Water is the most abundant molecule on the surface of the earth, covering over 70 percent of the planet. It is an essential ingredient for the development of life and plays a crucial role in our everyday lives. Charleston is defined by water and its intimate connection with the waters that cradle it. Here in the Lowcountry, water is of particular importance because so many of our livelihoods depend on the water quality. A 2011 study concluded that the nation’s shoreline-adjacent counties contributed more than $6 trillion to the nation’s gross domestic product and more than 47 million jobs. In 2012, the total annual impact of recreational boating in South Carolina contributed $3.74 billion dollars to the economy and $1.6 billion dollars in recreational boating-related spending. As a historical port city, Charleston plays a crucial part in South Carolina’s economy and our water quality could soon be affecting it in ways many people may not realize.
Water quality has recently garnered national attention when high levels of a bacterial toxin, Mycrocystin, was found in the water supply for Toledo, Ohio. Over 400,000 people were affected when city officials were forced to temporally ban drinking, bathing or any contact from tap water. Mycrocystin is known to cause a variety of serious health issues including abnormal liver functioning, diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, numbness and dizziness when ingested, while rashes and burns can also result from skin contact. This toxin can be deadly to animals and marine life as well. Toledo’s problem is not unique to freshwater and the overabundance of the bacteria is indicative of a larger problem. A problem that hits home for many South Carolina residents.
We’ve come a long way since the 1960’s, and our rivers and waterways are no longer catching on fire, but the EPA estimates that up to 3.5 million people become ill from contact with raw sewage from sanitary sewer overflows each year. Nationally in 2013, 10 percent of monitored beaches exceeded the EPA’s health standards for public safety. South Carolina exceeded the standard by 15 percent and is ranked number six among those exceeding public health safety standards. Only three beaches in South Carolina passed the EPA’s new Beach Action Value, which calculates the risk of illness based on bacteria present in the water. These national health standards were set in place to protect us from a couple of nasty little bacteria in animal and human waste that can cause illness and serious infections such as meningitis.
Bacteria are ubiquitous throughout our environment; and in healthy watersheds, they play an essential role in decomposition and energy production. They are the base of the food chain and provide the food supply to countless organisms. This, combined with the availability of nutrients contained in the water, usually keeps the bacteria in check. However, pollutants such as agricultural run off, sewage discharge and animal waste are nutrient rich and allow unrestricted growth. In Toledo’s crisis, the culprit was a blue-green algae, or cyanobacteria, that bloomed in the nation’s fourth largest city’s drinking water source, Lake Erie. Unfortunately, the problems don’t stop there. After the algae bloom comes the bust, literally. The algae will reproduce until the nutrient source is exhausted at which point they die, releasing toxins and organic matter into the environment. The organic matter then falls to the bottom and is consumed by the omnipresent bacteria, along with the available oxygen contained in the water. This creates areas of low, to zero oxygen, and is the number one reason for fish kills, further contributing to water degradation. As previously stated, these bacteria cause an array of ailments in humans, animals and marine life and must be carefully monitored in our water supply as they play a critical role in the quality of our water.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) has established water quality standards but stated in their State of South Carolina Monitoring Strategy report, “As a result of continuing State budget reductions, ambient surface water quality monitoring reductions over historic levels continue. The reduction of the sampling frequency at the fixed-location monitoring sites from monthly to bi-monthly is still in effect. The statistical survey monitoring component continues to be sampled monthly. The elimination of the cyclic Watershed Water Quality Management (rotating basin) component will most likely become permanent. The ambient groundwater monitoring activities are also currently suspended.” Translated…SCDHEC is telling us that the money for water-quality monitoring is continuing to decrease and that some programs have been shut down completely.
SCDHEC’s lack of funding and reduction of monitoring has no doubt contributed to our less than desirable water quality ratings. Fortunately, Charleston is full of dedicated and passionate people that care about our watershed, and in 2008, Charleston Waterkeeper was founded.
Charleston Waterkeeper was created to protect, promote and restore the quality of Charleston’s waterways. Their mission is to create a more engaged public through education, outreach and celebration of our collective right to clean water. They are part of a worldwide network of over 200 non-profit organizations called Waterkeeper Alliance. Their ongoing programs and projects help restore and enforce clean water laws, protect wetlands and streams, and halt the destruction of critical wildlife habitats.
The Charleston Waterkeeper utilizes trained volunteers to implement their Recreational Water Quality Monitoring Program, which regularly tests the swimmability of several local tidal creeks from May through October. Samples are collected weekly using DHEC’s own Quality Assurance Project plan and analyzed at the College of Charleston’s Hydrochemistry Research Laboratory for the amount of Enterococcus bacteria present. Testing results are published as soon as they are available, so that the public can make an informed decision about when and where to swim, SUP, kayak and sail. There is even an app for your phone that tells you which waterways are safe for use.
The Waterkeepers have also joined with SCDNR to help eliminate illegal dumping of waste by boaters. Their boat, aptly named Number 2, was donated to the organization and is funded in part by SCDNR’s Clean Vessel Act Program. The Mobile Pumpout Program provides boaters with a free, convenient and legal way to dispose of sewage from sanitary waste tanks.
Charleston Waterkeeper has several more projects and programs that are designed to educate and protect Charleston’s water quality; and with the help of local volunteers, they are making a difference. Our love of the water is an integral part of Charleston’s culture, history and allure. Everyone can do something, because we all have a stake in what happens to our waterways.
There are many ways to minimize the pollutants that enter our waterways, from using environmentally safe cleaning products to actively cleaning up streams to planting vegetation. Nature has a way of balancing itself, and with our help, we can regain that equilibrium. Thankfully, we have organizations like Charleston Waterkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance that are leading the fight to keep our waterways healthy. If you want to get involved or simply want more information, please visit charlestonwaterkeeper.org.
