Summary: Fact sheet City of Yamima Car Wash wastewater, E&O effectiveness study, citizen car wash BMPs, strategies to keep car wash water out of stormdrains, results and recomendations for E&O for car washing
Yakima Car Wash Wastewater
Education and Outreach (E&O)
Effectiveness Study
YAKIMA CAR WASH WASTEWATER EDUCATION AND OUTREACH (E&O) EFFECTIVENESS STUDY
Study Goal
The goal of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an education and outreach (E&O) program.
The evaluation was used to meet a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit (Permit)-required
evaluation of a stormwater management program element (S8 Monitoring and Assessment) and of an
E&O program (S5.B.1.b). To meet the permit requirements, a new E&O program was developed for the City
of Yakima. The E&O program was developed to increase residents' awareness about the impacts of car
wash wastewater on water bodies and to promote behavior change, specifically, using car washing best
management practices (BMPs) can reduce that impact. This focus was selected because City staff have
observed residents washing their cars outside of their home and allowing car wash wastewater to reach
the storm drain. Runoff entering the storm drain is typically not treated before discharging to water bodies
and can contain pollutant loadings that are detrimental to water quality and aquatic life. The effectiveness
of the E&O program developed to address this issue was based upon whether a change in awareness and
adoption of targeted behaviors (adoption of preferred car washing BMPs) by the City of Yakima residents was
measured during the study.
Study Description
The City of Yakima developed the E&O program to target car washing behaviors of residents who drive one
or more vehicles (target audience). The study took place in the City of Yakima as shown in Figure 1 and data
was collected from residents throughout
Yakima County. Three neighborhoods were
targeted for the study (target neighborhoods)
because car washing behaviors had been
observed at the residences by City staff. The
targeted neighborhoods received post cards
and doorknockers (brochures) to advertise
the survey and increase awareness of
preferred car washing BMPs, respectively.
These neighborhoods were also selected to
collect observational drive-by data.
Measurement of awareness and adoption of
targeted behaviors occurred by comparing
survey data collected before and after the E&O program was implemented in Yakima. Survey responses
provided insight of residents’ understanding of the impacts of car wash wastewater discharges to water
bodies, use of preferred car washing BMPs and non-environmentally friendly practices, and barriers
preventing the BMPs from being adopted. The survey was developed and made available to residents
through SurveyMonkey® from August 2021 to the end of October 2021 and the E&O program was deployed
in mid-August to early October 2021. Responses to a specific question in the survey were used to determine
whether respondents had seen the E&O program materials (defined as after implementation of the E&O
program) or not seen the E&O program materials (defined as before implementation of the E&O program).
Observational data and commercial car wash usage data were collected to verify the results of the survey.
Staff attempted to gather observational data via drive-by visits through three target neighborhoods on two
weekends prior to the survey being made available (late July 2021) and on two weekends near the end of the
survey (late October 2021). During the drive-by visits, insufficient observations were collected to verify the
results of the survey. In an attempt to supplement the observational data, commercial car wash locations in
Yakima were contacted to request car wash usage data, to determine if residents were using commercial car
washes more frequently (one of the preferred car washing BMPs) and out of the five businesses contacted,
one responded.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
CAR WASHING
METHODS
Washing your car
on the street or
in your driveway
causes wash
wastewater to flow
into the storm
drain system.
Water collected
by a storm drain
IS NOT TREATED
and goes directly
into our natural
environment.
If a commercial car wash isn’t an option, wash
cars on an area that absorbs water, such as gravel,
grass, or loose soil. Be sure to use biodegradable,
non‑toxic cleaners. Diverting any water that may
enter the storm system is easy! Use items you
already own (boxes, towels, etc.) to keep the flow
of water away from storm drains.
Use a commercial car wash. Commercial car
washes are required to send all their wash water
to sanitary sewers for treatment and recycle
most of the water. Most commercial car washes
use 60% less water in the entire washing process
compared to rinsing your car at home.
Avoid using soap, instead, try using only water
or a waterless car wash product that can be
applied and wiped off with a cloth, leaving the
storm drains clear of potential pollutants. If you
need soap, be sure to use chlorine‑free and
phosphate‑free soap, or use biodegradable soap.
Only wash the exterior of your car.
Cleaning the engine bay, truck cargo
area, mounted equipment, or the
undercarriage of your vehicle can
lead to harmful pollutants entering
the storm system.
Changing the way you wash your car can help protect our natural environment.
Outdoor car washing can result in harmful pollutants from soap and cleaners
entering the storm system. Our storm system flows directly to critical natural
habitats. These pollutants degrade the water quality of our streams and
endanger the wildlife that lives in or near the streams.
IN CASE OF SPILL:
If car wash wastewater does enter the storm system, we want to know!
Report spills to the Spill Hotline by calling 509.575.6077.
MADE BY: OSBORN CONSULTING, INC.
FOR THE CITY OF YAKIMA
Figure 2: Flyer
Figure 3: Social Media Survey
Figure 4: City of Yakima
Social Media Post
Figure 1: City boundary and approximate locations of three
target neighborhoods.
YAKIMA CAR WASH WASTEWATER EDUCATION AND OUTREACH (E&O) EFFECTIVENESS STUDY
City of Yakima:
Randy Meloy
509.576.6606
[email protected]
Osborn Consulting Research Team:
Aimee Navickis-Brasch, PhD, PE
509.867.3649
[email protected]
Taylor Hoffman-Ballard, PE
509.867.3650
[email protected]
Nicole Chen, EIT
206.876.7740
[email protected]
MaKenna Lindberg
425.516.7626
[email protected]
Contacts
E&O Program Description
The E&O program implemented during the study included distributing E&O materials to three specific neighborhoods, at the Central Washington State
Fair, and through social media. The E&O materials included flyers (Figure 2 on page 1), public relations via social media (Figure 3 and Figure 4 on
page 1), postcards, doorknockers (brochures), tote bags, hand sanitizer pens, and towels. The materials were used to inform residents about preferred
car washing BMPs and advertise the online survey. The preferred car washing BMPs included on the E&O materials included use a commercial car wash;
wash car on grass or gravel; use biodegradable or environmentally friendly soap; and contain soap spills immediately or call spill control hotline in the
event of a soap spill.
Results and Recommendations
Measure adoption of targeted behaviors by the target audience
A statistically significant change in awareness or adoption of targeted behavior was not measured during the study, except for a decrease in use of
commercial car washes and a decrease in awareness of at-home car washing BMPs. The decrease in use of commercial car washes may be attributed to
a national market trend caused by COVID-19 impacts. Insufficient data was able to be collected in the City of Yakima to determine whether the national
trend was occurring in Yakima. The decrease in use of commercial car washes, along with the decrease in awareness of at-home car washing BMPs is
likely due to the lower than expected number of survey responses received. The survey responses received are a representative subset (sample) of the
target audience (City of Yakima residents), and a higher sample size corresponds with a higher confidence that the survey responses received accurately
represent the target audience. The decrease in use of commercial car washes and awareness of at-home car washing BMPs likely indicates there was a
difference between the samples collected before and after the E&O program (one or both of the samples may not have fully captured the awareness and
adoption by the target audience) and does not necessarily indicate that there was an actual decrease in awareness or adoption.
Develop recommendations based on the study findings and use the recommendations to revise and implement a
modified E&O program
Based on the results of the study, recommendations have been developed to direct on-going E&O efforts in future years. The recommendations
focused on increasing the reach of the E&O program to the general public, increasing the reach of the E&O program to Spanish-speaking communities,
improving the E&O program messaging and materials, and improving general survey response rate if surveys are used to collect data in future years.
These improvements are intended to increase the awareness and adoption of preferred car washing BMPs, as well as improve the confidence/quantity
of any data collected. Two of the recommendations for the project are included in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Two Project Recommendations
Recommendation
Methods
Send E&O materials with utility bill.
E&O materials could be included as an insert with the utility bill, or link to a website with
electronic versions of the E&O materials.
Post E&O materials to webpage to serve as reference
material for the general public.
E&O materials, such as the brochure or flyer, could be posted on the City’s website or
another organization’s website to reach a wider audience.
Figure 5: Excerpt from Brochure
Education and Outreach (E&O)
Effectiveness Study
YAKIMA CAR WASH WASTEWATER EDUCATION AND OUTREACH (E&O) EFFECTIVENESS STUDY
Study Goal
The goal of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an education and outreach (E&O) program.
The evaluation was used to meet a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit (Permit)-required
evaluation of a stormwater management program element (S8 Monitoring and Assessment) and of an
E&O program (S5.B.1.b). To meet the permit requirements, a new E&O program was developed for the City
of Yakima. The E&O program was developed to increase residents' awareness about the impacts of car
wash wastewater on water bodies and to promote behavior change, specifically, using car washing best
management practices (BMPs) can reduce that impact. This focus was selected because City staff have
observed residents washing their cars outside of their home and allowing car wash wastewater to reach
the storm drain. Runoff entering the storm drain is typically not treated before discharging to water bodies
and can contain pollutant loadings that are detrimental to water quality and aquatic life. The effectiveness
of the E&O program developed to address this issue was based upon whether a change in awareness and
adoption of targeted behaviors (adoption of preferred car washing BMPs) by the City of Yakima residents was
measured during the study.
Study Description
The City of Yakima developed the E&O program to target car washing behaviors of residents who drive one
or more vehicles (target audience). The study took place in the City of Yakima as shown in Figure 1 and data
was collected from residents throughout
Yakima County. Three neighborhoods were
targeted for the study (target neighborhoods)
because car washing behaviors had been
observed at the residences by City staff. The
targeted neighborhoods received post cards
and doorknockers (brochures) to advertise
the survey and increase awareness of
preferred car washing BMPs, respectively.
These neighborhoods were also selected to
collect observational drive-by data.
Measurement of awareness and adoption of
targeted behaviors occurred by comparing
survey data collected before and after the E&O program was implemented in Yakima. Survey responses
provided insight of residents’ understanding of the impacts of car wash wastewater discharges to water
bodies, use of preferred car washing BMPs and non-environmentally friendly practices, and barriers
preventing the BMPs from being adopted. The survey was developed and made available to residents
through SurveyMonkey® from August 2021 to the end of October 2021 and the E&O program was deployed
in mid-August to early October 2021. Responses to a specific question in the survey were used to determine
whether respondents had seen the E&O program materials (defined as after implementation of the E&O
program) or not seen the E&O program materials (defined as before implementation of the E&O program).
Observational data and commercial car wash usage data were collected to verify the results of the survey.
Staff attempted to gather observational data via drive-by visits through three target neighborhoods on two
weekends prior to the survey being made available (late July 2021) and on two weekends near the end of the
survey (late October 2021). During the drive-by visits, insufficient observations were collected to verify the
results of the survey. In an attempt to supplement the observational data, commercial car wash locations in
Yakima were contacted to request car wash usage data, to determine if residents were using commercial car
washes more frequently (one of the preferred car washing BMPs) and out of the five businesses contacted,
one responded.
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
CAR WASHING
METHODS
Washing your car
on the street or
in your driveway
causes wash
wastewater to flow
into the storm
drain system.
Water collected
by a storm drain
IS NOT TREATED
and goes directly
into our natural
environment.
If a commercial car wash isn’t an option, wash
cars on an area that absorbs water, such as gravel,
grass, or loose soil. Be sure to use biodegradable,
non‑toxic cleaners. Diverting any water that may
enter the storm system is easy! Use items you
already own (boxes, towels, etc.) to keep the flow
of water away from storm drains.
Use a commercial car wash. Commercial car
washes are required to send all their wash water
to sanitary sewers for treatment and recycle
most of the water. Most commercial car washes
use 60% less water in the entire washing process
compared to rinsing your car at home.
Avoid using soap, instead, try using only water
or a waterless car wash product that can be
applied and wiped off with a cloth, leaving the
storm drains clear of potential pollutants. If you
need soap, be sure to use chlorine‑free and
phosphate‑free soap, or use biodegradable soap.
Only wash the exterior of your car.
Cleaning the engine bay, truck cargo
area, mounted equipment, or the
undercarriage of your vehicle can
lead to harmful pollutants entering
the storm system.
Changing the way you wash your car can help protect our natural environment.
Outdoor car washing can result in harmful pollutants from soap and cleaners
entering the storm system. Our storm system flows directly to critical natural
habitats. These pollutants degrade the water quality of our streams and
endanger the wildlife that lives in or near the streams.
IN CASE OF SPILL:
If car wash wastewater does enter the storm system, we want to know!
Report spills to the Spill Hotline by calling 509.575.6077.
MADE BY: OSBORN CONSULTING, INC.
FOR THE CITY OF YAKIMA
Figure 2: Flyer
Figure 3: Social Media Survey
Figure 4: City of Yakima
Social Media Post
Figure 1: City boundary and approximate locations of three
target neighborhoods.
YAKIMA CAR WASH WASTEWATER EDUCATION AND OUTREACH (E&O) EFFECTIVENESS STUDY
City of Yakima:
Randy Meloy
509.576.6606
[email protected]
Osborn Consulting Research Team:
Aimee Navickis-Brasch, PhD, PE
509.867.3649
[email protected]
Taylor Hoffman-Ballard, PE
509.867.3650
[email protected]
Nicole Chen, EIT
206.876.7740
[email protected]
MaKenna Lindberg
425.516.7626
[email protected]
Contacts
E&O Program Description
The E&O program implemented during the study included distributing E&O materials to three specific neighborhoods, at the Central Washington State
Fair, and through social media. The E&O materials included flyers (Figure 2 on page 1), public relations via social media (Figure 3 and Figure 4 on
page 1), postcards, doorknockers (brochures), tote bags, hand sanitizer pens, and towels. The materials were used to inform residents about preferred
car washing BMPs and advertise the online survey. The preferred car washing BMPs included on the E&O materials included use a commercial car wash;
wash car on grass or gravel; use biodegradable or environmentally friendly soap; and contain soap spills immediately or call spill control hotline in the
event of a soap spill.
Results and Recommendations
Measure adoption of targeted behaviors by the target audience
A statistically significant change in awareness or adoption of targeted behavior was not measured during the study, except for a decrease in use of
commercial car washes and a decrease in awareness of at-home car washing BMPs. The decrease in use of commercial car washes may be attributed to
a national market trend caused by COVID-19 impacts. Insufficient data was able to be collected in the City of Yakima to determine whether the national
trend was occurring in Yakima. The decrease in use of commercial car washes, along with the decrease in awareness of at-home car washing BMPs is
likely due to the lower than expected number of survey responses received. The survey responses received are a representative subset (sample) of the
target audience (City of Yakima residents), and a higher sample size corresponds with a higher confidence that the survey responses received accurately
represent the target audience. The decrease in use of commercial car washes and awareness of at-home car washing BMPs likely indicates there was a
difference between the samples collected before and after the E&O program (one or both of the samples may not have fully captured the awareness and
adoption by the target audience) and does not necessarily indicate that there was an actual decrease in awareness or adoption.
Develop recommendations based on the study findings and use the recommendations to revise and implement a
modified E&O program
Based on the results of the study, recommendations have been developed to direct on-going E&O efforts in future years. The recommendations
focused on increasing the reach of the E&O program to the general public, increasing the reach of the E&O program to Spanish-speaking communities,
improving the E&O program messaging and materials, and improving general survey response rate if surveys are used to collect data in future years.
These improvements are intended to increase the awareness and adoption of preferred car washing BMPs, as well as improve the confidence/quantity
of any data collected. Two of the recommendations for the project are included in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Two Project Recommendations
Recommendation
Methods
Send E&O materials with utility bill.
E&O materials could be included as an insert with the utility bill, or link to a website with
electronic versions of the E&O materials.
Post E&O materials to webpage to serve as reference
material for the general public.
E&O materials, such as the brochure or flyer, could be posted on the City’s website or
another organization’s website to reach a wider audience.
Figure 5: Excerpt from Brochure
