Blue Water Baltimore is a nonprofit organization focused on improving water quality in Baltimore's watersheds. They implement pollution reduction projects like rain gardens and work at the intersection of policy, law, and community efforts. Major threats to water quality include development, aging infrastructure, and lack of investment. Runoff pollutes waterways with bacteria, metals, and nutrients. To counter the "rain tax" narrative, Blue Water Baltimore educated stakeholders on runoff issues and effective messaging through focus groups. They activated the faith community to influence legislators. As a result, 20 bills seeking to repeal stormwater fees were defeated in 2014, preserving the law while strengthening accountability. However, local implementation and pollution reduction targets remain ongoing challenges.

1. Paved Paradise to put up a parking lot ...
Changing the Narrative
State Leadership Conference
Baltimore, MD 2015

2. Who is Blue Water Baltimore?
• Technical experts on solutions to solve water
quality problems
• Implementer of pollution reduction projects
• Trees
• Rain Gardens
• Bio-retention facilities (BMP’s)
• Native Plants
• Work at the intersection of policy, implementation
and legal and regulatory efforts
• Champion for urban water quality solutions

3. Our Watersheds
Stats
Map
• 194 square miles
• 454 river miles
• 1 million residents

4. Major Impacts to Water Quality
Land use changes
- Development
- High levels of impervious surfaces
- Overdesign & failed engineering
- De-forestation( man and natural activities)
- Lack of public transportation
Failing Infrastructure
- Wastewater – old pipes and treatment plants
- Complete lack of investment in stormwater
- Leaking drinking water conveyance system

5. The health of watersheds, the people living in them,
and the water are all connected.

6. Water Quality Impacts of Runoff
• Fecal Coliform Bacteria (Enterococcus, E. coli, etc.)
 Sources: Human sewage, pet and wildlife waste
• Heavy Metals (e.g. Lead, Mercury, etc.)
 Sources: Industry-contaminated sediments, air pollution,
stormwater runoff
• Legacy Pollutants (e.g. Chlordane, PCBs, etc.)
 Sources: Industry-contaminated sediments
• Total Suspended Solids (i.e. Sediment)
 Sources: Agriculture, Development
• Nutrients (N & P)
 Sources: Sewage, Agriculture, Homeowners, etc.

8. Changing the Narrative
“Changing the Narrative” was a short-term, fast-
moving effort to collect information and use it to
equip advocates with effective messaging tools and
knowledge

9. Messaging & Coalition work

10. Influence

11. Capacity & Expertise
Chris Trumbauer
chris@thehatchergroup.com
410-990-0284
The Hatcher Group is a public affairs and
communications firm that connects nonprofits
and foundations to policymakers and the media.
We focus exclusively on progressive policy
issues and work to advance our clients’ agendas
for social change.

12. Defense
• The environmental community did a great job working
together and passing legislation in 2012
• In 2013, we were outplayed by the “rain tax” rhetoric
• We needed to take back control of this conversation
• We needed to build new alliances to make this happen
• We needed to take advantage of newly emerging interest and
focus of the faith based community

13. High Stakes Politics

14. Overall Goals
Educate Activate Influence
• Elected Officials
(State and Local)
• Community and
Faith-based
Leaders
• General Public
• Grassroots
Advocates
• “Green”
Congregations
• Legislative
Leaders

15. Educate
Focus groups by Opinionworks
First, we had to educate
ourselves:
• What do people know?
• What don’t people know?
• What do they need to know?
• What messages resonate?
• What messages don’t?

16. Educate
Findings:
• Awareness is low
• Accountability and
Transparency is important
• Personal attachment is key.
e.g. fish/crabs, local
streams greenspace
• Build on Public Health
messaging work done
before
• Shared responsibility

17. Educate
“Proponents… need to assure the
public confidently that this fee
gives them what they want: local
control, dedication to an important
purpose, practical results they can
see, and accountability.”
The best defense is a good
offense
Findings:

18. problem
solution
action
vision
Polluted runoff makes our waterways unsafe
for swimming, threatens Maryland seafood
and causes localized flooding and property
damage.
Communities all across the
country have successfully
adopted similar fee programs
to reduce pollution by
constructing much needed
on-the-ground projects to
capture polluted runoff,
repair failing infrastructure
and restore damaged
streams.
Maryland’s polluted runoff
law will reduce stormwater
pollution and make our
waters swimmable and
fishable.
Maryland’s legislature must
keep the polluted runoff law
intact to help clean up local
waterways and the
Chesapeake Bay.

19. Activate
Strategic outreach to faith community
• Denominational Lobbyists
o Catholic Church
o Jewish Leadership
o Maryland Interfaith Legislative Network
(Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran,
United Methodist)
• Procure a Stance – no repeal
Denominational
Lobbyists

20. Influence

21. Influence

22. Influence

23. Results
The Church IS NOT:
• Advocating for a repeal of the stormwater fee.
A number of local jurisdictions have already
put into place good-faith efforts to reduce
stormwater runoff based on the fees they
expect to raise, and these efforts should not be
undermined.
• Seeking an exemption from stormwater fees.
Cleaning up the bay is a shared responsibility,
and everyone will need to do their part to
achieve this goal.

24. Results
• 20 bills defeated in committee in 2014
• HB987 remained intact
• SB863 strengthens bill in 2015( the
great stormwater caper)
• Local implementation challenges
• Real concern about meeting local and
Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction
targets mandated by EPA