On the shores of Lake Erie, the immediate sense of crisis has passed. Following the toxic algae that bloomed in the lake earlier this month, forcing residents of Toledo, Ohio to rely on bottled water for their drinking supply, authorities now offer assurances that the tap water is safe.

But a gnawing fear remains in communities along the lake. The algal bloom has intensified concerns about its apparent source -- pollution washing off surrounding fields in the form of fertilizer and manure. Not without reason, people worry that more outbreaks could emerge at any time.

Im still drinking bottled water, said Jessica Morelli, a nursing mother who skipped showers the weekend of the tap water shutdown, worrying shed get a skin infection that she could potentially pass on to her 8-month-old daughter. People are still kind of leery. If it could make you so sick one day, how could it be normal so quickly again?

Volunteers unload drinking water from a truck outside Waite High School in Toledo, Ohio on Aug. 3, 2014. Reuters

Around the nation, similar worries have become a part of everyday life as communities grapple with growing volumes of pollution spilling into waterways from livestock and farming operations. Though talk of industrial pollution may summon images of belching smokestacks, the agricultural expanses producing meat, dairy, grains and vegetables are today so enormous that they can generate quantities of water pollution rivaling cities. Yet the rules governing this pollution still generally treat farming as something other than an industry.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not regulate agricultural runoff, leaving such effluent to be governed by local agencies whose philosophies and standards vary from state to state. State rules and enforcement are often lax, environmental policy experts assert, in part because pushback from agricultural lobbying interests, but also because of limited funding and staffing at regulatory agencies.

"The states to date have had a very ineffective response on what to do about this, Brad Klein, a senior attorney at the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Chicago, told International Business Times. Were hoping that situations like Toledo provide a wake-up call that this could happen anywhere, and that its happening with increasing frequency.

Last year alone, 20 states reported nearly 150 separate toxic algal blooms in lakes rivers and ponds, including 10 in Ohio and 50 in New York, according to National Wildlife Federation data. While industrial waste, sewage from septic tanks and lawn fertilizer also contribute to the problem, agriculture is the biggest source of the phosphorous and nitrogen that nurture harmful blooms. If ingested, certain types of algae-born toxins can cause fevers, vomiting and diarrhea. Direct skin contact can cause hives, blisters and rashes.

Scientists peg the increasing incidence of algae blooms to a mix of factors that seems set to intensify in coming years, ratcheting up the risk of more. Farmers are relying more on so-called dissolved phosphorous fertilizers, which they apply directly to the soil rather than till into the ground. Left on the surface, these fertilizers are more prone to being washed into surrounding waterways. Climate change threatens to bring more severe rainstorms, which would carry larger volumes of runoff into streams and overflowing sewer systems.

All of this is happening just as agriculture is growing in some states. In Ohio, sales of corn, soybeans, wheat, poultry, hogs and milk collectively soared to $10 billion in 2012, up 42 percent compared to five years earlier, according to the latest federal Census of Agriculture.

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Lake Erie Algae Bloom Crisis Is Putting Pressure On Ohio, Farm States To Tackle Agricultural Pollution Problems

Published: Sunday, 8/10/2014 - Updated: 2 hours ago

BY TYREL LINKHORN BLADE BUSINESS WRITER

Satellite-imaging technology developed in northwest Ohio could be key to solving a problem that has long plagued environmentalists trying to get ahead of the toxic algal blooms that have poisoned waterways across the world.

Scientists widely recognize that algal blooms including the current one in Lake Erie are fueled by high levels of phosphorous and other fertilizers that have made their way into the water. However, its difficult to trace where those nutrients are coming from.

We all know its phosphorus thats the Miracle-Gro of cyanobacteria, said Milt Baker, chief executive officer of Blue Water Satellite Inc. Its being dumped into lakes, its coming off of farm-field runoff, combined sewer overflows, and leaky septic systems, but we dont know where. We have that answer here.

Using public satellite data and complex, proprietary algorithms, the Toledo firm can identify and measure a host of things, including water temperature, algal blooms, and phosphorus levels without ever setting foot in the field. Officials say their data have proved as accurate as traditionally collected field samples.

Weve moved the laboratory to the sky, Mr. Baker said.

A number of universities and government agencies, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, are experimenting with similar technology, but Blue Water claims to be the only commercial provider. Thats difficult to verify, but experts said know of no other companies doing what Blue Water does.

The science behind the process is the tendency of chemical compounds and organic matter to reflect a different light spectrum in a specific and identifiable way. That data is captured within satellite images, which are then processed by Blue Water.

Robert Vincent, a retired geologist at Bowling Green State University, began researching that possibility in 2002 and published a paper on it in 2004. He received a patent in 2005 for his method of finding and measuring phycocyanin-pigmented algae and cyanobacteria and since has developed ways to find and measure other materials.

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Eye on Lake Erie from high above

Its the stuff dystopian sci-fi is made of: A city on the edge of the largest fresh water reserve on the planet suddenly has no drinkable water. At 1:21 am Saturday morning, the City of Toledo put out an alert: dont drink or bathe in water from the city water supply. About 500,000 residents of the region were affected. Including me.

Lake Erie has a long, troubled history. A common refrain in 1960 was Lake Erie is Dead. The lake and its tributaries have been polluted enough to catch on fire multiple times; the 1969 Cuyohoga fire is just the most famous one. Lake Erie is even mentioned in Dr. Seuss 1971 book The Lorax.

Lake Eries mess helped inspire the formation of the EPA in 1970, and the Clean Water Act of 1972. Things got better; Lake Erie became a hub for fishing and recreation, and is considered the Walleye Capitol of the World. To be able to consume fish from the lake at all, much less swim in the water, is a major achievement in just a few decades.

How did Lake Erie go from polluted, flaming disaster to environmental success storyand then back again to environmental disaster, in just 45 years? And why is it always Lake Erie that has issues? The answers to that question are not hard to find.

Lake Erie is different from the other Great Lakes because its so shallow. The western end of the lake (where Toledo is) has an average depth of only 24 feet. The water warms quickly, and its a great place to live if youre a blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Say, toxin-producing Microcystis. Microcystis has the ability to control its buoyancy; it can sink or rise to the top of the water at will to chase the sunlight.

When you look at the satellite photo below of the cyanobacterialbloom, its a pretty close overlay for the warm western shallow section of the lake. And exactly where the water intake for the Toledo Water Treatment plant is (red marker on map). The satellite image here is fromJuly 31st, 2014; the problem with toxic algae was not a surprise overnight development.

Both scientists and politicians know there is a problem with algae at this end of the lake nearly every year; look at this satellite photo from 2013. Or 2012. But its not just bad luck and geology; there is a third piece in the Lake Erie Algal Bloom equation.

Toledo is located on the mouth of the Maumee River. It was a strategic area in the 1812 War; and again in the Toledo War of 1835.

The Maumee River was key to Toledos early economic success; its also the cause of algal bloom problems now. Maumee is the largest watershed in the Great Lakes system. It runs right through the Breadbasket of the Midwest, an intensively farmed area. Satellite views show thousands upon thousands of little boxes of green; the highly productive farms and fields of Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana.

The Maumee watershed is such productive farmland because it was once a swamp; the Great Black Swamp. Drainage tiles allowed removal of water from the surface of the soil, and made wonderfully rich swampland available for farming. Drainage tiles also collect up runoff and deliver it very efficiently to streams and rivers.

Originally posted here:
Dont Drink The Waterin Lake Erie

A view of Bailie Beach in Mattituck (Credit: Carrie Miller, file)

Any conversation about sewage management in Suffolk County should begin with the current state of our waters. In conformance with the federal Clean Water Act, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation assesses water bodies throughout the state. Numerous water bodies throughout Long Island are classified as Impaired Waters (303d list).

In plain talk, it means polluted. The next time you drive past a pond, creek or bay in your community, ask yourself if its on the list. Very likely it is.

These unfortunate designations are due to excessive levels of bacterial contamination and/or too much nitrogen. High levels of bacteria have caused the closure of thousands of acres of shellfish beds, while excessive nitrogen levels have triggered algal blooms that turn our bays to opaque colors of green, brown, red and every shade in between. Its widely acknowledged that water pollution from sewage wastewater discharges have degraded the water we drink and our estuaries.

While there is general consensus that wastewater nitrogen needs to be reduced to restore water quality, the question is, how are we going to do it?

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services regulates nitrogen levels in groundwater for the sole purpose of protecting public health. Specifically, they manage the collective sewage wastewater discharges into groundwater to ensure safe drinking water. The nitrogen limit for drinking water is 10 milligrams per liter (mg/l). This level of nitrogen is 20 times higher than our coastal waters can sustain for biological health. Suffolk Countys Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan reported increases in groundwater nitrogen levels in the Upper Glacial and Magothy aquifers of 200 percent and 38 percent, respectively. This causes great concern given our reliance on these water supplies and the connection to surface waters.

There are approximately 200 sewage treatment plants throughout Suffolk County. Although sewer treatment plants are being touted by some politicians as the answer to the regions water quality problems, there are concerns that need to be addressed before we jump on the sewer plant bandwagon. Namely, their track record of poor performance, actual benefit to water quality and pretext for increased housing density.

I have periodically assessed the performance of Suffolks sewer treatment plants by reviewing monthly discharge monitoring reports. The reports disclose if the facility is effectively treating wastewater (i.e. removing nitrogen) and is in compliance with nitrogen discharge limits. They also reveal the performance of both the health department and the DEC in fulfilling their regulatory responsibility and diligent enforcement of the permits they issue.

My conclusion is that, although sewer treatment plants have the capability to significantly reduce wastewater nitrogen concentrations, improvements to local water quality are usually not realized. Many of the plants are under-performing, while regulatory enforcement is woefully lacking. Moreover, the plants are tied to dramatic increases in housing density, which increases nitrogen loadings to ground and surface waters. Extending sewer lines into outlying areas leads to sprawl development that diminishes environmental quality and places additional financial burdens on government services and school districts.

When the narrative of our elected leaders emphasizes economic growth over cleaning up our waters, their logic warrants scrutiny. Suffolk Countys ambitious plans for new sewer projects need to be carefully examined to ensure that achieving water quality improvements is the priority.

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Guest Spot: The bottom line our water is polluted

Published: Saturday, August 2, 2014 at 7:28 p.m. Last Modified: Saturday, August 2, 2014 at 7:28 p.m.

When New Hanover County residents see their water and sewer bills climbing, they naturally wonder where all that money is going. The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority operates a system that most people think little about except when its not working and then it is a big deal.

The utility has an obligation to let people know where their hard-earned money is going. In just five years, rates have increased by an average of 55 percent. Although there have been complaints about pay and bonuses for CFPUA employees, the rate increases are paying for badly needed system improvements and maintenance.

CFPUA was formed in part to take the heat off elected city and county officials for the state of a water and sewer system that had largely been neglected once the pipes were installed. Throughout the negotiations, it was understood that water and sewer rates were inadequate to pay for the needed work and ongoing maintenance. Rate increases approved are not far out of line with initial estimates when the utility was formed.

No one likes higher rates. But no one wants raw sewage flowing through the backyard, either, and they expect their water to be available and clean when they turn on the faucet. Poor maintenance leads to accidents and that is what happened here.

By the summers of 2005 and 2006, the public had had enough. Several major sewage spills poured more than 10.7 million gallons into yards, streets and streams. In striving to keep rates low, elected officials had skimped on maintenance budgets.

CFPUA has replaced problem lines and upgraded warning systems that alert the utility if a sewage pump station has failed, making it more likely that workers can respond quickly. Officials attribute that work to a reduction in large spills, but vigilance is needed. In 2012, a sewer line with a slow leak went six months undetected, and several leaks were due to grease or debris, reminders that not all deficiencies can be attributed to the condition of the lines.

CFPUA also is replacing aging, leaking septic tanks in two neighborhoods with sewer lines. The county is paying part of the cost, but residents in those neighborhoods recently found out how much their tap-on fees will be, and many are not happy. Failing septic tanks are a health hazard, and in some areas water supply was also an issue. Something had to be done.

The duty of the CFPUA board is to maintain and replace lines, but it also must keep rates reasonable. According to a study by the UNC School of Government, the utilitys rates are in line with or cheaper than other systems. The definition of a good value likely depends on ones perspective, however.

While the CFPUA is much more diligent than its predecessors at fixing whats broken and keeping the system working properly, the board also needs to work to keep rates reasonable. Residents paychecks dont automatically grow when water and sewer rates rise.

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Editorial - Increased rates are helping fix neglected sewer system

YORK, Maine Many residents and real estate agents remain opposed to a new septic ordinance that would require property owners to have an inspection done at the time of property sale or transfer.

The biggest question raised during a public hearing this week is why the ordinance places the burden of inspection on the seller, when buyers are already getting these inspections done and would likely continue to do so, even if the seller has one done.

Lew Stowe, chairman of a subcommittee of the Planning Board studying the issue, said the reason is for the town to be informed.

"The key to it," Stowe said, "there is a requirement on the seller to have it done and report it to the town. If the buyer does it, there is no obligation to report it to the town ... and (the buyer) can't be made to do it. He doesn't own the house, he doesn't have to report it."

The town's Community Development Department brought forward the ordinance to root out failed septic systems for cleaner water and to meet federal storm water guidelines being enacted in town under the Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer System, or MS4.

The subcommittee has been working on the ordinance since January, when many of the same real estate brokers and residents who turned out on Monday voiced similar concerns.

The ordinance was modeled after Title 5 in Massachusetts, according to Community Development Director Steve Burns.

While York Stormwater Manager Leslie Hinz estimated the cost of a professional septic inspection at $300, others argued that was low.

Bob Harris of York said he sold a house in Massachusetts in 1996 and the septic inspection then cost him $1,000.

Real estate broker Greg Gosselin said, "There are some things in Massachusetts that should stay in Massachusetts."

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Septic law faces opposition, proposal puts inspection onus on seller

Friday, July 25, 10:40 AM EDT

By David Chapman, Staff Writer

The Larsen Neighborhood Association president has been seeking assistance from city leaders to bring clean, reliable water to her Southside neighborhood.

Some of the more than 300 households, those along the main streets at least, are OK. In the late 1980s, water pipes were installed that allowed connections to city water and sewer.

For close to 100 others, the wells they relied on had become contaminated or dry, leaving residents looking for alternatives. More wells werent really an option because of septic-tank distance requirements.

Bridgeman said the neighborhood residents are low-income and elderly who dont have the thousands of dollars needed to pay for the lines. For years, theyve struggled for options.

Its been a necessity needed for a long time, said Bridgeman of the neighborhoods water problems. It is getting to be an urgent need.

Past administrations and council members, she said, offered a glimmer of hope for good water. That came despite pushback from the city and JEA over the years, as neither said it was their role to pay for the lines.

Out of options, Bridgman said she turned to prayer and doors just started opening up.

One of the people who answered was City Council member Lori Boyer.

See original here:
After years of struggling, Larsen neighborhood finally getting quality water

I moved to Santa Cruz County in 1986 to follow an old dream moving to the country. Songs like Jesse Colin Young's "Ridgetop" and Neil Young's "Are You Ready for the Country?" inspired me to search for that rural domicile within commuting distance of my workplace. Sound familiar? What could be better than living in the mountains near the beach in sunny California, surrounded by towering redwoods?

After driving around for months looking at real estate, I finally found my spot: A house on a ridgetop at the end of a long, winding dirt road that originated in Aptos.

During the 10 years my former husband and I lived there, we learned a lot about country living and its trade-offs, which I'm sure are familiar to thousands of Santa Cruz County residents. On the one hand, we had peace and quiet (well, most of the time), clean air, and a plethora of stars to view in the night sky. On the other hand, we had to do without some major urban conveniences.

Though we were on the grid, we had no garbage pickup, no public water service, no sewer system, and no mail delivery. Once a month we hauled our trash and recycle to the Buena Vista landfill. Our water came from two wells, one of which failed during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. We had to maintain the pumps, the tank, and perform water-quality testing. We had to maintain our septic system. We had a P.O. box in town. We eventually found ways to cope with the commute, such as flex time and telecommuting.

Though the cost of country living was high, it was worth it to us. Did I mention that was 20-plus years ago?

In the end, it was our road that made us decide to pack it in. As a private road, it was entirely maintained by an association of homeowners who depended on it, but who had, to put it mildly, different ideas about how it should be managed. It required routine maintenance and emergency repairs. In the rainy season it was too often closed by landslides and fallen trees. Over the years, I noticed the impact that rural roads had, especially in steep topography, on creeks and streams.

In 1998 we moved to Bonny Doon to a house on a county-maintained road that was blessed with garbage pickup. What a beautiful place it was, surrounded by old-growth redwoods! During my 13 years there, though, I increasingly questioned the environmental impacts of living where I seemed to be constantly driving to and from Santa Cruz to work, shop and run errands.

In 2011 I moved into Santa Cruz. I had several personal reasons for doing so, including my desire to drive less. I still marvel at the services that I enjoy here public roads, mail delivered to my door, curbside trash and recycling pickup, and after 25 years of depending on wells, a public water system.

I can walk to downtown Santa Cruz in 15 minutes and take a shuttle bus up to UC Santa Cruz. While at times I sorely miss rural life, I find great joy in exploring the Pogonip, Natural Bridges State Beach and Wilder Ranch State Park, which are all accessible on foot or bicycle.

Many studies have shown that, generally, city living because of its higher density and more efficient services has a smaller environmental footprint than rural living. Yet, every place is different. Countywide, our greatest source of greenhouse gas emissions is transportation. So, even though I've become a city slicker, I'm still trying to reduce my driving.

The rest is here:
Betsy Herbert, Earth Matters: Country girl to city slicker some things don't change

Oregons Department of Environmental Quality has suspended All-Out Sewer and Drains license to operate in that state and has proposed revoking it entirely.

The DEQ issued the notice July 10, saying the business has been operating without a surety bond, which gives customers liability protection from the company.

Given the companys history of violating the law, including illegal activities in Washington and a failure to maintain a surety bond a necessary part of doing business in Oregon we believe its necessary to revoke the license to protect the health and safety of the public in Oregon, said Esther Westbrook at the DEQ.

All-Outs attorney, Wayne Fricke, said that just isnt the case.

A lot of the information in the notice is not accurate, he said. Not only has there been a bond, theyve been covered and (the department) refuses to acknowledge it.

Fricke said the company plans to appeal the suspension and proposed revocation.

If people have a reason to do something it ought to be a legitimate reason, he said.

Westbrook said the DEQ wont allow the company to reapply for a license under a different name if it is fully revoked.

Joanne Caldwell took over running All-Out in February after her husbands license was revoked in Washington. Ray Caldwell started serving a 27-month prison term on July 3 in Sheridan, Ore., southwest of McMinnville. He was convicted in December of 25 counts of breaking the Clean Water Act and eight other charges related to years of illegal dumping of septic tank waste. Caldwell and the company were fined $250,000 and ordered to pay more than $600,000 in restitution to Three Rivers Regional Wastewater, the city of Longview and Cowlitz County.

Caldwell is appealing his sentence, which Fricke said is in its early stages, though the restitution likely wont be revisited.

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All-Out Sewer appealing suspension of business license in Oregon

With a 'public sewer service' your waste is drained away to a treatment facility, where it is run through several steps to bio-degrade the solids, and otherwise clean it up, then it is allowed to drain off into a nearby waterway.

With a private septic system (which usually means a tank and a drain field), its all right there under your yard. This is a pretty common set up in rural areas. Building/health codes mandate how far away the tank has to be from the water source for the home (in a rural setting, this usually means a private well), and how big the drain field has to be. This will vary from region to region, because of the different types of soil (some soil drains better than others). In many cases, if you had to have a new tank installed, you would have to meet the current code requirements -- regardless of where the old tank was actually placed, or how big it, or the drain field was. I've seen a case or two, where the lot size was too small, to meet the existing code requirements, lol.

If a home has this type of septic system, using a product called Rid-X once a month helps maintain the necessary bacteria inside the tank, to 'eat' the solid wastes, and break them down into liquid, so they will flow out through the drain field pipes. A typical box of Rid-X will treat a septic tank of up to 1500 gallons. You can find Rid-X at most hardware stores, in the plumbing section.

Another type of septic system, and this is more common for industrial purposes, or a block or two of houses in a rural area, is a miniature version of the public sewer system, and the utility company will come and pump out the holding tank every week or two -- you'd have a monthly bill for this type of system.

I had our septic tank and drain field replaced about 8 years ago, and have used the Rid-X on a regular basis, and have not had to have the tank pumped out. If there has been a flood, or the system has not been maintained, then the tank may need to be pumped out. You should be able to find a clean-out pipe in the yard, over the tank. It will be a white plastic pipe, with a cap on it, about 3 or 4 inches in diameter. It may be cut off close to the ground. Some folks will put a landscape item over it (like a birdbath), to keep from hitting it with a lawn mower, hehehe. One of the first signs that a tank needs to be pumped, is the waste will back up into the yard, through that clean out pipe.

Hope this helped.

Good Luck

The rest is here:
What is the difference between a septic sewer system and ...