Surfrider Europe Investigates Plastic Debris on Atlantic Beaches

Biofilters wash up on Atlantic beaches

October 12, 2010 | Words By: Howard

The beaches of the Atlantic are sprinkled with small plastic wheels: this new phenomenon sparked the suspicions of Surfrider Europe, who launched an investigation that is still underway. A brief interview with François Verdet, manager of Surfrider’s Chapter 64 and lead investigator into the mysterious bio-filters, provides an update on the situation. Elodie Melenec asks the questions.

SFE: How long has the Surfrider Foundation been aware of this form of pollution?

François Verdet: Living on the Basque Coast since July in 2007, I recall seeing these little pieces of plastic on the beaches since my arrival. But in November of 2009, the numbers spiked and the Surfrider Chapter of the Basque Coast took the decision to launch an investigation. Initially, it was challenging because nobody was interested in this type of pollution. We heard rumours that they were packing material for large cargo aboard freighters or even wastes from patrolling submarines! The answer arrived from Corsica. The local Surfrider Chapter, responding to an invitation from the city of Ajaccio for a presentation on a new waste water treatment plant, recognized the little plastic bio-filters on the cover of some printed documents. We could finally put a name and a purpose to the mystery objects that were populating Atlantic beaches in their thousands.

SFE: Can you explain what the bio-filters are and how they wound up on the beaches?

F.V.: These bio-filters, or bio-carriers (médias filtrants or biomédias in French and biosoportes in Spanish) are actually substrate for micro-organisms used in waste water treatment plants and also in certain industries. It’s very simple: generally speaking, wastes are screened through progressively finer mesh to retain suspended particles. They are then treated chemically or with UV light and the final stage is a biological filtration to eliminate micro-residues. It’s in this final stage that bacteria are at work to break down the wastes. Researchers noticed that this process was more effective if they had some kind of support to attach to. This is why, starting in around 2000, more and more waste water treatment plants as well as industrial plants, were filling their biological ponds with millions the plastic wheels for the bacteria to attach to. Unfortunately, some of the ponds containing the bio-filters overflowed and the filters washed into nearby streams, and then into the ocean. For example, we found instances where this occurred in the Seine in Paris, the Oria River in the Basque Country, and the Minho River in Portugal. In each instance, hundreds of thousands, even millions of the bio-filters, were released into the environment.

Credit: Antenne 64 Surfrider

SFE: What specific demands and what goals are you targeting with this project?

F.V.: Our objective is obviously to get this new form of pollution to stop. It’s so paradoxical to pollute the environment while trying to clean it! Today, a half-dozen people at Surfrider are working on this via several angles:
1. Fieldwork to gather more information and eyewitness accounts for confirmed cases of bio-filter pollution to lodge formal complaints against the emitters.
2. Exposure and media campaigns to raise awareness and improve alert response and also inform responsible authorities and lobby for improved standards for waste water treatment plants. As well, work with the manufacturers and the consultants who recommend the product to clients with the goal to encourage them to improve the process. Overall, we are putting a lot of energy into this bio-filter project because it’s representative of the core principles of Surfrider: the campaign against water pollution. If the concept of providing bacteria with substrate to improve efficiency (we’re talking about a 30% gain in efficiency), the idea isn’t new. For some time now, some wastewater treatment plants have used volcanic rocks as bacterial substrate. It’s of little consequence to see this material escaping into streams and oceans. Unfortunately, for economic and production reasons, plastic has been favoured over natural rock – but the plastic isn’t biodegradable and will incrementally pollute the aquatic environment.

SFE: So how it going today? How is the project going?

F.V.: For the media, information and lobbying efforts, we have contacted all the relevant French departments and the elected representatives responsible for coastal management, like the Minister of the Environment, nature-based and aquatic sports organizations. The campaign is part of our Brussels program and we are working on awareness raising in Spain. The 45 Surfrider Chapters in Europe are on alert to react swiftly in case of a new pollution event. Case in point, the Chapter in Picarde has recently encountered this situation. In any case, we are pursuing our investigation into the situation of greatest concern; the coastal Atlantic from Cantabrie (Spain) to the Vendée (France). We have received more than 50 reports on this situation. Unfortunately, several clues lead us to believe that the releases are from one or two entities located on a waterway in northern Spain near the French border. Assuming we’re confident that we’ve identified the responsible parties and the dates of the events, we’re now trying to get information on the quantity of the spill. This could unfortunately reach the tens of millions of individual pieces of plastic!

Translation: Dan McDonald

Working Towards Solutions in Cannon Beach, Oregon

ALEX PAJUNAS — The Daily Astorian Beachgoers wade or float back and forth across Ecola Creek in Cannon Beach. This year 11 Clatsop and Tillamook County beaches are being monitored for enterococcus, bacteria present in animal and human waste. More photos on the Web at www.dailyastorian.com ALEX PAJUNAS — The Daily Astorian Bathing seagulls freshen up near the beach in the waters of Ecola Creek Wednesday. Mark See, the Cannon Beach public works director, says DNA tests by the city indicate gulls are the main polluters of streams running over the beach. Water monitoring comes ashore Summer means it’s time to begin tracking beaches for contamination By NANCY MCCARTHY The Daily Astorian CANNON BEACH - Two health advisories issued for beaches in or near Cannon Beach this summer signal that the beach-monitoring season is under way. This year, 25 of the state's 94 beaches are being monitored weekly, every two weeks or monthly for enterococcus, bacteria that is present in animal and human waste. It also indicates the presence of other bacteria. Bacteria can enter the ocean, creeks, rivers and outflows from a variety of sources, including stormwater runoff, animal and seabird waste, failing septic systems, spills from sewage treatment plants or discharges from boats. Of the 25 beaches slated for routine monitoring, 11 are in Clatsop and Tillamook counties. While most of the beaches usually don't show high enough counts of bacteria to rate an advisory, the Ecola Court outflow pipe in midtown Cannon Beach garnered 12 advisories after 26 tests last year. This year, so far, the percentage of good tests over bad is better: It failed only once - during April - in nine tests. "Over the past few months, we've seen water quality at Ecola Court outfall improve," said Charlie Plybon, Oregon Field Manager for Surfrider Foundation. The foundation monitors water quality on beaches and has been critical of Cannon Beach's efforts to address the outfall area. Recently, however, the city and the foundation began working together to develop solutions. But, Plybon added, "The area is still of concern until we can demonstrate this 'improved' water quality over time, and beachgoers are safe from advisories." Advisories are issued when more than 158 organisms of bacteria per 100 milliliters of water are found in the samples. The bacteria can cause gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections and other illnesses. State health officials warn people to avoid wading in creeks that have advisories and to stay clear of water runoff flowing into the ocean. On April 5, the monitor for the state's testing system found 579 organisms at the outfall site. Two subsequent tests - on April 19 and May 3 - indicated the presence of organisms was significantly reduced, and state officials lifted the advisory. The Hug Point advisory, issued June 29, was the first in nearly three years, when an advisory was posted for the south end of the cove on July 30, 2007. The advisory was lifted a week later. Tolovana State Park hadn't been tested since Oct. 29, 2007, and at that time no organisms were detected. This year, however, an advisory was issued June 2 and lifted on June 9. A subsequent test on June 14 could not detect bacteria. "Tolovana Park has been a relatively clean area over the years and it fell off the radar of the state's monitoring program for this reason," Plybon said. The state took a sample from the area following a request from Surfrider, he said. "In all honesty, that doesn't really tell us much other than we need to test more," Plybon added. The federal Environmental Protection Agency has required 35 coastal and Great Lakes states and territories to monitor beaches since 2000. But because the $230,000 EPA grant isn't enough to cover all of Oregon's 94 recreational beaches, monitoring is done on the top 25 that have a high use, a history of pollution or are near potential pollution sources, said Jennifer Ketterman, Oregon beach program coordinator. The state has learned that each beach has its own character and personality, Ketterman said. "What we find on the South Coast is different than what we find on the North Coast," she said. Where the monitor collects the water sample depends on the size of the beach and whether one particular area has a history of a high bacteria count, Ketterman said. The Ecola Court outfall, for instance, has a history of higher-than-normal bacteria counts, so samples are taken at the pipe as water flows out and in the stream as it empties into the ocean. Monitors are particularly concerned about pipes that flow on the beach "because people are getting more water contact," she said. Although the state receives funds to test the water, it doesn't have the money to investigate the source of bacteria when the tests fail. "There are a variety of sources near the shore or inland," Ketterman said. "They could come from animals, seabirds, diapers, agricultural products, sewage treatment plants, septic tanks, boat disposals. It's a pretty complex process." The problem is even more complex, she added, because the presence of bacteria can fluctuate wildly. "You can collect data one minute and it will be different the next minute," Ketterman said. That has been a frustration experienced by Mark See, Cannon Beach public works director. Because it takes time to get a test result the city isn't notified until the next day that a problem exists, he said. "We're getting a warning today about the tests yesterday.... We need real-time testing for a real-time warning." Cannon Beach is tested every Monday during the summer. If the test fails, more samples are taken on Wednesday and confirmed on Thursday. The public is notified on Friday. "There's a real flaw in the testing program," See said. Eventually, he said, "real-time" testing will be available so city officials and the public will know instantly that bacterium is in the water. Recent DNA tests performed by the city indicate gulls are the main polluters to the streams on the beach, See said. He intends to send samples to an Oregon State University lab to confirm the source whenever Cannon Beach tests high. This will rule out other sources, such as a misconnected sewer line or illegal dumping. See also hopes that, eventually, the city and Surfrider can take over testing Cannon Beach's water from the state so money will be freed up to test other coastal sites. "My vision is that we want the Department of Human Services to do lots of testing for everyone if we agree to do our own testing," See said. The city's testing would be checked against Surfrider's tests for accuracy. But, while the city can continue to monitor the water and take steps to remedy some pollution source, the public needs to get involved, too, See said. The city's public works committee is drafting educational pamphlets, which will be distributed to local hotels and businesses. The pamphlets will discuss why water is tested, the risks of contacting untreated water and other facts involving water tests. "When you do a lot of test sites in one place like Cannon Beach and one pops up bad and an advisory is issued, it sounds like there's an advisory for all of Cannon Beach," See said. "It affects business. The chamber of commerce has gotten involved, so we have a balance of all concerned parties." The public works committee may also ask the City Council to prohibit people from feeding birds and other wild animals. The animals become used to the feeding and stay close to public areas, See said. Instead, they should be discouraged from roosting on roofs. "You always see gulls on the roof tops and parking lots of the Surfsand, the Wayfarer and the American Legion building," he said. When they leave their waste on the roofs or asphalt and a summer rain occurs, "there's just enough rain to put a slurry of seagull poop into the drainage system." Those buildings are also close to the stream that runs from the Ecola Court outfall, across the beach and to the ocean. Other solutions may be found as well. Roof drains may be disconnected from the city's drainage system and put into "drainage swales" where the water is filtered through natural vegetation before being directed into the city's drainage pipes, See said. But drainage swales take up space, which is scarce in developed areas near the beach. But See will experiment with another "pre-treatment" method when the restrooms on Second and Spruce streets are reconstructed later this year. He plans to build a "rain garden" that, much like the drainage swale, will act to filter out pollution from the building's roof before it goes into the city's system. Although the contamination can be reduced, it will never be eliminated, See said. "The truth is, there's fresh water everywhere. And there's still some chance that bacteria will get into that fresh water."

Source Tracking Guide Just Released!

The Maine Healthy Beaches Program has just released the Municipal Guide to Clean Water: Conducting Sanitary Surveys to Improve Coastal Water Quality

This resource is focused on finding, fixing and preventing sources of fecal bacteria contamination in low density, coastal watersheds. Elements of this guide will also be useful for freshwater beaches and urban watersheds. While this guide was design with local government and agency staff in mind, most covered topics will also be relevant for volunteer groups. Just beware that some areas – such as directions on how to inspect private residences- are not appropriate for volunteers.

In addition to covering how to identify bacteria hot spots and track sources in a watershed, this guide also includes excellent overviews of many water testing issues including: indicator bacteria, sources of pollution, source tracking methods, waste disposal systems, stormwater issues, solutions and best management practices.

Whether you are looking to investigate a local water pollution issue yourself or want to learn more about what you should be asking your local authorities to do, this guide is a great resource! Or use it as an educational tool for students or new volunteers. It has great photos of many of the steps involved in water testing.

Pictured above is Sarah Mosley, Maine Healthy Beaches Water Quality Testing trainer, and Northern New England Chapter member. Sarah, along with Keri Lindberg, are responsible for training all the volunteers that collect samples for the Maine Healthy Beaches program, including a team of NNE Chapter volunteers. More info on NNE Chapter's water testing program is available on their website.

Leaking Septic Systems Implicated in Bellingham, WA

The Northwest Straits Chapter's BWTF tests between 5-8 sites throughout the year. During the summer of 2009, they discovered a spike in fecal coliforms in a water sample collected from Larrabee State Park (pictured above & below). The chapter alerted the local authorities to the suspected pollution. The Washington State Department of Ecology’s BEACH Program and Whatcom County Department of Health, responded to the chapter’s concern by performing a source tracking study, which led to the discovery of a failing septic system in the nearby neighborhood. Since then, the septic system has been repaired and bacteria levels at Larrabee State Park have returned to normal.

Meanwhile, the Chapter’s efforts towards sharing their data and forming good relationships with their local environmental and health agencies, may bear even more fruit as another source of pollution is tracked down. The Department of Ecology is tracing the source of another event of high bacterial pollution after being alerted by the Chapter that their Nooksack River Delta sites have been testing high as well. Although not confirmed as of yet, another leaking septic system is suspected.

Thanks to the Chapter volunteers for continuously testing the sites around Bellingham, sometimes covering 30+ miles by bicycle to do so in a "green" manner. Thanks also goes out to Post Point for sharing their laboratory space with the Chapter. Read more about the Chapter's BWTF program here.

A new BWTF program begins tackling pollution in Seattle

The Seattle Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation recently relaunched their BWTF program. Dr. J. Scott Meschke, PhD, MS, JD, Assistant Professor in the University of Washington Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences is assisting the chapter with their water testing program. Dr. Meschke has provided the Blue Water Task Force with the use of lab space and training in lab procedures. Chapter volunteers are collecting and running their own water samples, as well as collecting sand samples from the intertidal zone for research on the retention of MRSA and other pathogens in the environment that Dr. Meschke’s and Dr. Marilyn Roberts are undertaking. The Chapter started sampling freshwater sites at the end of 2009 and have added some marine beaches to their sampling program this spring. They are now currently monitoring nine sites, including beaches, streams, and marinas. Their most recent water quality data are posted online.

For the past 3 months, one of their sampling sites, a fresh water stream that runs through Golden Gardens Park, has been testing extremely high for bacteria, well above state standards. This is very concerning as this site is a very popular stream for children to play in. The chapter contacted the King County's Department of Health to alert them to the problem. They sent their results as well as a picture of kids playing in the stream less than 48 hours after the most recent high result. The Department of Health took the Chapter’s concerns seriously and will begin notifying the public of the danger that this polluted water can pose to bathers. The chapter is working with the City to develop streamside signage that will educate the public about the pollution and hopefully deter families from playing in the stream. The Chapter has also received great coverage on this issue by local news reporters. Check out these links.

NWCN.com

KIROTV.com

SeattlePI.com

Ballard News-Tribune

Public notification is just the first step. The chapter is now pursuing funding options to do a source identification study. Possible pollution sources to the Golden Gardens Park include a dog park directly upstream or one of the other streams that feed into this stream from Seattle. Congratulations to the Seattle Chapter for forming good partnerships with both the University of Washington to get their water testing program off the ground and running and with the King County Department of Health to raise public awareness and look for solutions for their local water quality problems. Thanks also goes out to all the volunteers that donate their time and expertise to collect samples and help out in the lab.

Stream at Golden Gardens Park, Washington

Astoria BWTF Seeking Answers

Surfrider and the students at Astoria High in Oregon are not keeping their data to themselves, but continue to press local authorities to investigate polluted water coming out of the Ecola Court Outfall at Cannon Beach. Perhaps the below story that ran in their local paper will help generate the political will to find a solution to this water quality problem.

Update! - within 24 hours of this article running in the local paper, Surfrider has received a call from the mayor, city manager, and two council members. This issue is back on the city council agenda now! Great job getting the word out there and pushing your politicians to do their job!

Bacteria remains at Ecola outflow
Surfrider Foundation says counts are high enough in storm water to trigger a state health advisory

By NANCY MCCARTHY
The Daily Astorian

Wednesday, January 20, 2010


CANNON BEACH - Bacteria levels at the Ecola Court Outfall in Cannon Beach have remained high in tests conducted during the past three months.

Two state water quality tests in November, as well as tests in December and January performed for the Surfrider Foundation, indicated the bacteria count in the storm water outfall was high enough to trigger a state health advisory.

The state Human Services Division issues a health advisory when water samples contain more than 158 organisms per 100 milliliters. Tests performed by the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program for the state on Nov. 16 showed there were 1,935 organisms in the stream that leads from the Ecola outfall pipe into the ocean.

Another state test Nov. 19 indicated there were 197 organisms.

On Dec. 20, tests performed by Astoria High School students for a lab monitored by the Surfrider Foundation showed the count at 171, and a test Jan. 4 indicated 432 organisms.

Although high counts of organisms can be blamed on runoff of street pollutants accumulated during the dry season, the readings continued to be high even after heavy rains had already washed the streets, said Charlie Plybon, Oregon field coordinator for Surfrider Foundation.

Surfrider Foundation is a nonprofit organization that monitors Oregon's water quality along the coast.

Between March and September last year, when Cannon Beach sees the most visitors, 10 out of 20 water quality tests failed to meet state standards. Between Oct. 12 and Nov. 2, bacteria counts met state limits, ranging between 10 and 108 organisms per 100 milliliters.

Although the tests are for storm water and not drinking water, they concern members of the Surfrider Foundation because the outfall is a popular play area for children during the summer.

In addition, those accessing the beach from Gower Street in Midtown must cross the stream if they want to walk to Haystack Rock.

Surfrider has asked the city to share data it has collected and to establish a committee specifically to look at the problem. The City Council has asked the city's public works committee to work on it, said Mark See, public works director. The committee is beginning to educate itself about the problem, he said.

Meanwhile, Plybon said, "We're getting a little frustrated with the city."

The city hasn't shared the DNA results collected from samples of animals and birds found in the area and from DNA found in the outfall storm water over a year ago.

The organization is also concerned that the only information given to the public about the periodic contamination is a sign over the tide gate that says the water is untreated. Plybon said he would like to see a sign that gives clearer warnings.

"Some people feel we should take a harder line with the city," Plybon said. "But we need a common strategy. I think the will of the city to do something is there. I don't know if the resources are there.

"We need the city to tell us what they need, and we can provide the experts," he added. If Surfrider doesn't see improved bacteria counts, the organization probably wouldn't seek legal action against the city, Plybon said. But it could ask the state to require Cannon Beach to have a storm water discharge permit. Because the city has a population of less than 4,000, it isn't legally required to apply for a state permit, but Plybon believes a case could be made for the permit if a health threat exists.

A permit would require the city to reduce the contaminants or face a fine every time they exceed the limit, Plybon said.

"I would rather use collaboration to get there, but that's the stick we could use."

But, See said, "dozens of factors" affect the outflow, which begins as an underground stream in the hills behind Cannon Beach and runs through Midtown before it flows out of the pipe behind a parking lot and onto the beach.

The city already conducts education programs that teach property owners how to discard animal and other wastes from their yards. Plastic bags also are provided at stations along the beach for dog waste.

"There never have been any definitive answers," about how pollutants are entering the outflow stream, See said. "Every fresh water source has this potential."

Tests only describe what was in the water "yesterday," but no one knows what is in the water "today," he added.

"We need technology to provide 'real-time' data, and that could happen not far into the future. They're working on something," See said.

It wouldn't be practical to eliminate the outflow because it prevents sand from building up and blocking the beach access and overflowing the parking lots of surrounding restaurants and hotels. "We could spend tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars fixing it," See said. "Because it's a complicated formula, there's not a simple answer."

Because the city doesn't have a combined storm and sewer system, there is little chance that storm drains would have been inadvertently connected to the sewer drains, See said. However, he admitted, that has happened a few times.

"We watch for that all the time; we have an extensive mapping system" showing the drainage systems.

Eventually, though, if the bacteria counts remain high, the city may have to do some "smoke" testing that will determine if local buildings are correctly connected to the sewer system.

"To satisfy some people, we may have to spend some money and do something," See said.

Getting to the Source in Kaua'i

Getting to the Source

Water quality experts question origin of chronic bacteria

By Coco Zickos - The Garden Island

Published: Monday, January 18, 2010 3:09 AM HST

• Editor’s note: This is the seventh article in an ongoing series which examines Kaua‘i water quality.

LIHU‘E — Chronically elevated levels of bacteria in water found in various locations around the island merit “frequent sampling and wastewater assessment,” Surfrider Foundation’s Dr. Carl Berg said.

During 2009, Surfrider volunteers collected water from 20 different stations across Kaua‘i and processed a total of 166 samples testing for bacterial counts.

“Most areas sampled were clean,” Berg said.

However, 10 stations exceeded what are deemed to be the state’s safe levels of enterococcus — a bacteria commonly found in the feces of humans and animals — at least once, Berg said.

Nawiliwili Stream, which feeds into Kalapaki Bay and as such is commonly known as Kalapaki Stream, tested high for each of the 12 samples taken throughout the year. Pakalas, on the Westside, exceeded safe levels for four of the 12 samplings. Waters off of Lydgate Park, on the Eastside, tested high four out of 10 times.

The averages for these sites suggest that Pakalas and Kalapaki Stream “are chronically polluted with human and/or animal wastes and deserve more frequent sampling and a wastewater assessment,” Berg said. “Waters off Lydgate are of concern because the Wailua waste water treatment plant discharges into the ocean in that area and the Wailua river flows to that area at times.”

Rainfall largely accounts for when “exceedances” most frequently occur. But linking the source to sites with continuously high counts of bacteria will require additional testing which goes beyond Surfrider’s “preliminary sampling,” Berg said.

“The next step is to have the Department of Health confirm and investigate possible sources,” he said Sunday.

The DOH currently samples some sites around the island twice a week, but only focuses on places that have “a lot of people with high recreational use,” DOH spokesperson Janice Okubo said.

When asked if the DOH attempts to discover the source of bacteria when it is found, Okubo said, “We try to.”

“Bacteria can be caused by many things, some natural,” she added.

Watson Okubo, monitoring and analysis section chief of the Department of Health’s Clean Water Branch, agreed.

“Inherently all streams in Hawai‘i have high bacterial counts. That’s the nature of streams,” he said when asked why samples collected by the DOH at Kalapaki are regularly taken in the middle of the bay rather than at the mouth of the stream.

“Taking samples at streams puts you in a position where you don’t know what you’re looking at,” he said last week. “We don’t take samples at the stream mouth, but away where people recreate.”

Sam Noble, owner of Lox Hawai‘i, has designed some 150 septic systems on Kaua‘i and said cesspools are still a “big part of Hawai‘i, especially this island.”

“Cesspools, which are also called ‘drywells,’ are underground holes used throughout Hawai‘i for the disposal of human waste,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Web site. “Raw, untreated sewage is discharged directly into the ground, where it can contaminate oceans, streams and ground water by releasing disease-causing pathogens and nitrates.”

All large-capacity cesspools (those which serve more than 20 individuals) had to be “closed and replaced with an alternative wastewater system by April 5, 2005,” according to EPA regulations.

“Cesspools are more widely used in Hawai‘i than in any other state in the country,” the Web site says.

Noble said it is difficult to see what is going into the ground water except on “days it’s flooding.”

“There’s no doubt” cesspools are contributing to chronic levels of bacteria in the water, especially when it rains, he said.

Noble has been attempting to assist individuals in upgrading their systems, as it is important to “get people to realize they have to upgrade” and “it’s a possibility residents” might soon be required to.

Though it may not seem like a financially feasible time to upgrade, it is actually an ideal time to install because “contractors don’t have as much work.”

“Guys are hungry,” so fees will likely be lower than usual, Noble said.

“It’s good for people to do this, but it’s an economic hardship,” he said.

Moving forward in 2010, Watson Okubo said the DOH will be issuing requests for proposals this year to address pollution run-off issues.

The EPA’s Clean Water Act Section 319 will likely provide funding for some “state and local nonpoint source efforts,” such as the Nawiliwili Watershed based plan, he said.

And though the Kaua‘i District DOH recently lost 10 employees, the Clean Water Branch has not yet been affected.

“We can’t allow budget cutbacks to stop the critical health and safety work that needs to be done,” county Department of Parks and Recreation Director Lenny Rapozo said. “We’ll continue working closely with the DOH as we have done in the past to take action on any findings in our beach parks.”

• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com.

Newport Chapter Continuing to Push for Clean Water

The Newport Chapter has been using their water testing program very successfully to continue to keep awareness of pollution issues in their watershed elevated in their city. While improvements have been seen at their local beach, some problems still persist and Surfrider keeps asking for the City and her residents to do more to solve these issues. Two postings below taken from the Surfrider Oregon Blog.

Not Again Newport...we have come so far!

After nearly 2 years of sourcing out sewer misconnections, improving stormwater codes/best management practices, improving notification/postings and cutting down the beach advisories, we're back to a challenging point with sewer overflows at Nye Beach. It seems large volumes of stormwater have been infiltrating the sewer lines (those same lines we thought were inspected and had some pipe-bursting/relining done), resulting in some serious sewage overflows at Nye Beach. The local Blue Water Task Force has been getting readings off the chart, some of the highest we've seen at Nye Beach in our 10 years of testing. What can you do? Demand clean water, join us at the next council meeting (November 23). Note the picture at right and the nebulous "contaminated with...". We can do better!

Sewage at Nye Beach, Where do I come in?

The What

Over the course of the past 3 years, the Newport Chapter of Surfrider Foundation has been working with the City of Newport to improve the Nye beach stormwater and sewer issues that have resulted in high bacteria counts at Nye Beach. While the sewage issues still occur (although less frequent...insert happy face), on occassions of intense rain, these issues may be linked to several problems as close as your backyard. And to that extent, the City of Newport issued some sixty letters to homeowners in the City of Newport to make some improvements for improper connections. Now let's break these issues down a little:

The Why

Bottom line, too much rain in the sewer. You see, these sewer overflows occur because the Nye Beach pump station can only take so much sewage at one time. While the pump station is well equipped to handle our sewer demands and multiple upgrades have occurred over the past few years, it can't handle excessive volumes of rainwater that enter the system. Now wait a second you may say, I thought we had separate systems for rain runoff (stormwater) and sewer lines! And yes, you are correct. The problem is there are places where rainwater can get into the sewer lines...some of them may be at yourhouse. That's right, some of the homes here in Newport have their downspouts from their homes connected to the sewer lines sending high volumes of rain to the system. Of course there are other places like manhole covers for sewer lines and old joints where saturated ground water can make it's way into the sewer system.

The You

The Newport Chapter of Surfrider Foundation is working with the City of Newport on strategies for improving infrastructure and sourcing other non-point sources (which will cover in a future post...as this also involves you). To date the City has been doing extensive source water quality testing up the urban watershed and smoke testing for proper sewer line connections. These tests have found sewer lines connected to storm drain lines sending untreated sewage directly to the beach through the stormwater outfall. They've found homes where small animals being raised are polluting Nye creek with there feces. They've found excessive dump spots for animal and human feces (literally bucket fulls!). And, they've found many homes with improper downspout connections to sewer lines sending rainwater into the sewer system. So, here's where you fit in, from simple to complex:





A) Engage with the Newport Chapter - come to a meeting, help with water quality monitoring...lots of opportunity, figure out what's right for you

B) Check your downspouts - make sure they are properly connected to the stormdrain (not the sewer line!) or if feasible, look into a rain barrel or downspout disconnection and rain garden - click here to learn a little more

C) Clean up! - Be sure and properly dispose of your pet waste...every little bit counts and can add up quickly in an urban watershed.

Beyond Graphs and Tables: Effective Communication of Water Quality Results

The Astoria High School BWTF students made this photo montage to demonstrate their concern with a polluted stormwater outfall that drains onto a local beach. The water that drains from the Ecola Court Outfall in Cannon Beach often fails to meet water quality standards. This is of particular concern because during the summer time children often play in this shallow, slow-moving, stream.

Surfrider showed this YouTube video at a recent Cannon Beach City Council meeting and asked the City to form a task force to address the pollution problem at Ecola Court Outfall. Surfrider asked for public notices to be posted when the water fails to meet standards and would like the City to investigate the source of pollution in their storm water system.

A Task Force has been assembled and now the real work begins. Great job raising the awareness of a local pollution problem. Let's hope the City is sincere in finding and fixing the source of pollution.

This issue at Ecola Court Outfall and the student's water testing program have also succeeded in grabbing the attention of the local newspaper. Front page story below.

Alarm on the Coast
Finding a needle in the haystack
Contamination at Ecola Court Outfall raises concerns in Cannon Beach

By NANCY MCCARTHY
The Daily Astorian

CANNON BEACH - Among the most popular accesses to Cannon Beach is the asphalt path behind the Wayfarer Restaurant in midtown.

Situated between the restaurant and Ecola Inn, the path follows a stream that emerges from the bank and flows to the ocean.

Because the slow-moving stream is shallow in the summer, children often play in the middle of it, building sand dams or shoveling sand into plastic buckets.

But water quality tests in that stream, also known as the "Ecola Court Outfall," show that bacteria thrive there. This year, between March and September, when Cannon Beach sees its greatest number of tourists, 10 out of the 20 water quality tests performed by the state Department of Human Services failed to meet safety standards. The bacteria count in one of those tests was 10 times higher than the standard needed to establish a health advisory warning.

Another four tests indicated that the bacteria count was high but not enough to issue a health advisory.

The problem isn't new, said Charlie Plybon, Oregon field coordinator for Surfrider Foundation, a nonprofit organization that monitors water quality along Oregon's coast.

For the past two years, 27 out of 63 tests have failed, and five of those had 10 times the number of bacteria allowed before a warning is triggered.

The state issues a health advisory when the water sample contains more than 158 organisms per 100 milliliters. The highest number detected was on Aug. 11, 2008, when the state found 2,481 organisms per 100 milliliters.

"There's a sign posted that warns folks that the water is not treated, but it doesn't warn folks when the water is contaminated," Plybon told the Cannon Beach City Council at a recent meeting.

Plybon asked the council to form a task force to look into the source of the bacteria. He also wants the city to improve its notification procedure.

Although he doesn't have documented proof of health problems arising from the outfall, Plybon said a mother had told him that her two children, who had been playing in the water all weekend, came down with bladder infections.

"There have been a number of staph infections of people who had contact with the water," Plybon added. "It's difficult to say where they were coming from, but there's a pretty darn good chance that they may have come from the water."

Plybon said this week that he received numerous calls and e-mails in September from people who were concerned about the daily state health advisories they were seeing on the Oregon Department of Human Services Web site. The human services department is in charge of monitoring water for Oregon.

"In September I was bombarded by business owners, folks who visit part time and local residents," Plybon said. "They felt the city was not doing all it could be doing."

Although Cannon Beach attracts thousands of tourists daily during the summer, it is not subject to state penalties for water contamination because its permanent population is less than 10,000, Plybon said.

The water draining into the outfall has no connection to the city's drinking water system, which is treated in a wastewater treatment plant east of Spruce Street.

Surfrider wants to help the city conduct more tests on its stormwater lines to find the contamination source. Such tests might include a "smoke" examination that would determine if storm lines were accidentally connected to sewer lines. In that test, smoke "bombs" are discharged into a storm drain line, and if residents see smoke coming from their roof vents, they know they have been connected to a sewer line instead of the storm drainage line.

Plybon conducted a similar test in Newport after state tests there revealed a high degree of contamination. There, they found 10 homes - all built within the past 10 years - had the improper connections.

In Brookings, "we accidentally stumbled upon a school that had been hooked up wrong for 30 years," Plybon said.

But city Public Works Director Mark See said Cannon Beach did smoke tests 10 years ago to determine if some storm drain lines were mistakenly connected to sewer lines, and only one house was found to have a misconnection.

"I'm perfectly willing to do additional testing," See said. "A new connection can happen. But we have looked for the telltale signs and we haven't found anything."

One public works employee even crawled into a drain pipe as far as he could go, looking for toilet tissue that might have gotten caught inside. This would indicate sewage had flowed through the pipe. He found nothing.

The city has made a "concerted effort" to separate the storm system from the sanitary system, See said. However, during periods of heavy rain, the systems may overflow, he noted.

The city also has worked with Oregon State University to conduct DNA tests. Employees have tracked down birds, elk, raccoons and even a bobcat to get fecal samples so the OSU researcher could compare them to the DNA in the bacteria from water samples in the outflow.

"Overwhelmingly, there's a very large contribution from birds," See said. "They roost on roofs of buildings and their waste runs down the roof to the drains and into the drainage system," he said.

From there, it enters the stream and flows through the outfall pipe and onto the beach.

"There could be thousands of sources," See added. "It doesn't make any difference what the critter is. In the warmer months, when the stream is slow, bacteria can grow faster." When tests conducted by the state showed health violations for eight consecutive weeks between Aug. 4, 2008 and Sept. 29, 2008, and human feces was found in some of those tests, See said he had his public works employees collected their own water samples along the stream.

See said the creek runs through midtown, from east of U.S. Highway 101, down Sunset Boulevard, along Spruce Street to Dawes Street. It goes underground around Evergreen Street and flows under Gower Street until it emerges from the bank behind the Wayfarer Restaurant.

Discovery made

While taking water samples along the stream's route, the crews discovered that, as the creek moved west, it flowed into a drainage basin near a garbage collection area at an apartment complex. Garbage cans containing diapers had fallen over, and the diapers were near the water. See believes that was the source for the fecal matter at that time.

Following the incident, contaminants in the outfall were reduced until last March, according to the state's tests.

Plybon agreed that testing the DNA in water samples shows what may be in the water, but "they don't quantify what's there."

"You may have a whole suite of animals, but that doesn't tell what's in the majority," he said.

Astoria resident Tom Oxwang, who, with his wife, Gretel, has "adopted" a mile-long stretch of beach to monitor for Oregon Coast Watch, regularly walks past the outfall on his patrol.

"I see children playing in the creek, digging channels in it. It's difficult to see children there, especially without a sign and knowing the reports that we're seeing," he said.

City councilors agreed that more effort needs to be made to reduce the hazard.

"It's important that we get a handle on this, whether it's bird DNA or dirty diapers," said Councilor Melissa Cadwallader. "It's not going to be a quick fix, but it's going to be an important fix."

There are things the city and local residents can do, Plybon said: They could build bioswales along parking lots or in yards to capture pollutants before they go into the drainage system; they could educate themselves and visitors about proper ways to dispose of diapers and animal waste; and they could disconnect their stormwater drains.

"The best solution is preventing these things from happening," Plybon added.

See said a filter box could be installed to remove the pollutants as the outfall flows from the tidegate behind the Wayfarer Restaurant, but that would cost $1 million and another $10,000 a year to maintain.

By October and November, when the rains come, the stream runs quicker, and pollutants that accumulated in the summer are flushed out. Past tests show the bacteria count is reduced to 10 to 50 organisms per 100 milliliters, and sometimes no bacteria is detected.

Both Plybon and See said they plan to work together on writing grants that will pay for ways to control the contaminants entering the stream.

"I like to think that there's always a fix for everything," See said. "Will it be a place that never tests over the allowed bacterial count? No. There are too many variables."

Kaua'i BWTF makes local headlines again. This time on the front page!

The Chapter shared their results with a reporter that they have been working with to cover water pollution issues on the island. The paper's investigation has led to questionable storm water pumping practices of a neighboring resort. Hopefully, this public awareness will also lead to better notification of potential health risks from polluted water and political will to solve this pollution problem.

Local news story below and online.

Remnants of run-off water pumped from a dry well by Kaua‘i Marriott Resort & Beach Club on Oct. 5 are seen in this photo taken two days later. Bacteria levels were elevated Saturday at Kalapaki Bay prior to last weekend’s heavy rainfall based on data collected by Surfrider Foundation Kaua‘i. Robert Zelkovsky/Contributed Photo

Kalapaki water quality concerns residents

by Coco Zickos - The Garden Island

Published: Thursday, October 15, 2009 2:10 AM HST

KALAPAKI — Bacteria levels measured more than 40 times state and federally deemed safe levels at Kalapaki stream early Saturday morning based on samples collected by Surfrider Foundation Kaua‘i volunteers.

A sample taken from Kalapaki Bay contained elevated levels of enterococcus bacteria — the current indicator for fecal matter — even though the water “looked clean” and it was “prior to heavy rainfall,” said Dr. Carl Berg of Surfrider.

While the source of contamination remains unknown, some have speculated possible sources.

One resident said he witnessed individuals from Kaua‘i Marriott Resort & Beach Club pumping run-off water from a dry well into a “pit in the sand” at Kalapaki on Oct. 5.

“It looked foul and smelled awful,” Robert Zelkovsky of Surfrider said Friday. “The whole thing didn’t look right to me.”

Chauncey Hew, a geologist for the Department of Health’s Underground Injection Control Programming Unit, said the occurrence has actually been a “long standing and unresolved issue” and that the facility has a “number of drainage wells” that have been reported to have “overflows.”

“I just think it should be disposed of properly and not just into the sand,” said Zelkovsky, who reported the incident to the DOH. “To contribute to the condition of Kalapaki in any way is just not pono.”

A Marriott spokesperson provided a statement via e-mail from the hotel’s General Manager Elliot Mills:

“The dry well at Kaua‘i Marriott Resort & Beach Club was filled with heavy rainfall on Sept. 28, Oct. 5 and Oct. 9. Consistent with procedures approved by the Department of Health, to prevent overflow, Kaua‘i Marriott Resort & Beach Club released the water from the well, which took the path to Kalapaki Beach. The effects did not cause any beach closure. Kalapaki Beach remains open for water recreation activities.”

The DOH completed an inspection Sept. 21, according to Engineering Section Supervisor JoAnna Seto. An individual had reportedly “observed what was occurring and made a report” at that time as well.

“Based on the inspection, the Clean Water Branch will be doing enforcement,” she said Wednesday. “We’re trying to get more information.”

From a pollution standpoint, Hew said the quality of run-off water is “not that bad,” unless there is “some kind of abuse or redirection of water,” such as shower water or cesspool drainage.

“They may not be breaking any rules,” he said, adding that they will be “getting an accurate count on the number of drains, their operating condition and type of wastewaters that may be entering into them.”

When asked how the county responds to such issues as water quality and whether it has considered working with organizations, such as Surfrider, to warn individuals of potentially hazardous water conditions, Beth Tokioka, executive assistant to Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr., said it is the county’s preference to “have DOH at the table.”

“Currently our procedures call for us to close beaches and/or erect warning signs upon notification from the Department of Health,” she wrote in an e-mail.

The Clean Water Branch will soon be losing four of its 10 staff members under the state’s proposed layoffs, Monitoring and Analysis Section Chief Watson Okubo said last month.

“Even though we don’t know the cause, there should be warning signs,” Berg said, regarding Kalapaki stream’s continuously high levels of bacteria.

Pathogens from polluted waters cause illnesses such as vomiting, headache, fever, sore throat, diarrhea, skin, ear, eye and respiratory infections, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

• Coco Zickos, business and environmental writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or czickos@kauaipubco.com.

Posting Pollution Advisories on Kaua'i

The Kauai Chapter has just succeeded in convincing the State Department of Health to post a pollution advisory sign at a chronically polluted, but very popular beach. This is the first time any such permanent sign has been posted on the island warning people of poor water quality. The advisory has been posted at a heavily used, recreational spot along the Hanalei River.

The Chapter, led by BWTF Coordinator Dr. Carl Berg, is continuing to petition the State to post the other chronically polluted beaches on the island as well. The Department of Health, however, wants more information about the source of bacteria pollution at these beaches before it posts any more signs. Specifically, the State wants to confirm that there are human sources (septic systems or leeching pools) contributing to these polluted beaches before further warning the public of the potential health risk.

The Chapter has been trying to facilitate some source tracking studies on Kaua'i to provide the information they need to convince the State to post more signs and take steps to prevent the pollution from reaching the beaches in the first place. So far, the University of Stanford has started sampling and will hopefully be able to shed some light on where the pollution is coming from.

Local coverage of this issue can be found on The Garden Island's website.