Private Water Quality Facility Program

Whether you witness a sewer overflow or illegal dumping into a storm drain — or have questions about wildlife or need to submit a claim, please visit Clean Water Services' Report A Problem webpage.

Clean Water Services and the City of Tualatin work together to manage and protect our local water resources. As part of this collaborative effort, the City has developed a program that requires the construction, maintenance, and inspection of Private Water Quality Facilities (PWQFs) within City limits. These stormwater facilities remove pollutants, cool water temperatures, and reduce erosion potential before allowing runoff to enter our local creeks, wetlands, and rivers.

If there's a water quality facility on your property, then it is your responsibility to perform inspections and routine maintenance activities to ensure the system is healthy and functioning as designed. The City of Tualatin's Engineering Division will also perform routine inspections of these privately-owned facilities and we can make ourselves available to work with each property owner on a case-by-case basis.

Additional information and reference material are provided in the sections below.

Regulations & Guidance

Clean Water Services and member cities implemented the private water quality facilities management program under the District’s Stormwater Management Plan in 2001. The program includes inspection of all water quality facilities maintained by private property owners, including residential, commercial, and industrial. The overall goal of the program is to educate property owners about how these facilities function and to ensure that facilities are maintained and operated properly.

Purpose of the Program 

• Improve water quality in the Tualatin River Watershed.
• Bring existing water quality facilities into compliance.
• Educate private water quality facility owners.
• Establish a district wide formal inspection program.

Definitions

LIDA – Low Impact Development Approaches (LIDA) mitigate the impacts of increased runoff and stormwater pollution using a set of planning, design, construction techniques, and stormwater management approaches that promote the use of natural systems for infiltration, evapotranspiration, and reuse of rainwater. LIDA can occur at a wide range of landscape scales (i.e., regional, neighborhood, and site) and include, but are not limited to, green roofs, permeable hardscapes, and vegetated management approaches.
Outfall – A point where collected and concentrated surface and stormwater runoff is discharged.
Stormwater Runoff – Stormwater runoff is generated from rain and snowmelt that flows over land or impervious surfaces, such as paved streets, parking lots, and building rooftops. It does not soak into the ground and instead flows into a water body or storm drain.
Stormwater Infrastructure – Any structure, feature, or drainage ditch that is designed, constructed, and maintained to collect, filter, convey, retain, or detain stormwater runoff during and after a storm event for the purpose of water quality improvement or quantity management. It includes, but is not limited to, constructed wetlands, water quality swales, landscaped retention areas, and detention ponds that are maintained as stormwater quality and/or quantity control facilities.
Water Quality or Quantity Approach – An engineered or natural feature designed or protected to provide stormwater management. Approaches consist of water quality and quantity facilities, natural systems, and other low impact development approaches.
Water Quality Facility – A water quality facility is an engineered or natural feature designed or protected to temporarily store, route, or filter runoff for the purpose of improving water quality.

Contacts

Hayden Ausland, PE
Principal Engineer
503-691-3037
hausland@tualatin.gov 

Engineering Division
engineering@tualatin.gov