The August nitrate, total phosphorus, and fecal coliform sampling results have been added to our tracking table and the Water Quality Monitoring Program page of the website.
The results for nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) the pollutants that cause algae blooms and excess aquatic weed growth are worse (higher) than last month. Nitrogen in particular is many times higher than any reasonable instream water quality criterion would allow and many times our nitrate target for concern. Algae blooms and excessive plant growth is currently evident throughout the watershed.
This underscores the need for the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in the watershed to continue to make progress on their permit implementation schedules for nutrient reduction and for reductions from other sources such as golf courses, agriculture (including cow and horse farms), residential/commercial lawn fertilizer application and stormwater runoff.
EPA and MassDEP should also issue the long overdue two remaining major municipal WWTP permits in the watershed Somerset (8+ years overdue) and Fall River (11+ years overdue) with appropriate nutrient limitations and implementation schedules as well as implement (make effective) the new stormwater (a.k.a. MS4 permit) which is 9+ years overdue.