Two steams in Texas County won’t be subject to state bacteria standards if exemptions for them are approved by the Missouri Clean Water Commission. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has recently included them on a list of water bodies recommended for exemption from federal Clean Water Act protections, according to the Missouri Coalition for the Environment.
Members of the Houston City Council went on record opposing the exemption of Indian Creek, and they urged residents also to send letters.
The affected streams are:
• Indian Creek, east of U.S. 63 about two miles south of Houston
• Spring Creek, about three miles northwest of Licking
If the streams are exempted, sewer agencies and other facilities will be allowed to continue releasing bacteria-laden water into them. The Clean Water Commission will be accepting public comments on the proposed stream exemptions until July 21.
Anyone who uses the above streams may want to provide comments to urge keeping needed protections, the group said. If people have used these streams at any time since 1975 for swimming or other activities where they could get water in their eyes, ears or mouth, full water-quality protections must be put in place. With full clean water protections, sewer agencies will be required to disinfect the wastewater they discharge.
Comments should therefore include details of how, when and where the stream is or was used. They should also include similar information about any other uses, such as wading, boating or fishing, since these also expose people to bacteria and viruses and should require at least some level of protection.
Sewage that has not been disinfected may contain viruses, parasites and other pathogens that can make people sick with ear infections, typhoid fever, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, dysentery and other illnesses, the group said. Pathogens such as fecal coli form and E. coli bacteria are indicators of poor water quality and contamination with human waste. Waters with elevated levels of fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria are unsafe to swim in or for children to play in.
Maps of streams recommended for exemption, along with a comment form people can fill out, can be found on MCE’s Web site (www.moenviron.org/UAA.asp).
Additional information about the above streams and an online stream survey comment from are available at MDNR’s Web site (www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/wqstandards/uaa_county.htm) by clicking on Texas County.
Comments on any of these streams may also be mailed to UAA Coordinator, Water Protection Program, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102, e-mailed to john.hoke@dnr.mo.gov or faxed to 573-522-9920.