Video: Certain dishwashing detergents to be banned in Whatcom County

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BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Starting July 1, all dishwasher detergents for sale in Whatcom County can't contain more than 0.5 percent phosphorus.

The new law affects only detergents for automatic dishwashers, such as Electrasol and Cascade.

The same phosphorus limit goes into effect statewide in 2010.

Detergents designed for washing dishes by hand already are phosphorus-free.

The detergent ban is being implemented in Whatcom and Spokane counties this year because the state Department of Ecology says delicate environmental conditions demand immediate action. The DOE reports that phosphorus in stormwater runoff contributes to algae blooms and oxygen depletion in Lake Whatcom - the drinking source for 87,000 people.

The ban is directed toward residential use and does not affect commercial or industrial use.

Anyone who has leftover detergent containing more than 0.5 percent phosphorus after July 1 is still allowed to use that detergent until it runs out.