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2013 Public Education and Outreach Summary Fish‐Friendly Car Washing City of Puyallup has three Fish‐Friendly Car Wash Kits that include storm drain basin inserts and pumps to keep car‐wash runoff including soaps and road grime from entering the stormwater system. These kits offer not only a safe way for citizens and local businesses and groups to wash their vehicles, hold fund‐raising events, and clean their facilities, they also present a great educational opportunity to discuss stormwater runoff pollution to the borrowing‐groups as well as those who attend their events. In 2013 this program continued to be promoted to local businesses in conjunction with the Local Source Control program. The program received interest from businesses wanting to either purchase a kit for their location, or to host flyers and contact information for the City’s kits to share with groups who approach them. To support this program, the City purchased and distributed the Puget Sound Car Wash Association (PSCWA) car wash vouchers to use as a launching point for conversations and education on the fish‐friendly program. The vouchers were distributed at various events such as the Puyallup Fair in September, school visits in October and November, and throughout the year to Rain Garden Program participants and riparian planting event volunteers. 1) In 2012, the City’s three car wash kits were checked out three times to both new, and repeat groups. In all, it is estimated that over 200 people were educated on the impacts of car wash water based on the number of event attendees and sponsor organization volunteers. Puyallup’s Rain Garden Program Puyallup’s Rain Garden Program began in 2009 with the installation of the City’s first 7 rain gardens through a partnership with local non‐profits and funding support from an Ecology Capacity Grant. Since then, the program has educated thousands of citizens on stormwater, pollution prevention, and green stormwater infrastructure. In 2013 the program transitioned from a fully grant‐funded program to a cost‐share program wherein residents share in approximately half the cost of installing rain gardens, permeable pavements, or rain barrels at their homes. This program shift now allowed individual homeowners to participate, versus the City’s previous ‘cluster’ approach wherein groups of 5‐8 homeowners were needed to establish a project site. During 2013 this program educated over 350 people through information mailings, in‐person meetings, and tours to the City’s rain garden installations. In October the City mailed out informational flyers to 250 homes promoting the rain barrel portion of the program. In the program, approved participants can received a rebate when the purchase an approved rain barrel and install it at their Puyallup home. This portion of the larger Rain Garden Program is intended to educate people on the potential of rain water harvesting, and how keeping stormwater on site where it falls, it reduces pollution impacts in our water ways. For the rain garden and permeable pavement portion of the program, the City has partnered with Pierce Conservation District to support site evaluations and garden design. After preliminary site evaluations to determine site suitability with the homeowners, the Conservation District utilizes contributing surface calculations and minimum size requirements ---PAGE BREAK--- to design the rain gardens based on the homeowner’s preferences, and following the Rain Garden Design Manual for Western Washington. In all, 17 site evaluations were completed, 6 rain barrels were installed, 2 rain gardens designed and built, and one permeable pavement retrofit completed. Continuing in the spirit of the program’s demonstration objective, City Staff lead dozens of tours to rain garden installation in the City for visiting elected officials, citizens, neighboring jurisdictions, and other interested groups. DeCoursey Pond Riparian Restoration & Buffer Zones In partnership with WSU‐Puyallup the City coordinated a volunteer event at DeCoursey Park to plant native shrubs and trees as well as install logs to support armoring of the shores which were degrading due to foot traffic and heavy water fowl presence. The event included: 1) 02/23/2013 a) 5 volunteers b) Completed a 480 SF section for shore armoring c) 150 native trees and shrubs planted Silver‐Meeker Creek Riparian Restoration In partnership with Pierce Conservation District the City coordinated several volunteer events on Silver and Meeker creeks in 2013. Included in the 2013 efforts has been maintenance of previous plantings, replacement and new plantings. In 2013, 2 formal events were held, with a total of over 70 volunteers contributing. Altogether these efforts resulted in the following achievements at and around Silver Creek: 1) 03/02/2013 a) 28 volunteers 2) 10/19/2013 Planting & mulching event a) 45+ volunteers b) 127 native trees and shrubs planted c) 550 willow and red osier dogwood cuttings installed d) 100+ additional willow cuttings made on neighboring, established sites, and installed to support new plant establishment and growth At each event volunteers were given presentations on the importance of riparian zones, the environmental importance in restoring these areas, ways to prevent stormwater pollution and how to help improve water quality in our streams, lakes, and rivers. Storm drain Marking Program In 2013, the City of Puyallup shifted from a volunteer‐event focus to mark public catch basins and reached out this year to local businesses with an effort to mark private‐property catch basins. This effort was implemented to reach out to not only citizens – as they patronized the businesses – but also to the business’ staff, workers, and management who use and maintain the property. In 2014 the City plans to re‐join efforts with Pierce Conservation District with a goal to complete marking all catch basins on public areas in the City, as well as begin to survey previously‐marked catch basins to replace those that are no longer marked. ---PAGE BREAK--- The City continues to track the location of marked catch basins using GIS, which now includes identification of 2010 through 2013‐marked catch basins. Puyallup Fair The Stormwater Section staffed the Pierce Conservation District booth at the Puyallup Fair in September 2013. Staff provided information to fair‐goers on stormwater pollution prevention, LID BMPs such as rain gardens, rain barrels, and permeable pavements, and answered questions and concerns on how citizens can do their part to protect and improve water quality in our local streams and river. Local Source Control This year the City continued the outreach program supporting local businesses. The Local Source Control (LSC) Program provided no‐cost training and education on proper waste management, business practices, and environmental protection with an emphasis on stormwater pollution prevention. Through one‐on‐one site visits to local business facilities, the LSC staff helped operators and managers identify potential environmental risks, hazards, and discussed ways to reduce their waste and exposure to regulatory violations while also saving costs through reduction in waste or improved operating practices. Included in the education message was outreach on illicit discharges, potential causes, implications to the stormwater system, and ways to prevent it. During 2013, a total of 138 site visits to local businesses were completed. The LSC business visits completed the focus on the restaurant industry, while starting the introduction into the automotive industry, gasoline stations and property management companies as it was recommended by other city staff as an industry for education and outreach. The industries tend to have an inconsistency in knowledge of pollution prevention measures. With focusing on these industries it has given us the opportunity to reach out to industries that wouldn’t normally be visited. At the same time, this provides the opportunity to educate owners, operators and managers on best management practices (BMP’s) to prevent pollution, as well as regulations that may affect their business. In August 2013 the City welcomed our LSC Specialist; she was hired to continue our efforts in reaching out to our businesses. The new LSC organized research of the new industry focus, and developed new informational hand outs and literature to improve BMP’s throughout the industry. In late October 2013 was the beginning of site visits to repair facilities and a few gasoline stations, total 48 businesses were visited before the end of 2013. Out of the 48 businesses visited only 3 were unresponsive, that’s over 75% success rate in our outreach efforts! Those 45 visits that were conducted approximately 94 recommendations of improving BMP’s were made, and 45 are still pending progress; that means that 49 BMP’s were implemented by the businesses because of this program, that’s over a 50% success rate! We are expecting our efforts will continue in the positive direction it is going. Total number of activities implemented in 2013: 45