Thirty fish-friendly fundraising car wash kits will be given away to qualified applicants within Pierce County. The car wash kits redirect soapy car wash water away from storm drains, which protects local water quality for fish and other aquatic life.
You can apply for a free car wash kit if it will be used at least five times per year for fundraising efforts through a:
- Non-profit organization.
- School, school district, or other special district.
- Recreational league.
- Jurisdiction or agency in Pierce County interested in developing a car wash kit borrowing program.
Applications for priority consideration are due by March 1, 2011 and can be found at www.piercecountywa.org/carwash. If you don’t think you will use the car wash kit more than five times per year, you can borrow a kit free of charge for your event by contacting the Surface Water Management division at 253-798-2725.
When a car is washed on paved surfaces, the soap, automotive fluids, oil and roadway dirt goes into nearby storm drains. Water in storm drains flows directly into lakes, wetlands, streams and Puget Sound with little or no treatment. The fish-friendly car wash kit is easy to use and helps keep toxic car wash runoff from entering our waters. The kits were purchased with grant funds by Pierce County Public Works and Utilities Surface Water Management.
Each kit comes with a catch basin insert, submersible pump, garden hose, extension cord, instructions, and a sign identifying the car wash as fish-friendly.