City of Santa Barbara - Business Outreach

Clean Creeks Business Certification Programs

The Creeks Division began development of the Clean Creeks Business Certification Program in 2004. The program is focused on businesses with the potential to contribute to storm water pollution including restaurants, construction contractors, automotive service businesses, mobile cleaners, and miscellaneous industrial/commercial businesses.

The objectives of the program are to increase awareness of water quality issues and achieve voluntary compliance with clean water discharge regulations. The intent of the program is to identify barriers to compliance and develop solutions on an industry-wide basis.

View the updated list of Certified Businesses here.

Automotive Services

Illustration of an automotive business employee washing a car, allowing wash water to enter the street and storm drain.
The Creeks Division works with automotive service businesses to reduce potential sources of surface run-off pollution in our creeks and ocean.

Our goal is to help automotive service businesses comply with changing water quality regulations, and to publicly recognize businesses that voluntarily adopt environmentally friendly practices.

The focus of the automotive element of the Clean Creeks Business Certification Program is to communicate that many common auto repair practices pollute creeks and the ocean, and to offer technical assistance and training in implementing proper pollution management practices.

In collaboration with local automotive service business leaders, the City has developed a simple checklist of best management practices (BMPs) for automotive service businesses.

The Creeks Division also provides automotive service businesses with fliers on what every car owner can do to prevent creek pollution.

For more information, or to get your automotive service Clean Creeks Business Certified, contact the Creeks Division at creeks@santabarbaraca.gov or (805) 897-2658.

Restaurants

Illustration of a restaurant employee washing floor mats, allowing wash water to enter the street and storm drain.
The focus of the restaurant element of the Clean Creeks Business Certification Program is to inform restaurant owners, managers, and staff that many common restaurant practices can cause water pollution.

Common pollutants from restaurants include food, oil and grease, soaps, detergents, solvents, cleansers, trash and litter.

The program focuses on best management practices (BMPs) to reduce and eliminate polluted discharge into streets and storm drains.

The City has developed a simple checklist of best management practices for restaurants.

For more information, or to get your restaurant Clean Creeks Business Certified, contact the Creeks Division at creeks@santabarbaraca.gov or (805) 897-2658.

Mobile Washers

Illustration of a mobile car washing service allowing wash water to enter the street and storm drain.
The focus of the mobile washer element of the Clean Creeks Business Certification Program is to inform businesses like mobile auto detailing services, carpet cleaners, and power washers about their potential to pollute local creeks and the ocean.

The program focuses on best management practices (BMPs) to reduce and eliminate polluted discharge into streets and storm drains.

The City has developed a simple checklist of best management practices for mobile washers.

For more information, or to get your mobile washing business certified, please contact the Creeks Division at (805) 897-2658.

For more information or to get your mobile business Clean Creeks Business Certified, contact the Creeks Division at creeks@santabarbaraca.gov or (805) 897-2658.

Construction Contractors

Construction Certification Program Coming Soon!

Construction sites are common sources of pollutants like sediment, cement products, and paint.

The Creeks Division is developing a best management practices checklist and certification program for contractors.

In the meantime, staff has developed a brochure with information and tips on home improvement and construction projects:

Home Improvement and Healthy Creeks
Mejoras en el Hogar y Arroyos Saludables

If you are a contractor who would be interested in a certification program, please contact the Creeks Division at creeks@santabarbaraca.gov or (805) 897-2658. Illustration of a construction site, with rainwater washing dirt and debris into the street and storm drain.

Gardeners

While the Creeks Division does not currently offer a certification program for gardeners, we are a sponsor of the countywide Green Gardener Program.

Gardeners attend a 15-week bilingual (English/Spanish) course through Santa Barbara City College’s Adult Ed Program, which covers resource efficient and pollution prevention landscape maintenance practices. Following successful completion of the course, Green Gardeners are issued a certificate of completion and a Green Gardener card, and promoted to the public.

For more information on finding or becoming a Certified Green Gardener, please visit www.greengardener.org.

We welcome your comments and suggestions. Send messages and inquiries to Liz Smith