The Great Bug Hunt
In its summary of
impaired waters and total maximum daily loads, the EPA lists pathogens as by far
the leading cause of impairment in 303(d)-listed waters nationwide, with the
most common being fecal coliform or E.
Coli. It’s relatively easy to
detect pathogens in the water—and to issue the resulting swimming advisories or
whatever other actions are needed—but, as anyone who has tried to track down the
source of contamination knows, it can be devilishly difficult and extremely
expensive to identify what exactly is causing the problem.
A large study is
now underway to do just that along the Ohio River. High levels of fecal coliform
have been recorded in about 500 miles of the river, or more than half its
length, over the last 17 years. What’s unusual about this study is its size: Six
states are involved, all bordering the river and, thus, having a stake in its
health.
Agriculture is
suspected as a major source of pathogens in this 200,000-square-mile watershed,
both from animal waste and from manures used as fertilizer. Other suspects are
nonpoint-source pollution from cities along the river, combined sewer overflows,
and possibly sewage treatment plants.
Will the study
make a difference? Identification is only the first step; changing the situation
is another. Although it will be up to individual states and cities to act once
the results are in, the study—as similar large-scale EPA studies have
done—should act as a sort of public outreach tool to make people aware of what’s
causing the problem and make it easier to muster the resources to tackle
it.
Paperless
Stormwater
Are you running out of shelf space, or feeling
slightly guilty about the amount of paper you generate in an average workweek?
Starting with this issue of Stormwater, you can get the magazine in its digital edition
instead of—or in addition to—the printed copy.
Advertisement
The articles from
each issue, along with additional Web-only content, will still be available on
our Web site, www.stormh2o.com, for you to read and comment on. But the digital
version is something different—an exact reproduction of the printed magazine
with its original layout, including the ads (you can click on them to link
directly to the advertisers’ Web sites).
You’ll soon be able to
sign up for the digital version on our site when you renew your subscription
online. If you’re one of the many readers who gets a pass-along copy of
Stormwater—that is, it’s routed through your department and several
people share it—you can now get your own digital copy as soon as the magazine is
published. Give it a try and let me know how you like it at janice@forester.net.
Author's Bio: Janice Kaspersen is the editor of Stormwater magazine.
March-April 2009
The Great Bug Hunt
In its summary of
impaired waters and total maximum daily loads, the EPA lists pathogens as by far
the leading cause of impairment in 303(d)-listed waters nationwide, with the
most common being fecal coliform or E.
Coli. It’s relatively easy to
detect pathogens in the water—and to issue the resulting swimming advisories or
whatever other actions are needed—but, as anyone who has tried to track down the
source of contamination knows, it can be devilishly difficult and extremely
expensive to identify what exactly is causing the problem.
A large study is
now underway to do just that along the Ohio River. High levels of fecal coliform
have been recorded in about 500 miles of the river, or more than half its
length, over the last 17 years. What’s unusual about this study is its size: Six
states are involved, all bordering the river and, thus, having a stake in its
health.
Agriculture is
suspected as a major source of pathogens in this 200,000-square-mile watershed,
both from animal waste and from manures used as fertilizer. Other suspects are
nonpoint-source pollution from cities along the river, combined sewer overflows,
and possibly sewage treatment plants.
Will the study
make a difference? Identification is only the first step; changing the situation
is another. Although it will be up to individual states and cities to act once
the results are in, the study—as similar large-scale EPA studies have
done—should act as a sort of public outreach tool to make people aware of what’s
causing the problem and make it easier to muster the resources to tackle
it.
Paperless
Stormwater
Are you running out of shelf space, or feeling
slightly guilty about the amount of paper you generate in an average workweek?
Starting with this issue of Stormwater, you can get the magazine in its digital edition
instead of—or in addition to—the printed copy.
The articles from
each issue, along with additional Web-only content, will still be available on
our Web site, www.stormh2o.com, for you to read and comment on. But the digital
version is something different—an exact reproduction of the printed magazine
with its original layout, including the ads (you can click on them to link
directly to the advertisers’ Web sites).
You’ll soon be able to
sign up for the digital version on our site when you renew your subscription
online. If you’re one of the many readers who gets a pass-along copy of
Stormwater—that is, it’s routed through your department and several
people share it—you can now get your own digital copy as soon as the magazine is
published. Give it a try and let me know how you like it at janice@forester.net.