5 Ways to Protect Groundwater

In Thurston County, we drink groundwater. There are many steps we can take in our daily lives to keep drinking water safe.

Here are five ways that you can protect groundwater.

1. Dispose of unused, unwanted household hazardous products properly. Take them to HazoHouse, where they will be disposed of safely, for free.

2. Have your well water tested. Thurston County Environmental Health Division recommends testing well water for bacteria once a year. Test for nitrate at least every three years, before bringing home an infant, and when a woman in the home is pregnant, nursing, or trying to become pregnant. If you are on city water or a community water system, they test their water regularly. You can call to request the water quality test results.

3. Keep your septic system maintenance up to date. A well maintained septic system is inspected every year and pumped as needed, typically every three to five years.

4. Don't put anything on the ground that you wouldn't want to drink. This includes toxic bug and weed killers that are often mixed in with fertilizers.

5. Conserve water.

We all need safe, clean water. Let's do our part to protect our main source of drinking water: groundwater.

Hepatitis A in the News

You may have heard about a recent outbreak of Hepatitis A associated with a frozen berry product. This kind of news often leaves people with questions and concerns.  Let us know in the comments if there is any other information that we can provide – thanks for reading!

What is Hepatitis A? Hepatitis A is a disease of the liver caused by a virus.

What are the symptoms of Hepatitis A? Fatigue, fever, nausea, diarrhea, dark urine, clay colored bowel movements, joint pain, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin). Symptoms can appear within 15 – 50 days after exposure.

How can Hepatitis A contaminate food? Hepatitis A can contaminate food when fecal matter from a person with the virus gets onto the food. This can happen when a person preparing food does not properly wash their hands, in places where access to clean drinking water is not available for hand washing, or when food is washed in contaminated water.

How can the spread of Hepatitis A be prevented? The best way to prevent the spread of germs is by washing hands with soap and water carefully for at least 20 seconds. Hands should be washed before and after preparing food, after using the bathroom, after coming inside, after changing diapers and as frequently as possible when sick or caring for someone who is sick. Anyone with symptoms should avoid preparing food for others and stay home from work until symptoms are gone.

Who is at risk for Hepatitis A? Those who have come in contact with the Hepatitis A virus and who have not been vaccinated or have not had the disease before. Here is a link to Thurston County Public Health’s Immunization Services website.

Thurston County Environmental Health Division’s Food Safety Program conducts periodic inspections of food establishments to help prevent the spread and reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses. Violations are corrected through a combination of education and technical assistance.

Washing hands and cleanliness are key components of food safety in our restaurants and at home.

Recycling used motor oil is easy!

If you change your own oil, remember that recycling your used motor oil not only saves limited natural resources, but also protects the environment from oil spills. With over 30 used oil collection sites throughout the county, recycling your used oil is the easiest step in the process.

Follow these simple steps:

1.       Drain the used oil into a sealable, reusable container. A clean milk or laundry detergent jug will work. You can also find inexpensive, reusable drain pans at auto supply stores.

2.       Keep the oil clean. Tightly seal the container from rain water and debris. Don’t mix used oil with solvents, gasoline, thinners, or antifreeze, which make the combined liquid a hazardous waste that can’t be recycled.

3.       Take the used oil to a collection site. Find locations with Thurston County’s interactive map!

What happens to recycled motor oil?

Recycled motor oil undergoes an extensive process that removes contaminants and produces a base oil that is then blended with additives to make motor oil, transmission fluid, and grease. Close the recycling loop by purchasing recycled motor oil, also called re-refined motor oil, which is available at most auto supply stores. For more information about used motor oil and re-refined motor oil, visit Thurston County Environmental Health’s website.

Check your car for oil leaks

Keep your car well maintained to stop oil from leaking into our environment. Check for leaks by placing a large piece of cardboard or paper under your car overnight. If you see drips of oil, take your car to a mechanic to have the leak fixed.

Take other unwanted household hazardous wastes or products to HazoHouse. You can drive through and drop off household hazardous products for free!

Septic Systems and Groundwater

When you flush the toilet, wash clothes, wash dishes, take a shower… where does that water and everything along with it end up?

For many of us that are not connected to a sewage treatment plant, the wastewater from our homes ends up in our own backyards.  All of that wastewater is treated by an on-site septic system and as long as they are working properly, septic systems do a pretty good job of treating sewage.

Septic systems are designed with a septic tank that works as a settling chamber to treat sewage by holding it in the tank while it breaks down with the help of bacteria.  The “gray” water then passes through that settling chamber and goes out into the drainfield where it slowly filters through the soil.  The soil treats the bacteria that filter through it before the treated water joins the groundwater below it.

In Thurston County, we drink groundwater!

Septic systems that are not functioning properly can contaminate the drinking water supply for an entire community. When this happens, bacteria from the septic system can make their way into the water supply that is then pumped into private wells. These contaminants can make people sick with hepatitis, giardiasis, dysentery and other water-borne illnesses. 

Even well-functioning septic systems are not very effective at removing nitrates and many household chemicals from the treated water.  This is one reason why there are regulations about how close septic systems can be to one another and how close they can be to wells.

A functioning, well placed, and well maintained septic system will protect the groundwater quality and the health of your family and neighbors.

To be sure that your drinking water from your well is safe, you can have it tested through Thurston County Environmental Health Division. Read about how to do this on our Blog Post, “How to test your well water”.

Septic System Care Begins with You

Your septic system is an extremely important part of your home. It needs regular care and maintenance, just like any other large piece of equipment.  Many of us learn the hard way when something goes wrong and we have to pay the price to get it fixed while suffering the mess and inconvenience of a malfunctioning system.

Some simple “Dos” and “Don’ts” will help extend the life of your septic system, save on maintenance costs, and protect water quality.

Dos:

·         Inspect your septic system annually. Regular inspections help take care of problems when they are small and less expensive to fix!

·         Keep accurate records of your septic system. This includes information such as what type of septic system you have, where it is located, when it was last pumped (usually every three to five years) and when other maintenance was performed.

·         Use less water.  Use appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines one at a time and spread out their usage so that you are not using them back to back. This allows time for solids in the septic tank to settle, and keeps too much water at once from overwhelming the drainfield.

·         Direct water from downspouts and roofs away from the drainfield.

·         Keep cars, trucks and livestock off the septic tank and drainfield areas. The soil around the septic tank and drainfield is an important part of the septic system – it does a better job when it is not compacted and the weight from vehicles or livestock can damage casing and pipes of the system.

·         Install risers for easier access. 

·         Choose less toxic household products for cleaning and hobbies.  Any labels that says danger or poison can harm the septic system, even those intended to go down the sink.

Don’ts:

·         Avoid use of garbage disposals because they send solids and grease into your septic system, and that can lead to drainfield failure.

·         Don’t use any septic tank additives or “miracle” system cleaners. These chemicals can actually harm your septic system by allowing solids to flow into and clog the drainfield. The chemicals can also contaminate groundwater and surface water.  At the very least, these products have not been shown to help septic systems.  Save your money for annual inspections.

·         Don’t dispose of water from hot tubs into the septic system. Too much water in the system at once is harmful to the system and chlorine can destroy important bacteria in the system. Instead, drain hot tubs onto the ground away from the drainfield.

·         Don’t flush solid wastes into the septic system. This includes diapers, wipes, cigarette butts, coffee grounds, tampons, condoms, and grease.

·         Don’t put strong chemicals; such as hazardous cleaning products, down the drain. Household chemicals like drain cleaners, paint thinners, and floor cleaners can destroy important bacteria in the septic tank and contaminate groundwater and surface water.

·         Don’t construct patios, carports, or use landscaping plastic over the drainfield. Grass is the best cover for your septic tank and drainfield. Compacting the soil and paving prevents oxygen from getting into the soil. This oxygen is needed to breakdown and treat the sewage.

Slow-release Fertilizers: Green Lawns AND Safe Drinking Water

May is one of the best times to feed lawns because they are growing fast and quickly using up the last of winters’ reserves. Warmer soils mean more soil activity as the soil critters that help break down the fertilizer are more active and ready to eat! Choose a slow-release to feed them and your lawn this spring.

Why choose slow-release fertilizers?

·         Slow-release fertilizers depend on soil microbes to break down the nutrients and this makes the fertilizer last longer in the soil to give plants a steady source of nutrients.

·         Slow-release fertilizers are less likely to run off lawns and pollute lakes, rivers, streams, and Puget Sound.

·         Slow-release fertilizers are less likely to move down through soils and contaminate groundwater. In Thurston County, we drink groundwater.

·        Organic and slow-release fertilizers don’t contain toxic weed or bug killers that other brands may contain.  Weed and bug killers destroy the soil microbes that live in healthy soils. Healthy lawns need healthy soils just like other plants do.

How do I find slow-release fertilizers?

To find slow-release fertilizers, look for the terms “slow-acting” or “long-lasting” on labels. Read the fine print – 50% of the nitrogen should be non-soluble in slow-release fertilizers.  Most organic fertilizers are slow-release and include aged manure, seed meal, bone meal, poultry and fish by-products.  In Thurston County, you can find slow-release fertilizer at local nurseries.

The Grow Smart, Grow Safe is a great resource for choosing lawn and garden products. It ranks hundreds of products to help you find the ones that are least hazardous to people, pets, and the environment.

For more information on Common Sense Gardening, including a fertilizer fact sheet, visit the Common Sense Gardening website or call, (360) 867-2577 to have Common Sense Gardening materials sent to your home.

Yuk!

Remember Mr. Yuk?

He tells children that a product is yucky and bad for them. But how do adults know that a product is hazardous? A household can be filled with a number of toxic products that can harm children, pets, and adults.

How can you tell if a product is hazardous?

The law requires the following signal words on the label of household hazardous products:

• Danger or Poison (Highest hazard)
• Caution or Warning (Moderage hazard)
• Does NOT have any of the above signal words (Safest)
  

Read labels before you purchase household products. Choose the least hazardous product and purchase only the amount you need for the job. This will minimize the amount of harmful products stored in your home.

Follow the directions for safer use. Many household products direct users to wear protective gear such as gloves or eyewear or to use the product in a well ventilated space. These directions are important to follow in order to minimize health effects.

Store hazardous products safely. Avoid storing chemicals under the sink or near a well or wellhouse. Also, keep household hazardous products away from children, pets, food, heat, and flames. Always store chemicals sealed in their original containers. Place containers inside an old tub or bucket so any drips or leaks are captured. Never put chemicals in food containers.

Dispose of unwanted chemicals at HazoHouse. Drive through and drop off unwanted household hazardous products for free at HazoHouse, located at the Waste and Recovery Center in Lacey. Remember to store these products safely in your vehicle. Never mix different products together, seal lids tightly, and secure them in a container upright so they are not jostling around during transportation. Keep them away from children, pets, and vehicle passengers.

Make your own green cleaners! These are effective, cost efficient, and best of all - not hazardous!

Taking the time for safety is always a smart choice for you and your family.