Pollution Control Plan
Date Plan Created/Updated
n/a
Process for Creating SPD/Plan
Pierce County Surface Water Management (SWM), the Pierce Conservation District (PCD) and Tacoma-Pierce County Health District (TPCHD) formed a team of people working together to protect and improve water quality in the shellfish areas of Pierce County. The team created a response plan and a map for each of the three SPDs. Different agencies took the lead for various actions in each area/SPD. This team was formalized in 2006 as the Pierce County Shellfish Partners.
Links to Pollution Control Plans
The Pollution Control Plans were used for a number of years but for the past five years or so, water quality teams have helped guide the work in the Burley Lagoon SPD and the Filucy Bay SPD. The Burley Lagoon Water Quality Team meets quarterly. The Filucy Bay Water Quality Team had been meeting twice a year but changed to quarterly meetings about a year ago. The pollution control work has been formalized over the past two years, using grant funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Washington State Department of Health (Health), and is documented in a PIC Manual authored by TPCHD. Funding from a Health Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) Grant has also enabled the Pierce County Shellfish Partners to develop a Strategic Plan.
Burley Lagoon Watershed Protection District (PDF)
Filucy Bay Watershed Protection District (PDF)
Rocky Bay- Issued in 1995 (PDF) and Rocky Bay - Issued in 1996 (PDF)
Pollution Source: On-Site Sewage Systems (OSS)
Identifying Potential Pollution Source
Failing OSS are identified through complaints, sanitary surveys, water quality sampling (shoreline evaluations and upland sampling), pumper and Operation and Maintenance (O&M) reports, and self-referrals.
Validating Source of Pollution
An OSS is verified to be failing through an investigation either by the TPCHD Code Enforcement Program or the Septic Repair Facilitator (SRF). The SRF is a position that was initiated through a Puget Sound EPA grant and this individual investigates sources of bacterial pollution in the shellfish watersheds of Pierce County. Once a pollution source has been verified, the SRF facilitates the correction of the problem. Verification of a failing OSS usually involves a dye test, sometimes using charcoal packets and collecting additional water samples for bacterial analysis.
Verifying Pollution Source Has Been Corrected
If a new, replacement OSS is installed, TPCHD approves the design and installation of the system. If a failing OSS is repaired, the system is usually dye tested (again) to verify the problem has been corrected.
Establishing a Threshold (concentration, number of counts or flow rate)
The County considers any flow rate over one gallon per minute as worthy of sampling. Lower flows may also be sampled if there is an indication of a failing OSS (sewage odor, excessive algae growth, etc.). Shoreline samples are considered elevated when fecal coliform results are 200 cfu/100mL or greater. Confirmation sampling is performed at sites where the initial fecal coliform result is elevated. The County uses a dye test resulting in visible dye either on the ground or using charcoal packets, and a fecal coliform count of 200 cfu/100mL or greater to confirm system failure. Occasionally false positives are seen. There are a fair number of sites with high counts and when a dye test was performed no dye was observed.
Pollution Source: Agriculture
Identifying Potential Pollution Source
TPCHD monitors fecal coliform counts in streams and other tributaries to the shellfish bays. If high counts are determined to be caused by poor animal keeping practices, TPCHD sends a letter to the property owner notifying them of the concern and that this is a violation of 90.48 RCW. The letter requests the property owner work with Pierce Conservation District (PCD) to address the problem. If the property owner decides to work with PCD, TPCHD will check periodically with PCD as to progess with the site. If the property owner chooses not to work with PCD, TPCHD requests the Washington State Department of Ecology's (Ecology's) assistance, including enforcement if necessary, to ensure the problem is corrected. Pierce County Surface Water Management (SWM) may also become involved if the flow from the property is going into Pierce County's stormwater drainage system, since the flow would be a violation of Pierce County's illicit discharge ordinance.
Validating Source of Pollution
TPCHD collects water samples downgradient of the property, and upgradient when possible, to verify that the property is the source of the high fecal coliform counts.
Verifying Pollution Source Has Been Corrected
If the property owner works with PCD and implements the recommended actions, TPCHD will continue to collect water samples to confirm the problem has been corrected. If Ecology is brought in, TPCHD works with them as needed to ensure the problem has been corrected.
Other Pollution Sources
Pet Waste
SWM and, to some extent, TPCHD address pet waste through education. If there is a significant problem, the TPCHD Code Enforcement Program may become involved to correct the problem.
Wastewater Treatment Plant
The only time this has been an issue is when there was a spill from a sewage lift station.
Other (including wildlife, stormwater, marinas)
SWM has an illicit discharge detection and elimination program as required under its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase I Municipal Stormwater permit. The county can enforce any pollution discharged into its MS4 system or directly into any surface water in unincorporated Pierce County.