Othello Stormwater Utility Setup

Fast growth requires insightful planning from Varela

The City of Othello has seen remarkable growth in the past three decades, up nearly 26% from 2000 to 2010 alone. The City’s need for improved stormwater infrastructure has increased to accommodate increased runoff from the impervious areas that accompany population growth and development. 

The City of Othello hired Varela in 2018 to help them develop a stormwater utility, which would provide the dedicated structure, organization and revenue needed to manage the city’s stormwater facilities. The City has been reliant on other funding sources to maintain their stormwater infrastructure. 

The City was informed that stormwater utilities, supported by ongoing rates, are the largest local funding source for stormwater control in Washington State. A stormwater utility is a stand-alone entity, usually set up as an enterprise fund, within the governmental structure. It is defined as being financially and organizationally self-sufficient, and can be designed to furnish a limited or comprehensive set of services related to stormwater quantity and quality management. Varela has assisted other agencies in the development of stormwater utilities. This project began the process of forming a Municipal Stormwater Utility for the City of Othello. 

The Othello process required determining state criteria along with the processes and schedule (public hearings) to form the new utility, discussions and meetings with city officials to discuss goals and policies, determine process and schedule needed to form a new utility, review and select examples of municipal regulations and ordinances pertaining to formation and management of a municipal stormwater utility, and review and select methods of setting utility rates. This information was compiled and presented to Public Works, and would typically move to the Planning Commission and/or Council. Options were included for multiple rate structures and progression to code updates. GIS mapping of City infrastructure was also performed.

The stormwater utility setup is still in process. If it is recommended that a stormwater utility be formed, Varela can perform work including reviewing and updating existing stormwater regulations, inventorying and inspecting stormwater facilities, detecting and eliminating illicit discharges into the sanitary sewer system, and developing regional stormwater collection, treatment and disposal methods and costs. This work will lead to the development of a future Stormwater Master Plan and possible refinement and replacement of rate structures.