Compliance with Rules and Regulations

Like many jurisdictions throughout the country, the City of Spokane Valley is required to comply with State and Federal stormwater regulations related to the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act to improve and protect water quality.

Protecting Drinking Water

In 1974, Congress enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) to protect public health by regulating the nation’s drinking water supply through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Under the SDWA, the EPA designated the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie as the nation’s first Sole Source Aquifer (SSA). The SDWA then established the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program to safeguard underground sources of drinking water. The EPA delegated UIC authority in 1984 to the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology).

Compliance with Rules and Regs_1The City of Spokane Valley is regulated by Ecology’s UIC program because most of our public streets discharge runoff through drywells, which are considered by Ecology to be UIC’s. In addition, the EPA and Ecology have determined that public and private construction projects within the City of Spokane Valley must meet groundwater protection standards.

Protecting Surface Waters of the State (NPDES)

In 1972, Congress enacted the Clean Water Act (CWA) and charged the EPA with restoring the nation’s waters to fishable and swimmable conditions. Under the CWA, point source discharges to the nation’s waters require National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. In 1987, Congress broadened the CWA definition of "point source" to include municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4s). The 1987 expansion of the CWA was promulgated in two phases; the City of Spokane Valley fell under the second phase and is regulated by Ecology on behalf of the EPA. On January 17, 2007 Ecology issued to the City the “Eastern Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit”. The Permit requires the City to address the quality of its stormwater discharges through the 26 outfalls it owns to surface waters of the State.

Rules & Regulations

The following documents provide information on stormwater regulations that apply to Spokane Valley:

Compliance Documents

The city operates two stormwater management plans (SWMPs): the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) areas regulated by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and the Underground Injection Control (UIC) areas regulated under the UIC Program.

UIC regulatory documents can be found here:

MS4 regulatory documents can be found here: