Permeable resin-bound surfacing may be proposed as permeable pavement on private driveways, parking areas and walks in Vancouver, Washington. The city's Surface Water General Requirements allow permeable pavement systems on privately owned and maintained sites and review each one case by case, but resin-bound is not named, so the reviewer decides. In the public right-of-way, permeable cement concrete is currently the only approved permeable pavement.

This is the Clark County city on the Columbia River, not Vancouver, British Columbia. Its gravelly soils drain well, which helps infiltration, but the whole city is a Critical Aquifer Recharge Area over its only drinking water source, so water quality and wellhead rules decide what may soak in. Over an existing slab, resin-bound is a finish, not a facility.

Vancouver's General Requirements and the Western Washington manual

Vancouver's Surface Water Management team reviews new development and redevelopment under VMC 14.24 for erosion control, VMC 14.25 for stormwater control and VMC 14.26, the Water Resources Protection Ordinance. The city's Surface Water General Requirements, revised in February 2025, supplement Ecology's Stormwater Management Manual for Western Washington and tailor it to local conditions.

Section 4-7.02 covers permeable pavement directly. Private systems are allowed, and the city reviews each one case by case. Permeable pavement can also meet basic, phosphorus and metals treatment when the underlying soil meets the manual's treatment criteria or an 18-inch sand or amended soil layer is added, provided modeling shows at least 91 percent of runoff volume infiltrates. Slopes above 2 percent need subsurface ponding such as check dams, and permeable pavement is not suitable above 5 percent.

Gravelly soils, shallow groundwater and the Troutdale aquifer

The city relies only on groundwater from three regional aquifers, and the EPA designated the Troutdale Aquifer System, shared with Portland, a sole source aquifer in 2006. Under VMC 14.26 the entire city is a Critical Aquifer Recharge Area because of gravelly, well-draining soils, shallow groundwater and springs. Infiltration has been used widely, and the city maintains close to 4,800 drywells and nearly 60 miles of infiltration trenches.

Sites within 1,900 feet of a public water supply well fall in a Special Protection Area and need a wellhead map, and the General Requirements say the City will not approve new direct infiltration facilities such as drywells, ponds, trenches and perforated pipe there unless no reasonable alternative exists and the risk to groundwater is not significant. Springs along the Columbia Slope and in Burnt Bridge Creek are fed partly by shallow groundwater. The engineer should design treatment layers and pretreatment so a permeable section protects that water rather than shortcutting it.

Where resin-bound fits in Vancouver

Single-family driveways and patios in established neighborhoods, where the General Requirements allow private permeable systems.
HOA common areas. Walks and gathering spaces in subdivisions where the association already maintains private stormwater facilities.
Downtown and waterfront redevelopment. Courtyards and plazas on private parcels near the Columbia, with right-of-way frontage kept to city standards.
Low-traffic private parking. Stalls and walkways in east Vancouver retail and office sites, away from loading areas.
School and college grounds. Paths and outdoor seating where foot traffic is high and vehicles are rare.

Fuel islands, truck courts and outdoor chemical storage are poor candidates for any infiltrating surface in a city that drinks its groundwater. For those areas, the engineer will usually keep runoff on the surface and send it to treatment instead.

Review in Vancouver and what Resin Rock supplies

Submittals go to the Surface Water Management team through the city's development review. Right-of-way proposals need approval from the Public Works Pavement Management Division and a road modification under VMC 11.80.160, considered only on non-arterial streets with fewer than 400 vehicles a day, and they would still meet the permeable cement concrete rule.

Resin Rock supplies UV-stable resin binder, natural stone aggregate blends, trims and Rock Crete permeable sub-base, with technical data sheets for review. We don't install; we train installers through our Washington installer training and can match you with an approved installer, usually within 24 hours.

Before you specify permeable resin-bound in Vancouver

Confirm the project is on private property, not right-of-way.
Check distance to the nearest public supply well and Special Protection Areas.
Plan treatment layers if the permeable area must meet water quality requirements.
Keep longitudinal slope under 5 percent, with check dams above 2 percent.
Limit run-on from surrounding impervious surfaces.
Name who will maintain the system, since private owners keep that duty.

Common questions about permeable resin-bound in Vancouver

Is this about Vancouver, BC?

No. This page covers the City of Vancouver in Clark County, Washington, which follows Washington Ecology's western Washington stormwater manual and its own General Requirements. Vancouver, British Columbia, has entirely different rules. If your project is north of the border, check with that city.

Can my new driveway be permeable resin-bound?

Possibly. On private property the city allows permeable pavement systems for driveways and reviews each one case by case, but resin-bound is not a named surface, so the reviewer decides. The section needs an engineered permeable base, attention to slope, and, because the city sits over its drinking water aquifer, care about what infiltrates. Over an existing concrete driveway, resin-bound is only a resurfacing.

Will gravelly soil make approval easy?

Good drainage helps, but it is also why the whole city is a Critical Aquifer Recharge Area. Runoff from surfaces that collect oil or chemicals may need treatment before it soaks in, and sites near public wells face added limits. Expect the reviewer to focus on water quality as much as infiltration rate.

Can I count a resin-bound overlay on my old patio toward stormwater requirements?

No. An overlay on an existing slab lets rain through the top layer, but the water still runs off the concrete beneath, so it does not reach the soil or a reservoir. It can improve looks and surface drainage. To count as permeable pavement, the slab has to come out and an engineered permeable base has to go in.

Official sources for Vancouver

Local rules change. We last checked these sources in October 2026. Confirm current requirements with the reviewing agency before you design, and treat this page as a starting point, not engineering or permitting advice.

Permeable Resin-Bound Surfacing in Vancouver, WA