What to do? Raw human sewage being dumped into our creek!

cindy71 · #21 02/22/09, 07:30 PM

If you cannot get a camera with a good zoom lense call a tv station I bet they will have one.

Danaus29 · #22 02/22/09, 07:57 PM

Federal EPA, you can contact them without the evidence. Video evidence would be much better, even the dead fish if you had any, but go ahead and call them in the morning. State division of soil and water would be next, and state and local health departments. Water samples, dead fish, photos, they can tell you what you would need to collect and how to preserve the dead fish for autopsy.

sycamore · #23 02/23/09, 06:12 AM

Did the EPA get back to you yet? They should early this week. If not make some calls to them. If you don't get a response go to the police. A call to whatever dept. that is in charge of the water supply safety for those counties you mentioned.
This probably does happen alot because people don't care, you do though. Good luck and get this stopped.
BTW dumping like this in a waterway that is protected for a community drinking water source is federal offense and is taken very seriously.

jross · #24 02/23/09, 06:48 AM

You also could contact entities such as the Sierra Club. Also look up any non government groups in your area that deal with clean waterways. They may have the resources to help stop the dumping.

Ken Scharabok · #25 02/23/09, 07:50 AM

It could be these guys are 'midnight dumpers', hauling off some form of industrial waste. By dumping along roadways they avoid the cost of hauling and dumping in a certified hazardous waste landfill.

Darren · #26 02/23/09, 09:23 AM

We have problems with illegal dumpers in this county. They're not dumping sewage, it's brine from the gas wells. Once it's in a steam it's hard to find because the flowing water dilutes it. Without a video, law enforcement will have to catch them in the act. I'd contact a game warden along with the health department. For your own protection get your well water tested for E. coli. You'll need to do that periodically from here on if they were actually dumping sewage. It will take awhile to get into the water table if it does. It might not show up for years.

Try to reconstruct a calendar of when dumping occurred and continue to add new acts as you witness them.

Paquebot · #27 02/23/09, 10:15 AM

But on the other hand, they may have been pumping rather than dumping. There is no proof as to which way the liquid was flowing. Even crooked dumpers aren't apt to do it in the daytime.

Martin

VOR. · #28 02/23/09, 02:46 PM

I would not call anyone based on the info you provided. You do not have any idea what those people were doing. You are assuming they committed criminal acts, but you really do not have a good basis for that assumption.

I would keep an eye out for their truck. If you ever see them again, I would approach them and ask them what they are doing there. If you see a hose from the truck, it will be a simple matter to determine if they are filling their truck with water or pumping waste out of the truck.

A rancher I do some work for has a water truck that we use to fight wildfires. We can re-fill the truck using a pump from any body of water. I would sure hate to live by some of you folks. You would see us filling the truck and just assume we are doing something illegal.

coup · #29 02/23/09, 03:15 PM

they saw dead fish,,duhhhhhh,,,,,,,,,,

insocal · #30 02/23/09, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenlost

Yesterday DH went to investigate a vehicle parked on the side of the road next to our property and just past the bridge. It was a local person who comes there to fish. He said that two days prior he had passed a septic tank truck (not sure what that type of business is called) on the bridge. There were two men out of the truck so he drove on by, turned around and came back by. The two men were still out of the truck, but he didn't see them doing anything, nor did he get the company name or license plate number. All the fish were floating dead in the creek yesterday.

He has seen this truck stopped on the bridge before and we have noticed it several times, but assumed it was a county truck and didn't think much about it. Since moving here five years ago we have also seen the same truck stopped on the side of the road across from our driveway with a hose running into the swamp over there. Didn't dawn on us at the time that anyone would be doing what they were obviously doing.

I was so mad yesterday that I actually dreamed about it last night! We are definitely going to keep our eyes open and try to get license plate numbers and company name next time the truck is spotted. What else can we do? I've emailed the Mississippi Environmental Protection Office. This creek is a channel that is controlled by the Corp of Engineers and runs directly into the Arkabutla Lake which is a major source of water for Tate and Desoto Counties.

Would raw sewage kill fish? I figure there would be any number of chemicals in septic tank sludge and my blood is just boiling at the thought of them getting away with this.

Can anyone suggest what I should do next?

Don't you have a county health department? They should have jurisdiction over this sort of public health threat.

If you are going to be on the lookout for these people, be ready with a VIDEOCAMERA and catch them in the act, then go to the authorities AND THE REGIONAL/NATIONAL MEDIA. The company responsible won't like egg on it's face and the very bad PR value of this footage!

If it were me, I'd be tempted to wait with shotgun in hand, but that's just me. Good thing I don't own a shotgun, eh?

Junkman · #31 02/23/09, 03:49 PM

Be careful! If someone is doing it illegal and they are, they will not be too happy with you interfering. Our Health Dept you have to sign a complaint and they can give out your name.

fantasymaker · #32 02/23/09, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coup

they saw dead fish,,duhhhhhh,,,,,,,,,,

I see dead fish..........................................
.
.....
.
.Ive seen lots of times that fish die in streams.

VOR. · #33 02/23/09, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coup

they saw dead fish,,duhhhhhh,,,,,,,,,,

I guess you are right, case closed. Now if the OP only had some inkling of who the people involved were, we could throw them in jail, without a trial, based on someone seeing some dead fish.

Michael W. Smith · #34 02/23/09, 10:12 PM

To find out real quick if this is indeed happening, you or your neighbor needs to have your septic tank pumped out. If your neighbor elects to have his tank pumped, you can drop your husband off near the bridge where he can safely stay hidden and not be seen, but still able to take pictures or video.

What they are doing is highly illegal, and while I would doubt they would do this in broad daylight . . . . well, usually criminals are a bit stupid and never think they will get caught.

Jenn · #35 02/24/09, 06:50 AM

THis made me stop and inspect a truck at our nearest river/rd junction. Water downstream looked normal and same as upstream, I got closer and could see the hose end had small holes to keep stuff out and nothing coming from it, and asked the driver if he was pumping water out he carefully answered "I'm taking water IN". And duh I finally noticed his truck said well drilling not septic (but the tank sure is shaped like a honey wagon)

Wis Bang · #36 02/24/09, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenn

THis made me stop and inspect a truck at our nearest river/rd junction. Water downstream looked normal and same as upstream, I got closer and could see the hose end had small holes to keep stuff out and nothing coming from it, and asked the driver if he was pumping water out he carefully answered "I'm taking water IN". And duh I finally noticed his truck said well drilling not septic (but the tank sure is shaped like a honey wagon)

Most of these type trucks ar Vacuum operated w/ a simple four way valve to also discharge, +/or a rear opening head & dump feature for sludge. I worked for a tank truck transportation company and our waste sludge was handled this way; the vacuum unit would come and suck up the H2O and blow it to a holding tank & the go back and suck up the sediment and take it for legal disposal, came once per quarter to clean out our cleaning rack. All the water was treated and discharged to the local sewer auth.

I would think most states now restrict withdrawing water from an open stream w/ out some sort of License/permit, cept for local fire, etc.

pickapeppa · #37 02/24/09, 07:47 AM

There are houses with septic systems set up to dump raw sewage into waterways. It used to be SOP, even back in the 70s. Now it's a code violation, but with a grandfathering clause in the area where I grew up. Found this out recently when my folks had to rebuild their house due to a fire, and needed to have a drain field put in to get up to code. They're house that burnt was built in the late 70s, and the septic had a drain pipe that ran directly into the creek.

Nice to find out the creek where we played as kids had raw sewage piped in from everyone's household. <shudders> No wonder I have an iron clad digestive system. I've probably been exposed to every disgusting germ of fecal origin on earth.

I've even walked in the creek from one bridge to another, cutting my foot on glass. It's pretty amazing I never ended up with a serious infection from it.

But yes, it's disturbing to know this is happening by a septic company. Not surprising, as the EPA has pretty much been gutted and doesn't have the funds to adequately clean up even the larger zones of serious contamination by industry (which really should be on their dime, not ours).

At a minimum they'll get a fine. But guess who gets to pick up the rest of the tab?

**Cabin Fever** · #38 02/24/09, 07:51 AM

I agree with several of the others.

1. You need evidence or at least a name of the septic company. These companies are regulated by the US EPA rules (40 CFR Part 503) and these rules are often enforced by the State (and sometimes the county). I would start with the State DEQ once you get evidence or a name. Septic pumping companies must track every gallon of septage they pump: where it came from and where it ends up.

2. If the pumper did dump his load in a creek, he is also in violation of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The CWA is also enforced by the State DEQ.

3. The fish probably died to a lack of oxygen in the water. Septage, being primarily organic matter, will be decomposed by microorganisms in the water. These microbes will quickly consume dissolved oxygen as they break down the septage...thus depleting the water of the oxygen that fish need to survive.

Ken Scharabok · #39 02/24/09, 05:48 PM

"There are houses with septic systems set up to dump raw sewage into waterways."

I suspect what is being piped to the ditch or whatever isn't raw sewage but the effluence from the septic tank after the bacteria have acted on it. I understand in some areas lagoons are still permitted for the disposal of such.

From what I have read it isn't all that unusual for major cities to dump raw sewage into a river when inflow exceeds their capability to handle it - such as when rainwater also goes through the sewage pipes to the sewage plant. Not particularly nice for the next large city downstream who may draw drinking water from it.

Yes, it is possible the truck was pumping water from the creek, not dumping into it.

fantasymaker · #40 02/25/09, 10:00 AM

LOL in my little town raw sewage went right to the road ditch till about 10 years ago. Little kids would flush a boat down the tolit then stand at the road and wait for it to pop (POOP?) up.
Bet there still more than a few country homes like that around.