Solutions to Prevent Toxic Run-Off

Protecting Puget Sound and waterways across Washington is one of the most important things we can do to ensure the health of our communities.

Each time it rains oil, chemicals, and pesticides are washed off our streets, rooftops and parking lots into storm drains and then right into our waterways. This flow of pollution threatens Puget Sound, rivers, lakes and streams throughout Washington – and puts our health, economy, and quality of life at risk.

Thankfully there are smart, proactive ways to build infrastructure that prevent this flow from reaching our waters by ensuring that buildings, public spaces and roads have surfaces that are designed to capture and filter toxic flow.  By advancing simple green infrastructure and low impact development, we can create great places to live across Washington.

So how do we make sure these solutions are implemented all across the state?

The Department of Ecology recently issued its draft state municipal stormwater permit. While its name may make it seem like an obscure set of rules, right now this permit is our single most important tool for charting a course for clean water in Puget Sound and waterways across the state.This permit will determine how, when and where developers should use green infrastructure to reduce polluted runoff.

Will you speak up for Washington’s water? Urge the Department of Ecology to strengthen the draft permit.

Here are some of the elements the permit should include to chart a course for clean water:

Strong standards for smart green development: Green infrastructure technologies are engineered solutions that slow down and filter polluted runoff by mimicking the filtration provided by natural systems. Techniques like rain gardens have been shown to stop pollution effectively, and at a lower cost than traditional stormwater infrastructure. The permit should require developers to use these technologies wherever feasible.

Clear parameters to save green space: When we have a reasonable balance of green space to pavement, natural filtration systems remain intact, effectively stopping toxic runoff in affordable, smart and natural ways. This fix would allow development to proceed while preserving effective natural filtration capabilities onsite.

Close loopholes: Minimize the amount of loopholes that allow developers to continue to use conventional polluting technologies when greener alternatives are available. For example, the new permit drafts allow multiple exemptions from green infrastructure requirements, making it easy for developers to opt out of needed clean water solutions.

Tell the Department of Ecology why you stand for clean water.