Be River Friendly Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership A Special Advertising Supplement
Protecting Our
Waterways Keep pollutants out of local rivers, creeks and streams
Storm drains (seen here) and sewers are two separate systems. The storm drain system drains directly to local waterways with no treatment. The sanitary sewer system collects waste water and treats it prior to discharging back into the environment.
by Mike Blount
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e swim in it. We drink it. Wildlife lives in it. Our waterways are an important resource for our area. That’s why we all need to do our part to protect our rivers, creeks and streams from harmful pollutants. Pollutants picked up by rainwater and irrigation along roadways, parking lots, and sidewalks go into storm drains and eventually end up in our waterways. Trash like cigarette butts and fast food wrappers can make its way into our creeks, rivers and streams if not disposed of properly. Illegal dumping of things like paint containers, light bulbs, tires or motor oil allows pollutants from those materials to flow untreated into our waterways. Pesticides used on structures and landscaping wash off onto streets and into storm drains. Pollutants from residents washing cars in driveways take the same path to our creeks. All of these activities can have a negative impact on our local waterways. Likewise, many businesses have practices that discharge pollutants into the storm drain system. Pressure washing can force harmful pollutants into storm drains
Working Together to Prevent Pollution
if the proper equipment isn’t used to collect the wash water. And if businesses leave trash bins unlocked, people digging for recyclables could leave trash on the ground, which ends up in storm drains. Unsecured dumpsters also allow rainwater to flush pollutants through the garbage and into our waterways. With the drought conditions and climate change concerns, water conservation and keeping our waterways clean is more important than ever. Everyone needs to protect the water we have. Businesses that are proactive and address environmental concerns in their day-to-day operations can make a long-term difference in the health of our waterways. Adopting sustainable business practices can prevent harmful pollutants from ending up in our waterways. And consumers can also make a positive impact in their homes and communities by choosing environmentally friendly businesses that care about keeping our local waterways free of pollution. If we all work together, we can keep our rivers, creeks and streams clean for generations to come.
The Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership is a multijurisdictional program made up of Sacramento County and the incorporated cities of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Folsom, Galt and Rancho Cordova dedicated to educating residents and businesses about the consequences of water pollution. The program works with residents, industries and businesses to encourage pollution prevention through the adoption of sustainable practices.
2 | Be Publication River Friendly Title ||AASpecial SpecialAdvertising AdvertisingSupplement Supplement
Photo and cover photo by laura marie anthony
Sacramento area residents, students and community groups can get involved in pollution prevention efforts by spreading the word and patronizing water-friendly businesses. Take the first step by practicing pollution prevention in your own home, then join in the many activities and events sponsored throughout your community. For more information on the Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership and its partners, visit www.beriverfriendly.net.
Eddie Black is the assistant manager at Quick Quack Car Wash, which reuses water and keeps detergents and chemicals out of storm drains. Photo by Laura Marie Anthony
Clean and Green Local car wash protects California’s waterways by using sustainable practices by Ali Brimhall
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people to realize that we can be an alternative [to our car has seen cleaner days. The windshield home washes].” is smearing no matter how much you spray Quick Quack was certified as a green car wash it, mud splatters have dried on your tires, and by the Sacramento Business Environmental Resource the hood is developing a layer of dirt and pollen. Center (BERC), becoming the first to receive this With recent drought conditions in California, a certification in the Sacramento area. They are also a cleansing rain shower can’t be relied upon, and water proud member of several associations and programs restrictions limit the ability to wash your car at home. that emphasize water conservation. International What is an environmentally minded person to do? programs like WaterSavers raise awareness in It may surprise you to learn that you the industry about what businesses can can save up to 90 gallons of water by do to become more environmentally using a drive-thru car wash. Local friendly in their water usage, and businesses like Quick Quack provide a resource for consumers Car Wash help to protect to find green car wash options. Sacramento’s waterways Quick Quack also supports by implementing local fundraiser groups by water reclamation and providing opportunities conservation practices. By to raise funds in an utilizing their services, a environmentally friendly way. car wash that might use Though Quick Quack was 60 to 100 gallons of water Travis Kimball Quick Quack Car Wash partner one of the earliest adopters of at home can instead use only sustainable water practices in the 10 to 15 gallons. This adds up car wash industry, they have led to make a significant impact on the way for many similar businesses California’s water resources. who made the change to green, water-saving Since Quick Quack opened 10 years systems. These businesses are doing their part to help ago, the business has made sustainability a priority. The conserve California’s water and provide consumers company uses reclamation tanks that filter the water with an alternative to wasteful practices, so that you for reuse, with any overflow entering the sanitary sewer can get your car clean with a clear conscience. system rather than storm drains, where even the smallest “At a time when water is so precious, so many trace of detergents and chemicals could harm local take it for granted,” says customer Janie Carol wildlife. The soap used in their washes is biodegradable Littlefield. “I appreciate that Quick Quack not only and non-corrosive, using none of the acids that can be helps conserve our water, but I always come riding found in many other touchless car washes. out shiny [and] clean.” “From a value standpoint, it’s important to our customers, so it’s important to us,” says Quick To find the nearest sustainable car wash facility in the Quack Car Wash partner Travis Kimball. “A [driveSacramento area, go to www.beriverfriendly.net thru] car wash is still a luxury, so it’s important for
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From a value standpoint, it’s important to our customers, so it’s important to us.
Did you know... One gallon of used oil can ruin a million gallons of fresh water — a year’s supply for 50 people? One study found that a single gram of dog feces contains 23 million fecal coliform bacteria? Do the right thing and clean up after your pets!
M ULC H
Using mulch in your landscape can reduce weeds by as much as 90% and can potentially save 30 gallons each time you water per 1,000 square feet? The first inch of rainstorm runoff generally carries 90 percent of the pollution? Grasscycling (which means leaving the grass clippings on the lawn after mowing so they decompose and release their nutrients in the soil) reduces mowing time by as much as 20 minutes per hour? Lady beetles are voracious aphid feeders and an adult beetle will eat 50 or more aphids a day? Pesticides kill ladybugs along with all the other beneficial insects in your garden. For more pollution prevention tips, go to www.beriverfriendly.net
A special advertising supplement | Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership | www.beriverfriendly.net | 3
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Be
River Friendly!
Stormwater Management Practices
AUTO SHOP Used Auto Parts Store
1.
4.
3.
2.
What goes into the drain...
DOn’t
Water is all around us … Remember that what you do in your business affects the water all of us enjoy. Don’t do the things you see the above businesses doing. Be a good steward of our waterways by following these rules instead:
DO 4 | Be River Friendly | A Special Advertising Supplement
1. Vehicle Maintenance
3. Landscaping
• Routinely check company vehicles for oil leaks and
• Limit landscape watering by installing a water-
staining on pavement and repair identified vehicles.
2. Spills/Leaks • Install secondary containment or berm around
outdoor liquid storage and transfer areas to capture spills or leaks. • Keep storm drain protection devices on hand for quick spill response.
For more pollution prevention tips, go to www.beriverfriendly.net
efficient garden/landscape.
• Use a qualified Green Gardener for landscaping
maintenance or installation at your business (ecolandscape.org/programs_GreenGardenerProg. html).
4. Storage • Store used auto parts indoors or covered and off
the ground if stored outdoors.
Restaurant
Grocery Store
6.
Car Wash
7.
8.
5. flows into the river
5. Wastewater • Divert the flow of wastewater away from storm
drains and discharge to the sanitary sewer system or to a landscaping area.
6. Pesticides/Chemicals/Hazardous Products • Use a certified integrated pest management
service (ecowisecertified.org or whatisgreenpro. org) to control pests in a less toxic way.
• Limit access to hazardous products to authorized
personnel.
• Post signs at all trash cans and dumpsters
discouraging the disposal of hazardous liquids.
7. Litter/Garbage
8. Other business practices to consider…
• Post signs at trash bins to remind employees to
keep lids closed.
• Regularly clean litter, including cigarette butts,
from areas surrounding facility and dispose of properly.
• Provide adequate ash trays to prevent cigarette
litter.
• Routinely clean dumpster area. Dispose of spent
wash water appropriately.
• Fundraiser car washes are prohibited in parking
lots. Visit www.beriverfriendly.net for tips on how to properly hold a fundraiser car wash.
• Practice pollution prevention measures for
maintenance practices.
• Label storm drains with “No dumping…” message. • Distribute educational materials on storm water
pollution prevention to employees and customers.
• Inspect and clean private storm drains and
sanitary sewer lines annually before the first rain and as needed thereafter.
• Hire a certified Sacramento Area Sustainable
Business for your business operations.
A Special Advertising Supplement | Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership | www.beriverfriendly.net | 5
How her Garden
When Mary Ellis re-landscaped her yard in 2012, she used a Green Gardener, a professional landscaper trained in river-friendly practices. Photo by Laura Marie Anthony
Grows Homeowner chooses river-friendly landscaper for front yard renovation by Tinka Davi
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Eco-friendly Businesses
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landscapers who have completed a 10-week training as a child), western redbud shrub, Eastern redbud tree, course in environmentally friendly landscaping Elizabeth bush anemone, Western spice bush, Concha principles and practices. (To find a gardener in wild lilac, columbine and coral bells. the program, visit ecolandscape.org/programs_ Ellis doesn’t use pesticides — another riverGreenGardenerProg.html) friendly measure that keeps toxins from Ellis selected landscape designer running into storm drains. Also, every Soleil Tranquilli of Tranquill couple of weeks she applies a compost Gardens. “The classes teach tea spray and, when she goes into the professionals how to talk to their garden, if she sees something that clients, and market sustainable shouldn’t be there, she pulls it out, landscaping,” says Tranquilli reducing her need for herbicides. of the Green Gardener classes, She also recommends creating which are also available for space to catch water. Rain water Mary Ellis homeowner homeowners. “They help clients from her home’s downspouts goes make better choices.” underground to a rain garden where Tranquilli designed the yard and Eric the water soaks into the soil instead of Zemlicka of Z-Scapes was the landscaper. running off into storm drains. Ellis’ massive lawn was removed and replaced The results have been pleasing. Her yard attracts with native California plants. Her favorites are the sages, birds and butterflies and inspires others (it was featured which do very well, she says. Others include mugwort on a California Native Plant Society Yard Tour). (which reminds her of playing in her grandparents’ yard “There’s something blooming every day,” she says.
There’s something blooming every day.
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hen Mary Ellis decided to redo her landscaping, she had a definite focus and that was to develop a drought-friendly landscape that had minimal impact on the environment. She pursued that goal and in 2012 re-landscaped her front yard. It was not a small undertaking. She lives on a corner lot in Foothill Farms with 4,800 square feet in the front and the same in the backyard. When she retired from teaching six years ago, she said she got tired of mowing grass. Not only does grass consume most of our outdoor residential water, but it needs fertilizers, which could pollute waterways, and produces green waste that needs to be taken to a landfill. “I was interested in what I could do for the environment,” she says. Ellis embarked on a river-friendly landscaping project. River-friendly landscaping practices foster soil health, conserve water and other valuable resources, reduce pesticide use and green waste, and prevent pollution of our air and waterways. Ellis first contacted her water company and then got a referral to a gardener from the River-Friendly Landscaping Green Gardener Professional Training Program. Graduates of the program are professional
The Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Program has recognized the following businesses for their green practices.
2014 Award Winners Transportation and Air Quality CleanWorld Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Water Conservation Sacramento Laundry Company Quick Quack Car Wash
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Pollution Prevention Spot-On Signs & Graphics California Product Stewardship Council Energy Conservation Capitol Energy Systems General Truss Company
Green Building Casa Bella Verde City of Elk Grove Special Waste Collection Center Solid Waste Reduction Thai Basil Republic Services
Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Program is an effort by the Business Environmental Resource Center (BERC). For a list of certified businesses in the Sacramento Area Sustainable Business Program, go to www.sacberc.org.
Dana Booth is the Stormwater Quality Program Manager for the Sacramento County Department of Water Resources (a participating member of the Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership). Photo by Laura Anthony
Clean
Keeping it by Mike Blount
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Q & A with Stormwater Quality Program Manager Dana Booth
We believe most people would choose to do what’s best for the environment. Sacramento is a place that is known for its waterways, primarily its rivers. Pollution in our waterways will cost our communities in more ways than one. Pollution can impact the quality of water, making it an undesirable place to play or visit and can also harm plants and animals that depend on our waterways. Beyond that, there is an actual direct cost of polluted waterways to our water customers. The more pollutants that are in our water, the more it costs to treat it, which is ultimately passed onto customers. Right now, because water has been so plentiful, it has been cheap. But as we move further into the drought, water costs are going to go up because of supply and demand. And the less volume of water there is, the higher the concentration of pollutants. It will cost more to bring that down to an acceptable level. By working to reduce pollution in and around our local waterways, we hope to help protect our local ecosystem while continuing to provide our water customers with high quality drinking water.
How big of a problem is water pollution? What people may not realize is that little things can add up to a big problem. A single piece of litter might not seem like a big deal, but when you add your piece of litter to all the other pieces of litter, then we have a polluted waterway. It has become such an issue that the State Water Resources Control Board recently amended the
water quality control plans for oceans and inland surface waters, enclosed bays and estuaries to include a provision for trash removal. Basically, what they are saying is all water in the state is being impacted by trash. Those provisions are going to cost municipalities millions to clean up after their citizens. The interesting thing about this is 100 percent of it is controlled by the populace and 100 percent of urban areas have some trash. All people have to do is not throw things on the ground — properly disposing of their trash. But it isn’t just trash. There are other common water pollutants that come from everyday activities, such as mercury from fluorescent light bulbs, copper from brake pads, pesticides and fertilizers that are over-sprayed or misused, or gasoline/oil leaks from vehicles. Making sure that you properly dispose of hazardous waste, keep cars in good working order, and that you apply and store pesticides and fertilizers properly are easy things that everyone can do to keep our water clean.
How does the Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership protect local waterways? Primarily through education, creating standards for compliance and implementing management practices that address pollutant sources. We believe most people will choose to do what’s best for the environment if they know what to do and if it’s in their best interest. We try to encourage people to use fewer or less toxic pesticides. We’ve marked storm drains to remind
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What are the long-term impacts of pollutants on our waterways?
Dana Booth Stormwater Quality Program Manager for the Sacramento County Department of Water Resources
people not to dump things down them because they end up in our local waterways. We’ve created programs that encourage behaviors, such as pet poop cleanup, as well as programs that discourage others, such as illegal dumping and improper connections/discharges into the drainage system. We’ve developed construction standards for new development that assists with pollutant removal.
What sustainable practices can businesses adopt to protect local waterways? Housekeeping and responsible contracting are the two biggest things. Keep dumpsters locked up and hire pressure washing companies that have the necessary equipment to recover their wash water and require that they use it. Hire pesticide applicators that have been trained in integrated pest management tactics that reduce the use of chemicals.
How can consumers help drive businesses to support sustainability as a model? Businesses who use sustainability as a model need our support. Paying a little extra now will cost less in taxes and clean up fees in the long run.
A Special Advertising Supplement | Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership | www.beriverfriendly.net | 7
Members of the Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership. Photo by laura marie anthony
Help Us Keep Our
Waterways Clean P
ollutants picked up by rainwater and irrigation along roadways, parking lots and sidewalks go into storm drains and eventually end up in our local rivers, creeks and streams. Many residents don’t know that everyday activities like washing a car, using pesticides or fertilizers for landscaping, or painting the exterior of a building can have a negative impact on our waterways if pollutants get washed into a storm drain. Businesses can also have practices that discharge wastewater
or other polluted streams of water into storm drains. The Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership — a multijurisdictional program made up of Sacramento County and the incorporated cities of Sacramento, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Folsom, Galt and Rancho Cordova — is dedicated to educating everyone about the consequences of water pollution. Help us keep our waterways clean by practicing pollution prevention in your home and supporting businesses that use sustainable practices.
For more information on how you can prevent pollution in local waterways, visit www.beriverfriendly.net, call 916-808-4H2O (4426) or contact your local program manager: County of Sacramento 916-874-6851
City of Folsom 916-355-7272
City of Sacramento 916-264-5011
City of Galt 209-366-7260
City of Citrus Heights 916-727-4770
City of Rancho Cordova 916-851-8710
City of Elk Grove 916-687-3005
River-Friendly Resources Regional Water Authority – Representing regional water supply interests, the Northern California Regional Water Authority supports the reliability, affordability and quality of local water resources.
acramento Stormwater Quality S Partnership – A coalition of Sacramento area public agencies, the Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership provides local businesses and consumers with information about protecting local waterways, legal requirements and regulations, types of pollutants and more.
acramento Business Environmental S Resource Center – The Sacramento BERC assists new and existing businesses in compliance with environmental requirements and promotes businesses with environmentally friendly practices.
www.beriverfriendly.net E PA Stormwater – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s page contains regulatory information about stormwater permits, construction-related activities and other industrial information.
River-Friendly Landscaping – The River-Friendly Landscape Program provides businesses and individuals with resources and ideas for designing environmentally friendly landscapes that conserve water, reduce green waste, and prevent water and air pollution.
acramento Area Creeks Council – S The Sacramento Area Creeks Council serves to protect, maintain and restore natural streams in the urban environment. They educate the general public, organize creek cleanup events and participate in the planning of land use to preserve Sacramento’s natural waterways.
water.epa.gov
www.ecolandscape.org/riverfriendly
www.saccreeks.org
www.sacberc.org
www.rwah2o.org/rwa
Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District – The County Sanitation District protects public health through the safe treatment and disposal of wastewater, providing their services to residents, industry and local businesses. The district also provides oversight for business discharge permits and develops programs for green water usage, returning clean water to the Sacramento River. www.regionalsan.com
Produced for Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership by: (916) 498-1234 | www.nrpubs.com P U B L I C AT I O N S