I was getting into my boat at the put-in the other day and I caught the deep, sharp and unmistakable smell of sewage. This is not typcally the case for the section of river I run, however lately it's become all too common a scene, especially in the spring. Here in the mid-Atlantic, we've been getting some much needed precipitation and I'm not complaining about the rain one bit. Afterall, it's spring rain that help the season come into its own and helps recharge our groundwater sources. But with the good comes the bad. Spring rains wash the wintry litter of salt, sand, cinder and auto residues from our roads and other paved surfaces into sewer systems that empty into our rivers and streams, and stormwater is rarely treated. 

What can I say, its spring. I'll admit it, it's been way too nice out and the levels on the Potomac have been great paddling lately oh and there's the whole wrapping up my first semester in grad school. Others have been busy as well. Recently, we've been hearing good news from all of the people working on federal Right to Know legislation. Kudos. We've also been hearing good things from people around the country, working through how to upgrade their sewer and storm water management systems. That is tough work and worth the effort. But we still hear not-so-good news from others, like the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality who are considering lowering the water quality standards which will put many people at serious risk of getting sick every year. That's not governing for the people. That's not standing up to the source of pollution. If anything, we should be strictly enforcing the standards on the books, or better yet raising the bar to meet the fishable and swimmable goals of the Clean Water Act. Our water must be clean and clear. Let's go boatin'.

And now the Spills of the Week:
Sewage Spill in Laguna Beach, CA

A construction accident at the Salisbury, MD wastewater treatment Plant on Feb. 7 resulted in a reported 5,000 gallons of partially treated sewage being discharged into the Wicomico River through an on-site storm drain that feeds directly into the river.

On March 26 another construction accident while installing plant upgrades dumped an estimated 28,000 gallons or more of sewage into the river through the same storm drain.

I don't think we covered this spill in Arcade Creek Sacramento, CA a month or so, but KCRA 3 News film crews caught some pretty dramatic video what a sewer main breach looks like. be

And now the Spills of the Week:

Some in Washington think that reinvesting in our sewage and storm water infrastructure might be throwing good money down the toilet. In Israel this week some one really did flush good money down the drain. According to the Associated Press, workers at the sewage treatment facility in Tiberias found roughly $2,000 floating in and amongst the solids and toilet paper. The workers called the police, who at first didn't believe them. When the supervisor at the facility insisted, the police came and fished the dirty cash from the stinky stew. Police can only speculate, but they think it might be the result of a domestic disturbance. Now that really is flushing money down the drain!

And Now the Spills of the Week:

Elk RiverPocahontas County, West Virginia, is called the birthplace of rivers because the area marks the headwaters of no fewer than eight major rivers. Outdoor enthusiasts of every stripe flock to Pocahontas County to take advantage of its remarkable natural landscape. The Elk River, named for the large population of elk that once roamed the area, is the crown jewel of the state's many trout streams.

The confluence of Big Spring Creek and Old Field Creek near Slatyfork, West Virginia, forms the Elk River, which is fed along its way by numerous underground springs, some of which emanate from caves. The first four and a half miles of the Elk River, which is a catch-and-release only fishery, is unique, home to a naturally reproducing population of wild rainbows, brook, and brown trout. According to Mike Singleton, assistant Chief of Fisheries for the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources "There is nothing comparable to the Elk" when it comes to naturally reproducing trout rivers in the state. The Elk is a cold water stream year round, in part because much of the upper river goes in and out of dozens of caves. The Elk is also poplar with hikers, canoe lovers, and rafters.

San Francisco has had a rough week, with nearly six million gallons of sewage seeping in the bay. But it's been a big week all over the country. San Diego has kept it real by dumping more than 100,000 gallons onto its beaches. Florida seems to want to keep up with similar numbers into the heavily used St. Johns River. And in the DC suburbs, a screw up in Prince George's County dumped nearly five and a half million gallons of raw sewage into a major Potomac River (and Chesapeake Bay) tributary (see below). With all of the rain in the Midwest, I'm not even going to speculate what a troubled week it has been. It's weeks like this that reinforce our "Right to Know" what's in our streams, rivers and lakes. Contact your local and federal legislators and tell them you want them to Act for a Healthy Rivers by passing the Sewage Overflow Community Right ot Know Act.

And now the Spills of the Week:

The following letter appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Think about everything that's happened in your life in the past 365 days -- a birthday, the holidays and the Fourth of July. But when it comes to fireworks, it's hard to top the revelation that sewage has been pouring into the Youghiogheny for at least that long ("Sewage Pouring Into Yough," Jan. 17).

Investigators have told our organization that a portion of the cause could date back 25 years. Think about that. Ronald Reagan was president and Dan Marino was a senior at Pitt then. Yet Pennsylvania residents didn't know about this odoriferous problem until it ran in the pages of the Post-Gazette recently.

Something about that stinks, and it's not just the sewage.

As worldwide demand for energy increases, prices at the pump and at the meter will continue to rise. Similarly, rapid development across the U.S. increases the demand placed on our aging and failing sewage and water infrastructure systems , our water and sewer bills are only going to increase. But recentinterest in alternative fuels and water supplies might produce solutions to both challenges. 

Scientists and students from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA, are working on a project/experiment aimed at producing bio-diesel from our sewage. ODU students are using the nutrient rich sewage to grow algae which conveniently love the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. They use the natural oils that the algae produce to make bio-diesel. Apparently it is more efficient than traditional agriculturally based bio-fuels.

On the other side of the country, Los Angeles is implementing a project to capture, treat and reuse its sewage as a renewable resource and water supply. The new program could process, treat and provide up to 70 million gallons of fresh water to the LA region a day. With so much sewage going around (we all make it) why not reuse it. Increased interest and research into alternative fuels and water supply ideas will help us cope with the very real challenges of running out of these important  resources and global climate change. Great work ODU and LA. 

And Now the Spills of the Week:

I received a great tip yesterday from Kelly Jo Drey Houck, Executive Director of the Upper Guyandotte Watershed Association, about a TV News story that aired Tuesday highlighting the UGWA's great work to end residential straight pipe discharges in Wyoming County, West Virginia and get people onto septic systems. UGWA's outreach efforts to the community are really making a differnce. However, the reason Kelly Jo contacted me was to let me know that our Fishing, Not, Flushing Bumper Stickers made it on the air - TWICE! send you one.