Reporting Spills

Have you witnessed spills or any suspicious discharges to Olympia's stormwater system, streets, ditches, streams, and wetlands? Spills could include things like gasoline, sewage, chemicals, paint, oily sheens, foam, algae blooms, or muddy water from construction sites.

Water pollution comes from a variety of sources. It is economically infeasible to have pollution inspectors everywhere 24 hours a day. However, citizen reporting of pollution problems can help fill gaps in water quality protection.

Reporting Spills/Suspicious Discharge to the Stormwater System

• Call the Spills Hotline at 360.753.8333 Monday - Friday, from 8 am - 5 pm.
• Call our Environmental Code Enforcement group at 360.753.8346, evenings/weekends (24-hour messaging is available).

Basics of Good Reporting

The following are good practices to follow for reporting a potential pollution problem and for providing information that will be helpful to the follow-up investigator.

• Take good notes: A good set of notes will provide a complete and accurate set of facts for others. Use the following as a checklist when reporting a suspicious event:
• Location of observation.
• Time/date of your observation. Does it occur at a certain time? (For example, every day at 6:00 am?)
• Could you determine the source?
• How did the water look?
• Did you observe any dead fish?
• Are there any odors?
• Were there other witnesses?
• Take photographs: Photographic evidence can be very valuable in establishing the presence of pollution, especially where erosion problems. exist. When taking photographs, remember to record the time, date, and location that the photo was taken. Wherever possible, try to include an established landmark so that the location of the pollution problem cannot be challenged. Digital photos are very helpful to investigators in understanding the location and severity of certain discharges.
• About taking samples: DON'T! Because of the potential for personal injury from contact with dangerous chemicals or entry into unsafe environments, sample collection should be left to local authorities.
• Things to watch for: Be careful - safety first! Do not attempt anything dangerous. Do not sample unknown liquids.

Contacting Public Works:

• Mailing Address: PO Box 1967, Olympia, WA 98507
• Physical Address: 924 7th Ave. SE, Suite A (directions)
• Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• 360.753.8588, TTY 360.753.8270
• publicworks@ci.olympia.wa.us
• Visit the Public Works homepage