Nitrates in the Conodoguinet Creek

Conodoguinet Creek

Conodoguinet comes from an Indian word meaning "A long way with many bends". The creek was rightly named this for its twisting and bending path. The Conodoguinet Creek is approximately 90 miles long and flows east into the Susquehanna River. The creek drains an area of 470 sq miles that is occupied by both agricultural and developed land.

Map of Conodoguinet Creek

There are 33 permitted point source discharges into the Conodoguinet Creek. Water tested from wells in Cumberland county and in the Carlisle area near the Condoguinet Creek have nitrate concentrations that are among the highest in the nation, frequently exceeding 10 mg/L.

Water Pollution

The Environmental Protection Agency defines water pollution as ................. The EPA separates water pollution sources into two categories: Point Source and Non-Point Source pollutants. Point Source: water pollution are from locations such as sewage treatment plants, factories, and ships. Non-Point Source: water pollution primarily comes from agricultural run-off, mining sites, and paved roads.

Nitrates

What are nitrates?:

Nitrates are Nitrogen-Oxygen chemical units. The primary sources of organic nitrates come from human sewage and livestock manure. The primary inorganic sources of nitrates are potassium nitrate and ammonium nitrate both of which are widely used as fertilizers. Nitrates migrate to ground water which is often used as utility or drinking water. They do not evaporate naturally in water. The only way nitrates can be removed from water is if they are consumed by living organisms or treated at a water treatment center.

Nitrate Ion

Health Effects of Nitrates

Short-term and Long-term exposure can cause serious health effects to humans and the environment. Standards and regulations have been set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Current Regulations on Nitrates in Conodoguinet Creek

Point Source Regulations

Clean Water Act: The foundation of the clean water act was originally created in 1948 under the name "Federal Water Pollution Act". In 1972 it was revised and expanded, and then in 1977 amendments were made which earned it the the name the "Clean Water Act". The Clean Water Act has made it unlawful to discharge any pollutant from a point source into any navigable water sources unless a permit is attained. Under this law, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has regulated point source emissions by implementing pollution control programs. The EPA's national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES), is the permit program that regulates discharges from point sources.

CWA programs -National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program This program seeks to protect the health of the nations water sources by regulated point source polluters. The NPDES regulates approximately 15,000 publicly owned water treatment plants and about 85,000 industrial polluters. This program distributes permits, lasting five years long, that are distributed to single dischargers or group discharges. To obtain a permit the discharger must be able to control the pollution discharged, monitor emissions, and report discharges. As of the NPDES is able to distribute permits in 44 states and one territory also they are able to enforce compliance to the mandated standards by the EPA.

-The NPDES has four main subprograms under the name, wet weather enforcement programs. These subprograms are used to discharges from wet weather such as runoff or rain. The four main subprograms of NPDES consist of the Combined Sewer Overflow Program (CSO), Storm Water Program, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Program (CAFO), and Sanitary Sewer Overflow Program (SSO).

-CSO -Storm Water Program -CAFO -SSO

-Pretreatment Program The Pretreatment program has two main purposes. The first purpose is to stop the introduction of new pollutants that will harm the plant operations and to stop pollutants from going untreated, from publicly owned treatment works (POTW). The second purpose is to improve the opportunity that POTW’s have to reuse wastewaters and sludge that are generated form their plants. The federal, state, and local governments work together to ensure that these two purposes are met. The industries pre-treat their waste discharged into sewage treatment plants. The pretreatment program saves the local sewage systems from millions of dollars in investments of upgrades in facilities because industries pre-treat their discharges.

-Biosolid and Sludge Program

- Wetlands Dredged and Fill Material Program

- Oil and Hazardous Substances Spills Program

Link to clean water act: <http://epw.senate.gov/water.pdf>

Non-point Source Regulations

fertilizer regulations on farmers

Solutions

Stricter regulations

-less fertilizer per acre -require buffers

Education (focusing on farmers as non-point sources)

New technology