Pushard, On Tap, Fall 2008
Texas Manual on Rainwater Harvesting (), 3rd Ed., Texas Water Development Board, 2005