Becoming Rainwise: What Motivates People to Manage Their Stormwater?
Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) is an innovative way to divert stormwater runoff, which carries toxic substances such as fertilizers and pesticides from impervious surfaces (asphalt), into our waterways. RainWise is a rebate program with Seattle Public Utilities and King County that advocates for GSI through rain gardens and cisterns on private properties within eligible basin regions. The aim of this study was to investigate what motivates residents to actually go through with the installation of GSI. During my internship, I worked as an outreach specialist and doorbelled within eligible neighborhoods to tell residents about RainWise and how to get started. Additionally, I created social media posts and reports, worked in-person and online events, and supported new ways of outreach through education. On top of my independent literature review, I conducted a survey targeted at eligible residents asking what motivates them when thinking about adopting a RainWise system on their property. My survey investigated residents’ familiarity with RainWise, previous environmental knowledge, and more. Increased education through outreach familiarizes people with GSI and its importance to our ecosystems. My survey indicated that only one respondent was not familiar with RainWise, which leaves room for more evaluation to find out why one does not go through with installation. There is a gap in the number of eligible properties and the actual number of installations, which are due to a multitude of reasons. With more GSI, more stormwater is diverted, decreasing pollution and sewer overflow into the Puget Sound and Duwamish River.
