LIBERTY LAKE - It turns out the familiar green boxes of Cascade aren't so green when it comes to taking care of the environment.

Cascade, along with other dishwashing detergents with more than 0.5 percent phosphate, will be banned from Spokane County store shelves effective July 1.

The Washington State Legislature passed a bill in 2006 that prohibited the sale of such detergents in Clark, Spokane and Whatcom counties by the July 1 deadline, with all other counties in the state complying by July 2010.

But a recent bill eased the restrictions in Clark and Whatcom counties, leaving Spokane County with the strictest requirements for dishwasher detergents in the state.

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"Our county commissioners went hard to push for the ban," said Brook Beeler, who deals with watershed education and outreach for the Washington Department of Ecology.

Beeler said a lot of the pollution in the county's lakes and streams comes from excess nutrients, particularly phosphorus. This causes algae to grow, which in turn causes fish to die throwing off the whole balance of the water body.

"The phosphorus in dishwashing detergent is one component that causes problems," Beeler said. "If we can take that piece away, we are one step closer to solving the problem."

Liberty Lake resident Tom Brattebo first became aware of the phosphate issue in 2005 while doing a tour with AmeriCorps at the West Valley Outdoor Learning Center. He met Beeler, who was also working at the center at that time.

After talking with professors and doing research on the phosphate levels in typical dishwasher detergents, Brattebo brought up the issue with the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District.

"I did the math and talked with workers at the wastewater treatment plant," Brattebo said. "If every household does a daily load in the dishwasher, it comes out to pounds of phosphorus being sent to the treatment plant each day."

In 2005, the Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District passed a resolution encouraging residents to use phosphate-free dishwasher detergents. Dan Grogg, LLSWD Wastewater Treatment Supervisor, said that it was hard to determine if there was any change in the phosphorous levels at that time due to incomplete data and an upgrade to the treatment facility.

Grogg expects to see around 12 percent reduction in phosphates coming into the plant as a result of the dishwasher detergent ban.

"We will be testing on what comes in and out every day, so we will have data to help people in other counties decide what to do" Grogg said. "But I don't think we'll see any definitive data until late fall."

Brattebo noted that removing phosphates from household cleaners is not only good for the environment, but it also reduces the cost the wastewater treatment plant spends to remove phosphorus from the water.

"If Spokane County can pull this off without everyone getting mad, I believe it will become a nationwide thing," Brattebo said. "And it will have happened first at Liberty Lake."

Beeler said that the Department of Ecology partnered with Spokane County Utilities to get the word out to local retailers and distributors with their expectations as of the July 1 deadline.

Consumers have been informed of phosphate-free alternatives via inserts with their utility bills and through coverage provided by media outlets such as The Spokesman-Review and The Liberty Lake Splash, Beeler said.

"We're running radio public service announcements in the coming weeks to let people know this ban is coming and to expect to find different alternatives in stores," Beeler said.

Safeway in Liberty Lake has a sign in the dishwasher detergent section notifying customers to the upcoming ban. Safeway spokeswoman Cherie Myers said that they will carry Planet detergent, but that there is not enough customer demand in the region currently to sustain more phosphate-free alternatives.

Liberty Lake Albertsons currently carries Palmolive eco+ gel dishwasher detergent in three fragrances, as well as Seventh Generation powder detergent. As of Tuesday, the preferred card price was $3.99 for each, comparable to popular brands like Cascade.

The LLSWD has worked with other county agencies to get the word out via their newsletter and Web site, as well as placing ads in the Splash. However, some residents are still not aware of the ban. And many of those who are aware question the quality of phosphate-free brands.

Brenda Dutton of Otis Orchards said she was not aware of the ban, but she has tried phosphate-free dishwasher detergents such as Planet and Trader Joe's.

"I try to buy eco-friendly products, but they are so much more money, and they sometimes don't work as well," Dutton said.

Jennifer Fillis of Liberty Lake said that although she was not aware of the ban, she is open to trying new phosphate-free alternatives. But she also was quick to note that she may just have her husband stock up on Cascade on his way home from work in Idaho.

Dixon Brown, a Spokane resident who owns a window-washing company, said that he was aware of the issue with phosphates and the upcoming ban.

"I've been trying different phosphate-free brands, but they don't work as well," Brown said. "If I do use them, I use a small amount of ammonia to make it as effective, which I'm sure isn't good for our environment either."

Brattebo said that he has tried many of the alternatives, and their quality is often dependant on the hardness of the water. He and his son, who lives in South Hill, have been sharing boxes of detergent to see what works best in different water types.

Regardless of the cost and quality, Brattebo believes that using phosphate-free detergent is a small sacrifice to make for the sake of protecting our environment.

"Pollution doesn't just go away," he said. "Participating in this ban is the right thing to do."

Phosphorous-free Dishwasher Detergents
(from www.ecy.wa.gov)