Don't drip and drive

Vehicle leaks are polluting Puget Sound and local waters. Even small amounts of spilled or dumped oil can contaminate entire stretches of shoreline, shellfish growing areas, and recreational attractions.

To help prevent this pollution check for vehicle leaks often. This is as simple as putting a piece of paper or cardboard under your car for at least six hours. If there's oil on the paper it's time to fix that leak. You can either fix the leak by yourself or take it to a professional mechanic.

Visit Fix Car Leaks for more information about vehicle leaks 

Clean Cars, Clean Streams

The city of Tumwater works with the city of Lacey, the city of Olympia, and Thurston County to run the Clean Cars, Clean Streams program which encourages community members to practice good car washing practices. 

Car washes

Charity car washes can be an important fundraising opportunity, unfortunately, they can also cause environmental harm. Very often, groups hold charity car washes in parking lots - not realizing that the dirty and soapy water is running into the storm drain and emptying into a nearby creek. Car wash water, dirt, and soap can be toxic to fish and other aquatic life. 

Commercial facilities

Commercial car washes often have onsite facilities that capture and clean the wash water they use and properly treat the wash water. If you see the Clean Cars, Clean Streams sticker on a facility you known they're an environmentally-friendly car wash!

Car wash tickets

The city of Tumwater encourages community groups to sell car wash tickets as an alternative to hosting car washes. Community groups can sell tickets to raise money and promote healthy streams. Tumwater has teamed up with the Puget Sound Car Wash Association to help community groups raise money while protecting the Puget Sound. For more information about car wash tickets contact the Water Resources Department at 360-754-4140.

Dog poop is raw sewage that contains a multitude of parasites and bacteria, which can make people sick. Kids are most susceptible to disease caused by coming in contact with soil contaminated by pet waste. 

Stop by the Water Resources & Sustainability counter at South Puget Sound Community College to get your free pet waste bag dispenser. Want something a bit larger? Neighborhoods can get a free pet waste station by filling out a Neighborhood Pet Waste Station Application

Your stormwater facility

Stormwater facilities can be an attractive and functional part of your property. Properties that have stormwater facilities will generally have either a wet pond or a dry pond. Both of these stormwater facilities capture and contain stormwater runoff from rain events. Wet ponds generally have water in them year round and serve to treat the stormwater by allowing dirt to settle to the bottom of the pond before discharging the water into a nearby waterway. Dry ponds on the other hand only have water during rain events and work to slowly release water into streams after an event. These ponds can often serve as grassy play areas or open spaces for wildlife during drier seasons. 

A  wet pond during a dry period.	A dry pond during a dry period.
A catch basin	Two culverts in a ditch
A level spreader	An example of permeable pavement

Who is responsible for maintaining stormwater facilities?

It is important for all stormwater facilities to be maintained. Regular maintenance ensures your facility is functioning properly and can help to save you money in the long run. Commercial property owners, homeowners, or homeowner's associations are responsible for providing regular maintenance of privately owned ponds, storm drains, pipes, and other drainage facilities that serve the property or subdivision. Local governments maintain stormwater facilities located in public rights-of-way. 

Facilities are required to be inspected annually, which can help identify maintenance needs before they become expensive repairs. Inspections should be completed once per year using the Private Stormwater Facility Inspection Sheet. The form can be filled out online or printed out and mailed to the city of Tumwater. Forms are due by August 31 each year. 

• Stormwater Maintenance Inspection Form - Online Version
• Stormwater Maintenance Inspection Form - Printable Version

Need assistance?

The Water Resources Program is available to help guide property owners and HOA representatives through the inspection process for free!

Call 360-754-4140, email Water Resources or visit City Hall to schedule. 

Helpful links 

• City of Tumwater Stormwater System Maintenance Guide
• Stormwater FAQs
• Thurston Noxious Weed List

Plan on doing work on your stormwater pond? The city of Tumwater can help make your job easier by supplying free compost dumpsters (up to 40-yards) to Tumwater neighborhoods! 

• Stormwater Facility Vegetation Management Incentive Program Application 

Applications can be sent to Water Resources.

Go "green" using natural yard care techniques 

When we think of our yards, we don't often think about the importance of what lies beneath the soil, water, worms, micro-organisms, and nutrients. Each component is vital to the health of the grass that grows in the soil. Healthy soil encourages healthy roots and this in turn creates healthy lawns.

Many common lawn care activities can negatively impact the health of soil, which can make our lawns more vulnerable to weeds and unwanted insects. Over watering, soil compaction, overuse of chemicals, and ignoring soil health all have negative effects on soil health. Over time, the soils in our lawns can become compacted from walking or driving over it, which leaves less room for oxygen and water in the soil. Grass roots have a difficult time growing in compacted soils, but some weeds can thrive in them. In addition, the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers can kill off beneficial micro-organisms that are essential for creating and maintaining healthy soil. The good news is that it's easy to improve the health of your soil!

Rain gardens can be an easy, affordable way to help combat pollution in our local waterways. Rain gardens temporarily soak in rainwater that runs off from roofs, patios, driveways, or lawns. This process helps filter out pollutants. Rain gardens typically include native plants. For more information, contact the Water Resources & Sustainability Department at 360-754-4140. 

Stream Team

Stream Team is a volunteer program for residents in Thurston County who are interested in protecting and enhancing water resources. The program is jointly coordinated by the city of Olympia, the city of Lacey, the city of Tumwater and Thurston County.

Participating in Stream Team is a great way to meet new people, learn about local water resources, and have fun while protecting the environment. Stream Team volunteers have an opportunity to participate in a wide array of volunteer opportunities from planting native trees to stenciling storm drains, monitoring local streams, teaching others, and removing litter. 

Join the team! The future belongs to all of us!

Stream Team is coordinated by:

City of Tumwater: (360) 754-4140
City of Lacey: (360) 438-2687 or TDD:1-800-833-8388
City of Olympia:  (360) 753-8336 or TDD: (360) 753-8270
Thurston County: (360) 754-3355 ext. 6857 or TDD (360) 754-2933.

For more information or to sign up for Stream Team newsletters and/or Stream Team email notifications, please contact Grant Gilmore by calling 360-754-4140. You can also visit the Stream Team website to view a full calendar of events.