In response to a recent letter by Larry Hellie (“Development drains Salmon Creek,” Our Readers’ Views, May 8), I just had to shake my head. As a civil engineer with over 30 years of stormwater experience, the letter was full of inaccuracies.
There are no combined sewer systems in Clark County and runoff from all types of developments drain to groundwater or lakes, streams and rivers. Sanitary sewer agencies spend much of their efforts eliminating any stormwater connections, which are considered illicit discharges and cost the utilities money. None are getting rich treating roof or parking lot runoff.
Another misconception is that low-impact development or facilities such as bioretention or rain gardens are starving our waterways of runoff flow. These facilities are designed to mimic natural processes by infiltrating water like forests where very little rainfall runs off the land. They help prevent the big rushes of quick, erosion-causing storm flows and allow the groundwater to help feed streams and rivers during dry periods.
All new developments must meet flow control and runoff treatment requirements to infiltrate or detain runoff onsite, but older developments are allowed to release undetained and untreated water directly to water bodies like Salmon Creek.
