Oak Harbor has Puget Sound’s future in mind

The city of Oak Harbor is about to bring Puget Sound’s newest wastewater treatment plant online. It’s designed to fit alongside a revitalized downtown park, service the community’s needs for many years, and contribute to continuing efforts to restore and protect water quality in the Sound.  

The administration building at Oak Harbor's new wastewater treatment

plant will include an interpretive center and multi purpose space. 

Oak Harbor dedicated its new plant, located on the Whidbey Island city’s namesake inlet, today. We couldn’t be happier to be part of the celebration. 

We’ve provided over $105 million dollars in financial assistance, through low interest loans and grants, for design and construction of the $128 million dollar project.

New capacity

The plant will be able to treat up to 5 million gallons of wastewater per day. The city’s current daily volume is about 1.5 million gallons, serving about 22,300 people.

“I want to commend the city for its early and ongoing proactive community outreach and communication. The city went to great lengths to ensure that information was shared with its citizens from planning through construction,” said Jeff Nejedly, who oversees Ecology’s Water Quality grants and loans, at the ribbon-cutting event.

Jeff Nejedly, financial assistance supervisor, and Shawn McKone,
municipal wastewater treatment plant permit manager, were among
Ecology's staff who helped the city develop the new facility.

The new all-indoor plant replaces two outdated facilities. One was a smaller city-owned plant that was located near the new plant site. The other is a large wastewater lagoon plant located at Naval Air Station Whidbey – Seaplane Base.

Advanced technology

Oak Harbor’s new system treats wastewater with membrane bioreactors, or “MBRs.” The advanced technology uses ultra-filtration membranes to remove solids left over after beneficial microbes digest the city’s sewage. The result is water that has had most of its impurities removed and residual solids that can be further processed for beneficial use as a fertilizer.

“This advanced wastewater treatment system is capable of producing high-quality “Class A” reclaimed water that can be used for irrigation in parks and in other public areas. This can reduce dependence on drinking water sources for activities that don’t require drinkable water,” said Nejedly.

Oak Harbor's new treatment plant, upper right, nears completion
next to Windjammer Park, center, undergoing its own upgrade.

Re-usable water

The first planned use for the plant’s reclaimed water will be irrigation for the adjacent Windjammer Park, which the city is redeveloping in tandem with the treatment plant project.  The city is in the process of finalizing a proposal to divert a portion of the water produced at the facility for these purposes.

The MBR technology is capable of producing water that contains lower levels of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, than conventional wastewater treatment systems. Excess nitrogen can cause conditions that upset the Puget Sound food web. Maintaining healthy conditions promotes the recovery of salmon, which are the natural prey of Puget Sound’s southern resident orcas.

Oak Harbor’s work on the new plant dates back to 2010 and earlier, when city staff and elected officials determined that the city’s growth would exceed the existing treatment plants’ capacity. Staff from our Water Quality Program provided technical review and assistance on sizing and designing the new system, in addition to the financial assistance.

 Get more information from Oak Harbor’s Clean Water Facility Project website.

By Larry Altose, communications manager, Northwest Regional Office

There's smoke, but don't blame the (California) fires

The news headlines in recent weeks have been filled with stories about the devastating wildfires in California. Have those fires also filled the skies over Washington with smoke?

Well, yes and no. But mostly no.

With air quality in Western Washington dipping down this week to levels that may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, it's natural to wonder where the particulate pollution is coming from. Given the massive fires to our south, some people are asking if that's the source of our air quality problems.

For the record, the California wildfires are indeed exporting some smoke over Western Washington, as can be seen in the satellite image above. However, most of the pollution recorded on our monitors is likely from wood smoke coming from wood stoves and fires right here at home.

Stagnant air is trapping pollutants close to the ground, and this pattern is expected to last through Wednesday. California smoke will also linger around until then, but most of that will remain aloft.

The only way we’re going to maintain good air quality in our neighborhoods during this time is by limiting woodstove use and refraining from outdoor burning.

Meanwhile, in Eastern Washington, stagnant air prompted Ecology to place burn bans over much of the region starting last week. Ventilation is predicted to improve temporarily, as snow is expected during Thanksgiving. That is allowing us to let the burn bans expire in Klickitat, Ferry, Pend Oreille and Stevens counties at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 22.

However, stagnant air will return to North Central Washington for the weekend, forcing us to keep burn bans in place in Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas and Okanogan counties  until further notice.

Whatever part of Washington you live in, check for burn bans before you light a fire:

• You can find information on all burn bans across the state at www.waburnbans.net. 
• For more information on Ecology's air quality burn bans, visit www.ecology.wa.gov/burnbans. 

By Ranil Dhammapala, Air Quality atmospheric scientist

Boots on the ground: WCC assists communities after Hurricanes Florence, Michael

In addition to planting native trees and shrubs along rivers and streams, and creating and improving hiking trails, our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) members provide disaster services in Washington and across the country. Our crews and supervisors have assisted communities after fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, oil spills, and more. Join us for a closer look into our recent and ongoing deployments to South Carolina and Florida to assist communities after Hurricanes Florence and Michael made landfall.

Sixty-two AmeriCorps Disaster Response Team members gather in Bennettsville
in early November (about 60 percent of the entire team). Photo contributed
by Luke Wigle.

Starting off a new service year with disaster deployment

WCC’s 285 members kicked off a new year of AmeriCorps service on Oct. 1. And just two weeks later, 12 WCC AmeriCorps members and crew supervisors traded their shovels for deployment ID badges as they departed for South Carolina to assist communities after Hurricane Florence hit in September.

Our teams were charged with setting up operations for additional AmeriCorps Disaster Response Teams (A-DRTs), and leading training sessions, such as cultural awareness, and safety, upon their arrival. Other tasks included managing volunteers and donations, and supporting call centers to record homeowners and community members’ existing projects and needs. They also headed out to the field to lead “muck and gut” efforts – stripping a home down to the studs to remove water-damaged material.

As of Nov. 17, A-DRTs had cleared 2,800 cubic yards of debris from homes and yards, and mucked and gutted 70 structures among many other accomplishments!

WCC AmeriCorps member Seth Benish and supervisor Rob Crawford team
up on the first muck and gut project. Photo contributed by Kristine Solis.

Redirected to serve in Florida

After helping establish deployment operations in South Carolina, five of our 12 WCC AmeriCorps members and a supervisor traveled to Florida to start setting up similar operations in Tallahassee. Communities there also need assistance after the devastating effects of Hurricane Michael, especially on projects like hazard tree removal and roof tarp installation.

Our teams also welcomed incoming A-DRTs from six more AmeriCorps programs from other parts of the country, and provided initial training including how to install roof tarps effectively. 

As of Nov. 12, A-DRTs also had removed 383 hazard trees and installed tarps or performed 

temporary repairs on 31 homes or structures.

WCC AmeriCorps members remove debris from
a home in Florida. Photo contributed by Paolo Rosen.

 Fresh energy in South Carolina

Members serving the initial deployment to South Carolina returned home to Washington on Nov. 15, and our members serving in Florida will return home on Nov. 20. On Friday, Nov. 16, five additional WCC AmeriCorps members departed for South Carolina to continue serving communities affected by Hurricane Florence.

Learn more about what happens leading up to and during a disaster response assignment on our latest blog. If federal authorities request and our resources allow, WCC also stands poised to help other communities in other U.S. states and territories recover from recent natural disasters.

Learn more about WCC

Ecology's Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, provides hands-on experience, field skills, and training opportunities to young adults between 18 and 25 and military veterans. WCC consists of three subprograms: the original WCC, Veteran Conservation Corps and Puget SoundCorps. Six-month positions will open in January 2019! See photos of the types of projects WCC members support during their service in our WCC Projects Flickr set and WCC Featured Projects Story Map. Learn more on our website. 

A WCC AmeriCorps member learns how to safely install a roof
tarp. Photo contributed by Paolo Rosen.

Fecal Matters: Arness County Park and Kingston Marina are CLOSED to Water Contact Recreation, Kitsap County

BEACH program update

Kitsap Public Health District issued a no-contact advisory for Appletree Cove from Arness County park to Kingston Marina on Nov. 14, 2018. This advisory is due to a 5,000 gallon sewage spill and will remain in effect through Saturday, Nov. 17. Signs have been posted at affected areas and the public is advised to avoid contact with the water in those areas.

Contact with fecal contaminated waters can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses.

Stay updated on water quality at your beaches by keeping up with us on our blog Fecal Matters, on Facebook, or join our listserv.

Julianne Ruffner, our BEACH Program Manager, is available at 360-407-6154 or julianne.ruffner@ecy.wa.gov for questions.

Fecal Matters: Heavy rainfall can increase health risks for surfers, divers, and other beachgoers



We had a great summer for water sports enthusiasts, but as we transition into the rainy season, surfers, divers, and other winter beachgoers should be aware of potential rising bacteria levels at their favorite beaches. After heavy rainfall, bacteria levels in beach water could rise.

What causes bacteria levels to rise?

Water runoff from heavy rain drains into nearby lakes, rivers, and saltwater beaches. This runoff can carry unsafe levels of fecal bacteria to water bodies from sewage system overflows and animal waste.

Don’t be scared, be aware!

Anyone who comes in contact with winter ocean water should be aware of the potential health risks associated with heavy rain. This includes the following types of beachgoers:

Keep an eye out for pipes or streams that

drain directly to the beach.

• Surfers
• Divers
• Kayakers
• Paddle boarders
• Boaters
• Walkers
• Dog walkers
• Seashell collectors
• Sand castle builders

Contact with fecal-contaminated water, shells, or sand can result in gastroenteritis, skin rashes, upper respiratory infections, and other illnesses. Children and the elderly may be more vulnerable to waterborne illnesses. 

Protect yourself and others

It’s easy to prevent these illnesses. Here are some steps you can take to ensure that you and your family stay healthy this winter:

• Avoid contact with fresh or marine water after a heavy rain.
• Avoid water recreation for 24 hours after heavy rainfall.
• Be aware of areas with pipes or streams that drain directly to the beach. 
• Pick up pet waste.
• Watch your dog at the beach; make sure they don’t drink the water.
• Remember to wash your hands before eating or preparing food, especially after a trip to the beach.

For more information about the water quality at your beaches, follow our blog, Facebook page, or LISTSERV.

Reining in dust in the Horse Heaven Hills

It’s no secret that Eastern Washington can get windy. Very windy, at times.

And that’s not a problem… until that wind picks up loose soil and sends it aloft. Then you’ve got a dust storm, and that can lead to some real health concerns. Dust contains tiny particles that can lodge deep in people’s lungs. Much of this dust is truly minuscule – the particulates known as PM10 are about one-seventh the diameter of a human hair.

The Wallula Maintenance Area (in green) in relation to the Horse Heaven Hills.

In Eastern Washington, agriculture is the main source of dust. Farmers have made great strides in the last few decades in reducing dust, but there is still a need for improvement. That’s why Ecology created a High Wind Fugitive Dust Mitigation Plan for the Tri-Cities area. Part of the plan is to work with partners to encourage farmers to adopt additional voluntary practices that disturb the soil less and reduce the number of these high wind dust events.

What’s happening
Most dust storms hitting the Tri-Cities start out in farmlands southwest of Kennewick. The Horse Heaven Hills are home to many dryland wheat farms and the area is the main source of dust for these high wind events.

Several times in recent years, high winds have whipped up major dust storms in the area, and Ecology’s air quality monitor in Kennewick picked up PM10 readings that exceeded federal standards. For example, on Aug. 14, 2015, wind speeds hit a maximum of 56 miles per hour and our monitor recorded a 24-hour average reading of 589 micrograms per cubic meter – far above the 150 microgram per cubic meter 24-hour standard.

What we are doing

A prototype deep-furrow conservation drill helps to prevent soil erosion.

We’ve drafted a plan and will put together a High Wind Dust Prevention Work Group with Ecology, Benton County Clean Air Agency, conservation districts, USDA offices and other partners. This work group help to educate farmers and the general public about the need to minimize dust during high wind events, promote conservation measures to minimize soil erosion and explore other steps to reduce soil erosion. We’ll work to better notify the public about high wind dust events, and work with the Washington State Department of Health to improve public education on the health threats from dust. 

Ecology is also investing $163,000 with the Benton Conservation District to incentivize farmers to use no-till or erosion mitigation methods on their fields.

What’s the story? 

The backstory is somewhat complicated. Creating the plan is a federal requirement stemming from long-ago air quality problems in the Wallula Maintenance Area – a region around the town of Burbank where, back in the 1980s, dust control issues led to a federal “non-attainment” designation for PM10. Although dust control in the Wallula area is now much-improved, there are ongoing federal requirements to prevent air quality from backsliding. Since the Kennewick monitor stands in for the Wallula Maintenance Area, high readings there triggered the need for a plan. 

The important thing is that the regulatory requirements that led to the new plan will bring us together with our partners to take further steps to better control the dust. And that should be better for everyone in the region. 

Comment on the plan

Before we get to work, however, we’re asking the public to weigh in on the High Wind Fugitive Dust Mitigation Plan between Nov. 5 and Dec. 12. Find the plan on our Outdoor Dust Management page.

For more information, contact Laurie Hulse-Moyer, laurie.hulse-moyer@ecy.wa.gov. 

By Andy Wineke, Air Quality program

Monitoring is essential to Puget Sound

Data focuses on climate impacts, nutrient pollution

The recent death of young orca J-50 sent a clear message: It’s more important than ever to dig in and understand what is happening in Puget Sound. It’s urgent. 

Since 1998, 40 orcas have been born and survived – but another 73 newborn orcas have gone missing or died. These are clearly not good odds. The numbers clearly support the recent formation of the Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force.

While the Task Force considers immediate actions to address the decline of orca populations, science teams are refocusing their work, too. 

Emphasizing climate change and nutrient pollution 

Areas Ecology monitors sediments

and benthos.

A multitude of drivers affect Puget Sound’s ecosystem. And these drivers have changed over the past 30 years since Ecology began monitoring the seafloor. Warming temperatures, changing river flows, increased ocean acidity, and accumulating toxic substances can affect seafloor sediments and the sea creatures that live within them at the bottom of the food chain.  

We recently adapted our sediment monitoring program to collect data that will help better understand the effects of climate change and of nutrient pollution flowing into the sound. We took the best aspects of our former work and used it to develop the new program. The program consists of 50 sampling stations collected Puget Sound-wide, in addition to 30-36 sampling stations in each of the six largest urban bays.  

Findings from the new approach will be used to answer questions related to the effects of toxics, nutrients, and climate change pressures on Puget Sound’s sediments and benthos. 

Samples and data support many efforts

We’ve been monitoring Puget Sound seafloor sediments and the invertebrates (benthos) that live within them since 1989. We’ve gathered more than 1.5 million invertebrates and 3,000 sediment samples. We track the numbers and types of species we see in order to understand the health of Puget Sound and detect changes over time. The extensive collection supports researchers, state agencies, and local governments.

The most publicized results of our data are the Vital Sign Indicators for Puget Sound.  These high-level environmental indicators are used by the Puget Sound Partnership, a state agency that leads the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound.

We partner with many researchers to leverage our sampling efforts to learn about other impacts to Puget Sound. For example, we collect sediment for University of Washington researchers who study foraminifera, small, shelled organisms that live in sediments.  Changes in communities of these organisms over time may be indicative of effects from ocean acidification in Puget Sound. UW scientists also examine our samples for microplastics that end up in the sediments, while another group studies a species of algal cysts in sediments that can cause harmful algal blooms. 

Looking to the seafloor for answers 

The seafloor might not be the first thing the average person thinks about when considering the health of Puget Sound. But to understand what is happening at the top of the food chain, scientists and researchers need to understand what is happening throughout the entire system, beginning with the bottom. The sediments of the seafloor.  Organisms that spend most of their lives in the sediments are easy to collect and are reliable indicators of sediment and water quality. 

Marine food web diagram. Ecology monitors the tiny

creatures at the bottom of Puget Sound.

Sharing knowledge

Passing on knowledge is an important part of our work. Over the years the large collection of preserved invertebrates and many specimens have been loaned to the South Sound Estuarium where they are used to educate the public. To reach younger generations, our sediment monitoring specialists have worked with undergraduate and graduate students in regional colleges, and they participate in community outreach events, including the South Puget Sound Community College’s science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) camp for middle-school girls.

Today, we need to collect data about the quality of all elements of the Puget Sound ecosystem that can inform groups like the Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force and decision-makers who are working to rehabilitate Puget Sound.

Visit our website to learn more about work related to Puget Sound.

By Camille St. Onge, communications