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The Dalles Waste Water treatment
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exgolfer



Joined: 11 Jun 2012
Posts: 42

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:03 pm    Post subject: The Dalles Waste Water treatment Reply with quote

Nice of the City of the Dalles to let us know about that their WWT process break down, a day and a half after it was discovered. we got to play in the e Coli for two evening sessions with no notice, and folks downstream at current flow rates got exposed before the nimble notice givers got any word out given the 1.3 mph average flow rate of the river at present. while wiki explains most stains of e coli are harmless, and a normal if small component of our gut microbial, some strains are pretty nasty.

of course, the authorities offer zero clue about what if any health hazards really exist.... are they saying, stay out of the water from the dalles to bonneville?

with the river flowing 150-250,000 CFS, I wonder what the effluent outflow volume per second is from The Dalles WWTP. This is likely not important but just curious.

More importantly, I also wonder how well e Coli can sustain itself and propagate in our 66 degree river...bacterial propagation in the right environmental condition can be exponential. otherwise given the answer to the first questions the odds of ingesting any e Coli seem rather slim in an hour session on the river..

But more to the point: does anyone have any sense of the actual health risks and unknowns of playing in the river 6 miles down stream, or in Mosier or HR?

if anyone knows the answers to these obvious pedestrian questions, it might be helpful to making an informed choice about enjoying the river this pm when the wind looks quite nice... thanks.
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exgolfer



Joined: 11 Jun 2012
Posts: 42

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:44 pm    Post subject: the Dalles Ecoli discharge Reply with quote

on the first question: The Dalles WWT is about 2 million gallons per day! but this equates to only about 3 cubic feet per second of effluent and even when the Columbia is only flowing at 150k CFS, that is .002% of the total volume of the river just below the Dalles.....
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sailnbike



Joined: 04 Apr 2000
Posts: 43

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

https://ormswd2.synergydcs.com/HPRMWebDrawer/RecordView/6186019

The above is a link to the press release from the City of The Dalles. The last thing I want is to swim with E.coli but if I understand correctly, the river water is still well within allowable levels? Please correct me if I'm wrong.
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 10:04 pm    Post subject: Re: The Dalles Waste Water treatment Reply with quote

exgolfer wrote:
does anyone have any sense of the actual health risks and unknowns of playing in the river 6 miles down stream


I grew up occasionally playing in a river a hundred yards downwind of the town's raw sewage outlet on my side of the river ... NO treatment whatsoever. There was a constant, obvious, easily visible parade of turds, condoms, kotex, etc. drifting right by and on us. I was a widdle kid, and this was around 1950, so who knew?

I windsurfed, and often fell, in a lake closed because of an unexplained fish kill.

I've WSed MANY days at Jones Beach/Klatskenie, with just eye irritations and river nose to show for it.

I've had cancer, but only one cold in my whole life. (I've always guessed that that river exposed and protected me from just about every known and many unknown bugs.)

Given a choice, I wouldn't do any of those again. Unless, of course, it was the only good wind.

exgolfer wrote:
does anyone have any sense of the actual health risks and unknowns of playing in the river 6 miles down stream


I grew up occasionally playing in a river a hundred yards downwind of the town's raw sewage outlet on my side of the river ... NO treatment whatsoever. There was a constant, obvious, easily visible parade of turds, condoms, kotex, etc. drifting right by and on us. I was a widdle kid, and this was around 1950, so who knew?

I windsurfed, and often fell, in a lake closed because of an unexplained fish kill.

I've WSed MANY days at Jones Beach/Klatskenie, with just eye irritations and river nose to show for it.

I've had cancer, but only one cold in my whole life. (I've always guessed that that river exposed and protected me from just about every known and many unknown bugs.)

Given a choice, I wouldn't do any of those again. Unless, of course, it was the only good wind.

exgolfer wrote:
does anyone have any sense of the actual health risks and unknowns of playing in the river 6 miles down stream


I grew up occasionally playing in a river a hundred yards downwind of the town's raw sewage outlet on my side of the river ... NO treatment whatsoever. There was a constant, obvious, easily visible parade of turds, condoms, kotex, etc. drifting right by and on us. I was a widdle kid, and this was around 1950, so who knew?

I windsurfed, and often fell, in a lake closed because of an unexplained fish kill.

I've WSed MANY days at Jones Beach/Klatskenie, with just eye irritations and river nose to show for it.

I've had cancer, but only one cold in my whole life. (I've always guessed that that river exposed and protected me from just about every known and many unknown bugs.)

Given a choice, I wouldn't do any of those again. Unless, of course, it was the only good wind.
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eversummer



Joined: 12 Jul 2011
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 10:44 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Based on the sampling report:
https://ormswd2.synergydcs.com/HPRMWebDrawer/RecordView/6186019
the E coli levels appear to be pretty low, although they do not say how many samples were taken or where (depth and distance from shore) precisely they were taken other than between The Dalles and the Discovery Center. There is likely to be additional mixing and dilution further downstream at Doug's and Rowena.

However, the Swim Guide:
https://www.theswimguide.org/find
indicates The Dalles Riverfront Park did not meet water quality standards (I think Columbia Riverkeeper is testing for E coli).

Be aware that there are a lot of other pollutants in the Columbia River from various agricultural, livestock, industrial, nuclear, and residential sources in the enormous watershed.

For those interested, E coli is a bacteria (commonly found in the intestines of warm blooded animals) and is used as an indicator organism; that is it indicates the possibility of other pathogenic (disease causing) organisms. It is cheaper and easier to test for E coli than other waterborne pathogens such as Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Hepatitis B virus). Some, but not all, strains of E coli are pathogenic and often more vulnerable (e.g. immunocompromised) individuals are more susceptible to getting sick from contacting and/or ingesting E coli.

WWTPs (wastewater treatment plants) usually remove most of the major pollutants and disinfection (usually with chorine) is used to deactivate pathogens and other microorganisms. However, there are many "emerging" pollutants (e.g. microplastics, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, etc.) that are not adequately removed in most WWTPs.

One last point (a little off topic) that many people are not aware of:
DO NOT FLUSH YOUR "FLUSHABLE" WIPES DOWN THE TOILET!!!
https://www.newsweek.com/what-fatberg-1361168
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drblanke



Joined: 02 Aug 2006
Posts: 65

PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2022 11:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

This happens every year at the Dalles Public Works, and it never gets resolved.

Poop in the water is pretty embarrassing considering how much the Gorge depends on tourism.
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alekkiselica



Joined: 09 Mar 2018
Posts: 2

PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2022 9:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hooterville, where the affluent meets the effulent !
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2022 1:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
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ericandholly



Joined: 20 Jun 1999
Posts: 292

PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2022 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

^^^^

That's T-Shirt worthy!
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ericandholly



Joined: 20 Jun 1999
Posts: 292

PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2022 9:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

^^^^

That's T-Shirt worthy!
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