Retrofits to Reduce Phosphorus in Stormwater

Lake Whatcom is the primary source of drinking water for more than 100,000 people in Whatcom County. Alarmingly, water quality in the lake has declined significantly because of development in the watershed. Herrera is helping the City of Bellingham as it leads the multi-jurisdictional effort to improve water quality in the lake and throughout the watershed. The City is implementing projects and programs that will reduce phosphorus loads in stormwater runoff to comply with total maximum daily load limits. Working with the City, we designed facilities to provide phosphorous treatment in two developed sub-basins (East Oregon Street and East North Street) in the Lake Whatcom watershed. The retrofit projects will treat runoff from 46 acres of previously untreated area and will remove approximately 18 pounds of total phosphorous annually.