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Home My WebLink About20191114_CWDACminutesAlways working for a safer and healthier community 615 Sheridan Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 www.JeffersonCountyPublicHealth.org Community Health Environmental Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) (f) 360-379-4487 Jefferson County Clean Water District Advisory Council Quarterly Meeting Jefferson County Public Health, Pacific Room 615 Sheridan St, Port Townsend, WA 98368 Thursday, November 14, 2019, 3:00 to 4:30 pm Attending: Mike Dawson, David Steele, Richard Hull, Richard Wojt, Wendy Clark-Getzin, David Sullivan, Trevor Swanson, David Peterson (City of Port Townsend) Absent: Kara Cardinal, Al Cairns Staff: Lara Gaasland-Tatro, Jacquelyn Stenman, Tim Weissman, Brad Stone Called to order: 3:06 by Mike Dawson Agenda and Minutes Approval David Steele moved to approve the agenda, Richard Hull seconded the motion. No further discussion. The motion was unanimous. David Steele mentioned typos in the May 9th 2019 minutes, Mike Dawson corrected them. Richard Wojt moved to approve the corrected minutes, David Steele, seconded the motion. No further discussion. The motion was unanimous. David Steel moved to approve the August 8th 2019 minutes, Trevor Swanson, seconded the motion. No further discussion. The motion was unanimous. Strait Priority Areas Update JCPH is looking to extend and expand the sub-contract to JCCD to help with additional work in the Strait Priority area. This would allow Glenn Gately to continue his comprehensive water quality report. There is potential for Ag BMP work along Uncas Valley Ditch where there were cattle along a tributary to Salmon Creek with no exclusion fencing or buffer planting. High fecal coliform counts were found just downstream at UVD/0.0 with no other suspected sources. David Steele asked the reason for work at this site, if it was related to the threatened station 196 in Discovery Bay. Mike Dawson replied that, although it may not be the main impact to water quality at that station, all upstream sources may play a part in the non-point source pollution. Septic System Survey results- Over 300 properties were researched, 52 percent surveyed. 55 sites were rated No Problem, 92 were suspect-low, 20 were suspect-medium and 5 were suspect-high. No failures found during sanitary surveys. Failures were found during complaint investigations and O&M inspections. David Steele asked about the process of sanitary surveys and how people can deny surveys of their septic systems. Mike Dawson explained that we can use a search warrant if there is a clear water quality problem, but that has not been needed. If there is a complaint there is a different, more direct approach to gain access. Brad Stone has been researching septic systems that may have not been decommissioned in the city sewered area. Port Townsend Stormwater results 2019 Brad Stone has been sampling stormwater discharges in downtown Port Townsend. Five sites are hotspots and some are in areas where people could potentially be on the beach nearby. It would be prudent to have signage at these sites to warn people that pollution may be present during rainfall. Always working for a safer and healthier community Community Health Environmental Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) (f) 360-379-4487 Dave Peterson asked for copies of the results to see if Public Works can find more about the sites and discuss it with the city council. Mike Dawson commented that people had been asking about low water level at Kai Tai lagoon and that he looked at the outflow pipe in the pond near the bridge and it looked like a board regulating lake level was missing. Dave Peterson said that he would look into it. The board may have rotted out. Lakes Cyanobacteria Monitoring Cyanotoxin levels were high this year, three of the highest anatoxin levels at Anderson Lake have been in the last 3 years. We also had a dog death at Anderson Lake. There have been more fall blooms and our monitoring season doesn’t necessarily extend long enough to catch the bloom. Anderson Lake had a heavy bloom with scum but low toxins. Lake Leland had a fall bloom with high microcystin resulting in a Warning. The state funds ran out for additional fall testing. Anderson Lake Management Plan: Have collected about 2/3 of the nutrient data, then Herrera consultants will be creating a nutrient budget for the lake. EPA Region 10 workshop on CyanoHABs: Mike Dawson and Tim Weissman attended. Washington was early in setting state criteria in 2008 but there is only funding for toxin lab analysis and nothing for monitoring. On Nov 20th there will be a state agency meeting he is attending to discuss the response to blooms and possible changes. The current 3-tier system of Caution, Warning and Danger may need updating. We use Caution frequently – concerned about sign fatigue. Local jurisdictions will be responsible for creating signage going forward. Richard Wojt asked how Lords Lake would be effected. Mike Dawson and Dave Peterson answered that the city tested for cell counts at Lords Lake and City Lake. Discussion ensued about the DOH Drinking Water program awareness of cyanotoxins. Richard Woijt asked how long the toxins last. Mike Dawson stated that anatoxin breaks down under UV from sunlight with time. Tim Weissman added that microcystin doesn’t break down as readily with sunlight but may from strong UV light in treatment. Central Hood Canal Project Update: Duckabush Trevor Swanson shared data for Hood Canal #3 marine fecal coliform monitoring. In October 2019 all stations are passing standards for the first time, but can’t be upgraded until continuing to pass standards for a length of time. Monitoring has been monthly. The Duckabush is currently open through April. The Restricted area near the mouth of the Dosewallips River has improved. In restricted areas commercial harvesters can move their product to clean areas to cycle clean. Recreational harvesters should not eat shellfish from restricted areas. Wendy Clark-Getzin asked about the Duckabush Estuary Project bridge replacement, and how much the shellfish areas were considered in the design of the project. Trevor Swanson showed the DOH Commercial Shellfish map at https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/oswpviewer/index.html which now has a feature to download monitoring data for specific sites. DOH has an emergency condition triggered if the Duckabush floods. Swanson believed it was 3000 cfs but said he would check. Dawson said he would check what his past research indicated about flooding at certain flows. Staff are researching the status of septic system repairs and corrections in the Duckabush area. One focus were outhouses in the floodplain. All the outhouses that were found in the floodplain were decommissioned. Seven outhouses elsewhere in the watershed are remaining. David Steele asked about the outhouse decommissioning process. Tim Weissman explained that they were pumped, treated with lime and filled with dirt. A decommissioning brochure is on the JCPH website at https://www.jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/1400/OSS-Decommissioning. There have been other repairs and decommissioning of cesspools, unpermitted graywater and septic systems and failing septic Always working for a safer and healthier community Community Health Environmental Health Developmental Disabilities Water Quality 360-385-9400 360-385-9444 360-385-9401 (f) (f) 360-379-4487 systems. Nine septic system repairs have been finaled in the Duckabush and two are in process. There are another 40-50 septic violation cases in the Duckabush area that are being worked on. Council Position Openings Citizen #3 term expires Dec 2019 – Richard Hull has indicated interest in continuing. City of PT will appoint a new representative. Proposed 2020 meeting schedule: Feb 13, May 14, Aug 13, Nov 12 Announcements: No announcements. Public Comment: No public comments. Adjourn: Mike Dawson adjourned the meeting at 4:25