Seattle Public Utilities' Natural Drainage System Operation and Maintenance

Stormwater facility maintenance and costs are key components to the success of any bioretention or Natural Drainage Systems (NDS) stormwater facility. What are the maintenance requirements for these systems and what are the associated life-cycle costs? On-going communication and information sharing of the lessons learned from these new facilities are vital for continued success.Clear and concise management plans and facility maintenance are necessary for sustaining the benefits of these systems. SPU is finalizing a working operations and maintenance package for Natural Drainage Systems. SPU's total NDS maintenance package includes the following:NDS Maintenance ManualWorkbook Job Costing Access DatabaseMaintenance Category ChecklistsKey Performance Indicators FormThe Maintenance manual articulates different levels of service, based on the goals and requirements of an individual system. A cost database provides cost estimates for achieving the level of service specified for the given system. The maintenance category checklists for both vegetation and swale infrastructure are highlighted in a separate document to allow successful and consistent performance reporting. Checklists are summarized for reporting to management using the Key Performance Indicator forms.