Effects of runoff on waterways unknown

By SHANESSA FAKOUR | The Brunswick News

Storm water drainage and runoff are threatening the health of Coastal Georgia's waterways, environmental officials say.

But there may be no clear indication of just how bad or not-so-bad the problem is.

Taking water samples and analyzing them for contaminants is expensive, acknowledges Lyn Mickelson, storm water compliance specialist for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

"Currently the only way we have to measure (the storm water management plan's) success is if the municipality is doing what it says for best management practices," Mickelson said.

Debra Sheppard, executive director of the Altamaha Riverkeeper, agreed that water monitoring is expensive but said it is necessary. It can prevent massive pollution build up over time, she said.

She said monitoring is not what it should be.

"It's unfortunate, especially in the coastal area, that the state and local governments haven't established ongoing water monitoring programs because that's when you can tell when something starts going wrong," Sheppard said. "When it's bad enough that you can see it ...you already have a lot of pollution in the waterways."

She said the riverkeeper's office works with citizens to identify pollution sites, document the pollution and ensure the appropriate agencies, usually the EPD, for enforcing the law are notified of the location.

"This region continues to experience nonsource point pollution from sediment run off from pollutants on land," Sheppard said. "Pollutants enter the water through drainage ditches and through natural bodies of water and ultimately end up in the marsh and ocean."

One example of this is visible in the 3700 block of U.S. 17, where trash litters the marsh. Glynn County's Public Works has cleaned the area in the past.

Rainfall and floods send water flowing across parking lots, driveways and streets, also known as nonpoint sources. It comes in contact with dirt, bacteria, chemicals and trash before spilling into rivers and streams untreated, EPD's Mickelson said.

"It's been found that nonpoint source and storm water pollution is currently the major cause of impairment in our rivers and streams," Mickelson said. "Counties have problems with people dumping paint cans and other types of household waste into ditches by the side of the road. People also think storm drains go through a sewer treatment system, and they dump used oil down there."

The county's storm water management plan, implemented in early 2000, addresses six issues for storm water. Among other things, it calls for educating the public and industries on ways to prevent storm water pollution.

"The easiest solution is to educate people and encourage them to look for alternatives, to not heavily fertilize their lawns and keep their cars in good conditions," said Kevin Chambers, director of communication for the Environmental Protection Division. He said oil leaking from cars will be carried into rivers and streams when it rains.

Chambers said some people need to break bad habits of dumping lawn clippings full of fertilizers into gutters because those lead directly into streams. Animal waste in yards is another common problem. He said people who pick up after their pets reduce the amount of bacteria entering waterways.

The coastal storm water supplement to Georgia's storm water manual provides a set of model ordinances for coastal governments that addresses both storm water and natural resources protection, said Jeannie Lewis, nonpoint source coordinator in coastal Georgia for the Environmental Protection Division at the Department of Natural Resources. The document looks at storm water from a holistic perspective, taking into account habitat and waterways.

"It puts Georgia on the leading edge for storm water management on the coast," Lewis said. "It uses a combination of tools that reduce storm water run off from the start. It's a combination of better site planning, better site design and identification of natural resources."