Preparing to Set Sail
Photo: Participants in a workshop collaborate to prioritize solutions for the Shape Our Water plan.
As spring rains fall in Seattle, we are on the cusp of developing the full Shape Our Water plan. The key question we need to answer now is: What should happen first?
Twin workstreams of project collaborators steadily refined, clarified and improved over 800 initial solution ideas throughout the past year. Through this process the team arrived at a smaller and stronger set of possible drainage and wastewater system improvement ideas that align with community goals.
Now, it’s time to sequence them by deciding on near-term priorities.
During recent planning workshops, subject matter experts at SPU helped define which Plan activities could have the biggest impact on urgent needs that were identified through analysis of our current system’s performance. Community partners and collaborators simultaneously identified activities that best meet Community Vision goals, prioritizing activities with multiple positive outcomes for resiliency, racial and environmental justice, and personal and community well-being.
Working together, we’ve tweaked initial ideas to get them even closer to positive outcomes from the Community Vision. For example, one solution aimed to improve aquatic habitat by using plants that absorb pollution in local waterways. When we took another look, the team realized we could also meet community goals for improving overall environmental health by expanding the program planting list to include plants that support pollinators.
Collaboration has been essential to get Shape Our Water to this point: getting ready to set sail into the next 50 years of resilient drainage and wastewater systems. We look forward to sharing a sneak peak with you this fall into what actions and investments will come first.
