Publication Summary

This 2001 manual (Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington) was a revision of the Stormwater Management Manual for the Puget Sound Basin (published in 1992). The 2001 manual was updated in 2005. Printed copies are no longer available. You can obtain the 2001 manual on CD from the Water Quality Program (see "availability" below. The current version of the Stormwater Manual is divided into five documents, publication numbers 05-10-029 through 05-10-033. There is a link to Volume I of that updated version below.

Urban development causes significant changes in patterns of stormwater flow from land into receiving waters. Water quality can be affected when runoff carries sediment or other pollutants into streams, wetlands, lakes, and marine waters or into ground water. Stormwater management can help to reduce these effects. Stormwater management involves careful application of site design principles, construction techniques to prevent sediments and other pollutants from entering surface or ground water, source controls, and treatment of runoff to reduce pollutants and the impact of altered hydrology.

The objective of this manual is to provide a commonly accepted set of technical standards and guidance on stormwater management measures that will control the quantity and quality of stormwater produced by new development and redevelopment. The Department Ecology believes that when the standards and recommendations of this manual are properly applied, stormwater runoff should generally comply with water quality standards and protect beneficial uses of the receiving waters. We recognize that individual circumstances vary greatly, and in some instances compliance with the manual may not ensure compliance with water quality standards.