Pollution in Our Watershed
Pollution, especially litter, is becoming an ever-growing concern within our watersheds. What starts out as one piece of trash, can quickly add up to be 10 pieces of trash downstream. In recent years, over 250 citizens and Spartanburg Water employees have volunteered for Lake Sweep, helping to remove over 20,000 pounds of trash each year in our watershed. However, trash is not the only type of pollution that can pollute our watersheds.
Video provided by the EPA and the Weather Channel
The following are other common pollutants that are a threat to water quality:
Pet Waste
Properly dispose of pet waste in the trash or in a toilet. Remember, we all live in a watershed.
On average, 1/3 of all households in the United States have a dog. Based
on those statistics, there are currently over 43,000,000 dogs in America! With that many dogs, comes a large amount of pet waste. Unfortunately, recent studies have shown that most pet owners do
not pick up after their pet’s waste. As a result, pet waste can get washed into a creek or stream, which will eventually flow into a river, lake or ocean. Pet waste contains several types of bacteria
and viruses that can be harmful to humans and wildlife. Be considerate of others downstream and pick up after your pet’s waste.
* Image courtesy of Prairie Public Broadcasting
Septic System Failures
Notify a septic tank repair service or SCDHEC immediately if your septic tank is malfunctioning.
All lakefront residents adjoining Spartanburg Water property are encouraged to maintain their septic systems. Improperly maintained septic systems can cause significant water quality problems. Septic tanks adjacent to Lake Blalock, Lake Bowen, or Municipal Reservoir #1 that are observed to be malfunctioning or are documented as having chronic or recurring problems will be referred to the local Environmental Health Section of SCDHEC. For information regarding recommendations on septic tank cleaning frequency click here, contact SCDHEC’s Environmental Health section or visit their Web site on Onsite Wastewater Management.
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Keeping your septic tank properly maintained can now save you $45 dollars! The Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District (SSSD) offers a rebate to property owners within the district for all septic waste that is disposed of at an approved SSSD treatment facility. Proof of septic cleaning must be submitted to be eligible for the rebate. Qualified customers may receive the refund only once per calendar year. For more information, please contact Celeste Pauley or Joel Jones at 582-3250.
Important Septic System Resource Links
A Homeowner's Guide to Septic Systems
Homeowner Septic System Check List
Oil/Automotive Fluid
If you change your own oil, take it to a recycling center and never pour it into a storm drain, creek, stream, river, or lake.
Although oil provides us with a means for travel, improper disposal can create significant problems in the environment. Just 1 gallon of oil can contaminate 1,000,000 gallons of water, decreasing water quality and impairing the habitat of thousands of plants and animals. Protect the environment and our water supply by taking your used oil to any of Spartanburg County’s 17 recycling centers. For a list and map of county wide recycling centers, click on Spartanburg County Recycling Center Locations.
* Image courtesy of Marshall Engineering Group, Inc.
Household Hazardous Chemicals
Take all of your household hazardous chemicals to a recycling/collection center or
to a household hazardous materials pick-up day at a designated landfill.
Household hazardous chemicals, like cleaning supplies
and paint, can significantly affect our water source. Household hazardous chemicals can alter the pH and dissolved oxygen levels in creeks, streams, rivers and lakes, which can alter the ecological
balance necessary for wildlife survival.
* Image courtesy of Johnson County, Kansas Environmental Department
Pharmaceutical Disposal
Help protect our waterways and water supply by properly disposing of all prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Each day, the average adult uses personal care products and pharmaceuticals containing over 126 unique compounds. Due to the increased use of these products and improvements in analytical technology, very tiny amounts of these compounds can be detected in outflow from wastewater treatment plants and septic systems, potentially ending up in our creeks, streams, rivers, and lakes. While there is no direct evidence that these trace amounts pose a risk to human health, scientists can sometimes find interference with aquatic organisms, and studies continue. Meanwhile, it's important to control what we put into water and how we dispose of these products.
Never flush personal care products or pharmaceutical drugs down a toilet or sink. Properly discard these substances in their original containers in your trash can or take them to a disposal location. Ask your local pharmacy if they offer a pharmaceutical disposal program, or contact the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to locate pharmacies in your area that do.
Fertilizers/Pesticides
Make sure to always add the recommended amount of fertilizers and pesticides by properly
reading the directions. Never add applications before an expected rainfall.
Excessive applications of fertilizers and pesticides
can have significant effects on water quality. If these substances get washed into a creek, stream, river or lake, algal growths can quickly multiply, lowering dissolved oxygen levels and threatening
the survival of all aquatic species in that body of water. Pesticides, like many chemicals, can be toxic to all aquatic species. The various toxins included in just a small bottle/bag of pesticides
can be enough to disrupt the balance within an entire ecosystem.
* Photo by Mark Copier. Copyright 2008 The Grand Rapids Press. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
If you would like to learn more about watersheds, please contact John Moore at (864) 578-5442 or by email at jmoore@spartanburgwater.org.