Using Stormwater Smart
Outreach Materials
A How-to Manual for Local Communities
PROMOTE
PRACTICES
to Manage Stormwater
INSPIRE
INVESTMENT
in the Community
vvEPA
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USING STORMWATER SMART OUTREACH
MATERIALS
Stormwater Smart is a collection of communications tools you can use to
promote the value of sound stormwater management for creating a community
where your residents want to live and work. The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has developed these tools for public works managers to use as
part of the public education and outreach campaign of their stormwater permit
programs. This collection includes brochures, infographics, one-pagers, and
social media posts to educate the public, as well as a template for presentations
to city officials and community leaders about the benefits of stormwater
management.
Developed with coordinated content and artwork, these tools show what
stormwater is and how it can pollute local waterways. They explain the value
of green infrastructure for the community as well as how everyone can help
manage stormwater as a community resource.
Stormwater Smart materials cover a wide range of topics and can be used on
several platforms. They likely will help support efforts to meet your permit
requirements, whether you are planning a new program as a new municipal
permittee or want to enhance an existing program.
This how-to manual is divided into three sections that correspond to the main
goals of the Stormwater Smart effort:
• Increase awareness.
• Promote practices to manage stormwater.
• Inspire investment.
Each section explains how the products support its main goal, as well as offers
suggestions for how to use the products to convey information that resonates
with residents and business owners and prompts them to join in the effort to be
"stormwater smart."
A good first step to using this guide and the Stormwater Smart products is to
think about the people who live in your community. You know your community
best. What would motivate them to care about water quality? How do they
use and relate to the water bodies in the area? Are residents concerned about
flooding, sewer backups, or property damage caused by severe weather? How
can business owners demonstrate leadership by reducing their impacts on
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stormwater pollution? Finally, how can you help everyone in your community
understand the value of managing stormwater for a better quality of life?
Answering just a few questions can jump start your efforts to find ways to
educate and engage everyone in the effort to meet permit requirements,
make smart infrastructure investments, and value stormwater as an essential
community resource.
EPA is making these materials available for download by any community
to customize with logos and website information. Getting everyone to be
"stormwater smart" leads to a healthier community and a stronger, resilient
future.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
RAISE AWARENESS OF HOW STORMWATER FLOWS
Know What Happens When It Rains Brochure 1
Stormwater Flow Infographic 2
Social Media Posts/Graphics 3
PROMOTE STORMWATER SMART PRACTICES
Take Steps to Protect Our Waterways Brochure Series 4
Stormwater Smart Steps Infographic 5
Social Media Posts/Graphics 6
Stormwater Tip Sheets for Businesses 7
Construction in Your Neighborhood Tip Sheet 7
PROMOTE STORMWATER INVESTMENTS IN THE
COMMUNITY
Invest in Your Community Brochure 8
Be Stormwater Smart PowerPoint 9
Stormwater Investment Benefits Infographic 9
Social Media Posts/Graphics 10
Green Infrastructure in Action Case Studies 11
4*4*4* 4*4 4*
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RAISE AWARENESS OF HOW STORMWATER FLOWS
Most people don't think about stormwater and how it affects their community
as they go about their daily lives. In order to get residents and business owners
to appreciate the need to manage stormwater, first you have to explain what
it is and how stormwater gets polluted. Use the following tools to draw the
connection between stormwater and healthy waterways and communities.
Know What Happens When It Rains Brochure
This brochure explains what stormwater is and how pollution travels
downstream and into waterways. You can post the PDF to your organization's
website or print the brochure and display it in the lobbies of your City Hall,
libraries, schools, churches, or utilities. Consider handing it out at community
events, or you can use portions of the text in a community newsletter or email
to educate residents on stormwater basics and why it is important to manage
stormwater. One place to start with stormwater pollution education is by
partnering with local environmental, recreational, or "river keeper" groups. They
may hold environmental fairs, Earth Day events, river cleanups, or other activities
where you can distribute this brochure.
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BE ST* RMWATER SMART
Know What Happens When It Rains
water pollution ci
property in ways you;©
that affect your health and the whole
community downstream. Watching
ur property
is cleaner, healttiier, and
enjoyable. And by investing
to manage stormwater, we help
our community a safer, greener,
healthier, and more enjoyable place
Stormwater is the water that flows over
the ground after it rains, snows, or sleets.
It can become polluted as It runs over
hard surfaces and flows downstream.
Print on 8.5 x 14 (legal-sized) paper, double-sided, and fold in half.
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Stormwater Flow Infographic
If you are looking to demonstrate how chemicals and other pollutants get into
our waters, try posting this infographic on your website or having a poster
made for local science teachers to post in their classrooms. Schools and libraries
are good partners in education. Children often take messages home to their
parents, and they have a vested interest in ensuring their rivers, lakes, and
streams are kept clean for their enjoyment.
Stormwater: Where It Flows, Everything Goes
Cigarette butts in the
gutter become a real
problem when they
reach wildlife.
Trash left on sidewalks
gets swept into sewers
and contaminates
stormwater.
K ' * ¦£
When it rains, snows, or
sleets, water hits hard
surfaces and takes
anything on that surface
with it, through drains,
pipes, and ditches to local
rivers, lakes, and streams.
Lawn fertilizer and pesticides can
wash across pavement and down
drains, taking toxics with them.
Car washing
chemicals can harm
fish and animals.
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
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Sized to be printed on 11 x 17 paper or as a postcard.
One way to further engage students is to
sponsor a poster contest at local schools.
You can suggest that kids illustrate any of
the stormwater pollution problems shown in
this poster with a call to action about how to
reduce pollution. Consider offering a prize, or
you can display the winner's poster on your
website or in prominent local places, such as
public libraries. Schools can help you promote
your contest and get students to participate as
an assignment. You can also partner with your
town's Parks and Recreation Department to
display the infographic at nature centers, trail
systems, parks, and similar venues.
4 TAKE IT A STEP
FURTHER
Clean Water Minnesota
inspired a local fourth grade
teacher and faith leader
to have students think
critically about stormwater
management where they
live. The students at Frassati
Academy created a song to
make cleaning stormwater
drains fun!
2
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Social Media Posts/Graphics
You can post these social media graphics on your Facebook or Twitter to show
how cigarette butts, pet waste, fertilizer, and soap can pollute waterways when
stormwater flows. The graphics shown here can be posted with the suggested
text underneath each. You can make your posts public so customers can share
and retweet on their own Facebook or Twitter accounts; consider having a
contest to see who can get the most "likes" or which post gets the most shares.
71
i
Car washing can make
water dirty.
Cars can leak oil
and grease.
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
Where stormwater flows, everything goes. Soap
from car washing products contains chemicals
that can harm fish and other critters. Be
iStormwaterSmart!
Where stormwater flows, everything goes. Oil and
grease leaked from cars wash down drains and
into waterways. Be #StormwaterSmart!
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
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Where stormwater flows, everything goes.
Cigarette butts don't break down, and they make
animals sick. Be #StormwaterSmart!
Where stormwater flows, everything goes. Pet
waste washes into sewers and downstream. Be
#StormwaterSmart!
Where stormwater flows, everything goes.
Lawn fertilizers and pesticides can wash across
pavement and down drains, taking toxins with
them. Be iStormwaterSmart!
Where stormwater flows, everything goes.
Trash left on sidewalks gets swept into
sewers and contaminates stormwater. Be
iStormwaterSmart!
Sized for posting to Facebook and Twitter.
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
Lawn chemicals
can harm wildlife.
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PROMOTE STORMWATER SMART PRACTICES
Taking steps to educate consumers and businesses about proper disposal of pet
waste, pesticides, oil, and other pollutants is essential to managing stormwater
in a community. Once you have educated consumers about what stormwater
is and how it gets polluted, you can use the following tools to encourage
stormwater smart steps to keep rivers, lakes, and streams clean.
Take Steps to Protect Our Waterways Brochure Series
Urban and suburban landscapes have different stormwater management
needs and varying target audiences. For your convenience, EPA has developed
resources for educating both types of communities on steps they can take to
reduce stormwater pollution where they live. Like the other brochures, these can
be placed in municipal or utility building lobbies, posted on websites, or handed
out at community events such as street fairs, river fests, or home expos.
*
BE ST* RMWATER SMART
Take Steps to Protect Our Waterways
BE ST* PMWATER SMAR
Take Steps to Protect Our Waterways
lb
I
waterways every tir
lit reducing your
ins. Known
5 in your community Here
in take steps to decrease the amount of pollution that flows from your
ts the ground, it can carry dirt, chemicals, and other pollutants
Rain is great for your lawn, but excess
rain can run off from your yard and
walkways into the street, where it flows
lakes, or streams, taking any chemical
you've applied with iL
• Apply fertilizers and pesticides
carefully on your lawn or garden and
not on pavement.
• Avoid using fertilizers and pesticides
completely if rain is in the forecast.
• Considennstallihg a rain garden,
which is a depressed area planted
with grasses or perennials that
collects st
with biodegradable
Is floating
Direct water from downspouts anc
car washing to grassy areas, so it
can soak into the ground rather th
hit the pavement.
in your driveway ar
When watering your la'
spray toward your lawr
Use permeable pavers instead of
hard stones or pavement in your
yard to help water absorb into the
ground.
Don't rake leaves or yard clippings
and debris that could cause flooding.
Install a rain barrel to help prevent
rain from flowing into storm drains
(and also save water for dry spells!)
Pick up pet \
and dirty wa
aste and keep trash
ir away from pavement
During colder weather, avoid
oversalting your sidewalks and
an appropriate amount of deice
little goes a long way.
Sweep sidewalks and put the d
leaks oil or fluid.
rainwater getting co
your trash Never dump garbage
alleys or gutters.
Read the label to dispose of
household chemicals and paints
properly, and never dump them ir
the alley, on the sidewalk, or in th
by
Don't hose d
flush dirt down through the storm
drain system!
During colder weather, avoid
oversalting the sidewalk or use
"green" deicer—a little goes a long
Always pick up after your dog by
putting waste in a bag and disposing
it in an appropriate waste container,
rather than dropping it in the storm
Never drop cigarette butts on the
ground; put out cigarettes and drop
the butts in a proper receptacle or
Always put trash in its place and
keep It away from storm drains.
Print on 8.5 x 14 (legal-sized) paper, double-sided, and fold in half.
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Stormwater Smart Steps Infographic
No matter the community type, a picture says a thousand words. You can share
this infographic on your website, make a poster to hang in local park kiosks, or
send as a bill stuffer with water utility bills to educate customers on simple steps
they can take to decrease the pollution that flows into their waterways.
One way to engage citizens in better stormwater management is to offer a
pledge they can take to reduce pollution. Consider providing this free poster to
anyone who takes the pledge, so they can be reminded how easy it is to ensure
stormwater doesn't pollute local rivers, lakes, and streams. You can also partner
with schools to create a poster contest for students using this infographic as
their inspiration for illustrating ways to manage stormwater where they live.
Smart Steps to Stormwater Management
f
Make your community
better! You can take steps
to decrease the pollution
that flows into local
waterways every time it
rains, snows, or sleets by
following these tips.
Direct water from downspouts and
sprinklers to green areas only.
Avoid applying pesticides or fertilizer when rain is predicted
and avoid spraying any chemicals on pavement.
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
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Sized to be printed on 11 x 17 paper or as a postcard.
5
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Social Media Posts/Graphics
Post the social media graphics on the next page on your Facebook or Twitter
to show residents simple steps they can take toward better stormwater
management. You can post the graphics shown here along with the suggested
text or draft your own. By making the posts public, customers can share and
retweet on their own Facebook or Twitter accounts; consider a contest to see
who can get the most "likes" or which post gets the most shares.
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
Keep Chemicals off sidewalks.
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
Where stormwater flows, everything goes. Avoid
applying pesticides or fertilizer when rain is
predicted and avoid spraying any chemicals on
pavement. Be #StormwaterSmart!
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
Where stormwater flows, everything goes. Keep
trash in its place and never dump down storm
drains. Be #StormwaterSmart!
Where stormwater flows, everything goes. Always
pick up and dispose of pet waste in the proper
container. Be #StormwaterSmart!
Where stormwater flows, everything goes. Direct
water from downspouts and sprinklers to green
areas only. Be iStormwaterSmart!
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
Where stormwater flows, everything goes.
Don't oversaltyour walk or driveway. Be
iStormwaterSmart!
Where stormwater flows, everything goes. Follow
"No Parking" signs on street sweeping days. Be
#StormwaterSmart!
Sized for posting to Facebook and Twitter.
Salt sidewalks sparingly.
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4 TAKE IT A STEP
FURTHER
Similar to the Adopt-a-
Highway program, your
Stormwater Smart campaign
can give small businesses a
chance to show customers
they care about the health
of local waterways and
the beautification of the
community.
Stormwater Tip Sheets for Businesses
EPA has developed tip sheets to provide
owners of auto shops, restaurants,
construction sites, lawn care companies,
or public parking lots with quick, easy-to-
understand stormwater management tips.
You can distribute these to your local business
owners, hand out at small business events, or
post to your website to show how employees
can keep waterways clean through stormwater
management practices. Your Stormwater
Smart campaign can extend to local business
as well. Consider partnering with the local
Chamber of Commerce, or hosting a small
business breakfast to engage the following types of business owners in taking
the pledge to keep rivers, lakes, and streams clean by taking the actions on
these tip sheets.
DITCH THE
¦— HOSE
PUT WASTE
•Ml IN A
4^—J[ CATCH EVERY
l™!* DROP
AVOID
WjBQ OVERFLOWS
STORE STUFF
MjM KEEP A LID
ON
DISPOSE
Hjjg RESPONSIBLY
fl J — jBSKSS
Auto Shops
Restaurants
Lawn Care
Print on 8.5 x 11 (letter-sized) paper.
Construction in Your Neighborhood Tip Sheet
If you would like to educate residents on how to identify proper
stormwater management practices in their neighborhood
you can post this tip sheet on your website or print it out and
use as a handout at community events like home and garden
expos, give to home owner associations, or place in municipal
and utility building lobbies. Local citizen meetings about new
construction projects are also a good place to hand out this tip
sheet.
Parking Lots Construction
¦ GOOD FENCES •
MAKE CLEAN *
I NEIGHBORS J
SOMETHING
LOOK WRONG?
CALLI 'Z
Print on 8.5 x 11 (letter-sized) paper.
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PROMOTE STORMWATER INVESTMENTS IN THE
COMMUNITY
Explaining why it's important to invest in green infrastructure solutions to
reduce stormwater pollution can be complicated. The following materials help
educate your municipal officials, elected officials, and financial institutions about
the benefits of investing in green infrastructure.
Invest in Your Community Brochure
Educate officials with this brochure about the ways stormwater smart solutions
and green infrastructure can bring value to the community. You can hand it
out at city council meetings to accompany a presentation; make it available
at community gatherings; or distribute to interest groups and stakeholders
focused on environmental improvement projects in your community to inspire
support and investment.
BE ST 4 RMWATER SMART
Invest in Ways to Improve Your Community
1
HjL
mi ^
" your whole community—is
y lied to the quality of the
in your local rivers, lakes, and
ns? Thai's why it's important to
e (he pollution that can get into
and drains into local waterways.
There are a number of innovative
solutions to manage and filter
chemicals, and other pollutants to our
rivers, lakes, and streams. Supporting
community investmf
management will help keep our
waterways clean and you and yoi
family healthy.
BEFORE: PARKING LOT
rainwater before it can flow off a
filter stormwater before it flows to the
sewer system, there are many ways
that communities can beautify the
landscape, remove pollutants from
stormwater, and protect your health at
the same time. Replacing hard paving
with permeable pavers and installing
pocket parks are other ways your
community can keep stormwater from
getting polluted. Adding this kind of
"green infrastructure" and promoting
green spaces can help protect our
local waterways and improve our
community.
AFTER: PERMEABLE PAVING
BEFORE: ALLEY WAY
AFTER: POCKET PARK
Here are just a few •
investing in t
soaks into the ground and reduce
the amount of polluted rain going
down storm drains.
Minimize flooding by improving
drainage on sidewalks, streets,
and even your backyard
Improve the community by
creating attractive, green spaces
that encourage physical activity,
recreation, and natural habitat
Reduce heat, noise, and air
pollution in urban areas by
replacing pavement where possible
HOW DO WE PAY
FOR STORMWATER
MANAGEMENT?
Like other public health and safely
services we value such as police anc
fire departments, funding is often
green infrastructure such as rain
gardens, green roofs, and bioret
areas These projects help redui
pollution from stormwater and a<
value to the community.
Print on 8.5 x 14 (legal-sized) paper, double-sided, and fold in half.
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Be Stormwater Smart PowerPoint
To communicate with officials, you can customize this Stormwater Smart
PowerPoint presentation with your community data, plans and activities to
demonstrate the importance of enhancing stormwater management and green
infrastucture in your community. This PowerPoint was designed to be used at
city council meetings and other local government and leadership gatherings to
make it easy to share the value of stormwater smart investments.
BEST RMWATER SMART
Invest in Solutions to Improve Our Community
Stormwater 101
Stormwater is water
from rain and snow that
can pick up pollutants
as it flows over surfaces
such as roads, sidewalks,
buildings, and
landscapes.
Why Care About Stormwater?
MS4 communities
such as ours are
required to implement
a program that
continually improves
stormwater
management.
Stormwater Investment Benefits Infographic
Pictures can help sell your story and help people understand why reducing
stormwater pollution adds value to their neighborhood. Consider sharing this
infographic on your website, making a poster for your lobby, or sending as a bill
stuffer with water utility bills to educate customers.
Stormwater Innovations Improve Our Community
f
Solutions that manage
stormwater are a natural
way to reduce pollution,
bring value to our
community, and make it a
better place to live.
Local governments and utilities
can make smart investments in
stormwater management.
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W J* Permeab
boxes hi
Enhancing paved parking lots
^ with more landscaping helps
promote local jobs.
99
Permeable paving and planter
help reduce flooding.
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
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Sized to be printed on 11x17 paper or as a postcard.
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Social Media Posts/Graphics
You can post the social media graphics below on your Facebook or Twitter to
show residents how stormwater management adds value to the community. You
can use the graphics shown here along with the suggested text.
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
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Bioretention areas
reduce pollution., 1
V
K
Stormwater management is a smart investment.
Where stormwater flows, everything goes.
Bioretention basins reduce pollution and beautify
the landscape. Be #StormwaterSmart!
Where stormwater flows, everything goes. Local
governments and utilities can make smart
investments in stormwater management. Be
#StormwaterSmart!
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
Landscaping improves parking lots.
Help reduce flooding with
Where stormwater flows, everything goes.
Enhancing paved parking lots with more
landscaping helps soak up stormwater. Be
#StormwaterSmart!
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
SERA
Where stormwater flows, everything goes.
Permeable paving and rain gardens help reduce
flooding. Be iStormwaterSmart!
Pocket parks add green space.
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
Rain gardens absorb stormwater.
Where stormwater flows, everything goes.
Pocket parks add green spaces and enhance
neighborhoods. Be #StormwaterSmart!
Where stormwater flows, everything goes. Rain
gardens and permeable pavers help soak up
stormwater. Be iStormwaterSmart!
Sized for posting to Facebook and Twitter.
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Green Infrastructure in Action Case Studies
Case studies are a great way to show real world examples of successful
implementation of stormwater management and green infrastructure projects
in other communities to strengthen support for your own project goals. These
work well as an addition to your presentations to local community leaders, or
you can make them available on your website.
Monona, Iowa, Aquatic Center Permeable Pavers Parking Lot
The City of Monona in Iowa
completed a project to replace
the Monona Aquatic Center gravel
parking lot with permeable pavers
to reduce stormwater runoff. This
project helped to improve local
water quality, enhance aesthetics,
and reduce site maintenance. This
case study summarizes the project
along with results and lessons
learned. Can be printed 8.5x 11 (letter-sized) paper.
Cleveland, Ohio, Rain Gardens and Bioretention Features in Vacant Lots
THERE'S LOTS TO LOVE ABOUT
THE GREENING OF VACANT
SPACES IN CLEVELAND
To prevent stormwater from
polluting Lake Erie, the Cleveland
Botanical Garden and a local sewer
utility installed rain gardens and
bioretention features in vacant
lots in the Slavic Village area of
Cleveland, Ohio. This case study
explains how green infrastructure
helped to improve local water
quality, add green space, beautify
empty land, and improve safety and quality of life.
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11
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Syracuse, New York, Renovates Community Park With Green
Infrastructure
Syracuse worked with Onondaga
County, New York's Save the
Rain program to plan, construct,
and finance the renovation of
the McKinley Park basketball
court and parking lot with green
infrastructure designed to reduce
the volume of stormwater that
flows into the combined sewer
system along surrounding streets.
This case study explains details of the project and how it supported principles of
social and environmental justice and enhanced community unity and pride.
Santa Fe, New Mexico, Uses Green Infrastructure as Part of New
Community Trail
The City of Santa Fe utilized
green infrastructure innovations
to ensure water from occasional
heavy storms would not flood
a new pedestrian trail. This case
study shows how proactively
incorporating green infrastructure
such as stormwater infiltration
ponds, infiltration trenches, and
bioswales of native plants in
the community project helps mitigate flooding on the trail, reduce required
maintenance at the site, save water, and improve the local ecosystem.
Stormwater management is a major challenge for many communities. Raising
awareness, promoting practices, and inspiring investment takes energy
and commitment. This toolkit of communications materials can help you
demonstrate how people living in your region can do their part every day to
help manage stormwater and see it as a valuable community resource.
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