From Rosemere Neighborhood Association
Re: Article By Erik Robinson, Columbian Staff Writer
“Burnt by pollution”
April 29, 2004
In this article, Mr. Robinson states “Leaking septic systems are a major source of microbial pollution — at least 12.7% of the total, according to a 1999 study commissioned by the City of Vancouver — but the study also laid the blame on Mother Nature.” This figure has been widely misrepresented by the City of Vancouver in an attempt to downplay the severity of contaminants that come from human waste.
On page 23 of the Burnt Bridge Creek Microbial Source Tracking Report, Table 9 displays average measurements of microbial sources at six sampling stations along the Burnt Bridge Creek corridor. The table notes the various contributors to the contaminants, including human, avian, and animal sources. The figure quoted by Mr. Robinson, “at least 12.7% of the total” are attributed to leaking septic systems. The figure of 12.7% is only an average, and is therefore misleading. Four of the six sampling stations measure human related microbial contaminants at levels higher than the noted average: station 2 — 13%; station 5 — 15%; station 1 — 20%; station 9B — 22%. Where Burnt Bridge Creek enters Vancouver Lake, identified human isolates of e-coli reach levels of 20-22%. These figures represent only those microbial isolates that could be identified. An average of 36.4% of the isolates could not be identified. Part of these unidentified isolates are also expected to be from failed septic systems, and therefore, the measure of human-related e.coli in Burnt Bridge Creek is actually much higher than reported by the Columbian. Further testing will be required to identify more human-related strains of e.coli in the creek’s flow.
Mr. Robinson incorrectly infers that this figure of 12.7% represents the “total” of human related microbial contaminants in Burnt Bridge Creek. The Microbial Source Tracking Study focused on e.coli isolates alone. Septic waste contributes to many other bacterial, viral, and parasitical loads in the creek’s flow, but none of these additional pathogens have yet been measured in Burnt Bridge Creek. Historical incidents of typhoid and polio (enterovirus) have been linked to victims having direct contact with Burnt Bridge Creek. Hepatitis and cholera also appear with septic waste contamination. The dangers of E.coli are only part of the human health risk relative to Burnt Bridge Creek. Page 4 of the Microbial Source Tracking Report states, “Numerous pathogens are spread by fecal contamination of water. Examples are Vibrio cholera, Salmonella typhi, Giardia lamblia, Cryptosporidium parvum, E. Coli and Hepatitis A. These pathogens can be a risk to human health even at very low concentrations…Although there are human pathogens associated with fecal pollution of animal origin, the risk to human health would presumably be greater if contamination is caused primarily by human sources (mainly due to presence of human viruses.)”
The 1999 Microbial Source Tracking Report was prepared by the University of Washington, Southwest Washington Health District, and Newman Environmental Services, Inc., and also involved work from Coffey Labs and North Creek Analytical Labs. This report cost the taxpayers of Vancouver at least $176,000, yet the results were not revealed by the City of Vancouver. The apparent reason for this was to prevent the public from knowing the full extent of the problems with failed septic tanks in our community.
In the ABSTRACT section of the Microbial Source Tracking Report, the very first page of narrative analysis states “The most frequently identified source of E.coli bacteria in Burnt Bridge Creek is of human origin.” And, “The data strongly indicates that the source of human E.coli in Burnt Bridge Creek is from failed septic systems…” On this same page, the primary recommendation for the “control of microbiological pollution in Burnt Bridge Creek watershed” is to “reduce the number of septic tank systems in the watershed, especially those nearest to Burnt Bridge Creek.” In a Clean Lake Award contract with the Environmental Protection Agency 1978-1982, the City of Vancouver and Clark County were required to address the failing septic tank issues in the Burnt Bridge Creek Basin, but efforts to abate septic tanks have been far less than the target number. Furthermore, septic tank records controlled by the Clark County Health Department are incomplete, and septic tanks are not being properly inspected.
The Columbian has failed to report the full scope of this problem, even though its staff has frequently visited the Rosemere Neighborhood Association website where accurate information can be found. A Trend Analysis of 30 year’s worth of data indicates that contamination from wildlife has decreased over time, human source contamination has increased, and the health of Burnt Bridge Creek and Vancouver Lake has not improved. The efforts to clean up these waterways have been sloppy, mismanaged, and ineffectual, simply because water quality has not been a priority among the leadership of our community. What many people fail to understand is that, according a US Geological Survey, we live in a sole-source aquifer location. This means that the contaminants in our surface water mix with the groundwater (the source of our drinking water). State Health Department records show that E.coli has been reported in public drinking water sources in our community. The bottom line is that we must clean up the waterways in our community, or we will not have any water that is safe to drink.
