Local governments in Shenandoah Valley target hidden sources of water pollution

Through a project funded by the Virginia Environmental Endowment, several local governments in the Shenandoah Valley have been improving their capabilities to detect and eliminate sources of water pollution that are hidden from view, known as illicit discharges, which research suggests can contribute significantly to impairments of streams and rivers.

Potential culprits include sewer leaks and cross-connections with stormwater pipes, wash water that flows to storm drains, dumping of paint, oil, and other substances, failing septic systems and pump stations, and other sources where contaminants flow to storm drains and streams.

The Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC), with technical support from the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) has been spearheading the effort to build the technical capacity, resources, and know-how to successfully develop “Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination” (IDDE) programs in the region. Participating local governments have included the Cities of Harrisonburg, Staunton, and Waynesboro, Augusta County, the Town of Bridgewater, and James Madison University.

Each community participated in a series of illicit discharge clinics, which included walking streams to investigate outfalls, collecting samples, and testing samples for a number of key chemical parameters using portable and laboratory test kits. A customizable IDDE field and program guide was also produced for each of these communities as part of the project.

Erin Yancey, Regional Planner at CSPDC, sums up the importance of the IDDE efforts: “Maintaining the health of our local streams is not just about environmental stewardship, but is an important public health and economic issue in the Shenandoah Valley. The safety of our waterways impacts everything from major industries like agriculture and tourism, but also contributes to the overall quality of life in the Valley. Finding and eliminating hidden water pollution sources is a critical part of sustaining a healthy economy, both locally, and downstream.  Water from our region eventually flows all the way to the Chesapeake Bay.”

Yancey and David Hirschman, Program Director at CWP, will be presenting a session on this project at the 2015 Environment Virginia Symposium at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, March 31 – April 2, 2015.

For more information about protecting local water quality, visit cleanstream.org.