WASH - Watershed Approach to Stream Health Project
	Boulder County • City of Boulder • City of Longmont • City of Louisville• Town of Erie • Town of Superior
	3450 Broadway Boulder, CO 80304 • Phone: 303-441-1439 Fax: 303-441-1468
	A partnership of communities in the Boulder and Saint Vrain Watersheds working together to protect our water quality.

The Watershed Approach to Stream Health (WASH) Project is a partnership of Boulder County, the cities of Boulder, Longmont and Louisville and the towns of Erie and Superior. The WASH Project participants (Partners) developed a WASH Plan, which outlines the goals and programs to address water quality protection in the Boulder and St. Vrain watersheds. The primary objective of the WASH Plan is to meet Federal Phase II stormwater regulations. The WASH Plan emphasizes cost-effectiveness by using existing programs and sharing in the development of new, regional programs.

The implementation of the WASH Plan is outlined in a five-year intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that was executed on January 23, 2003. The IGA identifies the Steering Committee as the managing entity and it consists of one voting representative from each Partner's community. The WASH Plan, in part, was submitted in the application for a Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) in March 2003, and the permits were issued to each Partner in April 2003.

In April 2003, the WASH Project Partners began implementing the WASH Plan by forming workgroups to manage the implementation of the WASH Plan tasks. In addition to shared programs, the WASH Plan calls for a number of activities to be completed by individual Partners. The shared and individual tasks accomplished in 2003 are as follows:

• Hired a Project Coordinator to oversee the implementation of the WASH Plan.
• Contracted with the City of Boulder to provide school and community water quality education programs. Activities included the production and distribution of over 87,000 brochures addressing prevention of stormwater pollution; stenciling of approximately 517 storm drains with the message, "Dispose no Waste, Drains to Creek"; and implementing classroom programs which reached 1,700 students.
• Contracted with Boulder County's Partners for a Clean Environment (PACE) to develop training materials and certification criteria for municipal operations, and to add stormwater information to PACE's existing commercial certification program. PACE staff visited and discussed pollution prevention at over 35 restaurants, 115 vehicle services facilities and 37 municipal operations. PACE staff also facilitated three focus groups with employees from the Partner communities to discuss their maintenance practices for parks, streets, vehicles, and storm drains.
• Developed two ordinance templates to regulate potential stormwater pollutants from commercial and residential sources and construction activity.
• Developed erosion control training materials and certification program for public employees and private contractors. Conducted three training sessions, attended by more than 150 participants.
• Benefited from two grants totaling $69,000. These grant funds were from CDPHE and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

All tasks and measurable goals outlined in the WASH Plan for 2003 were completed, leading to full regulatory compliance with the municipal stormwater permits. To be noted, a number of WASH goals were exceeded in several program areas. All of this was accomplished with a savings of one- third of the budget, or approximately $90,000, which was proportionately reimbursed to each of the Partners.

In 2004, the individual Partner communities will be responsible for adopting the ordinances developed this year, developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to outline requirements for erosion control plans, developing a SOP for site plan review and inspection, developing a SOP for BMP selection guidance, and for continuing to prepare storm sewer outfall maps for their communities that are to be completed by December 2005. The WASH Project will continue to implement the shared and common programs at the benefit of all the communities.