Innovative Stormwater Management & Modular Wetlands
Stormwater management is an integral part of the Port of Everett’s environmental programs. To maintain proper stormwater quality, the Port employs treatment systems, routine monitoring, inspections, and best management practices at its Seaport and Marina facilities.
At the Seaport, the Port utilizes a vegetated bio-filtration swale that acts as a natural filtration system to treat stormwater runoff by allowing solids and contaminants to settle from the water column. As the Port makes capital improvements, it strives to go the extra mile and make upgrades that will improve water quality into the future — for example, during the South Terminal Modernization project, the Port installed an innovative end-of-pipe filtration system, known as a modular wetland filtration system, that treats stormwater off the South Terminal Wharf.
At the Port’s destination waterfront, within its 65-acre mixed-use development at Waterfront Place, the Port’s sustainable design continues to be implemented, including installation of modular wetland filtration systems at every combined sewer outfall. These treatment systems are designed to act like natural wetlands, filtering out typical, but environmentally harmful, roadway contaminants such as heavy metals, greases, oils, tire rubber, and other urban contaminants.
Seabin Marina Water Quality Program
In 2019, the Port of Everett launched its new Seabin pilot program to test out a new, innovative industry technology. One of the first of its kind to be installed in Washington state, the Port’s Seabin located at Central Guest Dock 5 supports collection of microplastics and debris from our waters.
It looks and acts as a floating garbage skimmer that moves up and down with the tide to collect and filter out floating debris. Its submersible water pump sucks water in from the surface, passes it through a catch bag inside of the device and pumps filtered water back into the Marina, leaving any floating litter, oil sheen and ocean plastics as small as two millimeters inside of the catch bag for proper disposal.
The program has proved successful to date and has created a new educational partnership opportunity with students at the local Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) program through Everett Community College.
Marine Spill Response
Oil and gas products, including gasoline, diesel, and hydraulic fluids, are toxic to marine life, including fish, crab, and the local seals who frequent the marina. The Port of Everett maintains oil spill response trailers and disposal sites throughout its facilities, in each marina basin and at the Port of Everett Seaport facilities.
Port staff, including our Maintenance and Fuel Dock crews, are fully trained in spill response and reporting. If a spill occurs, the proper authorities are notified and a full-bodied response goes into effect, including the efforts of Port staff and maintenance crews.
Marina Pumpouts
With operation of the largest public marina on the West Coast, it’s important that the Port of Everett does its part to promote and facilitate the proper disposal of waste.
With 10 pump-outs located throughout the Marina, commercial and recreational boaters can conveniently do just that and keep our waters clean.
Zero-Discharge Boatyard
The Port of Everett has invested more than $12 million into its 6-acre, state-of-the-art, environmentally sound boatyard within its Marine Craftsman District at Waterfront Place.
As the region’s most modern facility, the boatyard eliminates contaminated runoff with a storm and wastewater collection system designed to capture and treat runoff before reaching the City’s sanitary sewer system, and eventually Puget Sound.