Green streets and private facilities such as planters and infiltration basins help reduce stormwater draining to sewer pipes, helping the City avoid installing larger pipes.  In targeted areas, the City partners with property owners to design and build stormwater facilities to be safe for the site and neighboring properties.  The program is voluntary and the property owner maintains ownership at all times.  Following construction, the property owners maintain the new facilities. 

The City recently partnered the Western Seminary at SE 55th and Hawthorne to manage stormwater from a total of 25,700 ft² of roof and paved area. This project used two infiltration planters and 3 tiered infiltration basins to reduce stormwater flows entering the local sewer by an average of 570,000 gallons of runoff annually.  These facilities were constructed by Ted’s Excavating and Braun Construction.