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UD vs. Northern Kentucky
Magic visits with area students
Water quality
Data show that water pollution was overstated
Miami Conservancy District's findings suggest water cleaner than EPA estimates.
Monday, February 18, 2008
DAYTON — Water-quality data collected through a Miami Conservancy District program suggest the water may be far less polluted by phosphorus than regulators had thought.
The data call into question the reliability of Ohio Environmental Protection Agency estimates of how much pollution is discharged in watersheds.
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"It's a bit disquieting that what we thought we knew is not correct at all," said Douglas "Dusty" Hall, the Conservancy's program development manager. "The regulatory system is based on the premise that you have good science driving policy decisions."
Conceivably, he said, tens of millions of dollars may be spent to improve water quality based on inaccurate information.
The Conservancy, whose program covers Ohio's portion of the Great Miami River watershed, estimated 167,753 kilograms of phosphorus was discharged between April 2005 and April 2006 in the portion of the watershed drained by the Stillwater River. Comparable amounts of phosphorus were discharged the next year, Hall said.
That's far lower than the Ohio EPA's recent baseline estimate of 669,579 kilograms and the EPA's goal of 225,693 kilograms.
Too much phosphorus can harm aquatic wildlife by depleting oxygen in the water. The nutrient is discharged by sewage treatment plants and farms.
Ohio EPA spokeswoman Heather Lauer said the amount of nutrients discharged in a watershed can vary significantly due to rainfall and other factors.
