Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
January 8, 2008
4. Water Quality
RUNOFF ISSUES:
Rains wash pollutants into area waters; Experts worry about high bacteria levels from feces - Inside Bay Area
DELTA POLLUTION:
Don’t pollute the Delta; Water from storm runoff sends trash, fertilizers, chemicals to waterways - Stockton Record
RUNOFF ISSUES:
Rains wash pollutants into area waters; Experts worry about high bacteria levels from feces
Inside Bay Area – 1/8/08
By Suzanne Bohan, staff writer
One of the rewards of enduring days of downpours is the fresh look of local landscapes, cleansed of the grime of urban life.
But while the skies clear, pollutants — the overflows and leaks from sewage systems, animal waste, road grease, pesticides and fertilizers — have ended up in local waterways, creating what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency cites as among the largest collective sources of pollutants of the nation's waters.
The
"In wet weather, a large portion of the Bay will fail to meet (state) standards," for water quality, said Mike Conner, executive director of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, citing data from Heal The Bay, a Santa Monica organization which monitors water quality at beaches statewide, among other activities.
On Monday, the San Mateo County Health Department issued an advisory warning people to stay out of coastal and Bay waters due to stormwater pollution, particularly areas near stream and storm drain outlets. In
"It looks nice and clear outside, but people still need to stay out of the water" following a downpour, said Kirsten James, water quality director with Heal The Bay.
James said Heal The Bay advises people to stay out of coastal waters for 72 hours following a storm. "That's a good rule of thumb. If it rains, don't go to the beach," she said.
Surfers, kayakers, windsurfers and hardy folks who plunge into frigid Bay or coastal waters for a swim risk an infection from pathogens from animal waste that accumulate during the dry season or those that escape from leaking septic tanks and sewage treatment plants overtaxed by a deluge, said Dean Peterson, director of Environmental Health for San Mateo County. Even homeless encampments can be a significant source of pollution, he said.
"You have all these (pathogens) building up during the dry season, above the creek line," Peterson said. "So when you get the first storms, it will wash away this material into the creeks." The creeks then feed into lakes, the Bay and the ocean.
In
In
Results arrive within 48 hours, he said.
In
Even though no signs were posted, with test results still pending, surfers are usually aware of the dangers of stormwater pollution.
One surfer, who asked to not be identified, waded into the water anyway. But surfer Cherise Richards of San Francisco decided to stay on shore and practice Capoeira dancing instead of taking a chance on swimming in waters that might harbor dangerous pathogens.
Illnesses linked to water-borne bacteria and, in some cases viruses, include stomach ailments and respiratory illnesses.
James cited a recent study estimating that 627,800 to 1,479,200 cases of gastrointestinal illness annually are linked to swimming at
Wildlife isn't generally affected by high bacteria levels, Peterson added. It's pollutants and debris carried to beaches in stormwater — the heavy metals, plastic trash and cigarette butts — that pose the most harm to birds and other animals.
Peterson said that the water testing program not only warns residents and visitors when levels of bacteria exceed state health standards, but points to pollution hotspots in need of attention.
In 2001, for example, testing revealed high levels of bacteria linked to animal and human waste at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve in
County workers discovered the sources: Four horse stables polluting nearby creeks, a homeless camp near a creek in the hills above, and two homes with leaking septic systems.
After stopping the pollution at its source in the stables and the septic systems, and disbanding the camp, the situation turned around.
"We saw a marked improvement in water quality," said Peterson. #
DELTA POLLUTION:
Don’t pollute the Delta; Water from storm runoff sends trash, fertilizers, chemicals to waterways
By Alex Breitler, staff writer
The runoff from storms such as those that hit
Officials who are increasingly concerned about runoff from wintertime storms say there’s more that can be done, and everyone — citizens and their government — can play a part.
Cities are vast islands of concrete and asphalt. Rainwater that once percolated into the ground beneath your home now spatters off your rooftop, dribbles to the gutter and plunges out of sight.
Along the way, it picks up some unseemly characters — garbage, fertilizer and chemicals that can harm fish and wildlife and threaten human health. What’s to be done? Our cities are here to stay, and many experts say that global warming promises more frequent, intense, gutter-washing rainstorms.
“We do not need to think of a city as some sort of sacrifice” that will unavoidably harm the environment, said Bruce Ferguson, a professor of landscape architecture at the
What planners and builders can do
• Streets can be built with a porous asphalt that allows water to drain through the pavement. This material has been used on stretches of Highway 49 in the Mother Lode, according to the EPA.
• Similar types of porous concrete also are available and have been used in a parking lot at
What’s at stake
• Polluted stormwater can cause health advisories to be issued in public waterways such as the Delta and may contribute to algae blooms like those at Mildred and Sherman islands in 2007.
• It can affect the amount of money made from tourism and recreation.
• Stormwater runoff also frequently washes garbage into waterways, including plastic bags, six-pack rings, bottles and cigarette butts.
• Pollution in the Delta means it becomes more costly for cities to treat their drinking water.
Simple solutions
• Make sure your car doesn’t leak oil or other fluids. If it does, clean it up, but don’t hose fluids into the street.
• Wash your car on the grass or at a car- wash so that dirt and soap don’t spill into storm drains.
• Use lawn fertilizers “sparingly,” the Environmental Protection Agency says. Never apply before a heavy rain.
• Don’t place yard waste in the gutter.
• Don’t overwater your lawn.
• Pick up after your pets; dispose of their waste in the garbage, not the gutter.
The next step
• Plant a rain garden. These are specially designed areas where rainwater can be diverted and soak into the ground, nourishing native plants.
• Buy or build a rain barrel. These mosquito-proof containers collect water from your rooftop and save it for use later on your lawn or garden.
And we’re not talking a few drips and drops. A single storm dropping 1 inch of rain on a roof of about 1,000 square feet could yield about 550 gallons of water.
To learn more, visit
By the numbers
The city of
• 31 percent believed that the storm drain and sewer systems share the same underground pipes; 28 percent were unsure. “Much confusion continues to exist,” the surveyors concluded.
• 51 percent of people incorrectly agreed that stormwater is sent to a treatment plant before it’s released into the environment.
• 45 percent of those who live near a body of water said the water is “very dirty”; 31 percent said “somewhat dirty.” One percent said “very clean.” #
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080108/A_NEWS/801080332
####
No comments:
Post a Comment