Town Responds to ‘Red Tide Rising’ in Harbor
Water sample taken from Town Harbor at floating docks near discharge pipe. (Wave photo)
CAPE CHARLES WAVE
September 1, 2013
Hours after a “Gossip” item entitled RED TIDE RISING appeared August 30 in the Wave, the Town of Cape Charles issued a special edition of the Gazette to address the issue of a red liquid being discharged into the Town Harbor.
On Friday afternoon, the Town Police Department delivered copies of the Gazette to local businesses for distribution to their customers.
The Gossip item noted that “now that floating docks have been installed next to the Coast Guard Station where the yacht repair facility is being built, people can walk along the bulkhead at the water line. There they can see an underwater pipe capped at the end. If they time their visit just right, somewhat like viewing “Old Faithful” at Yellowstone National Park, they will be treated to an eruption of red liquid spewing out into the harbor. Word has it that the pipe hooks to the new sewage treatment plant, and the discharge comes when plant filters are backwashed.”
The Gazette confirmed that the discharge is from backwash, “but we want to assure you that the discolored water is from the water plant not the wastewater treatment plant.” The Gazette further noted that the Town is working with the state Department of Environmental Quality “regarding corrective measures to alleviate the discharge of the discolored water.”
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There was no explanation as to why backwash from the waterworks is pumped directly into the Harbor rather than being treated in the Town’s state-of-the-art wastewater plant.
The Gazette also publicized the “informal public information meeting” set for 7 p.m. Monday, September 16, at the Cheriton Fire House, when the Eastern Shore of Virginia Public Service Authority will provide information about its plans to run a sewer pipe from Cape Charles to Route 13. A portion of the cost (25 percent) is planned to be paid by all County landowners, while the remaining 75 percent would be levied through a special tax district. Property owners within the special tax district would be required to hook up to the pipe and pay a still-undetermined monthly sewer bill.
A formal public hearing on the same issue will be 7 p.m. Monday, September 23, in the County Administration Building board room, 16404 Courthouse Road, Eastville.
The Gazette may be read by clicking here.
So, does that mean the red stuff is in our drinking water when the back-flushes occur? And, Oh Joy! Yet another tax involving that stinking (literally) sewer system that we didn’t need and nobody wanted. I can almost smell the fragrant breezes blowing through my neighborhood as the feces flow merrily along!
Your photo of the water sample is misleading and inflammatory. What’s in the bottle? You sit the item out there without first doing some lab work. You’re expecting clear water to come from the salty mix of the Bay? If it’s iron, what’s the big deal with back flushing? Rainwater runoff into the harbor is much more “polluted.” Get the fact before you act.
To be clear (pun intended), the water sample shown was taken from the harbor following a discharge from the pipe. We’ll leave the lab work to DEQ. –EDITOR