Sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) contribute pathogens, nutrients and other contaminants to surface waters across the state. According to the MD Dept. of Environment, between 2005-2015, more than 9,000 SSOs discharged approximately 900 million gallons of raw untreated sewage into MD streams. Of these, 40% were reported to be caused by blockages of grease, rags, trash. We developed a social marketing campaign to encourage proper disposal of household grease and baby wipes in order to reduce this preventable pollution problem. Our campaign focused on the use of a pledge drive conducted at churches and food pantries in the City of Baltimore. In the first year of the campaign, 729 people pledged to properly dispose of grease and wipes. Results of our formative research and campaign suggest that grease disposal is an easier behavior to influence that wipes disposal.

Blue Water Baltimore proposes a behavior change project to increase the adoption, installation, and use of rain barrels in Herring Run and Direct Harbor watersheds to decrease stormwater runoff in Baltimore City and County. The project will test a pilot program on specific blocks in one Baltimore City and one Baltimore County neighborhood. We will shape the pilot program and address the audience's barriers and benefits as determined by the focus groups and surveys from Phase I. The pilot program will be adjusted according to evaluation results before the program is broadly implemented throughout areas of those neighborhoods.

Through the Clean Lawn Care program development, WSA worked with both lawn care companies and Certified Master Watershed Stewards to collaboratively create a Clean Lawn Care regime aiming to reduce fertilizer and pesticide use on lawns that are maintained by contractors. We also developed a number of tools to assist both target audiences: Lawn Care Companies and Homeowners who use lawn care companies to maintain their yards for services beyond mowing. Once the regime and tools were developed, we conducted additional research with both of our target audiences, revised tools and recruited companies to offer clean lawn care services. In preparation for the mini-pilot, we trained 7 lawn care companies in the Clean Lawn Care protocols and solidified their partnership with WSA to offer Clean Lawn Care through a Company User Agreement.