Unfamiliarity About Water Spurs Agency to Ask for Advice

Leaders of the Saginaw, Mich. Area Stormwater Authority want to educate the public, but first, they want the public to educate them.

Authority members have posted an online survey to determine where, when and whether people would meet for information about preserving and improving Saginaw County waterways.

They say public education will help keep less-understood contaminants such as fertilizer, grass clippings and even loose soil from washing into the river system.

"Most people don't have the foggiest idea when it rains where that water goes or what effect it has," said Saginaw County Public Works Commissioner Jim Koski.

They may not realize that by washing their car in the driveway, they are letting detergents slip into storm drains and out to the river. Those detergents promote algae growth, which can lead to a nose-pinching stink.

They may not realize that grass clippings, washed into the gutter after a spring mow, can hurt the sport fish population by reducing the amount of oxygen in the water.

But before the authority can make those points, its leaders have to figure out how and when to tell people about them.

Should they meet in the morning or evening? Should they schedule a high school gymnasium or government office? Should they advertise in a newspaper or on cable television?

The survey is available online at www.saswa .org.

Russell A. Beaubien, project manager for Spicer Group, said public participation is required by federal law and is essential for containing a pollution problem that seeps from innumerable residential and commercial sources.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now requires communities to crack down on stormwater pollution. Municipalities must seek a discharge permit and actively seek to keep sediments, motor oils, fertilizers and other inconspicuous contaminants from washing down the drain.

"If you get people to change their behaviors, that is 80 percent of the battle," Beaubien said.

"It will deal more with the public perception of water quality issues and what (people) would like to see," Beaubien said. "Are they interested in canoeing? Are they interested in fishing? Do they want to see expanded fishing opportunities?"

Authority members will use those responses to chart a course for long-term improvement of the Saginaw watershed and to refine public education campaigns.

The surveys are brief. The first one has six questions; the next will have about 15.

The stormwater authority formed in 2002 to bring Saginaw in sync with federal clean water standards.

The committee now consists of 12 municipalities and seven other stakeholders, including Saginaw County, the Saginaw County Road Commission and various educational institutions.

Source: AP