Phosphorus Reductions Showing Up In Water Data
Scientist: Good News For Illinois River
Last updated Friday, March 11, 2005 11:12 PM CST in Front
By John L. Moore
The Morning News
ROGERS -- Fishermen, boaters and swimmers on the Illinois River might soon see the effects of phosphorus reduction from wastewater treatment plants in Northwest Arkansas.
Less phosphorus during the river's base flows should mean less algae bloom and a cleaner river, said Marc Nelson, a scientist with the Arkansas Water Resources Center. Base flow is the normal volume of the water in a river or stream without stormwater.
"This is really good news for everybody involved, in my opinion," Nelson said.
Oklahoma and Arkansas have battled since the early 1980s over phosphorus levels and the resulting water quality problems in the Illinois River.
Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, Siloam Springs and Bentonville agreed two years ago to reduce phosphorus levels in water leaving their wastewater treatment plants to less than 1 part per million, Nelson said. Those efforts appear to be paying off.
Nelson said Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville posted numbers for 2004 well below the 1 part per million.
High levels of phosphorus during storm flows continue, however, and will likely affect Lake Tenkiller near Talequah, Okla., Nelson said. Storm flows represent high levels of water in the river from heavy rain.
The phosphorus from runoff during storms is likely caused from agricultural and other uses not associated with the discharges from wastewater treatment plants. Issues surrounding phosphorus levels from those non-point sources are still being worked out.
Nelson directs the water quality lab for the Arkansas Water Resources Center. He has monitored phosphorus levels in the river at a site near Siloam Springs since 1997.
Nelson pointed out his methods and results are not the official ones either Oklahoma or Arkansas have used in their discussions.
"For years, the sampling results from both his work and that of others in Arkansas and Oklahoma have had some measure of question to their validity. But the two states are working more closely together than they ever have," said Ed Fite, administrator of the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission.
Fite was a key player in the supreme court case over water quality against Fayetteville in 1991.
Fite said the five major cities in Northwest Arkansas have shown their willingness to achieve a level of treatment at their wastewater plants that will benefit their communities and the river.
"I thank them for their commitment," he said.
Fite pointed out that Siloam Springs officials are planning a new wastewater treatment plant with phosphorus levels in their wastewater discharges of 0.037 parts per million or less as it leaves the plant.
Springdale is one of the biggest contributors to base flow phosphorus levels in Osage Creek, a tributary of the Illinois, Nelson said.
Springdale dropped its phosphorus levels to 0.69 parts per million in 2004, he said.
"They made the decision to remove phosphorus from their discharge and have done an excellent job of it," Nelson said.
Fixing the phosphorus problem requires a number of different changes and the city has worked for a number of years toward lowering levels, said Rene Langston, executive director of the Springdale Water Utility.
"It is a tribute to the people at the waste water treatment plant and the professional work they do," Langston said. "It's a tribute to the Water and Sewer commission for providing support at the staff level to implement some changes that were very costly but effective in reducing phosphorus levels. And it is also a tribute to industries in the city who have worked very hard to reduce their levels before they discharge into the sewer system."
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