Water pollution sp 09

Clean Water Act of 1972

The Clean Water Act of 1972 was one of the first actions the United States made in their efforts to create cleaner water standards and regulations. Under the Clean Water Act, water being emitted into a navigable water source is subject to water quality laws that are site-based and different for each body of water. In order to legally emit water into a navigable water source you must obtain a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency and follow strict guidelines and quality standards. Under the Act, those who violate the standards are subject to financial fines and potential prison sentencing. The Clean Water Act is the primary policy water standards policy in the United States. The Act has been amended frequently to reflect a change in standards. For example provisions were added in 1987 to include nonpoint pollution management (EPA).

Water Quality Standards

In determining the acceptable amount of pollution, a risk-based standard is used. Each body of water is considered different with site-specific standards. In determining the standards they assess what the body of water is used for taking into account recreation, water supplies, aquatic life and habitats. Once the body of water has been assessed a water quality criteria is used to apply a numeric pollution allowance. Included in the water quality criteria is a list of all the pollutants and the allowable amount of each. Those who obtain a permit from the Environmental Protection Agency are required to abide by the water quality criteria and self-monitor their discharges to assure that they are not in violation of the standards (PA Code).

Monitoring

Each permit holder is responsible for monitoring and submitting their results to the Environmental Protection Agency summarizing their discharge. In the discharge reports they report each type of chemical that they are emitting and the amount in parts-per-million being discharged. In order to assure that each permit holder is being truthful in their reports the Environmental Protection Agency performs random inspections to make sure what they find matches the self-monitored discharge reports. There are major disincentives to not being truthful in discharge reports and not meeting the criteria standards set for the specific body of water (EPA).

Enforcement

In the event that a permit holder violates the water quality standards there are significant financial and social consequences. For the first offense, there is a minimum fine of $2,500 and a maximum of $25,000 per day of violation. For the second offense there is a maximum fine of $50,000 per day, along with a maximum jail sentencing of one year. These penalties are enforced when a permit holder unknowingly violates the standards. When violations are knowingly made, there are much greater consequences. A fine of $250,000 and up to 15 years of imprisonment can be assessed to an individual and up to $1,000,000 fines for an institution. The Environmental Protection Agency has such great penalties for violating the standards because they want to discourage the temptation of trying to get away with violating the standards. With such high penalties people and organizations are much more willing to follow the standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. Code Collection).

Carlisle Water Treatment Plant

The Carlisle Water Plant was created in 1853. Updates on the facilities have been done in 1932, 1949, 1965, 1993 and in 2002. The Water Plant provides clean water for the Borough of Carlisle and North Middleton. The Conodoguinet Creek provides the water, which is treated to meet Federal and State regulations for clean water. In case of an emergency the Plant has connections with South Middleton and North Middleton, which can provide up to 1,500,000 gallons per day (gpd) of clean water. In order to assure that the water is completely safe and clean there are tests preformed to check taste and color of the water to make sure they meet the Safe Drinking Water Act. To meet the demand of the clean water the plant is open 365 days a year and 24 hours a day (Bureau of Carlisle).

Partnership for Safe Water Program

The Partnership for Safe Water Program is a voluntary organization whose motive is to maintain and prevent water treatment facilities. This organization is made up of the DEP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Pennsylvania Section American Water Works Association. There are three mandatory stages in The Partnership for Safe Water Program process and one optional stage Carlisle just finished phase three. Currently 110 treatment plants that are serving 5.2 million people are a part of this program. This program, though fairly new, has helped create a safer drinking water for a growing population (DEP 2009).

Phases of Partnership for Safe Water Program

The four phase process begins with Commitment. During this stage water treatment facilities commit themselves to changing the focus of water treatment from just trying to meet the standards to evaluating weaknesses and correcting them, regardless if standards are met. In order to make the commitment a water treatment facility must fill out an application and be in compliance with water standards for the preceding 6 months.

Phase two is the data collection phase. During this phase water treatment plants send a years worth of daily data to the American Water Works Association (AWWA). The data is analyzed using a technical manual and two software applications. The analysis is repeated yearly, providing valuable information to participants.

Phase three is the self-assessment phase. During self assessment, the water treatment facility looks at all plants of its operations and administration. Upon completion of the self-assessment, the plant develops a plant for implementation of corrections. The report includes a summary of the performance limiting factors, the corective steps taken, and performance improvements shown. The report is reviewed by the Partnership Program Effectiveness Assessment Committee.

The fourth and final phase is an optional peer review. In order to participate in the peer review, plants must be Directors Award winners. Facilities that complete this phase receive the "Excellence in Water Treatment" award.

Water Contaminants

Agricultural Runoff

Agricultural Runoff is one of the leading contributors to water quality impacts on surveyed lakes and rivers in the United States (EPA 2005). In Carlisle it is the most significant potential contributor to the contamination of local water sources such as the Conodoguinet Creek. Agricultural runoff is the result of both crop growth and animal feeding operations (Bureau of Carlisle 2007).

Crops

Soil sedimentation is the most prevalent source of water contamination due to agricultural runoff. Rainwater washes soil off fields polluting streams and water sources nearby. This excess soil clouds water and damages aquatic plants by eliminating their source of sunlight. This soil can also clog the gills of fish and other aquatic wildlife (EPA 2005).

Fertilizers and pesticides attached to these soil particles also have an adverse effect on water quality. The agricultural industry has become increasingly dependent on the use of fertilizers and pesticides. Fertilizers contain high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous. When phosphorous is carried into water sources it leads to accelerated eutrophication of these waters, limiting their use for fisheries, drinking, and recreation (Lal 1994).

Animal Feeding Operations

Farmers confine animals to small areas in order to make feeding and maintaining these animals more efficient. These areas then become sources of animal waste. If farmers don’t properly maintain their animal feeding operations, this waste which carries bacteria and viruses as well as oxygen-demanding organic compounds, runs off into nearby water sources. Animal waste can also seep into and contaminate groundwater (EPA 2005).

Urban Runoff

The permeable and varied nature of the terrain in natural landscapes allows water to seep into and filter through the ground and therefore runoff tends to reach water sources gradually. In cities and urban landscapes, water flows directly over the land on the surfaces of roads, bridges, and parking lots. As water drains into sewage systems, it gains speed causing erosion and widening stream channels. This damage results in “lower water depths during non-storm periods, higher than normal water levels during wet weather periods, increased sediment loads, and higher water temperatures.”

Urban runoff carries pollutants from a number of sources. Lawn care chemicals, roadway pollutants such as excess oil and gas, bacteria from failing sewage systems are the main contributors to water quality problems. All of these pollutants flow into local water sources harming the fish and wildlife populations, damaging native vegetation, and contaminating drinking water sources (EPA 2008).

Industrial Discharge

During fall semester 2008, students researched specific sources of industrial discharge including the Huntsdale Fish Hatchery, the Land O Lakes factory, the Harrisburg Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility, and P.H. Glatfelter Company. The link to view their research is below:

http://wiki.dickinson.edu/index.php?title=Local_Water_Quality_Fa_08

Land O Lakes

The Land O Lakes Factory is a large dairy facility located in Mount Holly Springs, PA. It is the largest butter plant on the east coast, processing over 400 thousand pounds of butter every day (Dairy America 2009). The facility has been permitted by the State Department of Environmental Protection to dump treated waste water into a nearby stream which flows into Mountain Creek.

Land O Lakes has routinely violated the Clean Streams Law due to plant malfunctions or other unusual events. Violations date back to 1995 and have occurred more recently in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2008. Each violation results in a civil penalty fee that the facility must pay to the Department of Environmental Protection in order to keep their permit.

Recent Violations

Last year the facility violated the Clean Streams Law twice, in the summer months of June and July. Both of these violations caused numerous fish deaths and the pollution of Mountain Creek. As a result of these violations Land O Lakes was ordered to pay a violation fee of $55,152.

In early April 2009 small white globs found floating in Mountain Creek, which were determined to be bubbles of fat caused by a combination of pH levels and temperature. The facility took action to remove these globules immediately. The company is looking into taking action to prevent these events from occurring in the future. They are expected to install additional equipment which will help filter out waste and they are also looking to relocate the location of the industrial waste discharge to a larger channel of Mountain Creek (Ciccocioppo 2009).

Carlisle Water Quality

According to the 2007 Carlisle Water Quality Report, Carlisle met or exceeded all water quality standards. The chart displays some of the things Carlisle tests for to ensure it meets or exceeds standards. Currently, the treatment plant is keeping Carlisle water clean and safe for its residents. However, it must continue to monitor the threats to its water supply: agricultural runoff, urban runoff, and industrial discharge.

*EPA MCL for Fluoride is 4 ppm. However, Pennsylvania has set a lower MCL to better protect human health.

**Total Organic Carbon provides a medium for the formation of disinfection byproducts such as trihalomethanes and halocetic acids.

Carlisle was required to remove at least 15-20% of the TOC based on the alkalinity of our source water. The highest level detected is actually the least amount of TOC removed per month based on a rolling annual average.

1. The most recent test for barium was in 2002.

2. Free or total chlorine residual is measured in the water distribution system to assure that the water supply is properly disinfected.

3. Compliance for TOC removal is based on a rolling annual average, therefore some of the data in the table is from 2006.

4. Dichloromethane was detected in 2005.

5. Certain minerals are radioactive and emit this form of radiation. The most recent test for alpha emitters occurred in 2003.

The chart clearly shows Carlisle either meets or exceeds water standards. Standards are created by the Federal government except in instances where the state of Pennsylvania has set me stringent guidelines. These are not all the chemicals that Carlisle tests for, but these where the ones that appeared in a significant amount (Bureau of Carlisle).

ALLARM

ALLARM is The Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring. According to its website, “ALLARM is an organization based out of the Environmental Studies Department at Dickinson College. The ALLARM staff includes two full time professional staff, a science director/faculty director, and 12-14 Dickinson students. ALLARM's primary mission is to support Pennsylvania communities and individuals who strive to protect and restore watersheds by collecting water quality monitoring data. We provide technical support to local watershed groups, based on the unique needs and concerns of the community. Furthermore, we assist communities at every stage of the monitoring process, from defining the questions to collecting and analyzing the data to interpreting and communicating data stories. Finally, we engage in projects of our own that improve watershed quality, such as; a K-12 environmental education program, aquatic research, a storm water education project, and public education and outreach.” ALLARM provides an important service to the Carlisle community. It raises awareness about water quality issues both in the community and in the college through fliers and special programs like the Letort Festival. The Letort festival is an annual spring festival started in 2008 that raises awareness about the Letort Spring Run. The Festival is one day event beginning with a Stream Clean Up in the morning and culminating with a festival in Pomfret St. ALLARM is an important organization in the community helping ensure Carlisle’s water remains at a high level (About ALLARM).

References

"About ALLARM." Dickinson College. 04 May 2009 <http://www.dickinson.edu/storg/allarm/AboutALLARM/AboutALLARM.html>.

Bureau of Carlisle. “2007 Annual Water Quality Report” 2007.http://carlislepa.govoffice2.com/vertical/Sites/%7BDAE19CE2-0C18-44BC-A364-9960FD11CF6F%7D/uploads/%7BFE296189-7230-4B36-847E-0E6F19A596CA%7D.PDF (accessed April 23 2009)

Bureau of Carlisle. "Sewer Treatment Plant/Water Treatment Plant Division." Public Works Department. http://www.carlislepa.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={82D79140-E77A-4CFD-AC00-417AF0422A3C} (accessed April 23 2009)

Ciccocioppo, Andrea. “Land O Lakes Dealing with DEP Violation.” From The Sentinel. April 2009. http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2009/04/21/news/local/doc49edc63d9119a027285460.txt (accessed April 23 2009)

Dairy America. “Land O Lakes, Inc. – Carlisle” 2009. http://www.dairyamerica.com/lol_carlisle.html (accessed April 22 2009)

Department of Environmental Protection. "Partnership for Safe Water." April 2009. http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/watermgt/wsm/wsm_dwm/complian/PartSafWatr-Articles.htm (accessed April 23 2009)

EPA. “Introduction to the Clean Water Act.” http://www.epa.gov/watertrain/cwa/ (accessed April 30, 2009)

Lal, R. and Bobby Alton Stewart. Soil Processes and Water Quality. CRC Press: 1994.

PA Code. “ Protected Water Uses.” http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/025/chapter93/s93.3.html. (accessed April 22, 2009)

U.S. Code Collection. “Enforcement.” http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/33/1319.html (accessed April 25, 2009)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Managing Urban Runoff” February 2008. http://www.epa.gov/nps/facts/point7.htm (accessed April 22 2009)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Protecting Water Quality from Agricultural Runoff.” March 2005. http://www.epa.gov/owow/nps/Ag_Runoff_Fact_Sheet.pdf (accessed April 22 2009)