Several streams polluted

Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) has released a draft list of waterways that do not support the public's use of them, due to contamination from either waste water systems or pasture runoff.

A number of streams in the Duck River watershed are on the list, including some in Bedford County. The Duck River watershed consists of Bedford, Coffee, Marshall, Maury, Rutherford and Williamson counties.

The 2008 303(d) List is a compilation of the impaired waters in Tennessee that are "water quality limited" or are expected to violate water quality standards over the next two years.

Once a stream appears on the list, it is considered a priority for water quality improvement efforts, according to TDEC. The list is required by the Federal Clean Water Act, TDEC said.

If a stream is Category 5, it means one or more uses are not being met and a TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) is needed for the listed pollutants.

TMDL is a study that quantifies the amount of a pollutant in a stream, identifies the sources and recommends regulatory or other actions that may need to be taken in order for the stream to no longer be polluted.

Two sections of the Duck River are reportedly Category 5, contaminated with E. coli due to discharges from waste water systems, described as "Shelbyville area impacts." One section 1.6 miles long is listed due to "collection system failure," according to the report.

A total of 4.1 miles of Bomar Creek are Category 5 due to discharges from a municipal source and also contain E. coli.

E. coli can infect humans through scratches on the skin, cause ear infections and prompt illnesses with flu-like symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea and fever.

But a spokeperson for TDEC said last year that the presence of E. coli in Tennessee waterways "is by no means a unique situation."

When the state tests streams for E. coli, "these things would generally be found in areas impacted by agricultural runoff, urban runoff, failing septic systems, or sewage treatment plant collection systems that have infiltration and inflow problems," Communications Director Tisha Calabrese-Benton said last July.

For items that fall within the TDEC's regulatory authority, such as discharge permits, physical alterations of streams, and significant water withdrawals, the department regulates those and uses enforcement when necessary, she said.

"However, for those things that fall outside the department's regulatory authority, education and outreach becomes a key element in water quality protection."

She also noted that the state's adoption of water quality standards based on the E. coli group "is a step not yet taken by many other states."

However, a little over 12 miles of the Duck is also termed Category 4c, which mean it the impairment was not caused by pollution due to flow alteration. A little over two miles of Doody Creek also falls in the same catagory due to upstream impoundment.

Three miles of Muse Creek was designated Category 5 due to unrestricted cattle access, the report said.

A total of 21.7 miles of Suger Creek is Category 5 due to pasture grazing, because of the presence of nitrates and phosphates, alteration of vegetative cover and E. coli.

Many of the streams were given a Category 4a due to run off from pastures or livestock in the stream. Category 4a means that one or more uses are impaired but the Environmental Protection Agent has approved a fecal coliform TMDL that addresses known pollutants.

Those streams in Bedford County designated Category 4a due to pasture grazing, livestock or non-irrigated crop production are Wartrace Creek, Hurricane Creek, Fall Creek, two areas of Weakly Creek, Alexander Creek, three areas of North Fork Creek, Little Sinking Creek, Sinking Creek, Davis Branch, and Wilson Creek.

A little over 11 miles of Bell Buckle Creek also has E. coli contamination, as well as "loss of biological integrity due to siltation" and "physical substrate habitat alterations" due to livestock in the stream and a Minor Municipal Point Source. It also falls into Category 4a.

TDEC issued a Director's Order in March of 2005 concerning problems with Bell Buckle's sewer system. According to the state order, there were 61 instances of bypass overflow with the waste water system in 2004 which allowed an estimated 1.6 million gallons of partially treated wastewater to enter Bell Buckle Creek.

The town voted last week to ask TDEC to recend the director's order due to the fact that work has been completed on an equalization basin at the town's waste water facility.