Public Education and Outreach

Puyallup Rain Garden Program

Puyallup's Rain Garden Program has educated hundreds about stormwater pollution prevention and green infrastructure techniques. Since the program's inception in 2009, over 10 million gallons of stormwater have been disconnected from the stormwater system to be managed on-site. 

Single-family residential rain gardens, permeable pavement, and rain barrels are the focus of this education and outreach program. The program allows for cost-sharing of the installation of these facilities.

Purpose of Puyallup's Cost-Share Rain Garden Program

Rain gardens, permeable pavement, and rain barrels manage rain where it falls, rather than letting it flow into the storm drains. While storm drains are designed to collect and convey stormwater, they do not provide treatment or flow control prior to discharging to our streams, lakes, and rivers.
 
Puyallup's Rain Garden Program provides opportunities for homeowners to install GSI at their homes, reducing their impervious footprint in our watershed and helping to reduce stormwater runoff. 

Join the Program

Puyallup's Rain Garden Program includes many green stormwater infrastructure elements that help manage stormwater where it falls including:

Rain Gardens are shallow depressions with specific amend soils and plantings that are used as small stormwater facilities to collect, store and filter rainwater and stormwater runoff from your lawn, rooftop, sidewalk, driveway, and other existing impervious surfaces. Participants receive reimbursement for material, up to $1,000.

Read the Western Washington Rain Garden Handbook (PDF) to learn more about rain garden design and upkeep.

Permeable Pavements consist of special mixes of concrete, asphalt, pavers, etc. with larger pore spaces, or separation between aggregate, to allow for rainwater to pass through. Stormwater then moves through the pore spaces and infiltrates into the soil below, reducing surface runoff. Participants receive reimbursement for 50% or the cost, up to $7,500.The cost share only applies when replacing impervious surfaces with permeable pavements.

Rain Barrels are barrels or tanks used to store rainwater, typically from roof downspouts, for reuse. Rain barrels disconnect rainwater from downspouts from the stormwater system, decreasing the total water volume during a storm event. Participants receive reimbursement for the rain barrel, up to $125.

Participants in the cost-share program can install a rain garden,  permeable pavement, or rain barrel at their Puyallup home. Read more about this program (PDF) or download the application (PDF). For questions or more information, please contact us via email at EcoFriendly@PuyallupWA.gov. 

To qualify for the cost share program your home must be within Puyallup City limits. Having a Puyallup address does not necessarily qualify your home for the program. If you’re unsure if you are in Puyallup City limits, try our “Are you a City of Puyallup resident?” feature in the Puyallup GIS Portal.

Visit a Puyallup Rain Garden 

Want to take a tour of rain gardens in Puyallup? We have a demonstration area located on 8^th Ave NW between 9^th St NW and 11^th St NW.

Contractors

Contractors who have not previously worked with the city in the Rain Garden Program are encouraged to learn about GSI and be added to our Pre-Approved Contractors list. To do so, contact the city via email. Contractors are encouraged to attend a GSI workshop and must meet with program staff to discuss additional aspects of the program.

FISH-FRIENDLY CAR WASHING

Many people enjoy a nice, clean car. While keeping your car clean is admirable, try following some of these fish-friendly car-washing guidelines, to help keep harmful pollutants out of our waterways, and Puget Sound!

Looking for ideas to raise money for your charity that will also protect our natural waterways and fish? Promote Fish-Friendly Car Washing by pre-selling car wash coupons. Here are a couple of links to organizations that you could use: 
Brown Bear 
Puget Sound Car Wash Association  

The High Environmental Cost of "Fund-raising" Car Washes

The water that runs off your driveway and into the stormwater drains from car washing is harmful to fish and other aquatic life. When you wash your car, the oil, road grime, and soapy water flow down the roadway gutters, and into the stormwater drains. These drains are designed to carry away stormwater runoff, but not pollution! The water that goes into stormwater drains flows directly into our streams, the Puyallup River, and eventually Puget Sound. Even small amounts of these pollutants can kill our native salmon and their eggs and inhibit their ability to reproduce.

Fund-raiser car washes are a thing of the past now; they may raise a few dollars but at the cost of harming our local waterways and fish that live there. In addition, letting car wash water flow into storm drains and the stormwater system is against City Municipal Code. Only rainwater is allowed to enter the stormwater system - anything else is considered an Illicit Discharge and may be reported to the Department of Ecology - but education and outreach is the primary avenue for preventing these polluting events.

Education is the best way to help others understand how our stormwater systems work and help them find ways to improve their daily tasks while reducing the impact of the storm system.

How can you help? 

Ways that you can help prevent car wash runoff from polluting our creeks, streams, and the river: 

• Washing your car on your lawn or in a gravel area.
• Using a commercial car wash. They capture the water they use, recirculate it, and eventually send it down the line to the treatment plant. 

Here are a few car wash locations in city limits:
Big EZ Car Wash- Self-wash 
1510 S Meridian 
Blue Car Wash 
1504 E Main 
Brown Bear 
4412 S Meridian 
Classy Chassis 
105 7th Ave SE 
Elephant Car Wash- Self Wash & Automatic
715 39th Ave SW 
605 E Main 
White Glove Car Wash
601 S Hill Park Dr. 

Some of these locations accept car wash coupons- head on over to the stormwater calendar to see how you can get one FREE.

Or... you can try one of these alternatives for fundraising:  

Fundraising Alternatives

PUYALLUP'S 2023 STORMWATER CALENDAR IS HERE! 

Puyallup residents favorite calendar has returned in print. Calendar are available at City Hall's 3 Customer Counters, and the Parks/Recreation Facility on Valley Ave. We worked with campers at Puyallup's Campyougottawanna- reaching a record of students and age ranges. You can see the talent in the drawings that won the monthly spots. We will be working with the camp again for the 2024 calendar- so if you would like your students to participate in the calendar next year, we encourage you to sign them up for the best summer camp around. 
If you would like a copy of the calendar, you can request one through email or pick one up at one of the locations mentioned above. 

As in past years, the calendar features fun facts about stormwater and how you can help at home. Residents are eligible for the incentives mentioned in each month of the calendar. Just email ecofriendly@puyallupwa.gov with your answers.

Bareroot bundles have returned to the calendar. Be sure to pick one up and learn how you can get your free bareroot bundle and when. We look forward to engaging with you! 
Thank you for making Puyallup's Stormwater Calendar a success. Remember, Only Rain Down the Drain!  

2023 Stormwater Calendar

Green Puyallup Partnership

The city has multiple riparian and critical areas that are maintained with the help of the Pierce Conservation District and Washington Conservation Core. The maintenance of these areas increases water quality and riparian function. Please visit the Planning webpage for more information.

Dumpster Program