JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Part of the 902nd Civil Engineer Squadron's mission when it comes to managing water quality is public education. It is with public education that Bryan Harvey, 902nd CES water quality program manager, plans to continually improve water quality on Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph.
"One way to improve the water quality is to prevent chemicals and grease from entering our wastewater system," Harvey said. "Wastewater that leaves the installation tends to have an elevated level of chemical oxygen demand which requires additional treatment. Chemical oxygen demand in wastewater is increased when chemicals and grease are flushed or poured down sinks and toilets."
Harvey mentioned two groupings of water collection - storm water and wastewater - where storm water from rainfall is directly discharged into creeks without treatment, and wastewater is collected and piped to a wastewater treatment facility for the removal of pollutants before it is discharged.
Because wastewater is generated from every building on base, Harvey said all base members should avoid rinsing and flushing materials that contribute to a high concentration oxygen demand.
These materials include household cleaning products and household grease from meat fats, lard and cooking oil.
"Do not pour products such as cleansers, beauty products, medicine, auto fluids, paint and lawn care materials down the drain," Harvey said. "Household grease should be disposed of in the garbage can."
For base affiliates, though, storm water - which goes without treatment - is the entity that perhaps should most incline them to be mindful of their lifestyle habits.
Randolph's storm drains, which carry water from streets and parking areas directly to Cibolo Creek and Woman Hollering Creek, will pick up whatever is on the streets including trash, pet waste, fertilizer and oil.
To avoid pet waste and trash from entering waterways, pick up litter and waste promptly.
For Randolph housing residents nurturing their lawn, Harvey suggested they adopt a tasteful approach.
"Use fertilizers moderately," he said. "They can add pollutants to water by influencing the
growth of algae (from water runoff carrying fertilizers into storm drains)."
But it's not only fertilizers that can taint storm water.
John Guerra, 902nd CES environmental planner, said the area northwest of Cibolo Creek, where many homes have recently developed, has experienced abuse from nearby residents using pesticides, fungicides and herbicides to combat nature.
"It's not fertilizing that's the problem, but over-fertilizing (and applying too much of the aforementioned chemicals) that really pollutes water," Guerra said.
Regular car maintenance can also help water to become cleaner by keeping the roads
from being less oily, but only cars that heavily leak oil are a major concern, Guerra said.
Using biodegradable soap to wash a car helps.
Otherwise, taking your car somewhere to be washed is a perfectly suitable alternative.
"The base car wash and other commercial car washes collect wash water and send it through the wastewater collection system for treatment," Harvey said.
And the main draw for keeping both waste and storm water pollutant-free?
"They eventually end up as drinking water," Harvey said. "We must do everything we can to take care of the water we have."