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The Center for Disease control says that, “Some of the types of pathogens found in wastewater that are hazardous to humans include bacteria, viruses, and parasites… Scientists believe that there may be hundreds more disease-causing organisms in wastewater that have not yet been identified… According to ‘Onsite Wastewater Disposal and Public Health,’ an article published in the 1996 Summer issue of Pipeline, (Volume 7, Number 3), ‘There are enough disease causing organisms in wastewater, however, to make contact with it always very risky’” (cite here). Furthermore, saying that, “Many people who are infected with pathogens or pollutants in water never even develop symptoms” (cite again). The hazardous nature of this substance implies that its presence alone could be devastating to the health of the surrounding community in a place that is as frequently visited as a metropolitan park. Unfortunately, the city of Louisville is currently facing the problem of a combined sewer overflow that is leaking raw sewage into Beargrass Creek, which flows although out the city, but most importantly, Cherokee Park, and right underneath Big Rock. According to the Metropolitan sewer District’s 2005 report of the Beargrass Creek watershed, “Currently, Beargrass Creek is in critical condition, failing to meet the state water quality standards. It is unsuitable for fishing or swimming.” In this paper, I will discuss the destructive consequences that free floating, raw sewage can inflict on the surrounding wildlife and the visitors to the park; as well as a possible solution it eliminate the problem, including previous attempts to similar situations in various cities. Through detailed analyzation of the flaws in the original structure of the sewer system and the reason that this situation is still prevalent today, it will be inherently obvious that the city of Louisville cannot continue on this current path because the existence of the randomly active combined sewer overflow taints the pure, clean nature of the atmosphere that is Cherokee park, including Big Rock.
As I sit on top of Big Rock, my favorite place in Cherokee Park in the Highlands, I allow my feet to hang over Beargrass Creek below, I close my eyes to allow my mind to experience this place though all of my senses. Being here brings me into an overwhelmingly peaceful state of mind. As the cool water flows gently but forcefully over the rocks, the sun shines tenderly creating a warm, pleasant feeling that envelops my body. The sweet smell of fresh flowers blows gently through the air and the songs of birds and other wild animals sing a beautiful chorus that is music to my ears. This tranquil environment allows me to relax calming both my mind and my body. In my experience, i have found it extremely important to have a place that is easily accessable and that allows me to calm my mind. In this place, i am able to briefly escape from the everyday hastles of life and for a while, just be consumed with the beautiful simplicity of nature and wildlife. When discribing the emotional impact that cherokee park has on him, Bill Wolfe, a Louisville reporter for Hello Metro, says,"The expanse of greenery and recreational ammenitites seems a world unto itself" (Wolfe paragraph 1). Due to this strong appeal, Wolf estimates that the park draws nearly 500,000 visitors per year" (Wolfe paragraph 3). However, not every aspect of the park is a pristine as it may seem. Various signs posed throughout the park warn visitors of the possibility of toxic levels of contaminaties in the water of Beargrass Creek.
To understand the problem of contaminated water that is currently facing the city of louisville, it is important to look at the origins of the sewer systems. According to the Metro Sewer District of Louisville, or MSD, one of the most troublesome aspects of the inhereted city sewer system was one that the Commissioners of Sewerage, originally, the organization created to safely and effectively deal with the sewage from the city, had considered as effective, combined sewers. "Combined sewers carry both wastewater and stormwater in the same pipe" (Cite here). However there was one major problem with this policy, which is that the pipes were not equipped to deal with the flow of water. "During heavy rains, the comined sewers became overloaded. The interceptor lines spilled thier mixture of stormwater and wastewater through combined sewer overflows designed for the purpose" (Cite again). As time passed, however it was becoming evident that the combining of stormwater and wastewater was creating many problems throughout the system. MSD says that, "Untreated sewage was dumped into the streams when heavy rains overload the sewer lines, and partially treated wastewater had to be dumped into the streams and the river when heavy rains overload the treatment plants.
The father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, designed various parks throughout the United States including Louisville’s own Cherokee Park.
Some Sources:
Pascale Rouault, et al. "Contribution of combined sewer overflows to trace contaminant loads in urban streams." Water Research 44.15 (2010): 4451-4462. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 July 2011.
Thomas R. Burkot, et al. "The Risk of West Nile Virus Infection Is Associated with Combined Sewer Overflow Streams in Urban Atlanta, Georgia, USA." Environmental Health Perspectives 118.10 (2010): 1382-1388. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 July 2011.
Freni, Gabriele, Giorgio Mannina, and Gaspare Viviani. "Assessment of the integrated urban water quality model complexity through identifiability analysis." Water Research 45.1 (2011): 37-50. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 July 2011
Suárez, J., and J. Puertas. "Determination of COD, BOD, and suspended solids loads during combined sewer overflow (CSO) events in some combined catchments in Spain." Ecological Engineering 24.3 (2005): 199-217. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 July 2011.
Kim, Geonha, Joonghyun Yur, and Jeongkon Kim. "Diffuse pollution loading from urban stormwater runoff in Daejeon city, Korea." Journal of Environmental Management 85.1 (2007): 9-16. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 July 2011.
M. T. Lee, et al. "Mitigating the environmental impacts of combined sewer overflow by web-based share-vision modelling." Civil Engineering & Environmental Systems 20.4 (2003): 213. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 July 2011.
http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/ehs/Docs/Small_Flows_Gelting_Herring.pdf -CDC disease info
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