The source of this fecal bacteria is unknown and they have had an ongoing problem for 2 years now. There are many theories to it, but this is disgusting. I don't live close enough to this creek to go swimming in it thankfully as this is the first time I have heard of it. I do live close enough to hear about the news tho.
http://www.lehighval...s_still_hi.html
According to the article they have to establish a daily limit of pollutants the creek can absorb, why are they allowing pollutants to be put into it?? I don't fully understand this, but to me it just doesn't sound like something right is happening!
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Fecal Bacteria still found in local creek 2 years later
Started by dconklin, Jul 16 2012 10:38 AM
11 replies to this topic
#3
Posted 16 July 2012 - 07:18 PM
You know, they come up with these ratios of what is acceptable. I wonder if they consider exposure over a lifetime as opposed to one or two casual exposures.
This story is disturbing. If the creek is not clean after two years, does this mean that some source is still leaking into it? Is some processing plant nearby leaking and no one knows about it? What is really amazing is it seems they are only considering how to clean it up now after two years!
This story is disturbing. If the creek is not clean after two years, does this mean that some source is still leaking into it? Is some processing plant nearby leaking and no one knows about it? What is really amazing is it seems they are only considering how to clean it up now after two years!
#4
Posted 17 July 2012 - 06:11 AM
FamilyTreeClimber, on 16 July 2012 - 07:18 PM, said:
You know, they come up with these ratios of what is acceptable. I wonder if they consider exposure over a lifetime as opposed to one or two casual exposures.
This story is disturbing. If the creek is not clean after two years, does this mean that some source is still leaking into it? Is some processing plant nearby leaking and no one knows about it? What is really amazing is it seems they are only considering how to clean it up now after two years!
This story is disturbing. If the creek is not clean after two years, does this mean that some source is still leaking into it? Is some processing plant nearby leaking and no one knows about it? What is really amazing is it seems they are only considering how to clean it up now after two years!
Supposedly the creek has been supplying local businesses with power and it runs through urban and agricultural lands.
#5
Posted 20 July 2012 - 03:01 AM
The Clean Water Act is being stripped away, a piece at a time by the gop.
They don't want any regulations that keep us safe.
http://transportatio...tees/water.aspx
They don't want any regulations that keep us safe.
http://transportatio...tees/water.aspx
#6
Posted 20 July 2012 - 12:44 PM
dconklin, on 16 July 2012 - 10:38 AM, said:
The source of this fecal bacteria is unknown ....... why are they allowing pollutants to be put into it??
Doesn't sound like anybody is "allowing" the contamination, if the source is unknown.
Could be a leaking sewage systen somewhere, even an individual septic tank system. Could be from livestock or even from wildlife. Could even be from manure spread on some farmer's field.
http://en.wikipedia....Fecal_coliforms
#7
Posted 20 July 2012 - 01:06 PM
This article from 7 years ago speaks to the fact of our aging infrastructure. At that time, in the D range. It's probably
lower than F by now.
http://www.precautio...ling.050310.htm
A few years back (and still learning remembers I'm sure, the thread we had on this on the old treehugger forums)
the History Channel aired a special-The Crumbling of America.
A small excerpt-
lower than F by now.
http://www.precautio...ling.050310.htm
A few years back (and still learning remembers I'm sure, the thread we had on this on the old treehugger forums)
the History Channel aired a special-The Crumbling of America.
A small excerpt-
#8
Posted 20 July 2012 - 07:22 PM
still learning, on 20 July 2012 - 12:44 PM, said:
Doesn't sound like anybody is "allowing" the contamination, if the source is unknown.
Could be a leaking sewage systen somewhere, even an individual septic tank system. Could be from livestock or even from wildlife. Could even be from manure spread on some farmer's field.
http://en.wikipedia....Fecal_coliforms
Could be a leaking sewage systen somewhere, even an individual septic tank system. Could be from livestock or even from wildlife. Could even be from manure spread on some farmer's field.
http://en.wikipedia....Fecal_coliforms
They said they doubt that it is coming from sewage. They are unsure, but a certain amount of substances are allowed to be put into the rivers. Our streets drain into the river and the worst part is garbage and other stuff makes it down the water drainage. Yes there is a tiny metal symbol on all of our drains that you have to get real close to that have a picture of a fish and says "no dumping drains to river" on it, but that doesn't mean anything when the garbage goes through the grates anyway.
There is a certain amount of pollutants that are allowed to pass through the rivers tho not as bad as when I was a kid. There is an amount supposedly that they will allow and beyond that the waterway cannot clean itself out.
Edit: It wouldn't surprise me if they find out it came from a business, businesses have been caught dumping into the waterways here in the recent past.
#9
Posted 20 July 2012 - 11:24 PM
dConklin, we have similar plates on our drains. Only, they say "drains directly to the Bay". I see debris piling up around them all throughout the neighborhood. I see folks washing stuff down the gutters as if as long as it isn't in their front yard then that makes it okay.
It's a bit disturbing with your river that they can find the sources. As still learning mentioned, there could be many causes. It seems with testing they could eliminate some sources, couldn't they?
Shortpoet, the Republicans have been clever with the way it named legislation that would have the opposite effect. The Clear Skies Act of 2003 did nothing of the sort.
Aging infrastructure is a concern for all American. We are faced with the reality that PG&E has not maintained the gas transmission lines in California since the 1950s. We only know this because of the disaster in San Bruno. If the gas lines are dilapidated, then it can only mean the water pipes, sewage pipes, and electrical grid are in about the same shape. In fact, I would surprised if they were not.
It's a bit disturbing with your river that they can find the sources. As still learning mentioned, there could be many causes. It seems with testing they could eliminate some sources, couldn't they?
Shortpoet, the Republicans have been clever with the way it named legislation that would have the opposite effect. The Clear Skies Act of 2003 did nothing of the sort.
Aging infrastructure is a concern for all American. We are faced with the reality that PG&E has not maintained the gas transmission lines in California since the 1950s. We only know this because of the disaster in San Bruno. If the gas lines are dilapidated, then it can only mean the water pipes, sewage pipes, and electrical grid are in about the same shape. In fact, I would surprised if they were not.
#10
Posted 21 July 2012 - 04:58 PM
FamilyTreeClimber, on 20 July 2012 - 11:24 PM, said:
dConklin, we have similar plates on our drains. Only, they say "drains directly to the Bay". I see debris piling up around them all throughout the neighborhood. I see folks washing stuff down the gutters as if as long as it isn't in their front yard then that makes it okay.
It's a bit disturbing with your river that they can find the sources. As still learning mentioned, there could be many causes. It seems with testing they could eliminate some sources, couldn't they?
It's a bit disturbing with your river that they can find the sources. As still learning mentioned, there could be many causes. It seems with testing they could eliminate some sources, couldn't they?
I am sure they could eliminate some sources. I don't really know the whole trail of the contaminated creek, but the creek leads into the river by my house. The river is thought to be able to absorb a certain amount pollutants, but I don't know why they even let any of it happen.
#11
Posted 23 July 2012 - 03:31 AM
This older article gives some of the everyday statistics of waste in water systems-and how many millions of
us become ill from it.
Considering that most towns and cities have sewer pipes that are decades old or older, it's no surprise.
Politicians talk about roads and bridges all the time, but you seldom here about replacing these vital pipes.
How quickly would we all be swimming in poop up to our eyeballs if these systems break?
Not a pretty picture.
"More than 9,400 of the nation’s 25,000 sewage systems, including those in major cities,
have reported violating the law by dumping untreated or partly treated human waste,
chemicals and other hazardous materials into rivers and lakes and elsewhere,
according to data from state environmental agencies and the EPA."
(And we all know which party wants to dismantle the EPA entirely.)
And in many areas that become flooded, the problem is even worse. Rainwater overwhelms the systems.
According to this article, we don't have a national reporting system on waste illnesses but about 20 million
people become ill each year from waste in our water systems.
http://www.nytimes.c...?pagewanted=all
us become ill from it.
Considering that most towns and cities have sewer pipes that are decades old or older, it's no surprise.
Politicians talk about roads and bridges all the time, but you seldom here about replacing these vital pipes.
How quickly would we all be swimming in poop up to our eyeballs if these systems break?
Not a pretty picture.
"More than 9,400 of the nation’s 25,000 sewage systems, including those in major cities,
have reported violating the law by dumping untreated or partly treated human waste,
chemicals and other hazardous materials into rivers and lakes and elsewhere,
according to data from state environmental agencies and the EPA."
(And we all know which party wants to dismantle the EPA entirely.)
And in many areas that become flooded, the problem is even worse. Rainwater overwhelms the systems.
According to this article, we don't have a national reporting system on waste illnesses but about 20 million
people become ill each year from waste in our water systems.
http://www.nytimes.c...?pagewanted=all
#12
Posted 23 July 2012 - 04:18 AM
That was quite disturbing 
I know they had to make the plant bigger where my Mom lives with new homes going up. They did that a few years ago. I just looked up about the plant in my town because I thought they just did work recently on ours but wanted to make sure. They expanded it in the 80s and now upgraded it again in 2010. As for the pipes underground, I believe they are still quite old. Anything from our town wouldn't effect this creek, but would the river. The creek is across the river in PA and it would not go as far upstream as they tested. I know NJ is strict about polluting the river, but I am not sure about the other side of the river. Tho businesses have been caught and fined heavily for dumping into the Delaware over the years.
My Aunt lives in the same town as me, and her house is the last house on her street before the highway. She is also on a downhill from her neighbors. She said that years ago the sewage pipe on her street got backed up and started coming into her house a little bit. The town came out and replaced the pipes there and did all the clean up quickly.
I know they had to make the plant bigger where my Mom lives with new homes going up. They did that a few years ago. I just looked up about the plant in my town because I thought they just did work recently on ours but wanted to make sure. They expanded it in the 80s and now upgraded it again in 2010. As for the pipes underground, I believe they are still quite old. Anything from our town wouldn't effect this creek, but would the river. The creek is across the river in PA and it would not go as far upstream as they tested. I know NJ is strict about polluting the river, but I am not sure about the other side of the river. Tho businesses have been caught and fined heavily for dumping into the Delaware over the years.My Aunt lives in the same town as me, and her house is the last house on her street before the highway. She is also on a downhill from her neighbors. She said that years ago the sewage pipe on her street got backed up and started coming into her house a little bit. The town came out and replaced the pipes there and did all the clean up quickly.
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