Water permit decisions further protect the Spokane River

The Spokane River passes through cities in the area

but maintains a natural feel.

We recently made several decisions on requests for new uses of water from the Spokane Valley-Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer that will further protect the Spokane River. Groundwater use from the aquifer is directly connected to the river, which is protected by an instream flow rule.

The rule set specific flow levels and limits future surface and groundwater withdrawals — to ensure there is enough water to meet the current and future needs of people, fish and wildlife.


Our team evaluated 10 applications requesting more than 11,000 acre-feet combined of additional water use each year. Several of the requests were to increase the amount municipal water providers could use and a few were for small irrigation projects.

Each application was individually evaluated against the “four-part test.” To issue new water rights in Washington, we must verify:

1. Water is legally and physically available. 
2. Water is used for beneficial purposes in a specified amount.
3. The water use does not interfere or degrade existing water users’ ability to perfect their rights.
4. The water use upholds the public’s interest, including preservation of environmental, public health and navigational values. 

Because the river’s flow is protected by rule, all requests for increases in annual water use were denied – the applications did not pass the four-part test.

Fortunately, municipal water suppliers hold sufficient water rights that are senior to the rule, which is enough to accommodate anticipated growth and development in the region.

Two applications out of the 10 were approved because they only requested changes to increase the amount of water that can be pumped at one time, instead of an overall request for more water to be used each year.

Protecting streamflow is important

State law requires that enough water is retained in streams and rivers to protect and preserve instream resources and values such as fish, wildlife, and water quality. Instream flows have been set covering nearly half of the state’s watersheds and the Columbia River.

The Spokane River is the heart of the region and by managing local water supplies we can preserve a clean and flowing river for generations to come.

The Spokane Region prides itself of the beauty of the river's falls 

rushing through the heart of the City of Spokane.

Arrow leaf balsam root spots the Spokane River's 

banks in springtime when stream flows are high.

Even tiny pollution makes a big problem for water quality

The term parts per quadrillion describes a way to measure small amounts. Really small amounts. Miniscule.

Lay a penny on the ground and compare it – by area – to the entire state of Washington. That is equal to one part per quadrillion.

Why do we care about such tiny measurements?

We care because these tiny measurements make a big difference in Washington’s water quality standards. These standards are developed to protect people, the environment, and the state’s water.

Many toxic chemicals like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) remain in the environment and build up over time in fish, animals and people. They can cause adverse health effects, including cancer and harm to immune, nervous, and reproductive systems. So finding and removing even the smallest amount of PCBs can make a big difference in water quality.

Addressing this big challenge in Spokane

In the Spokane River, small measurements have always been a big challenge. Clean water requirements include strict limitations on pollutants like phosphorus and PCBs.

In 2016, new requirements from the Environmental Protection Agency made the challenge bigger by making the standard smaller. The water quality standard changed from 170 parts per quadrillion to seven parts per quadrillion.

New clean water permits for Spokane River

We need to review and reissue permits for five wastewater treatment facilities that discharge into the Spokane River to include the new clean water requirements for PCBs.

This is complicated because small amounts of PCBs difficult to measure and wastewater discharges aren’t the only source of PCBs to the river. Other sources appear to impact the river, including those from cleanup sites regulated by the Model Toxics Control Act and other nonpoint sources that aren’t covered by clean water permits.

We also have new tools in our water quality rules for issuing clean water permits – tools that we’ve never used before. Recognizing that it will take more than new clean water permits to achieve a clean Spokane River, we took a step back to evaluate any and all potential options.

The task was to develop a strategy that will ultimately get us to our goal of meeting the water quality standard.

Tackling the challenge by looking at the whole problem

The Spokane River community has a long history of adopting a collaborative approach to solving water quality problems. They haven’t backed away from this challenge.

We’ve been working together with those across the watershed as one a river community since 2012 to find and reduce sources of PCBs to the river. This has taken place through the work of the Spokane River Regional Toxics Task Force, and the group has made real progress.

We want to keep the momentum going and develop practical, protective permits.

We took some time to listen and heard strong support on the concept of adaptive management. That means achieving clean water by making step-by-step improvements while continuing to find and reduce sources of PCBs to the river.

Our strategy includes steps to keep moving forward on cleaning up the river and address all sources of PCBs – including cleanup sites – while allowing additional time to work through remaining questions about the best way to use the new permit tools.

Learn more

You can learn about the new tools for issuing permits and our approach for meeting clean water requirements for the Spokane River at our upcoming workshop.

Please join us:

Wednesday, March 14, 2018 at 6:00 p.m.
Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District
22510 E. Mission Ave.
Liberty Lake, WA 99019

Learn about our work improving the Spokane River on our website.

Cleaning Up: Work along Centennial Trail and Spokane River

The Holcim Inc cleanup site is owned by Neighborhood Inc., the City
of Spokane Valley, and Holcim (US) Inc.

Through November 2016, cleanup work is happening in the Spokane Valley at 12207 E. Empire Avenue, known as the Holcim Inc site.

The cleanup site is near the well-used Centennial Trail and a public boat launch on the Spokane River, so we wanted to let people know what's going on and answer potential questions.

Why is the site being cleaned up?

Cement was manufactured at the site from 1910 to 1967. During that time, cement kiln dust (CKD) was deposited on the ground. Soil sample results confirmed one CKD deposit about 109,100 cubic yards in volume and another about 12,300 cubic yards in volume. 

The bare ground is a CKD deposit.

The CKD contains various contaminants that exceed state standards, including arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Some of the CKD at the site is very corrosive with a pH greater than 12.5. Other contaminants near the cement-manufacturing area in surface soil include benzene, carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and gasoline-range petroleum hydrocarbons.

Is it safe to use the trail and river near the site?

Yes, the trail and river are safe to use. The public should not enter the fenced cleanup area.

How will the site be cleaned up?

CKD deposits will be stockpiled and covered with an engineered cap on the Holcim Inc property. Native grasses will be planted on the 2 feet of topsoil covering the cap.

All contamination will be removed from the City of Spokane Valley property, and this land will be restored and available for public use.

What happens when cleanup is finished?

Long-term monitoring will occur, and Ecology will visit the site at least every 5 years to verify the cleanup still protects people and the environment.

How can I get more information?

• Visit Ecology's Holcim Inc website.
• Contact Jeremy Schmidt, site manager, at jeremy.schmidt@ecy.wa.gov or (509) 329-3484; or Erika Bronson, public involvement, at erika.bronson@ecy.wa.gov or (509) 329-3546.

By Erika Bronson, public involvement, Eastern Region, Toxics Cleanup Program

Let's talk science: What the 2015 drought taught us about flows in the Spokane River

by Brook Beeler, communications

As the state suffered a historic “snowpack drought” last year, winter temperatures were 4.7 degrees warmer than normal and streamflows dropped to unheard lows across the state. The Spokane River was low, but it wasn’t the lowest the region had seen.

Why?

The Spokane is a complex river system and its flow is influenced by a variety of factors
Seasonal weather, groundwater use, and operation of hydropower facilities all play out on the river.

The red line shows water flowing from Lake Coeur d’ Alenethrough the Post Falls dam. In July Avista locked in the flowat 500 cfs as a minimum required in the 2009 FERC license.The green line shows Spokane River flows just below downtown Spokane.

Something was different during last year’s drought. Flows were higher out of Lake Coeur d’ Alene through the Post Falls dam operated by Avista.

Since 2009, Avista is required to maintain a minimum flow of 500 cubic feet per second at the Post Falls dam under a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license. That’s 200 cubic feet per second higher than historical low-flows.

Due to drought conditions, the minimum flow was locked into place starting in July

Because the flow coming out of Post Falls dam remained constant until mid-October, scientists were able to “see” the hydrologic connection between groundwater pumping and Spokane River flows for the first time in 100 years of data collection. Under normal flow conditions, it is difficult to observe this relationship because dam operations and typical summer rain events inhibit scientists' ability to observe this trend.

Aquifer levels (pink) began to increase in late August and Spokane River flows (blue) began to increase shortly after in September as seasonal groundwater pumping (red) decreases. Flow from the Post Falls dam remains constant.

In the hottest, driest part of summer data shows that Spokane River flows hovered right around 700 cubic feet per second.

By comparing river flow and groundwater pumping data, scientists could see river flows increase as seasonal groundwater pumping decreased.

Despite record-low snowpack in the watershed, flows in the Spokane River were low, but not at their all-time low because the FERC license worked.

Flows in the river were below our recently adopted rule to protect the Spokane River. But it is important to note that instream flow rules do not add water to the river — they are a regulatory threshold to determine whether there is water available for new uses.

For more drought related information from around the state check out our 2015 drought response.

Protecting Spokane River flow provides for the future

By Brook Beeler, Communications, Eastern Region

The heart of the Spokane region is the river that runs directly through our community. It provides us a gathering place where we play, fish, paddle and enjoy the scenic views. This working river also helps provide power to our homes and manage wastewater from our cities and industry.

All 114 miles that begin at Lake Coeur d’ Alene — dissecting cities, towns and tribal grounds until it reaches Lake Roosevelt — are significant to us. We know it is intimately connected to the Spokane Valley Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, which provides drinking water to more than 500,000 people.

Keeping the Spokane River healthy and flowing is important to us. A new rule will help preserve and protect its flow while balancing the needs of all water uses for future generations.

Large gravely soils in Spokane Valley contribute to the continuity of the river and aquifer. Much of the river
flow is lost to the aquifer in summer months which contribute to low flows.Photo credit: Bruce Andre Photography.

Instream flow rules

The water resources of Washington are owned in common by the people of the state including the water in lakes, rivers and groundwater.

In Washington, the Legislature gave the Department of Ecology the responsibility to protect rivers and streams with an allocation of water set by establishing instream flow rules.

A rule allows Ecology to set specific levels of stream flows for a particular watershed and limit future surface and groundwater withdrawals accordingly — to ensure there is enough water in those rivers and streams to meet the current and future needs of people, fish and wildlife. 

Protecting Spokane River flow

The hydrograph shows a median historical, seasonal flow. The adopted instream flow

numbers based on studies that protect fish habitat during these flows are overlaid in red.

More than a decade of work has contributed to the recent adoption of the rule that protects flow in the Spokane River. State and local governments, environmental advocates, local businesses and the community have provided valuable input to help build our knowledge of the river.

The river is a complex system and its flow is dependent on a variety of factors. They include seasonal weather, groundwater use, and operation of hydropower facilities on the river.

Scientific studies detailing these factors, along with community feedback, informed the development of the Spokane River rule. That includes studies that outlined recreational and navigational flows. The adopted numbers are primarily based on studies that protect fish habitat, which is a different method than basing a number on historical, seasonal flow. 

It is important to note that instream flow rules do not add water to the river — they are a regulatory threshold to determine whether there is water available for new uses.

Water availability and new uses

With the rule in place, Ecology can make decisions on applications that request new permits to use groundwater from the Spokane Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer, which is in direct continuity with the river.

We currently have 22 applications requesting new water in the rule area. Each will be individually evaluated against the “four part test” to determine if a permit to use water can be issued. In order to issue new water rights in Washington we must verify:

1. Water is legally and physically available.
2. Water is used for beneficial purposes in a specified amount.
3. The water use does not interfere or degrade existing water users’ ability to perfect their rights.
4. The water use upholds the public’s interest including preservation of environmental, public health and navigational values.

The rule applies to the main stem of the Spokane River in Washington within the Spokane Valley Rathdrum Prairie Aquifer boundary.
The majority of water users in this area are served by existing water providers with enough water rights to meet future demand.

Individual wells for domestic use have been the source of contention for instream flow rules in other parts of the state. We are fortunate in the Spokane River rule area because the majority of the region is served by existing water providers. Ecology believes these providers have adequate water rights to meet demand well into the future. 

A view of Spokane River falls and the Salmon King from Huntington Park in 

downtown Spokane. These scenic falls are a valuable asset to the community 

and a reminder of  historical tradition for local tribes who gathered here 

before modern dams to fish annual salmon runs.

The best news is individual domestic wells will be allowed if a landowner cannot obtain water from an existing water provider.  With the help of Washington Water Trust we have acquired and placed into trust a senior water right that will be used to support river flows and offset any new domestic well uses that could impact the river in the rule area.

Keeping water in the Spokane River is a priority for all of us. A healthy flowing river that provides fish habitat, hydropower and recreational uses is core to the community’s well being. Ecology’s rule to protect flow will help ensure there is enough clean water to sustain people and the environment well into the future.

Stories about Getting to Clean Water: Turbid runoff and the railroad — Cooperative solutions

By Ted Hamlin, Ecology Spokane Regional Office

This dirt road was sending muddy runoff into the Spokane River.

Finding and fixing direct discharges of stormwater into the Spokane River are constant and perplexing problems. There are dirt streets, alleys, parking lots, and access roads around the cities of Spokane and the Spokane Valley that contribute muddy water during each rain event or snow melt. When this happens, it can cause a stormwater water quality violation.

Urban Waters Initiative is working

Ecology’s Urban Waters Initiative is working to eliminate pollution that is getting into the Spokane River. One of the techniques we use is to conduct neighborhood sweeps, looking for businesses or land uses that may be potential sources. Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Railroad’s dirt access road, leading from Madelia Street up a hill to its silos, turned out to be one source of muddy runoff. When it rained or snow melted at the site, water would run down the hill, picking up dirt and delivering it to a storm drain.

So at 310 N. Madelia Street, we had to figure out who was responsible for the turbid runoff.

BNSF stepped up as a responsible party and due to the work of the Urban Waters Initiative and collaboration with BSNF Railroad and the city of Spokane, the site now has a well thought-out stormwater management system that should eliminate runoff of turbid water.

Click here to read the full story.

Telling our success stories

Water quality success stories provide a wealth of information associated with novel project designs, funding ideas, and useful resource suggestions. Some are clear successes; others supply valuable lessons to help us grow in our understanding of water quality protection and restoration. Stories illustrate successes gained from cooperation among Washington’s citizens and organizations.

Read all of our water quality success stories, and check out our catalog of stories.

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Take a look at the draft permits for Spokane River

By Jani Gilbert, Communications Manager, Ecology Eastern Regional Office

The blue-green toxic algae that is hanging on and growing at Lake Spokane right now will be much less a problem in the future, thanks to new requirements in updated water quality permits soon to be issued to the four facilities that discharge waste water into the Spokane River.

But first, the public has a 45-day chance to review and comment on the draft water quality permits before they become final.

The permits will go to the city of Spokane’s Riverside Park Water Reclamation Facility, Inland Empire Paper, Kaiser Aluminum, and Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District. They are designed to increase the amount of oxygen in the water by limiting the amount of nutrient pollution, such as phosphorus, that can be discharged to the river. Phosphorus actually fertilizes aquatic plant life such as algae, and in the right conditions they can turn toxic and dangerous to people and animals. When the algae die off, they consume oxygen, robbing fish of the oxygen they need to survive.

The permits are called National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. They are required for any municipality or industry that discharges waste water to lakes, streams and rivers. They are based on a water-quality improvement plan called the Spokane River and Lake Spokane Dissolved Oxygen Water Quality Improvement Report, also called a Total Maximum Daily Load report or TMDL. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved the report on May 20, 2010.

The limits imposed in these water quality permits require reducing the load of total phosphorus by more than 90 percent from all the dischargers during the critical period of March 1 – October 31.

In order to meet their permit limits, dischargers will install advanced wastewater treatment technologies and may take other actions such as reducing nutrient pollution from other types of sources.

A public workshop will be held at 6 p.m. and a formal public hearing will begin at at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010 at the Spokane Regional Health District auditorium, 1101 W. College Avenue.

The permits are available for review at the Department of Ecology’s Spokane Office, 4601 N. Monroe St., Spokane, Wash., 99205. Please call 509-329-4004 for an appointment. They also are available on line.

The deadline for submitting comments is 5 p.m., Nov. 17, 2010. They should be submitted to the Permit Coordinator at stra461@ecy.wa.gov or by mail at 4601 N. Monroe St., Spokane, WA 99205.

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Yes, we ARE moving ahead

by Jani Gilbert, communication manager, Eastern Regional Office

Remember that water quality improvement plan (or TMDL) for the Spokane River and Lake Spokane that’s been in the works for years? It was approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in May this year. It’s all speed ahead now and implementation is the name of the game.

Facilities that discharge into the Spokane River are soon to get new water-quality permits. First they’ll be reviewed by the public, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) will make appropriate changes based on public comments, and then the industries and municipalities will get their permits. Five years later the permits will be reviewed again and a team of wastewater treatment experts and scientists will decide whether or not the facilities are on track to meet water quality standards by 2020. If not, adjustments in requirements may be made.

“All speed ahead” doesn’t necessarily mean smoothly, though. It can mean there are bumps and turns and near misses along the way to a clean, clear, healthy river and lake. For example, Ecology and the EPA are working to come up with a way that facilities can meet part of their requirements to discharge less phosphorus by reducing pollution somewhere else. That process will likely generate lots of discussion along the way.

In addition, Post Falls filed suit against the EPA for approving the water quality improvement plan because city officials feel that the limits that some of the dischargers were given for the amount of phosphorus they can discharge were unfair. Ecology has answered that charge in an editorial published in the Coeur d’Alene Press Sept. 1.

Meanwhile we are propelling ahead to move through the steps outlined in the approved plan. And next, the public will have a chance to review the draft permits that will guide the discharging facilities in their efforts to clean up the river.

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What’s the Spokane TMDL dispute resolution process all about?

Many have heard or read that a “dispute resolution process” is under way on several different issues involving the Department of Ecology’s (Ecology) water quality improvement plan for the Spokane River. The Spokane River/Lake Spokane Dissolved Oxygen Water Quality Improvement Plan, often called the total maximum daily load (TMDL) report, will guide work toward bringing the Spokane River into compliance with water quality standards for dissolved oxygen.

Dispute resolution is an internal process that Ecology’s Water Quality Program uses to review issues that were not resolved during the TMDL development process. The dispute resolution process is initiated after all other attempts to resolve the issue have failed. It is not a formal judicial process like an appeal.

Dispute resolution panel members evaluate information presented by the disputing parties and the responding Ecology representatives, along with written comments by other affected parties. Panel members weigh the evidence presented to them and make a recommendation to the Ecology director, who has the final decision making authority.

Ecology worked for nearly 12 years on the river’s water quality improvement plan with local governments, community leaders, public works professionals, tribes, environmental organizations and more. On Feb. 12, Ecology submitted the plan to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for approval.

The standard practice for developing TMDLs involves partnership between a local community and Ecology staff members. A TMDL study uses peer-reviewed science to determine how best to clean up water pollution problems, and many times the answers are complex and could have multiple alternatives. This can sometimes lead to disagreements.

But as Ecology’s Water Quality Program Manager Kelly Susewind said, “This plan is not perfect. The river has a big pollution problem. Striving for perfection only creates more delays to cleaning up the river. We think our plan is a monumental step toward cleaning up the river.”

On February 26, 2010 Ecology received three letters from Spokane River Dissolved Oxygen TMDL stakeholders asking Ecology to initiate dispute resolution. Ecology’s Water Quality Program has a policy that spells out how the process works. Ecology set up a meeting on April 5, 2010, where the disputing parties presented their evidence and Ecology staff responded.

Stakeholders expressed concerns about the computer model that helped set discharge limits. They expressed concerns about discharge limitations in Idaho and the equity between Idaho and Washington. They also worried about financial impacts of the limitations.

Kelly Susewind pointed out that, “This is not a Washington vs. Idaho thing. There are dischargers across the country that are meeting these kinds of limits.”

These are the overall issues that the panel is looking at during dispute resolution. “This is an honest review by experts in the field who were not involved in the decisions made in the water quality improvement plan,” said Susewind. “They are people who can look at these disputes with fresh eyes and independent minds.”

The panel members were named by the Ecology director. By policy, the panel may consist of (actual names are included):
· Water Quality Program section manager from a different Ecology regional office. (Kevin Fitzpatrick, Northwest Regional Office)
· An Ecology Environmental Assessment Program section manager. (Will Kendra)
· External representative familiar with TMDLs but not involved in the dispute. (Megan White, P.E., Department of Transportation)
· Ecology director’s designee. (Deputy Director Polly Zehm)
· Ecology expert in the subject area of the dispute, but not involved in the specific issue. (Andrew Kolosseus, Water Quality Program, HQ)

Ecology has made every effort to be transparent throughout this dispute process and has posted the dispute resolution correspondence and related information
on the website.

The deadline for the Ecology director’s decision on the dispute outcomes is May 5. We plan to notify all dispute participants of the outcomes and we plan to post decision on this website. TVW will make the the oral presentation videos available on their website and a link will be posted on the dispute resolution website as soon as it is available.

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Play it Again, Sam

A new version of the plan to control phosphorus pollution and increase oxygen in the Spokane River and Lake Spokane is ready for public review. You may be thinking we have been here before. And we have! However, substantial changes to the draft water-quality improvement plan have been made. That means we need to hear from you again.

Over the years this plan has been controversial and the subject of robust community discussion. This time around the plan has been re-worked to address community’s concerns heard during the previous public comment period. Now it’s time to take one more look.

The water quality improvement plan outlines how the community will reduce phosphorus and other substances in the Spokane River and Lake Spokane to prevent algae blooms, increased growth of aquatic plants, and the related declines in Lake Spokane’s dissolved oxygen.

Phosphorus is the primary nutrient causing excess algae and plant growth in the Spokane River and Lake Spokane. It acts like fertilizer, causing algae and other aquatic plants to grow and thrive. When the plants decompose, they use up dissolved oxygen that fish need to breathe. More algae means less oxygen.

The plan is still one of the most stringent in the country.

• It will lead to reducing phosphorus pollution from industrial and municipal pipes by more than 90 percent.
  


• The industrial and municipal “point-source” (from a pipe) dischargers are required to help reduce phosphorus from other diffuse, “non-point” sources such as farms, septic systems, animal waste, and fertilizers used at home.
  


• It provides strong incentives for investing in wise water use.
  


• Establishes a long-term monitoring program for the river and Lake Spokane.

So what is different about this plan?

• Requirements to reduce stormwater discharges.
  


• An average 66 percent reduction in the amount of phosphorus that goes into Lake Spokane during the warmer months, March to October.
  


• A plan to address the dissolved oxygen impacts for which Avista is responsible.

Take another look for yourself. The new comment runs through Oct. 14, 2009. The Spokane River/Lake Spokane Dissolved Oxygen Water Quality Improvement Plan will guide work toward a healthier Spokane River.

A public meeting is planned for 6-9 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, at the Spokane Community College’s Sasquatch Room in the Lair Building #6, 1810 N Greene St., Spokane.

You can view and download the report at: www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0710073.html

Frequently Asked Questions about the Water Quality Improvement Report:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0810028.html

Frequently Asked Questions about Effective Public Commenting: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/biblio/0307023.html

Are you the master of your shoreline?

One of the many miles of shoreline in Spokane County. Williams Lake will be governed by Spokane County's Shoreline Master Program Update.

The sun is shining, the work week is over, and you are relaxing on a small stretch of Spokane County’s 730 miles of shoreline. Enjoying the shoreline is more than a great start to the weekend; Washington shorelines are a valuable asset that voters chose to protect with the adoption of the Shoreline Planning Act in 1972. The cornerstone of that act is locally-tailored Shoreline Master Programs.

Shoreline Master Programs are the vehicles by which shorelines are protected. They are written to help minimize environmental damage to shoreline areas, reserve appropriate areas for water-oriented uses and reduce interference with the public’s access to water. In many communities a comprehensive update has not been done in 30 years. In Spokane County, now is the time for you to weigh in on the program’s update.

Right now you can read and comment on how future development is handled and where habitat improvements will be made. It is important that your voice is heard. Whether it is a water-dependent use, public access, or habitat protection you value, be the master of your shoreline.

Read the draft plan online: Spokane County draft plan

Written comments will be accepted through October 2, 2009 at dpin461@ecy.wa.gov or Ecology's Spokane office: 4601 N. Monroe St., Spokane, WA 99205. Comments should be addressed to the attention of "Spokane County SMP."

Attend the public workshop and hearing at 7 p.m., Tues., September 15, 2009 at Spokane Community CollegeBuilding 6, Sasquatch Room, 1810 N. Green St., Spokane.

For more information:

• Read the news release


• FAQ on Effective Public Commenting


• More about the Shoreline Master Programs

When the Rain Came

For most of us in Eastern Washington a rainstorm means a nice cool drink for our lawns and gardens. For pollution detectives Ted Hamlin and Arianne Fernandez, the rain sets them into motion. They need samples. Hopping into their mobile lab they head into the storm, collecting water from storm drains. They’re looking for toxic chemical hot spots resulting from our urban environment.

As members of Ecology’s Spokane Urban Waters team, Ted and Arianne are trying to figure out where the toxic chemicals are coming from that pollute our lakes, creeks, rivers and streams. When rainwater hits hard surfaces like rooftops, parking lots, and roadways it washes into nearby ditches, swales, and storm drains. It’s not just rainwater, though; the water picks up a variety of pollutants on the way. In Spokane, this stormwater is funneled through an underground system of pipes that include storm systems, sanitary sewer, and Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO). This matrix of pipes allows our team to target specific areas within our urban environment while sampling.

The Spokane team isn’t just looking for anything. They’re trying to pinpoint the source of some of the most worrisome pollutants in the river: lead and other heavy metals; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); PBDEs (or fire retardants); dioxins and furans. Some of the pollution is a legacy of historic land use practices, others are chemicals found in consumer products, and others are commonly used in business or industry today.

Rain dances are not the only thing in the team’s repertoire. Together with Spokane Regional Health District’s local source control specialists, they’re helping local businesses to prevent hazardous chemicals from making their way into the river.

So if you see Arianne and Ted out sampling in the rain or working with businesses in your neighborhood remember these pollution detectives are working to improve our river and our community.

The Spokane River Urban Waters Initiative is just one way we are Reducing Toxic Threats in Washington State.

For more information on other environmental improvements in the Spokane region visit our Spokane River page.

You can see an animation of a CSO system at the City of Bremerton’s CSO’s explained webpage.

Ecology's Urban Waters Team deploys
the mobile lab to sample stormwater
and sediments and perform site visits with

local businesses.