Water Pollution & ProtectionIn Spokane County

Brett Ford & Kyle Luiten

POLLUTION

Heavy Metals

– Arsenic– Beryllium – Cadmium– Hexavalent Chromium– Lead – Mercury

Arsenic

• Semi-metal natural element• Used as a wood preservative• Gets into water when:– Large deposits are eroded– Orchards create runoff– Glass and electronic production waste is washed

away

Beryllium

• Man made metallic element• Used for alloys in nuclear reactors and planes • Gets into water from:– Erosion of natural deposits– Industrial waste discharge

Cadmium

• Natural metallic element.• Used as a coating on transportation and

baking equipment • Can get into water from:– Corrosion of pipes – Erosion from natural deposits

Hexavalent Chromium

• Naturally occurring metallic element • Used as a metal alloy in various things• Gets into water when eroded from natural

deposits• Causes cancer

Lead

• Naturally occurring metallic element• Used in plumbing, paint and a variety of other

household items• Usually enters water through corroded pipes

Mercury

• Naturally occurring liquid metal • Used in fluorescent light bulbs and many other

items• Can get into water via:– Erosion of natural deposits – Runoff from factories, landfills, and farmland

• There are four types of chemical pollution– Heavy metals– PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)– PBDEs (Polybrominated diphenylethers)– Dioxins

• All of these pollutants can contaminate groundwater , aquifers and ordinary wells as well as rivers

Chemical Pollution

PCBs

• Organic chemicals that are used for:– Hydraulic fluids– Adhesives– Fire retardants – Capacitors

• PCBs get into water through runoff of landfills

PBDEs

• Man made• Combined with the chemical bromine – (dark red chemical from the halogen family)

• Used as a fire retardant and a furniture stuffer• It is uncertain how PBDEs enter the water – Found toxic in 2005

Dioxins

• Organic solids• Not used commercially in the United States• Get into water via runoff of waste incineration

Storm Water Pollution

• Water from large rainfalls and flash floods as well as normal floods

• On its way to the sea it collects pollutants• Supposed to drain off of streets– Overloaded sewers create contaminated floods

Household Pollutants

• Antifreeze• Motor oil• Paint• Pesticides• Pet/livestock waste

PROTECTION

What Needs Protection?

• Spokane River• Aquifer– Our source of clean drinking water– Wells and springs

• The local watershed

Spokane Aquifer

• One of the largest water supplies in the U.S.• Clean drinking water source• Many household items pollute the aquifer– Antifreeze– Paint– Motor oil

Spokane River

• 6th most polluted in the nation• Sewage / storm water drain overflows• PCB’s• Arsenic

• Tributary of the Columbia River– Everything we do goes downstream

What Are We Already Doing?

• Wastewater Treatment Plant– Controls polluted rainwater from the streets

• Spokane Riverkeeper– Education

• Hazardous waste pickup services– Mostly for those over the aquifer

Wastewater Treatment Plant

• Doesn’t just treat sewage• Anything that goes down the drain stops here– Most is treated before it pollutes the water table

Spokane Riverkeeper

• Educates people about our water– Protection as well as conservation

• Working to free the watershed of contamination– Result: The river will be returned to its original

state

Hazardous Waste Pickup

• Safe way to dispose of commercial hazards• Many in effect for those over the aquifer– Started recently to minimize pollutants– Replaces cheep dumping with cheep collection

• Spokane Solid Waste Management– Waste to Energy facility

What Do We Still Need To Do?

• Sewer Overflows (CSO)– Fats, Oils, and Greases

• Contaminating household products– Paints– Motor oil– Antifreeze

What Can We Do?

• Dispose of chemicals properly• Recycle metals• Control certain activities, such as:– Changing motor oil– Painting a house

admin. (2011, September 12). 20 Interesting Facts About Plastics. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Green Buzz: http://green-buzz.net/environment/20-interesting-facts-about-plastics/

Basic information about arsenic in drinking water . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation

Basic information about beryllium in drinking water. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/beryllium.cfm

Basic information about cadmium in drinking water. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/cadmium.cfm

Basic information about dioxin (2,3,7,8-tcdd) in drinking water. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/dioxin-2-3-7-8-tcdd.cfm

Basic information about mercury (inorganic) in drinking water. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/mercury.cfm

Basic information about polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs) in drinking water. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/basicinformation/polychlorinated-biphenyls.cfm

Bohlen, J., Boyd, K., Sadowski, N., Sabbangh, J., Cote, N., & Briolat, M. (2010, June 6). Categories of WaterPollutants. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Franklin Water Treatment:

http://franklinwatertreatment.blogspot.com/2010/06/categories-of-water-pollutants.html

Bromine | define bromine at dictionary.com. (n.d.). Retrieved fromhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bromine

Buda, M. (2012, May). Truth in Energy. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Michigan Country Lines:http://www.countrylines.com/2007/01/03/truth-in-energy/

REFERENCES

Chromium 6 in U.S. Tap Water. (2011, March 29). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Revolve:http://revolvewater.com/tag/hexavalent-chromium/

Clouds Over Spokane River. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Arnelorene Photography:http://arnelorenphotography.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/clouds-over-spokane-river.jpg

Combined Sewer Overflow Reduction. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Wastewater Management:http://www.spokanewastewater.org/csoreduction.aspx

Conservation [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.environ.org.uk/conservation/

Fats, Oils, and Greases. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Wastewater Management: http://www.spokanewastewater.org/FOG.aspx

Giovanni. (2011, August 1). Does Dioxin in Plastic Bottles Cause Cancer? Retrieved May 5, 2012, fromUrban Myths:http://www.urbanmyths.com/index.php?/Celebrity/does-dioxin-in-plastic-bottlescause-cancer.html

Here are some ways you can be the solution to stormwater pollution. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2012, fromWastewater Management: http://www.spokanewastewater.org/StormwaterTips.aspx

Identifying, Reporting and Preventing Illicit Discharges. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from WastewaterManagement: http://www.spokanewastewater.org/StormwaterIllicit.aspx

Jennifer 3. (2010, October). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Project Nursery:http://projectnursery.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/jennifer3.jpg

Laudan, A. (2012, Febuary 8). Work In Progress. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Adelle Laudan:http://adellelaudan.blogspot.com/2012/02/work-in-progress.html

Lead in drinking water. (n.d.). Retrieved fromhttp://water.epa.gov/drink/info/lead/index.cfm

REFERENCES

Missoula, MT. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missoula,_Montana

Polybrominated diphenylethers (pbdes). (n.d.). Retrieved fromhttp://www.epa.gov/oppt/pbde/

Production Service. (2010). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Express PCB:http://www.expresspcb.com/expresspcbhtm/SpecsProduction.htm

Realistic Water Drop Splash 11233. (2009). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Free Vector Gallery:http://www.freevectorgallery.com/realistic-water-drop-splash-11233/

Safety and health topics | battery manufacturing. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/metalsheavy/index.html

Sava, L. (2011, Febuary 23). Eco-friendly Wall Paints. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Homedit:http://www.homedit.com/eco-friendly-wall-paints/

Scrap Metal. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Anna Held Audette:http://www.annaheldaudette.com/Scrap%20Metal-%20Aluminum.jpg

Simmons, R. L. (2012). Irregular Verbs. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Chomp Chomp:http://www.chompchomp.com/irregular01/irregular01.htm

Sonya. (2011, July 13). Hard Water Solutions. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Thirsties:http://www.thirstiesbaby.com/blog/hard-water-solutions/

Spokane River Map. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Spokane Riverkeeper: http://www.cforjustice.org/wpcontent/uploads/2011/11/SpokaneRiverDec2011 WebsiteMap.peg

Spokane River: 6ty Most Endangered River of 2004. (2004, April 14). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Water Planet: http

://www.waterplanet.ws/endangeredriver/

REFERENCES

Spokane Riverkeeper. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Center for Justice:http://www.cforjustice.org/river/

Spokane Waste to Energy. (2012). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Spokane Waste to Energy:http://spokanewastetoenergy.com/

Stewart, D. (2012, January 22). Beryllium Element Facts. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Chemicool:http://www.chemicool.com/elements/beryllium.html

Students. (2011). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Dadeschools:http://www.dadeschools.net/students/academicAssist.htm

Welcome to the Waste Water Management Department. (2012). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from WastewaterManagement: http

://www.spokanewastewater.org/ Welded Tubes, Section Pipes. (2010, September 24). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Stainless Steel Tubes and

Pipes: http://steeltubes.blogspot.com/

What Is Stormwater. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Wastewater Management:http://www.spokanewastewater.org/StormwaterWhatIs.aspx

Zimmer, L. (2011, November 25). New Jersey Neighborhood Faced With Contaminated Drinking Water From30-Year-Old Chromium Leak. Retrieved May 5, 2012, from Inhabitat New York City:http://

inhabitat.com/nyc/new-jersey-neighborhood-faced-with-contaminated-drinking-waterfrom-30-year-old-chromium-leak/

REFERENCES