Embedded Files
The SWMP shall include an education and outreach program designed to:
"Build general awareness about methods to address and reduce stormwater impacts".
Summary of Program Component
This page contains links and information on the educational programming and events the City offers to the general public (including school age children and overburdened communities), and businesses (including home-based and mobile businesses).
"If it Hits the Ground, it Hits the Sound"
Background
As part of the Environmental Services 2018-2025 Strategic Plan, the Marketing Initiative focused on the importance of the community understanding how stormwater in Tacoma flows directly into local waterways, mostly untreated. The team, recognizing the value of art in the Tacoma community, worked together to identify ways to communicate about the stormwater system through public artwork. The intention being to raise awareness of Tacoma’s stormwater system in new, exciting, engaging ways, hopefully resulting in increased environmental stewardship of the system itself. In 2021, a creative collaboration between the City’s Environmental Services & Arts Department staff, local nonprofit Spaceworks Tacoma, and multiple local artists resulted in the implementation of 2 storm drain murals, 5 vehicle wraps, and the creation of 7 unique storm drain stencils. The storm drain murals by Angela Larsen and duo Saiyare Refaei & Gloria Joy Kazuko Muhammad made such an impact they were featured in a Tacoma Weekly article and garnered a lot of engagement on social media platforms. There was a buzz throughout the community about these projects, with appreciation for both the art pieces and clarity of the stormwater messaging.
2022 Reboot - Getting Stencils and More Murals on the Ground With the overwhelming support of storm drain murals from the community, the value of continuing this work was clear. The Office of Arts and Cultural Vitality brought on a consultant to further the “If it Hits the Ground, it Hits the Sound” projects - specifically stencil and mural installations. The contractor began inventorying storm drains near business districts that may be appropriate for stencils or murals, with a focus on prioritizing those in areas with Low & Very Low ratings on the Equity Index. Environmental Services and the Office of Arts and Cultural Vitality staff worked to refine the storm drain stencil designs and materials for installation in the spring. The contractor engaged with City Traffic staff for placement guidance and developed a document for installation best practices. During the summer and early fall, 9 stencils were installed in collaboration with local events and engaged residents
More Murals, More Impact -The contractor also worked with Environmental Services & Arts Department staff to implement 3 additional storm drain murals in the Oakland/Madrona, South End, and Tideflats/Dome neighborhoods in October 2022. Passersby often stopped to admire the work in progress, engaging in discussions around the stormwater system, the effectiveness of murals for spreading awareness, and the increase in neighborhood beauty along with a sense of place. The explosion of excitement around the project is evident in the number of “likes” seen on social media posts depicting these works and the associated message about stormwater.
EnviroChallengers
EnviroChallengers Home Page
The City’s EnviroChallenger (EC) environmental education program continues to serve public, private, and home school communities within Tacoma. Environmental educators visit Tacoma school classrooms to promote stormwater, wastewater, garbage and recycling messages to children each year. The ECs also attend many community events throughout the year and help to communicate stormwater messages to adults as well. Click on the car to learn more about the EC's and book them for your classroom or community event.
Community events in 2022
Most community events were still on hold due to COVID. However, EnviroChallengers did participate in the Open house at Delong Elementary, South Sound Sustainability Expo, Earth Day with Idle Free, Teacher’s event day at the Museum, Evening at STAR Center Community Night and Welcome Back Salmon Days – Swan Creek.
Collaborations in 2022
The EnviroChallenger educators collaborate with local groups and nonprofit organizations for events and activities around Tacoma. The EnviroChallenger team worked with Pierce County, Tacoma Public Utilities and Pierce Conservation District for the 3rd year of Teacher’s Professional development. We worked with the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department on an air quality lessons grant and it was approved. The EnviroChallengers took the lead for Orcas Love Raingardens as point of contact for lessons and tours.
High School outreach 2022
Internship program in coordination with Tacoma School District Next Move Program is allowing high school students to experiences ES jobs. We hosted 10 high school students in a virtual setting. Our cohort model allowed for shared experiences while learning 21 Century skills. The high school summer certificate program is designed to engage and train students from historically underserved population with skills needed to find jobs at the City’s ES department. In 2022 we had 16 participants who earned CESCL, Flagger, OSHA, CPR, tree stewardship, as well as other vital job skills. The group participated collection sampling, Chain of Custody documentation, and lab tests while touring ES buildings.
Puget Sound Starts Here Media Campaign
The City is participating with neighboring cities and counties, Ecology and Puget Sound Partnership, in a regional stormwater education campaign called Puget Sound Starts Here (PSSH). This campaign began in 2009, and has included a television advertising campaign, website and social media efforts. The campaign’s purpose is to educate residents about how their daily actions affect surface water quality and empower them to make good choices throughout their day in order to keep pollution out of our local surface waters. Puget Sound Starts Here is a regionally relevant, broadly distributed high impact awareness program that supports local efforts to elevate the region’s understanding of stormwater pollution impacts. Where appropriate, the City co-brands its surface water BMP messages with the campaign to enhance its impact.
Puget Sound Starts Here 2022 Media Campaign Achievements
Thes car care ads were delivered to all zip codes in Tacoma across a vast array of social media and online platforms. Messaging was available in four languages including English, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese. Based on the performance tracking provided by Rich Marketing, the City of Tacoma had over 200,000 impressions won with over 83,000 video starts and greater than 63,000 video completions.
EnvrioHouse
ES partners with other City departments to run the EnviroHouse, a hands-on showcase of sustainable building and natural landscape ideas, materials and techniques for a healthy home and planet. The EnviroHouse demonstrates rain barrels, native plants, rain gardens, pervious pavement, natural yard care techniques, “pin” foundations, and other stormwater-related best management practices in action. Interpretive signage and educational materials are available regarding LID and natural yard care strategies. Due to the worldwide pandemic, the EnviroHouse was closed to the visiting public beginning in early March 2020. The EnviroHouse recently reopened to the public with reduced hours. Free online workshops are offered throughout the year on a variety of sustainable practices and projects involving natural yard care techniques. In addition to the online workshops, the EnviroHouse has a library of “How To” videos available on YouTube covering the topics mentioned above.
EnviroHouse Home Page
City of Tacoma Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Program
The ES/Solid Waste Management collects and properly disposes of large amounts of household hazardous waste from Tacoma residents at the Tacoma Recovery and Transfer Center. This service is free of charge for residents in order to prevent hazardous materials from entering the stormwater system, surface waters, groundwater, or general garbage stream. Solid Waste Management works to educate the public about the need for proper disposal and where hazardous wastes can be disposed of through ES publications and other communication tools including the Recycle Coach app. Special assistance is also offered to businesses through the business technical assistance program.
City of Tacoma Open Space Management and Urban Forestry Programs
The Open Space Management Program promotes activities to protect existing green spaces and increase Tacoma’s tree cover. The City sponsors a Tree Coupon Program in partnership with local nurseries, helps sponsor an annual Green Tacoma Day/Arbor Day celebration, and supports various other related educational opportunities to successfully plant and care for trees in their yards.
City of Tacoma Business Source Control Outreach
Information is presented to business owners and property managers during source control site visits required by Permit Section S5.C.8. The intent is to make business owners and property managers more aware of the importance of regularly maintaining their onsite stormwater facilities and BMPs to help protect local waterways and reduce stormwater pollution. Informational handouts for businesses including mobile painters, pressure washers, and carpet cleaners on how to properly dispose of their wastewater have been developed and are delivered when needed. Businesses can also request to have their private catch basins marked and the City of Tacoma will supply resources. Specific business-related messaging and outreach has been translated into five languages to increase accessibility by business owners and operators.
City of Tacoma Stormwater Media
City of Tacoma Website
This website (cityoftacoma.org/stormwater) includes information about Stormwater services and rates, the Permit, the City’s Annual Report, SWMM, permitting requirements, general BMPs to prevent stormwater pollution, Green Stormwater Infrastructure projects, standard plans for stormwater infrastructure including LID and GSI standards and other related topics.
EnviroTalk
ES sends out the EnviroTalk magazine three times per year to approximately 54,000 single‑family and duplex home residents throughout the City to educate them about stormwater, wastewater and solid waste messages, activities and upcoming events in the community.
Utility Bill Inserts
Stormwater messages are included throughout the year in the utility bill inserts sent to approximately 125,000 customers in the City.
TV Tacoma
TV Tacoma is an avenue to provide local viewing audiences with information including stormwater-related public service announcements, PSSH campaign advertisements, and more.
Urban Green is a TV Tacoma program to showcase the environmental and sustainable efforts around the City of Tacoma. The program is available on TV Tacoma and online at www.cityoftacoma.org/UrbanGreen. A new episode of Urban Green will air on TV Tacoma and the City’s website every two months and feature topics such as:
Interviews with regional and national experts on issues pertinent to our region;
EnviroChallenger tips for passing on environmental ethics to the next generation;
Local efforts and regional opportunities for environmental stewardship;
Upcoming chances to learn more and/or get involved;
Make a Splash grant recipients and their stormwater focused projects; and.
The effects of stormwater on surface water quality and the aquatic ecosystem.
Tacoma Report is a TV Tacoma news program that airs every day and features information about City services and programs occasionally including surface water management topics.
Stormwater Manual listserv
This technical listserv informs interested parties about the City’s Stormwater Management Manual, updates to stormwater related policies and technical trainings. Subscription is open to anyone and includes the general public, engineers, developers, City development staff and others. The City’s stormwater page has a sign up for the listserv.
Tacoma EnviroNews Listserv
“Tacoma EnviroNews” is an automated electronic listserv that anyone can subscribe to and post messages related to environmental issues, stewardship events, and job or volunteer opportunities. Tacoma’s Environmental Services sponsors for this listserv that promotes educational and stewardship opportunities within the greater Tacoma area.
City of Tacoma Event Participation and Sponsorship
Stormwater messages are promoted at a variety of community events. Both the EnviroChallengers and Environmental Services staff are present at these events. Environmental Programs group staff typically participate in four to six local community outreach events each year.
South Sound Sustainability Expo
The Expo connects residents and businesses with services, products, companies, and agencies that address sustainability needs in our community. The Expo is a free community event that brings together environmentally-minded community members in the South Sound. In 2022, ES EPG staff partnered with the EnviroChallengers to host a booth and provide messaging on stormwater pollution prevention education.
Ikkatsu Project - Buckley Gulch Clean Up
Ikkatsu comes from a Japanese term that roughly translates as “united as one,” a concept that is illustrated perfectly by our oceans and the fact that, rather than separate us, they serve to bring us all together. ES EPG staff participated in a local trail clean up event at Buckley Gulch, providing information on the impacts of trash and other sources of ground pollution on stormwater quality.
Green Tacoma Day
Green Tacoma Day is an annual celebration of the Green Tacoma Partnership’s work to restore 1,881 acres of urban green space, while Arbor Day celebrates the planting, growing, and caring of Tacoma’s trees. This day of service offers great opportunities for the Tacoma community to get to know each other and their local green spaces. All are welcome and no experience is necessary. Each year, ES EPG provides funds to sponsor Green Tacoma Day
Tacoma Ocean Fest
Tacoma Ocean Fest is a free, one-day festival in Tacoma, Washington that gathers the community to celebrate the ocean, learn about its threats and protect it. We're a unique mixture of arts, sciences and water fun. In 2022 City EPG staff collaborated with ES Solid Waste (SW) staff to host an eco-booth at Tacoma Ocean Fest. Together, ES EPG and SW staff provided messaging on the impacts of litter and pet waste pollution on stormwater and how to Recycle Right. Over 2000 visitors were reported at the event.
Tacoma's Downtown on the Go - Park(ing) Day
Since 2005, Park(ing) day has been an international event in which artists, citizens, and businesses transform a metered parking spot into temporary public space. ES EPG transformed a parking spot into an interactive educational booth to inform the public the impacts of pet waste on stormwater quality. ES EPG staff engaged the public through the PSSH "Poo Toss" game.
Welcome Back Salmon Days - Swan Creek
The Swan Creek Salmon Challenge is a 2-week-long celebration of the return of salmon to Swan Creek and surrounding rivers. ES EPG staff teamed up with the EnviroChallengers to host a booth at Salmon Saturdays at Swan Creek. Messaging and interactive lessons were provided on importance of preventing stormwater pollution and role stormwater pollution plays in salmon health and vitality.
As part of this 2-week-long event, ES EPG staff lead an information tour of one of Tacoma's Green Stormwater Facilities to homeschool children grades 4 - 12.
Northwest Environmental Busness Council (NEBC) - Managing Stormwater in Washington Conference
in 2022, The City sponsored the virtual NEBC: Managing Stormwater in the Northwest conference. The City had a virtual booth which contained stormwater messaging and resources that attendees could download. The audiences at this conference were private industry and consultants, regulatory community and implementers of stormwater regulations. The key messages promoted at the conference were technical standards for stormwater site and erosion control plans, LID principles and LID BMPs and stormwater treatment and flow control BMPs/facilities. The City will host an in-person table at the 2023 NEBC Conference.
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