“Best management practices” or “BMPs” means the schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and structural and/or managerial practices approved by the Washington State Department of Ecology that, when used singly or in combination, control, prevent or reduce the release of pollutants and other adverse impacts to waters of Washington State.

“Certified erosion and sediment control lead” or “CESCL” means an individual who has current certification through an approved erosion and sediment control training program that meets the minimum training standards established by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) (see BMP C160 in the Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington (SWMMWW)). A CESCL is knowledgeable in the principles and practices of erosion and sediment control. The CESCL must have the skills to assess site conditions and construction activities that could impact the quality of stormwater discharges. Certification is obtained through an Ecology-approved erosion and sediment control course. Course listings are provided online at Ecology’s website.

“City” means the city of Vancouver.

“Director” means the director of the city of Vancouver public works department or designee.

“General Requirements” means the most current version of the City of Vancouver Engineering Services General Requirements and Details for the Design and Construction of Water, Sanitary Sewer and Surface Water Systems.

“Land-disturbing activity” means any activity that results in a movement of earth or a change in the existing soil cover (both vegetative and nonvegetative) and/or existing soil topography. Land-disturbing activities include, but are not limited to: demolition, reconstruction, construction, clearing, grading, filling, excavation, and related actives. Compaction that is associated with stabilization of structures and road construction shall also be considered a land disturbing activity. Vegetation maintenance practices are not considered land-disturbing activity.

“Low-impact development” or “LID” means a stormwater and land use management strategy that strives to mimic predisturbance hydrologic processes of infiltration, filtration, storage, evaporation, and transpiration by emphasizing conservation, use of on-site natural features, site planning, and distributed stormwater management practices that are integrated into a project design.

“Low-impact development best management practices” or “LID BMPs” means distributed stormwater management practices, integrated into a project design, that emphasize predisturbance hydrologic processes of infiltration, filtration, storage, evaporation and transpiration. LID BMPs include, but are not limited to, bioretention, rain gardens, permeable pavements, roof downspout controls, dispersion, soil quality and depth, minimal excavation foundations, vegetated roofs, and water reuse.

“Minimum requirements” means the minimum technical requirements for new development and redevelopment as set forth in Appendix 1 of the city’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Western Washington Phase II municipal stormwater permit. The minimum requirements are identified as follows:

“National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System” or “NPDES” means the national program for issuing, modifying, revoking, and reissuing, terminating, monitoring and enforcing permits, and imposing and enforcing pretreatment requirements, under Sections 307, 402, 318, and 405 of the Federal Clean Water Act, for the discharge of pollutants to surface waters of the state from point sources. These permits are referred to as NPDES permits and, in Washington State, are administered by the Washington State Department of Ecology.

“Pollution” or “pollutants” means such contamination, or other alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties, of any waters of the state, including change in temperature, taste, color, turbidity, or odor of the waters, or such discharge of any liquid, gaseous, solid, radioactive, or other substance into any waters of the state as will or is likely to create a nuisance or render such waters harmful, detrimental or injurious to the public health, safety or welfare, or to domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, recreational, or other legitimate beneficial uses, or to livestock, wild animals, birds, fish or other aquatic life.

“Stormwater” means that portion of precipitation that does not naturally percolate into the ground or evaporate, but flows via overland flow, interflow, pipes, and other features of a stormwater drainage system into a defined surface water body or a constructed infiltration facility.

“Stormwater facility” means a constructed component of a stormwater drainage system, designed and constructed to perform a particular function, or multiple functions. Stormwater facilities include, but are not limited to: pipes, swales, ditches, open channels, culverts, street gutters, detention ponds, retention ponds, constructed wetlands, storage basins, infiltration devices, catch basins, manholes, dry wells, oil/water separators, biofiltration swales, sediment basins, bioretention, permeable pavements, and vegetated roofs.

“Stormwater Manual” means the Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington, prepared by the Washington State Department of Ecology Water Quality Program in February 2019, Publication No. 19-10-021 (a revision of Publication No. 14-10-055), and as hereafter amended.

“Stormwater permit” means the city of Vancouver’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Western Washington Phase II municipal stormwater permit issued August 1, 2013, which was modified, effective January 16, 2014, by the Washington State Department of Ecology, and as hereafter modified or reissued. (Ord. M-4371 § 3, 2022; Ord. M-4179 § 25, 2016; Ord. M-3920 § 2, 2009)