Status

As of February 2024
Phase: Closeout

The City is substantially complete with construction of infiltration facilities along NE 148th Street between 12th Avenue NE and 15th Avenue NE to reduce the existing flooding and ponding issues. Runoff will now be directed to underground infiltration facilities which will treat water flowing off the roadway and help protect nearby urban creeks.

Plantings were completed in spring of 2023. Minor planting corrections and maintenance work will continue at least through spring of 2024.

Overview and History

Storm runoff on NE 148th Street between 12th Avenue NE and 15th Avenue NE flows to a single catch basin mid-block.  This catch basin has no outlet pipe and is easily overwhelmed. Frequent stormwater ponding occurs within large areas on both sides of NE 148th Street.

Ponding on the south side of NE 148th Street during a November 19, 2012, storm event.

This project will improve drainage on this block. Groups of new stormwater facilities will be installed along both sides of the street. These infiltration facilities will capture runoff, store it below ground, and allow it to naturally soak into the soils below. Some of the facilities will have “rain garden” plants at the surface. Others will have hard surfaces which allow for a vehicle to continue parking above. 

Allowing runoff to soak into the ground is one alternative to sending it away within a pipe. If instead a new outlet pipe was used to fix this drainage issue, that pipe would flow into nearby Little’s Creek.  Stormwater runoff from roadways is dirty and scours away the creek during storms. Little’s Creek already has problems with pollution and erosion from runoff, and a new pipe would only worsen things. We wanted to try a solution at this location which would both fix the drainage problem while protecting the creek.

Project pre-design and design was funded by a Stormwater Capacity Grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology. Construction will be largely funded by a SFAP Green Retrofit Grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology. This project is also partially funded by a King County WaterWorks grant.

Community Outreach

• April 2022: Residents along NE 148th Street received a "Construction Coming Soon" Postcard detailing upcoming construction plans for the project.
• April 2021: Residents along NE 148th Street received Project Introduction and Public Meeting Notification Letter introducing the project, discussing impacts to the City's right-of-way along NE 148th Street, and inviting them to meet at the project site to learn more about the project and ask questions.

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