Tag: sewage
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A look at farm runoff and the worsening algae plague
Algae floats on the surface of Lake Erie’s Maumee Bay in Oregon, Ohio, on Friday, Sept. 15, 2017. Chemicals and manure intended to nourish crops are washing into lakes, streams and oceans, providing an endless buffet for algae. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya) Harmful algae blooms have become a top water polluter, fueled by fertilizers washing into…
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Water board reports highlighted health risk before hepatitis outbreak
San Diego officials were informed repeatedly of the dangers of disease-carrying runoff from homeless encampments into area waterways, as far as a decade before the current hepatitis A crisis spurred action. Typical of the volumes of reports is a 2015 city plan for Mission Bay, which cited hepatitis research in setting priorities for officials regarding…
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Private water wells in Texas test positive for contamination after Harvey
Nearly 60 percent of samples from 50 private water wells in Harris County tested positive for the bacteria sometimes found in feces, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, according to data released Wednesday. The presence of total coliform, the bacteria sometimes found in feces but more commonly in soil and floodwater, was detected along with…
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Factory Farms and Superstorms Don’t Mix
Hurricane impacts in coastal areas are generally from high winds and dangerous storm surge. In inland areas, flooding from heavy rain poses a bigger threat, and the devastating flooding that hit the Houston area from Hurricane Harvey’s 51 inches of rain is proof. It’s been reported that floodwater in some parts of the Houston area…
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Owners of private water wells should test well after floods
Texas Well Owner Network photo Owners of private water wells whose wells flooded from the recent rains should assume that their well water is contaminated until tested, according to Dr. Diane Boellstorff, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service water resource specialist, College Station. Well owners in flooded areas should assume their well water is contaminated and…
