Water Quality Indicators
- Stream Use Support
- Underground Storage Tanks
- Wastewater Spill Volumes and Frequency
Introduction
Water quality refers to the ability of our water resources to support human,
animal, and plant life. Good water quality is necessary for providing us with
drinking water that is safe and clean; for providing habitat for aquatic bugs,
plants, and animals; for providing recreational opportunities like wading,
swimming, and fishing; and for providing a place for us to connect with nature.
Six watersheds drain all the water that falls in Gaston County to either the Catawba River, or the South Fork of the Catawba River (a watershed includes the land that drains to a particular water body). Some of these watersheds supply drinking water to surface systems; rainfall in all the watersheds helps replenish groundwater. All the watersheds provide recreational opportunities and wildlife habitat. Everybody who lives and works in Gaston County impacts water through their actions.
Residents from Gaston County obtain their drinking water from either surface
water, such as a lake, or from groundwater. Approximately 114,000 people draw
their water from a municipal surface water supply system, while the remaining
76,000 people draw their water from a private or community well.
| Local Government | Public Drinking Water Source |
| Gastonia | Mountain Island Lake |
| Mount Holly | Mountain Island Lake |
| Belmont | Catawba River |
| Bessemer City | Long Creek |
| Cherryville | Indian Creek |
| Stanley | Hoyle Creek |
| High Shoals | South Fork River |
| Dallas | South Fork River |
| Spencer Mountain, Ranlo, Laurell, McAdenville, Cramerton | Purchased from City of Gastonia |
Each source is regulated differently, with the most regulatory control provided
over surface water systems and community wells. Risks to groundwater include
contamination pollutants that may seep through soil, such as those from leaking
underground storage tanks. Risks to municipally supplied water include non-point
source pollutants (for example, grease, sediment, pesticides, oils) that accumulate
on land and are carried by storm water into public water supplies and hence
increase costs of treatment and chemicals used in treating drinking water.
Health based violations occur when a contaminant exceeds a safety standard or when water is not treated properly. Although the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires health violations to be reported for surface water systems and community wells, the data is unwieldy and presents a challenge for quantifying violations in the county (See EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System: http://www.epa.gov/enviro/html/sdwis/sdwis_query.html ). Better tracking of health violations locally would help the public to understand the risks associated with using different sources of water for drinking.
Water Quality Indicator: Fully Supporting Streams
About the Indicator
All surface waters in the state are assigned a classification appropriate
to the best use of that water. The state rates waters according to how well
they are supporting their intended uses, whether that use is for providing
animal habitat or drinking water. The rating takes into account water quality
measures, such as fish and aquatic insect habitat, monthly chemical samples,
fish tissue analyses, monitoring data from other agencies, and information
from natural resource staff and citizens. The following ratings are provided
to waters:
Fully Supporting: waters meet designated use criteria
Partially Supporting: waters fail to meet designated use criteria at times,
so are considered impaired
Not Supporting: waters frequently fail to meet designated use criteria, so
are considered impaired
Not Rated: streams lacking data or having inconclusive data for rating
In Gaston County, the State rates most streams as Class "C", meaning that their intended uses include fishing and boating, agricultural uses, and wading. Swimming is not included as a use of Class "C" waters. Mountain Island Lake, parts of the South Fork River, and other waters that are located upstream of municipal drinking water intakes, are rated as "Water Supply Watersheds". Since their intended use is drinking water, these areas must meet higher standards in order to be meeting their intended use.
Much work has been done to address point source discharges (pollution from a pipe source) in Catawba Creek and Crowders Creek. Removal of these discharges are expected to improve water quality even more in these creeks.
However, as rural land uses in Gaston County give way to residential and commercial development, increased amounts of impervious surface (pavement and rooftops) will yield increased stormwater runoff. Stormwater runoff pollution is recognized by the EPA as the number one water quality problem in the United States. In the future, careful land use planning that emphasizes pollution prevention and minimization will be necessary to maintain current water quality and to prevent further degradation.
In 1994, 70.2% of rated waterbodies within Gaston County were rated Fully
Supporting. The percentage of Fully Supporting streams rose to 74.4% in 1999.
However, Dallas Branch, Crowders Creek, Catawba Creek, and Mauney Creek were
either listed as partially supporting or not supporting in 1999.
Updated stream use support ratings will be published in the next Catawba River Basinwide Water Quality Plan due in 2004. Basinwide plans are available online at: http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/basinwide/
QNRC's Goals and Recommended Actions
| Indicator | 2008 Goal | Actions to achieve the goal |
| Percentage of stream miles supporting intended uses | Increase percentage of stream miles supporting intended uses |
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Water Quality Indicator: Leaking Underground Storage Tanks
About the Indicator
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates underground storage
tanks (USTs) storing either petroleum or certain hazardous substances. Until
the mid-1980's, most USTs were made of bare steel, which will corrode over
time and allow UST contents to leak into the environment (also called a release).
Faulty installation or inadequate operating and maintenance procedures can
also cause USTs to leak. The greatest potential hazard from a leaking UST
is that petroleum or other hazardous substances can seep into the soil and
contaminate groundwater. It can also present other health and environmental
risks, including the potential for fire and explosion. Nearly all regulated
USTs contain petroleum, and the sites include marketers who sell gasoline
(such as service stations) and nonmarketers who use tanks for their own needs
(such as local governments).
An open incidence of a leaking UST is one where a release has been reported
to the state, whose Department of Environment and Natural Resources implements
the EPA UST regulations. After a leak has been reported, the state requires
the responsible parties to assess the site and clean it up. Depending on whether
the leak has contaminated just the soil or also the groundwater, and whether
it is affecting a drinking water source, specific clean up goals are set for
each site. Leaking USTs that have contaminated groundwater have very strict
clean up requirements. A leaking UST incident is closed after the clean-up
goals have been met.
North Carolina has developed a hazard ranking system that prioritizes cleanup efforts based on health and environmental risks. Often the most health and cost effective fix is to add potentially affected groundwater users to public water supplies. The state still requires a clean up regimen to protect human health during the process.
The yearly report of releases shows how many incidences were opened each year in Gaston County since the UST regulations were implemented. These peaked in the early 1990's as the state's new UST program prompted discovery of many older, leaking tanks.
Gaston County has 187 open incidences of leaking USTs as of May 2003. Forty seven (47) of the open incidences are considered high risk (threat to human health).
So far, Gaston County has 179 total closed incidences, with 41 of those having had soil and groundwater contamination. There are fewer bare steel tanks remaining in the County and reports of leaking USTs have decreased.
Sources of information include Mr. Steve Bograd, UST Section Regional Supervisor, NCDENR Div. Of Waste Management- USTs. 919 N. Main St. Moorseville, NC 28115; and EPA at www.www.epa.gov/OUST/
QNRC's Goals and Recommended Actions
| Indicator | 2008 Goal | Actions to achieve the goal |
| Number of leaking underground storage tanks (USTs) open cases |
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Water Quality Indicator: Wastewater Spill Volumes and Frequencies
About the Indicator
Municipal wastewater treatment plants play an essential role in protecting
water quality throughout Gaston County. Wastewater treatment plants allow
for higher density residential development in their service areas. Higher
density is one tool in the effort to curb sprawl development. Plants are also
staffed by trained professionals and must meet state guidelines for operation
and discharge to surface waters. Many homeowners on individual septic systems
are unaware of potential management problems and only realize there is a problem
when the system fails. Improperly functioning septic systems do impact water
but measuring this part of the equation is practically impossible.
Wastewater treatment plants are required by law to report spills or system bypasses when they occur. Many of the problems occur in the collection system when there are clogs due to what people put down the drain. Aging pipes rupture from time to time. Stormwater infiltration during heavy rainfall events can overwhelm parts of the collection system resulting in escapes of untreated wastewater. Pump station malfunctions account for many of the releases. And from time to time, spills occur at the plant itself.
Untreated wastewater contains pathogens that may cause sickness and disease for those who come in contact with contaminated water. Untreated wastewater decreases oxygen levels in streams and rivers since the oxygen is needed in the decomposition process for the untreated wastes. Lower oxygen levels may stress or kill fish and aquatic life.
The Mooresville Regional Office of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources has regulatory responsibility for Gaston County's wastewater treatment plants. The Mooresville office provided the data on spill volumes and frequencies presented below.
| Year | Number of Spills | Estimated Gallons Spilled |
| 2000 | 64 | 7,019,969 |
| 2001 | 45 | 474,930 |
| 2002 | 54 | 560,723 |
QNRC's Goals and Recommended Actions
| Indicator | 2008 Goal | Actions to achieve the goal |
| Wastewater Spill Volumes |
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