San Juan County public works will soon begin the first stage of installation for a two-acre constructed wetland designed to filter Eastsound’s stormwater runoff, said county utility manager Ed Hale.

“On September 15 we will start laying pipes that will handle the flow out of the wetland,” said Hale. “Over the winter we’ll be working with the community on the wetland design. There will be some opportunity for the community to take a look at it; we want this thing to fit in well and look nice.”

At present, the stormwater sewers that drain Eastsound streets simply dump their untreated contents into Fishing Bay. Hale said a grant from the EPA is funding the project because it will provide treatment to previously untreated runoff.

“The following step is installing some flow splitters to pick up existing flow and move it to the (wetland),” said Hale. He said the wetland will be installed between Main Street and what is commonly known as the Mount property (county-owned land just north of Eastsound Village Square). Although a design was drawn up four or five years ago, some modifications will be needed due to regulatory changes since that time.

Hale said a long-range drainage plan for the Eastsound Village Urban Growth Area is required by the Growth Management Act.