Managing Water Quality
Steward and enhance the environment of Commencement Bay and the Puyallup River by cleaning up contaminated land, improving water quality, and minimizing air emissions from port operations. Port of Tacoma does this by Investing in projects that improve the quality of stormwater runoff from Port properties, embodies best practices, and empowers our tenants to comply with complex permits.
Stormwater Story Map
Stormwater Management Permits
The Port of Tacoma manages many different types of water quality permits. Those include:
NPDES Permits for Municipalities, Industrial Activities, Sand and Gravel Sites, and Construction Activities. In response to these permits, the Port pioneers treatment techniques to treat industrial stormwater. The Port uses natural site features and small-scale stormwater controls to mimic natural hydraulic patterns to remove pollutants before they reach Commencement Bay.
The Port also controls sources of stormwater pollution by requiring vinyl-covered chain link fences and avoiding the use of uncoated galvanized steel for roofing, siding, gutters and other components that convey stormwater.
Stormwater Management Plan
In compliance with the Washington State Department of Ecology's stormwater permit requirements, our Stormwater Management Plan educates employees and tenants, documents how staff finds and eliminates illicit discharges, maps stormwater conveyance systems, monitors water quality, implements best management practices (BMPs) and treats stormwater where appropriate.