Clean Spring Water .Com

Editor: Ray Melenson

Working to create better understanding

of Drainage Techniques used by utilities.

EPA gets a green light from Federal Bench.   EPA feels Florida can't protect the environment from nitrogen discharge by utilities if standards are not set.  Florida DEP officials have long allowed utilities to dump sewer effluent without even having a standard for how much is too much.  Senator Alan Hays works to keep Federal controls out of Florida politics.

Federal Judge draws EPA into Florida. DEP long has set standards for the public but refused to set standard for the biggest polluters.  Do we really need a regulator who costs $2 billion annually and refuses to even set pollution standards for utilities to follow? Without a standard any amount of nitrate can be dumped.  Springs Protection is a joke without standards for the big nitrogen dumpers.

FDEP may be required to set a standard for dumping nitrates into the aquifer.  Utilities are current exempt from most regulation allowing direct discharge of millions of sewer effluent to be discharged directly to Floridan Aquifer.   FDEP is quick to place standards and promote ordinances to control citizens.  It is time that they set a standard for utilities.  FDEP (Florida Department of Environmental Protection regularly approves the use of sink holes to be used for dumping by utilities.  Alachua County's Kanapaha Sewer plant is an example.  6 million gallons of nitrogen rich sewer effluent is pumped daily into the Floridan Aquifer.  Just to the south is famous Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs.  Each is struggling with 1 part per million nitrate contamination as stated by DEP Spokesmen/Coordinators Pandion Systems of Alachua County.   Representative Trudi Williams and Senator Alan Hays are promoting a solution that requires performance by DEP and keeps the Federal Government's EPA out of Florida. 

Ocala's drainage well map below highlights the dump sites used to discard Billions of Gallons of nutrient rich storm sewer runoff annually.  The City of Ocala is "Fizzing Away" the city from below. Acid rain is actually melting Ocala from below because of the use of underground streams to transport city runoff to the springs.  Get involved, do what you can, discuss your concerns with your elected officials.  Polluted drinking will cost you monthly as the cost of filtering out storm and sewer pollutants from your drinking water.

Protecting our water is the key to sustainability in Florida.  Watershed awareness is becoming common place among the citizens of Florida. 

New pressures are being directed toward Utilities who actually go against all Mother Nature has taught us.  We have too much water and Utility Managers are scrambling to dump polluted water where ever they can.

Kanapaha Sewer Utility in Alachua County is in the Environmental Cross Hairs.  As DEP Secretary Mike Sole says, "Florida leads the USA in the commitment of resources to protect drinking water and restore water quality".  We really must tell the Florida Water Story the way Mother Nature tell it.  More grass roots citizens and even legislators are becoming inspired to protect our great water resources.  Do your part.  Help Stop Dumping into the Aquifer.  DEP can't stop the pollution of City Utilities without your help.  Some of the sink holes and drainage wells have been polluting for decades.

 We have so much spring water that 10 times what we use from wells, is wasted daily running directly out to sea.

In Marion County a Billion Gallons of spring water is allowed to pour out on the ground daily only to run out to the oceans with out even a single use by man.  Yes, rivers must have the water, however the water can be used many times before it is finally salt water.

Sewer and Storm Sewer use the water only once, then send it to mix with Florida's Under Ground Resources.  The contaminated utility water spills out into the springs or goes into community drinking water as a problem rather than clean clear water.

FDEP has asked each one of us to jump into the Florida Water Story.  We all need to do our part to protect our lakes, rivers, and streams.  Protecting the surface waters will protect the Aquifer.  

Job 1. Remember to seal up the space around your well and ask utility managers in your community to do the same.  Unsealed well sides can allow small amounts of rain water to leak down along side the well pipe and contaminate our Aquifer.

Job 2.   Plug up the big Drain Well Pipes that are used in some Cities to drain away the Storm Sewer Runoff that has been collected from hundreds or even thousands of grimy city streets and city parking lots.  The City of Ocala Florida is a good example, because more than 20 drainage pipes send collected storm Sewer Pollution directly into the Community Drinking Water Supply.  Protecting the aquifer from the few gallons that might seep in around a well is important, but you must help utility Managers understand that a Billion Gallons of dirty funky nasty storm water full of nutrients must also be blocked from going down city pipes used to drain the funky runoff into the aquifer.

Job 3.  Help Legislators, and the protectors of Florida's Water, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to understand that even if we win the battle with Job 1. we will lose the war to protect Florida's Water if we can't win Job 2.

Ask your utility Managers if they dump into sink holes or drainage wells.  DEP Secretary Mike Sole reminds us, " Mother Nature continually teaches us that we must adopt and change our behaviors in order to protect and Conserve Florida's Water Resources".

It is time to stop wasting tax payer dollars attempting to shift blame for springs algae growth.  Bad Management Practices are used in managing storm water in Ocala and Marion County.  One program after another attempts to educate the public to stop dumping millions of gallons of Nutrient Rich Storm Sewer Runoff.

Simple filtering will give us our Clean Clear Silver Springs back.  The Springs Attraction must install simple skimmers at each runoff site in the 17 acre parking lot complex at Silver Springs.  Oil is lighter than water, and the oil pollution of many acres of parking is an unnecessary harm to Silver Springs.

DEP and Marion County Storm Water Authorities must take their stewardship responsibility more seriously.  Why should we let an out of town lessee pollute our Silver Springs?  Talk with your neighbor, talk with the authorities.  Silver Springs belongs to the people.  The lease requires best management practices.  We are getting BAD Management Practices.