Many agencies where I live work on pollution and water quality. Still, more can always be done

When it comes to protecting the environment, most of us like to think we’re doing as much as we can. We recycle, or volunteer for a conservation organization, or purchase organics or maybe ride the bus, bicycle or walk, hang our clothes to dry, wash with cold water. Or, we point our fingers at others, loggers, fishing operations, industrial outfits and maintain a blind eye to our own pollution, like non-point sources of pollution, those pesky pollutants which can’t be traced to an exact source, but for which each of us is a likely contributor. In some ways, the more we learn, the more overwhelming it becomes. Still, knowledge is power, so there is hope.
Non-point source pollution could be considered as any foreign substance that makes its way into any ecosystem, including natural and human-made pollutants that derive from sources other than a point sources such as “a pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation, or vessel or other floating craft, from which pollutants are or may be discharged.” The pollutants can be biological in origin, such as livestock or pet waste or contaminants from septic or sewers, in addition to such things as fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, oil, grease, paints and chemicals that are discarded in agricultural, residential or urban areas and then are washed into lakes, streams, rivers and oceans by rain or snow run-off. Sediments from construction or other land-use, as well as stream bank erosion can also be NPS. Other waste products from mining and other operations are NPS.
According to the EPA, “Nonpoint source pollution generally results from land runoff, precipitation, atmospheric deposition, drainage, seepage or hydrologic modification. The term “nonpoint source” is defined to mean any source of water pollution that does not meet the legal definition of “point source” in section 502(14) of the Clean Water Act.” Non-point source pollution is troubling because, as its name implies, it has no single point of origin. Instead, it has many sources and cannot be monitored precisely. It is of concern because these pollutants, which derive from household, urban, agriculture, forestry, mining and other practices, wind up in our water supplies. The specific types of NPS can be oil, anti-freeze, paint and other household cleaners, and many others.
As I went about my normal routine for the past week, I observed and did some thinking about places in my community that are possible sources of non-point source pollution. Starting with my own property and the ways my family and I live on it, I began to consider the Squilchuck Valley where I live, which is formed by a creek which drains into the Columbia River. I started to ask questions such as: What about my property and the creek which runs through it? Squilchuck Creek flows down from Mission Ridge, a ski resort. During the winter, thousands of people ski at Mission Ridge and this opens the door to many types of pollution, from oil and fuel leaks to other wastes discarded in the parking lot or other places. There are orchards, farms, cows, vineyards and more up and down the valley. There is an aquifer on my property, in the lower garden area, so what about the people who lived here before me? How did they manage the pests on the fruit trees and in the garden? In my garden, I have more than two dozen fruit trees, raspberries and vegetables, so I think about how we mitigate for bugs. I use organics, but I don’t know about the people before me. I also have chickens, two dogs, three cars, an army truck, and a biodiesel area. I compost chicken manure. But what about how we wash cars, discard pet waste, etc.? What about our septic system and those of our neighbors?
Any of the waste from any of these sources, or dumped on the ground here at my house or in the valley would make its way into Squilchuck Creek and eventually into the Columbia River. The EPA reports that “the most recent National Water Quality Inventory reports that runoff from urbanized areas is the leading source of water quality impairments to surveyed estuaries and the third-largest source of impairments to surveyed lakes.” Thinking about this made me think about the beautiful estuary down near town, the Horan Natural Area, a natural wetlands, which lies between the Wenatchee River and the Columbia River. It consists of “100 acres of wetlands, with 2 miles of gravel trails that connect 15 viewing stations, which reveal a variety of habitats for waterfowl, birds and mammals.” (Horan, brochure.)
On my way into town, I drive through South Wenatchee, at the bottom of Squilchuck, a dilapidated, poorly maintained area. Many yards contain garbage and currently the City of Wenatchee is engaged in a long-term clean-up of the area. A new housing development went in just as you start the climb up Squilchuck. Storm drains and concrete walls have been put in place to manage water runoff, and many developments include retention ponds for drainage.
The types of non-point source pollution I observed in my community included drops of oil in parking lots, from cars which have oil leaks. In various rural areas, such as along Squilchuck, I often see garbage which gets dumped as well as dead animals. These eventually disappear, and I am not certain whether nearby neighbors do some of the cleanup or if the county does this. With orchards and agriculture up and down the valley, there is much potential for pollutants such as oil and fuel leaks, due to the many farm vehicles, and pesticides. Also, waste from cattle and horses are sometimes seen on roadways, which eventually get into the water system. People dropping cigarettes onto the ground are another issue I’ve seen. When I look into the creek which runs through my property, I sometimes see debris which has been tossed in, tires, wood, garbage and other items. There is often garbage that gets thrown out into the road.
Regarding drinking water, many cities, including the city of Wenatchee produce “Water Quality Reports.” The City of Wenatchee has a website which describes its water quality program. From this website, I learned that our water comes from the Rocky Reach Aquifer. “Located just north of Rocky Reach Dam, the Eastbank Aquifer is the primary source of drinking water for the City of Wenatchee, East Wenatchee Water District and the Chelan County PUD. Aquifers, such as the Eastbank Aquifer, act as a natural filter and underground storage for water. The Eastbank Aquifer is recharged by the Columbia River, and as indicated by the high quality water it produces, the aquifer is an excellent filter. In addition, the Aquifer currently supplies an average of 10 million gallons per day to Wenatchee Valley residents and 30 million gallons per day to the PUD fish hatchery.”
Fortunately in my town and county, we have a several conservation organizations, which are working to maintain our land and water, such as the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, the Chelan County PUD, the Cascadia Conservation District and more. I discovered that our city and county have several programs which work together to improve water quality and to reduce or eliminate pollutants. One is the Wenatchee Valley Stormwater program and a Stormwater Utility which was created in 2008. The programs are administered by the public works department and they prepare and send out information regarding the program, helping people to better understand what to do and what not to do. This information can be found at http://www.co.chelan.wa.us/pw/stormwater/default.htm. For example, in January 2010, the Stormwater program sent a letter out to homeowners and addresses outside of city limits explaining the program.
At our city and county websites I discovered there are various activities designed to mitigate the pollution in my community. “Program pollutants carried in stormwater runoff are quickly becoming a leading cause of water pollution in rivers and lakes. The Urban Growth Area of Wenatchee falls under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II requirements which require a specific set of actions to meet these Clean Water Act mandates. Chelan County is required to get a stormwater quality permit from the Department of Ecology for this service area under the NPDES regulations. This NPDES Phase II planning area will have the same boundary as the new Chelan County stormwater utility. In February of 2007, the Washington State Department of Ecology issued the Eastern Washington Phase II Municipal Stormwater Permit to the City of Wenatchee, Chelan County, Douglas County and the City of East Wenatchee. This permit requires each jurisdiction to develop and implement a stormwater program with the goal of reducing the amount of pollution in stormwater.”
I discovered the stormwater goes into drains and pipes and then into rivers and streams, which would mean that it ultimately ends up in the Columbia River, which runs through the city. There is also a “Wenatchee Valley Stormwater Technical Advisory Committee (WVSTAC). Over the past five years this program has been developed and implemented. Additional information can be found on the WVSTAC webpage.”
In addition, the Department of Ecology has developed projects for Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL) of specific pollutants, for specific waterways, such as the Squilchuck Creek, and others, to improve water quality. Of course there are challenges faced by my city or agricultural area in trying to reduce these pollutants in order to be in compliance with a TMDL since it would be difficult to trace precisely where the contaminants are coming from. At the Department of Ecology’s website, I learned there is a table, which “lists overview information and links to specific water quality improvement projects (also known as total maximum daily loads, or TMDLs) for this county.” Some of the pollutants on the watch list include: DDT, PCB, Total Phosphorus, DDE, Dissolved Oxygen and pH, Fecal Coliform, and water Temperature.
The city of Wenatchee has a population of approximately 27,000 people. It is the largest city in the county and, is where the county seat sits, as well as a county/regional jail. There are many businesses in the city, and a bustling tourist industry. With regards to private business or individuals, I’m not aware of specific programs which deal with NSP, other than the ones mentioned above. I would like to research this more, as I have noticed some specific health problems here, such as cancers, sinus infections, asthma and others, more than I noticed when I lived in Seattle.
I believe there is much being done to mitigate non-point source pollution in my community, based on all the agencies and information I found. However, there is still a need to educate the public about this type of pollution, so that individuals and business owners can work to mitigate their own NPS issues. Before this project, I hadn’t heard of this term, even though I obviously know that oil, fuel and other wastes dumped on the ground do impact the water system. One issue that is troublesome is prescription drugs, which often get flushed down the toilets.

References:
Beall, Allyson, (2012) Lecture Carbon and Climate 2, WSU Media Center.
EPA site’s opening page for the links provided – http://www.epa.gov/owow_keep/nps/

• http://www.epa.gov/owow_keep/nps/whatis.html
• http://www.epa.gov/owow_keep/nps/whatudo.html

• http://www.epa.gov/owow_keep/nps/urban_facts.html
• http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/outreach/point7.cfm

• http://www.epa.gov/owow/NPS/Ag_Runoff_Fact_Sheet.pdf
• http://www.in.nrcs.usda.gov/technical/agronomy/newconbuf.pdf

• http://www.epa.gov/owow_keep/nps/healthywatersheds/
• Chelan County PUD Dist. No. 1, Conservation & Customer Service 661-8008; Water Dept. 661-4254.
• www.chelanpud.org/water-conservation.
• Brochure: WaterWays.
• Xeriscape. Riverfront Park Demonstration Garden. Designed and planted by WSU Master Gardeners in partnership with Chelan County PUD.
• Chelan-Douglas Land Trust.
• “How to Be a Salmon Friendly Gardener” Snohomish County Public Works.
• Wenatchee River Salmon Festival. Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery
• Cascadia Conservation District: Started a Watershed Stewardship Campaign in 2011.
• Chelan County Shoreline Master Program.