Norwalk River Watershed Pollution

A view of a lake or river from one’s home may be viewed as desirable by some, but the situation may not prove so desirable to the waterway.

“Our view of prosperity is a view of the river,” said Dick Harris of Harbor Watch/River Watch.

“Homeowners take their lawns right down to the water’s edge. They chop down trees and brush and dump chemicals on the grass so it’s nice and green. All of that runoff goes right into the river.” And it is killing the waterway.

According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, nutrient-rich runoff coming from manicured lawns or office landscaping or parking lots — it’s called “non-point source pollution” — is now causing more problems than treated discharge from sewage plants along the waterway. All of that nitrogen- and phosphorous-laden water hits the river and flows into Long Island Sound, where it causes fish kills, lobster die-offs and algae blooms.

For the DEP, it is a water quality nightmare. “We’re putting more and more non-point source pollutants into the river,” said DEP Water Pollution Control Engineer William Hogan. “Who should have authority over it and how do we grant enforcement powers — no one knows. It’s simply not being discussed.”

Private landowners are the main culprits in generating non-point source pollution. Whether it’s a large condo development or a 5,000-square-foot house, those manicured lawns and long driveways or extra parking spots come at a price when they abut the Norwalk River, experts say. “The DEP can only regulate point-source pollutants,” Mr. Hogan said. “Our ability to treat wastewater keeps increasing, thanks to technology, and we’re putting in place standards for nitrogen and phosphorous.

Still, what applies today may not be enough in one or two years because we have no way of controlling the non-point source pollution.” Mr. Harris of Harbor Watch/River Watch, a water quality-monitoring group, said a classic example of greed-inspired non-point source pollution is how some nursing homes dispose of medical waste. “Nursing homes can’t return medicines,” Mr. Harris said. “They have to destroy them and the cheapest way to do that is to flush them down the toilet. They’re operating on an antiquated system when it comes to waste. The legislature tried to change that but it was defeated.” The medicines, when they hit the water, dissolve and have a massively detrimental effect on fish, Mr. Harris said. “We’re losing fish population because the fish are becoming sterile,” he said. “It’s very scary. The problem is no one can tell how long the effects will last.”

While most people don’t think twice when applying another layer of fertilizer or pesticide, some developers, such as Stephen Soler of Georgetown Land Development Company, say they see it as their responsibility to plan for non-point source pollutants.

“The problem is we can’t prevent people from doing dumb things,” Mr. Soler said. “Last year somebody poured chemicals into a sink that killed all the [bacteria] we depend on to help break down waste at our sewer treatment plant. We had to restart the entire process because of that.”

Mr. Soler’s company is redeveloping the former Gilbert & Bennett wire mill. In order to accommodate the redevelopment, the company paid for the expansion of the Georgetown Sewer Plant. Ultimately, Redding’s Water Pollution Control Commission will own and operate the plant.

Mr. Hogan said a major problem is the perception the federal Clean Water Act or the DEP can almost magically mandate water quality and runoff. It can’t. “Our authority is only over point-source pollution,” Mr. Hogan said.

Mr. Soler, who built a water treatment plant in Georgetown that includes vortex machines to trap non-point source pollutants, said the time for developing along rivers or the coast merely to make a fast buck is over. “We have to look at it holistically,” he said. “What gets blown off the roads or manufacturing sites or what runs off lawns all causes plumes (pollutants). That’s a comprehensive view and it’s something the state and EPA should start to do.”

The problems with non-point source runoff have reached the point where the DEP is starting to ask questions about development and land use, areas well beyond its current regulatory purview.

Mr. Hogan said the reason was simple. “We have to start looking at how land is used within watersheds or around rivers and lakes and streams,” he said. “The DEP can’t regulate that, but it’s something we have to look at it if we’re going to maintain our water quality.”

Mr. Harris said the solution, like the problem, starts with the individual homeowner. “The average person is not paying attention to water,” he said. “People are talking about solar panels and grocery bags but the ‘water’ word doesn’t come up. It gets down to us as citizens being very complacent and until we make some noise, it’s not going to change.”

This article appeared in the Weston Forum: Feb 20, 2008 "Inland pollution is dangerous to Norwalk River" by Chipp Reid of Hersam Acorn Newspapers

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