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Mecklenburg sounds off
Mecklenburg County's Response To "It's A Crapshoot" - and Creative Loafing's Rebuttal
Page 4 of 9
MCWQP Response (cont.):
2) The MCWQP considers any amount of sewage in a creek to be unsafe for human contact.
CL response: Again, Rozzelle said something different in his interview with CL for the article. On why they don't usually conduct fecal testing in creeks and streams, he said: "It is not an area where there is prolonged human contact. It is designated for infrequent body contact. . . .When it gets into a lake, the Catawba River, the reason we do that (test) is because there is a swimming area. We test to see if there are any human health impacts."
Although the article did not quote Rozzelle on these points, it relied upon his explanation of this information, which he is apparently now disputing. Again, we re-emphasize the point being made in this section that public health is important enough to warrant fecal testing when large sewage spills take place in residential areas with creeks and streams, followed by posting of warning signs in those neighborhodds. This is only a matter of common sense if, as Rozzelle says, any amount of sewage in a creek is unsafe for human contact.
MCWQP Response (cont.):
3) In these instances, the MCWQP's first priority is to identify the source of the discharge and to take appropriate measures to ensure that the discharge is ceased immediately and the affected area cleaned up.
CL response: The article did not dispute this. In fact, it emphasized the speed with which both MCWQP and CMU now respond to spills. The problem is that speed of response is too often the main concern rather than testing for damage to the water.
MCWQP Response (cont.):
4) If there are any swimming areas downstream of the sewer spill, signs are immediately posted and the public notified through press releases in accordance with the county's Waterborne Disease Outbreak Prevention Policy. The MCWQP leaves the no swimming signs in place until the sewer spill has been stopped and ongoing monitoring indicates acceptable bacteria levels have been reached.
CL response: The above is a description of how spills known to have reached swimming areas are handled. It is not an accurate description of how large spills to creeks and streams are handled.
To demonstrate this point, the article detailed the fallout after the 215,800-gallon spill into Steele Creek. In summary: MCWQP only conducted a dissolved oxygen test, the results of which violated state water quality standards. South Carolina authorities, who fully documented the downstream fallout of that spill, conducted fecal tests that showed two important facts rarely recorded by MCWQP: the extent of the spill and the amount of fecal bacteria in the water. (55 to 65 times higher than those considered safe for human contact). As the article pointed out, Steele Creek runs through residential backyards in which children play.
But without a series of fecal tests at various points downstream after a spill to a creek or stream, it is difficult to quantify the scope of the spill, how much of the creek is unsafe, how unsafe it is and how many neighbors should be notified. That, in combination with the fact that no warning signs are required to be posted along polluted streams creates a hazardous situation. Of course, many creeks and streams run into large bodies of water used for - guess what? - swimming. Without extensive testing downstream after a spill, it is difficult to tell how much pathogenic material ended up in swimming areas, much less how unsafe the creek or stream is along the way. This is a drastically needed improvement in how MCQWP operates.
* Creative Loafing Article:
"And that's where the problem lies. While county environmental officials are required to collect data to document that a spill has occurred, and make the case for a fine or other punishment, the state doesn't require that MCWQP actually perform any particular test on fouled streams and creeks, or any tests at all for that matter. Of course, how they would be able to document that a spill has occurred and make the case for a fine without testing the water is a mystery. Although MCWQP isn't required by the state to test the water, it seems reasonable that the organization specifically paid by the county to oversee our water quality would take it upon itself to test the water after sewage spills. In deciding not to collect evidence, the county fails to do its enforcement jobs and lets polluters off the hook." Page 26, 27 - Column 4 - Paragraph 2
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Mecklenburg sounds off
Mecklenburg County's Response To "It's A Crapshoot" - and Creative Loafing's Rebuttal
