OLYMPIA, WA, Feb. 26, 2009 -- An increasing number of Washington's waters are getting cleaner faster, thanks to innovative water cleanup strategies when sources of pollution are apparent.
The findings come as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gives the state Department of Ecology a thumbs-up on its 2008 assessment of the state's waters. The new assessment provides the most up-to-date picture of the state's water quality, including the most current account of polluted waters.
"When the sources of pollution are obvious, we shouldn't waste time and money studying the problem," said Kelly Susewind, manager of Ecology's water quality program. "It's obvious that our waters are cleaner when we fix failing septic systems, keep livestock out of streams, create healthy vegetation for stream sides, and keep polluted runoff from entering storm drains."
The 2008 assessment notes such innovative strategies are working in Adams, Asotin, Garfield and Kitsap counties. The assessment counts 84 waters across the state that local jurisdictions have cleaned up this way. The 2004 list counted 23 waters.
And among the statewide totals, Kitsap County's innovative Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) Program accounted for cleanup of 19 waters on the 2004 list and 33 on the 2008 list.
Ecology shares the assessment online through a set of interactive maps that allow people to customize and sort areas by geographic location, pollutant type, degree of concern and other factors.
According to Mike Bussell, director of EPA's Water office in Seattle, Washington has taken a rigorous approach to assessing water quality and involving the public in the process.
"Washington continues to be a regional leader in monitoring the health of its waters," said EPA's Bussell. "Besides doing a good job cataloging their stream segments, they've clearly taken public involvement in the assessment process to a new level. Their Web site gives Washington residents an outstanding opportunity to participate and fosters a strong proprietary interest in protecting local water quality."
The assessment, which is required by the federal Clean Water Act, is a combination of the state's updated list of polluted waters plus a status of all state waters where monitoring has occurred. It includes data about water quality taken in the water column as well as data about sediment quality taken from fresh and marine waters. The assessment is based on data that Ecology received or collected as of December 2006. Ecology last issued its assessment in 2004.
Ecology and local jurisdictions use the assessment to identify pollution problems and set priorities for improving water quality so water can be safe for swimming, fish habitat and drinking. Ecology based the 2008 assessment on updated water quality standards Ecology submitted to EPA in December 2006. The new standards require colder water to assure healthy summertime spawning and rearing habitat for endangered fish.
The 2008 assessment added about 900 new water listings to the state's list of polluted waters, also called the 303(d) list. It counted approximately 800 waters where cleanup planning is under way. The innovative, speedy cleanups are a subset of this figure.
>> Find the 2008 Water Quality Assessment online
>> Read about the innovative cleanups
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