Lake Whatcom
Homeowner Incentive Program (HIP)
Helping watershed residents make their properties lake-friendly by providing technical assistance and up to $6,000 reimbursement for projects that reduce runoff and improve water quality
Help the Lake...1
Program Overview...2
Eligibility...3
Roof...4
Hardscapes...5
Lawn and Landscaping...6
Reimbursement...8
HIP Home Example...9
Contents
Tell us what kind of projects you are interested in.
We’ll help you make them lake-friendly and reimburse
your expenses up to $6,000.
Improve Your Property
What’s the problem with runoff?
Stormwater washes over yards, pavement, and roofs, carrying pollutants from fertilizers, pesticides, pet waste, car oil, and soaps. Stormwater from the neighborhoods around Lake Whatcom lows through ditches and storm drains into pipes that lead to Lake Whatcom.
Reducing phosphorus is our main concern.
Phosphorus can be found in fertilizers, composts and soil amendments, in many natural things, such as leaves, lawn clippings, exposed soils, and in other pollutants such as pet waste and car wash soap.
Protect our drinking water source.
Phosphorus and other pollutants harm the quality of our drinking water source, thereby increasing water treatment costs and degrading the taste of our tap water.
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Help the Lake
Why participate?
• Improve water quality in Lake Whatcom by reducing runoff from your property
• Improve on-site drainage issues
• Demonstrate code compliance necessary for future projects
What is evaluated during the site assessment?
City staff evaluate project suitability based on your property’s soil, slope, and available area, as well as surfaces, such as lawn,
landscaping, roofs, and hardscapes. Each type of surface is addressed differently to reduce runoff. Various options may be considered for each surface or a combination of surfaces, as described in the following pages.
Overview
How does the program work?
WE meet with you on your property for a site assessment. YOU tell us what problems and project ideas you have.
WE suggest options to make your project lake-friendly and reimbursable. YOU choose your project.
WE help you design the project and obtain a free permit. YOU do the project.
WE offer ongoing consultation throughout construction. YOU agree to provide minimal maintenance.
YOU allow city staff to collect data to demonstrate the improvements made. YOU submit receipts for reimbursement.
WE reimburse you for materials (100%) and professional services (75%). Find details about reimbursable expenses on page 8.
AllcitystAffAssistAnceis fRee.
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When am I allowed to do my project?
Normally, all land disturbing activities are prohibited in the Lake Whatcom Watershed between October 1 and May 31. During this time, bare soil must be covered with vegetation, mulch, or clean gravel. See BMC 16.80.120 at www.cob.org/web/bmcode.nsf.
Certain HIP projects using speciied mulch and plants are allowed, with a permit, any time of year. Other HIP projects that expose soil, such as building a rain garden, can only be done during the drier summer months, between June 1 and September 30.
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Lake Whatcom
CITY LIMITS
CITY LIMITS
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Whatcom Falls
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City portion of Lk. Whatcom Watershed
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0 500 1,000
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Eligibility
City ResiDents: Eligible City of Bellingham properties include single- family residential properties that drain to the Lake Whatcom Watershed (grey), not to Whatcom Creek (striped). COUnty ResiDents*: For eligibility requirements in Whatcom County contact Chip Anderson, Stormwater Planner [email protected] 360-715-7450
*The information in this booklet describes the program as it applies to City residents only.
City of Bellingham
Lake Whatcom Watershed
HIP Project Options
Rainwater Harvesting
Install one or more rain barrels, generally 250 gallons or less, or cisterns, generally more than 250 gallons, to help detain stormwater lows and slowly release water into the soil for iniltration.
Overlows from tanks should be diverted to an iniltration or dispersion system. See the sections on rain gardens or iniltration trenches for information on these overlow systems.
In the summer, outdoor watering strains our drinking water supply and pushes water treatment capabilities to their limits. Irrigate your yard with free rainwater and conserve our valuable drinking water. Residents with a water meter will save on their utility bill by using rainwater instead of metered water.
ExamplEs = OfficEOf Dr. sOnja ThOrpE, DDs; ThE rE sTOrE; BlOEDEl
DOnOvan park; hOmEsarOunDThE lakE WhaTcOm WaTErshED
Rainwater for Flushing Toilets
Instead of lushing treated and expensive drinking water down the toilet, harvested rainwater can be used for toilet lushing and the wash cycle of washing machines and dishwashers. Such systems require the homeowner to secure a plumbing permit and hire a licensed plumber.
Roof
The HIP Process
HIP staff will help you evaluate locations for tank installation, which typically are sturdy, lat areas with easy access. We will outline the few health and safety requirements for rainwater tanks. You may buy any cistern that meets those requirements, have it delivered and installed, and connect a passive irrigation system.
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Rain that hits hard surfaces is faster, hotter and dirtier.
In a natural, forested landscape, rainwater trickles through plants and soil, slowly making its way to nearby creeks or recharging groundwater. When rain hits roofs, driveways, patios, and other impervious surfaces, the water runs into storm drains that lead directly to creeks or to Lake Whatcom. Water levels in streams rise dramatically during storms, causing erosion in stream channels, disruption of wetland functions, and harm to wildlife. Dark roofs and pavement heat up the water, harming wildlife who are sensitive to minor changes in temperature. Anything sitting on hard surfaces, including leaves, grass clippings, dog waste, motor oil, and soap, is washed into the storm system and into the lake. The sheer volume of runoff makes end-of-pipe iltration less eficient at removing harmful pollutants.
95-gallon rain barrel
two 305-gallon cisterns 65-gallon rain barrel
HIP Project Options
Permeable Pavement
Permeable pavement is porous and allows runoff to iniltrate into the ground. Options include concrete pavers, concrete or plastic grids, and poured-in-place permeable concrete.
ExamplEs = DEpOT markET squarE
Pavement Strips and Pads
Driveways can include a center “ribbon” of permeable material. Water lows from the impervious strips into the center ribbon, where it can iniltrate.
Impervious Surface Removal
Gravel or paved areas that are unused or over-sized can be reduced in size or replaced. Removed material may be reused to build curbs or berms to further manage surface lows.
Iniltration Trenches
Iniltration trenches are underground pits illed with rock, protected with a permeable fabric, and topped with lawn, landscaping, decorative rock, sand, pavers, or permeable pavement. Conditions may allow piping to connect roof, driveway, and yard runoff to the trench.
Sand Filters
Sand ilters naturally remove pollutants as water lows through a layer of sand and out a separate pipe to existing drainage systems. The volume of runoff may not change, but the ilter will improve the quality of that water.
Hardscapes
The HIP Process
HIP staff will help you determine a good location for your
system. We will evaluate soils, slope, and the area contributing to the site to determine the most effective system.
Rain that hits hard surfaces is faster, hotter and dirtier.
In a natural, forested landscape, rainwater trickles through plants and soil, slowly making its way to nearby creeks or recharging groundwater. When rain hits roofs, driveways, patios, and other impervious surfaces, the water runs into storm drains that lead directly to creeks or to Lake Whatcom. Water levels in streams rise dramatically during storms, causing erosion in stream channels, disruption of wetland functions, and harm to wildlife. Dark roofs and pavement heat up the water, harming wildlife who are sensitive to minor changes in temperature. Anything sitting on hard surfaces, including leaves, grass clippings, dog waste, motor oil, and soap, is washed into the storm system and into the lake. The sheer volume of runoff makes end-of-pipe iltration less eficient at removing harmful pollutants.
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porous pavement
concrete pavers
concrete grid
Tony Parker, Classic Landscapes 2007
iniltration trench pavement strips
Phosphorus increases algae, lowers oxygen, and can raise water bills.
Lawns and traditional landscaping, even those not treated with fertilizers, are sources of phosphorus runoff. Stormwater carries phosphorus into Lake Whatcom where it promotes the growth of algae. When algae die, they sink and decompose. Bacteria feed on decomposing algae and, in the process, consume the oxygen in the water. This results in low dissolved oxygen, which can signiicantly affect plant and animal life.
High levels of phosphorus and low dissolved oxygen have resulted in Lake Whatcom being listed as an impaired water body under the Clean Water Act. Restoring the lake to a healthier state will require a reduction in phosphorus runoff by at least 85%! Increased algae growth may also lead to substantially increased drinking water treatment costs, poor tasting water, and greater health risks due to additional treatment by-products. In recent summers, large algae blooms have directly impacted the City’s ability to provide enough water to meet our community’s demand.
HIP Project Options
Lawn Replacement
Lawns leach about ten times more phosphorus per year than a forest of the same size. Replacing lawn with a thick layer of mulch and native plants can reduce phosphorus runoff by 80%. Mulch acts as a sponge to soak in and hold rainwater. Plants use the water and excess phosphorus to grow.
ExamplE = flynn sT. righT-Of-Way prOjEcT
Landscape Densiication
Landscaping that does not mimic forest conditions also leaches phosphorus. Often the mulch layer is too thin to absorb rainfall or the plants do not interact in a healthy way with native soil. In some cases, landscaping may contribute as much nutrient runoff as a lawn. Mixing native plants with non- natives, illing in bare spots with native plants, and creating multiple layers of leaf cover can turn your landscaping into a little piece of native forest.
Lawns & Landscaping
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Rain Gardens
Rain gardens are landscaped depressions that use native soils and plants to hold and iniltrate runoff, iltering out many common pollutants. Rain gardens can be landscaped with plants that improve the appearance of your home. Garden design assesses slope, natural drainage, and contributing areas that will drain to the rain garden.
ExamplEs = lighTcaTchEr musEum; inTErsEcTiOnOf WOBurnanD alaBama sT; ciTy hall; BlOEDEl DOnOvan park
Stormwater Planter
A stormwater planter is a small, contained, vegetated area that uses soil, mulch, and plants to ilter out pollutants and recycle nutrients. Treated stormwater is then iniltrated into the ground or discharged into the stormwater system. Planters are best for small sites where downspouts or driveway drains are easily accessible.
ExamplE = fiamma BurgEr rEsTauranT
The HIP Process
HIP staff will help you determine good sites for one or more of these projects. We will help you choose native plants that meet your aesthetic goals and are easy to care for. For rain gardens, we will evaluate your soils, the area contributing to the rain garden, and the slope to decide if a rain garden would be valuable on your site. We will tell you the size and material speciications required for an effective planter.
Photo: Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District
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rain garden stormwater planter
How much money is available for my project?
You could be reimbursed between $1,000 and $6,000, depending on the percentage of your property’s runoff that is managed. If your project manages 10-30% of your property’s runoff, you’re eligible to receive $1,000. For every percentage point you manage above 30%, you receive an additional $80 up to
$6,000.
Small projects in key locations can result in large positive effects over the entire property. For example, if your yard is on a slope and you do a project that iniltrates all the water that collects at the bottom of the slope, then the entire area that collects that water would be calculated.
What does the HIP pay for?
All materials that are necessary to complete the project are 100% reimbursable, whether you purchase them or a contractor supplies them to you. In addition, labor provided by a licensed, registered contractor is 75% reimbursable.
Landscape design is 100% reimbursable for the irst $100 only, after which costs are 50% reimbursable. City residents will receive a free permit to complete the work.
Examples of 100% reimbursable materials: - Native plants
- Lake Whatcom-friendly mulch and topsoil - Erosion control materials
- Washed drain rock
- Yard or driveway drains and piping
- Permeable pavement materials (porous concrete, permeable pavers, etc.) - Washed pea gravel
- Cisterns and rain barrels - Downspouts and gutters
- Passive irrigation components for rainwater cisterns - Tool and equipment rental
- Delivery of materials
- Haul away of waste materials
Examples of 75% reimbursable expenses (licensed, registered contractors only):
- Labor to operate an excavator - Labor to install rainwater cisterns - Labor to install plants
- Labor to set pavers
Design consultation is 100% reimbursable up to the irst $100, then 50% reimbursable beyond that. Total reimbursement for design consultation cannot exceed 15% of the total project cost.
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Reimbursement
A HIP Home
Before After
Porous pavers
Iniltration trench and swale
Lawn remediation
Basic rain garden
95-gallon rain barrels and
2,500-gallon cistern
Pervious concrete
Simple berm and catch basin Lawn removal The HIP projects you choose to do may include any one or a combination of the projects shown in the example home below.
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www.cob.org
www.lakewhatcom.whatcomcounty.org
search: HIP
Interested in participating or have questions?
City Program Information
Bill Reilly
Storm and Surface Water
Utility Manager
[email protected]
360-778-7955
City Site Visits &
Plan Assistance
Eli Mackiewicz
Engineering Technician
[email protected]
360-778-7742
County Residents
Chip Anderson
Stormwater Planner
[email protected]
360-715-7450
Funding for the Homeowner Incentive Program is provided by a grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology. The program is operated as a partnership between the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County.
Photo: Jennifer Bonstein 2008
