City seeks public comments for stormwater, electric vehicle charging stations

Public comment for the 2023 Stormwater Management Program Plan are due by March 15.

By Bailey Jo Josie bailey.jo.josie@rentonreporter.com • March 10, 2023 3:40 pm
The City of Renton is asking for comments on municipal plans for Stormwater Management and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Comments for the Stormwater Plan are due by March 15. Image courtesy of the City of Renton
The City of Renton is asking for comments on municipal plans for Stormwater Management and electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. Comments for the Stormwater Plan are due by March 15. Image courtesy of the City of Renton

The city of Renton is collecting public comments on two municipal plans for Stormwater Management and for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.

EV Charging Plan

Funded by a Climate Program Early Planning Grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce, the City of Renton’s EV Charging Plan is an investment in EV charging infrastructure.

The charging plan will help the city better understand current charging stations, where to locate and prioritize new public-use EV charging stations and the logistics of adding new chargers around the city.

According to ChargeHub.com, Renton has 79 public charging station ports, though only 6% are free. Only 10% are Level 3 stations, which can fill an EV’s battery at a rate of 75-1,200 miles per hour and can charge up to 80% in 30 minutes. Level 2 stations charge at a rate of 12-80 miles per hour and can take up to 4.5 hours for a full charge.

Stormwater Management

The five-year Western Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit — or the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit — was issued in Renton on Aug. 1, 2019, and has specific deadlines and requirements that are meant to minimize pollution from municipal stormwater systems getting into streams, lakes, rivers and wetlands, as defined in the city’s 2023 Draft Stormwater Management Program Plan.

These requirements include a program to reduce pollutants in stormwater runoff from new developments, redevelopments, and construction site activities and a public involvement and participation program.

Renton is one of 83 cities and five counties in Western Washington that must comply with the permit and is classified as a “small” municipal separate stormwater sewer system. As part of the stormwater management action planning, Renton must develop a Stormwater Management Action Plan (SMAP) for at least one high-priority area by March 31, 2023.

Public Comments and Feedback

For feedback on needs and concerns related to EV use in Renton, visit revitup.mysocialpinpoint.com and fill out the interactive map and survey.

For public comment on the 2023 Stormwater Management Program Plan, contact Kristina Lowthian at klowthian@rentonwa.gov by March 15. Any comments received after March 15 will be accepted for the 2024 Stormwater Management Program Plan.