SESSION E:

Title: Sanitary Surveys by the Department of Environmental Protection

Authors: Philip Garwood, John Glowa, James Crowley
Division of Water Resource Regulation, Department of Environmental Protection, State House Station #17, Augusta, ME 04333

Abstract:

Over the past decade, enforcement personnel in the DEP water program have collaborated with the Department of Marine Resources to conduct intensive sanitary surveys aimed at opening shellfishing areas for harvest. Highly valued areas were selected and topographic maps were used to delineate watersheds for survey work. House-to house visitations were conducted. Where possible, residents were interviewed concerning location, age and status of their septic systems. In some cases, internal plumbing was examined or dye testing conducted. In all cases, areas near watercourses or drainage ways were examined for evidence of sewage discharge. Where malfunctioning systems were found, the owners and the municipal officials were notified and corrective work was tracked. The data from these investigations shows interesting patterns regarding the proportion of properties with problems: generally, fewer problems are found in most urbanized areas compared to rural areas and fewer problems in southern Maine than in more isolated down-east coastal areas. From detection of problems to final opening of the shellfishing area can take a considerable length of time for several reasons. Primary among those is the requirement under the National Shellfish Sanitation Program for a statistically valid number of tests in their evaluations. When the waters do not test clean prior to correction of problems, it takes time to accumulate enough clean tests to bring the evaluation into the range where the area can be considered safe for shellfish harvesting.