Stewards of the Sewers

Nancy Grayum is a Sudden Valley resident and an active member of several groups that address healthy water as the source of optimal health for individuals and communities, including Keepers of the Waters, Clean Water Alliance, and People For Puget Sound. You can reach her at: grayum@nas.com.

The sewage overflow from the Water District 10 detention tank in December 2001 resulted in raw sewage flowing across the Sudden Valley golf course into the mouth of Austin Creek and Lake Whatcom. Asleep at the switch were Water District 10, the Whatcom County Health and Human Services Department, and the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE).

On Monday, December 17, Water District 10 Manager Sandy Peterson, told me the flow was diluted with groundwater to the extent that it was not a health hazard. It would become even more diluted after flowing into Lake Whatcom, our drinking water reservoir.

The DOE took samples at the overflow pipe and in Austin Creek. When the County Health Department read the results four days later (50,000 e.coli colonies per 100 milliliters), they exclaimed, “that’s human sewage!” (Well, it wasn’t goose poop on the golf course, what a relief.)

Chris Chesson of the Whatcom County Health Department requested that Water District 10 post signs at the site warning of the contamination on the ground on Monday, December 17. Water District management said it wasn’t a high traffic area for pedestrians, so they did not follow up until further citizen complaint was voiced at county health.

Sudden Valley maintenance ultimately placed yellow plastic tape around the flow area on Tuesday, five days after the initial flow had begun. Is it bad public relations to tell the truth and to conspicuously mark a site where a sewer overflow occurs?

As a community, Sudden Valley residents were not informed of an immediate health hazard. If the sewer overflows again, Water District 10 should be required to post visible signs warning of contamination so golfers, park and ride drivers, pedestrians and cyclists aren’t wading through sewage residue uninformed.

Sudden Valley Administration should treat such an event as a community health emergency: place notices on cable TV, the web site, all gates, and public buildings so people are made aware of the event and the health risk.

Water District 10 built the detention tank at the entrance to Gate 1 with the claim that it would prevent further sewage overflows and serve 600 additional new residences. As 130 new homes have been added in the past two years, it is already overwhelmed. This may have been true even without the 130 homes, since infiltration seems to be a prime suspect.

They tell us that the sewage overflow is very diluted, not very dangerous. Should it be so diluted? They tell us they are doing all they can, but instead of calling in more trucks and drivers, they open a line allowing raw sewage to flow into the mouth of Austin Creek for four straight days.

They tell us that the new Lake Louise sewer line will divert 60 percent of the flow from Sudden Valley. Is this the old Sudden Valley, or the newly built Sudden Valley? They tell us that they inspect and repair five miles of sewer lines each year. Where?

Well-meaning people with a contradictory mission are ignoring symptoms of a leaking sewer system, which apparently allows a great deal of rainwater to flow into the pipes. Adding a new sewer line will eventually ease the load. Manifest Destiny! Westward Ho!

A combination of factors caused the sewer to overflow:

1. Saturated soils

2. Overloaded system

3. Heavy rains

4. Poor emergency management by Water District 10, and

5. Poorly maintained sewer lines.

The new Sudden Valley Mission Statement reads:

Sudden Valley is a diverse community with many parks and recreational facilities, dedicated to securing the highest possible quality of life for our members while preserving our abundant natural resources and the quality of the Lake Whatcom watershed.

Homeowners in Sudden Valley do have an opportunity now to provide leadership in stewarding the watershed. Our first responsibility is to care for what we already own. When our gutter or groundwater drains are leaky or overflowing, we repair or replace them. When our underground sewer pipes are in disrepair here in Sudden Valley, the Association Board and Management should insist that they be repaired or replaced.

These old clay pipes, lying on sandstone for more than 30 years may be a primary cause for the sewage overflows. If ground water is infiltrating our sewer lines, then does it follow that during dry periods sewage is leaking from these lines into the groundwater that flows through our yards, parks, and streets?

Water District 10 should take advantage of grant opportunities to pursue aggressive repairs on the sewer infrastructure already in place. The Department of Ecology, Sudden Valley Association, City of Bellingham, Whatcom County Health Department, Whatcom County Executive, and Whatcom County Council should demand that Water District 10 correct problems already in place with the same enthusiasm with which they are laying new lines and accommodating more building permits.