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 [email protected].
Janice Kaspersen
Janice Kaspersen is the former editor of Erosion Control and Stormwater magazines.
