Let's face it, the task of public relations for a sewer operator can't be the easiest job in the world. The job they do to keep "stuff" out of our waters is largely unappreciated and they end up putting said "stuff" in the water, either by design or by accident we are appalled and grossed out. I get the feeling that Kevin Cowan, Sewer Manager for the North Davis Sewer District in Utah, understands the juxtaposition his job puts him in.

When Cowan gives visitors tours of the facility he hands them a bottle of water that looks perfectly clear... Then you read the ingredients. "Water, fecal matter, toilet paper, hair, lint, rancid grease, stomach acid and trace amounts of Pepto Bismol, chocolate, urine, body oils, dead skin, industrial chemicals."

The specially labeled bottle of waters are being to reach out to the public to raise awareness about water quality, the important role sanitation systems play in our society and to remind us that everything we dump down the drain may end up in our precious natural water resources.

Now for the Spills of the Week:

Steaming Mad: I saw the story this letter to the editor refers to but the spill the story was referring to happened more than a month ago. This letter exemplifies why better notification is essential to protecting  the public from sewage spills. "I can't find a credible reason for the untimely attention regarding this situation. Does Martin County Commissioner Sarah Heard, who was quoted in the article, believe the placing of signs, confirming contamination, is timely attention? The signs don't have a force field to protect passersby. The surrounding communities are still exposed."
- October 14, 2007: TC Palm - West Palm Beach, FL

Tennessee Spilliams: A lake at the Tennessee Children's Home has been closed after state environmental officials said it was contaminated by sewage over the weekend from the nearby Spring Hill Country Ham Festival. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation said the sewage and litter found in the 7-acre lake was from portable toilets and RVs parked near the lake during the festival. The lake is a popular fishing attraction, guess it isn't now. TDEC recommended officials bar access to the spring-fed water until it clears up.
- October 15, 2007: WKRN TV - Nashville, TN

G-eeew Cats!: I love sports related sewage stories. Kentucky Basketball fans can rest assured that when the season starts in a few months that the source of the  persistent sewage leak behind Rupp Arena on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington, KY has been found. This sewage leak has been contaminating Elkhorn Creek that flows behind the arena No comments from head coach Tubby Smith.
- October 15, 2007: Lexington Herald-Leader - Lexington, KY

Unsanitary Sanibel, Florida: I suppose when a sewage plant knowingly discharges effluent that doesn't meet water quality standards I can still call it a spill. Such is the case in Captiva, FL on Sanibel Island. You may remember Sanibel Island from last week's Spills. Well it turns out things are getting worse.  Two Captiva sewage plants are spewing water that exceeds fecal and solids standards, according to test results released today by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Captiva Shores scored a 3,500 on a fecal coliform test, well above the 800 guideline. According to PIRG's recent compliance report, Captiva and Sanibel have a jaded history of DEP violations.
- October 17, 2007: The News-Press - Fort Meyers, FL

The Dye Doesn't Lie: Dye tests run by Tamaqua, PA officials found Tamaqua that 37 properties are discharging raw sewage directly into a stream that runs through the borough and empties into the Little Schuylkill River.
- October 17, 2007" The Morning Call - Allentown, PA

Wrong Beach, California: Mother's Beach and Marine Stadium are closed because of a 5,400-gallon sewage spill in Long Beach. City water department workers were clearing roots in a pressurized sewage pipe at the north end of Marine Stadium when the spill occurred Wednesday at 10:48 a.m. Health officials issued beach closure advisories for the two locations.
- October 18, 2007: The Mercury News - San Jose, California

Steer Clear: A ruptured sewage line in Barrington, RI covered and contaminated a neighborhood bike path. Area residents' knew something was wrong when they smelled the awful wreak of the spill and called the authorities. Barrington has experienced sewage spills in this same exact location in the past.
- October 19, 2007: Warren Times Gazette - Warren, RI

Serious Moving Violation: An unspecified amount of raw sewage got into a drainage creek Thursday, which runs through the California Maritime Academy and empties into the Carquinez Strait. Vallejo police questioned the driver of a United Site Services sewage transportation truck after witnesses allegedly saw him emptying the tank's contents into a storm drain. Does this mean EPA is going to have to start issuing NPDES permits for dump trucks?
- October 19, 2007: The Times-Herald - Vallejo, CA

No-Way Springs: What would Spills of the Week be without a story from Iowa? A plugged sewer line resulted in untreated sewage reaching the Shell Rock River at Nora Springs on Tuesday afternoon. A contractor was sent to the scene to remove the blockage shortly after it was discovered and the amount of sewage bypassed was minimal.
- October 19, 2007: Charles City Press - Charles City, IA