Impaired Drinking Water

• The Teton Conservation District found elevated nitrates in parts of Hog Island, Snake River trailer park, parts of Kelly, Pub Place which is directly above Melody Ranch homes, and Old West Cabins in South Park.
• Hoback Junctions groundwater already exceeds the EPA’s maximum allowable nitrate concentration.
• Studies have shown increased risks of colon, kidney, and stomach cancer among people with higher ingestion of water nitrate. Concentrations above 4 ppm indicate contamination.
• The U.S. drinking water standard for nitrate of 10 mg/L nitrate (as nitrogen) was first set in 1962 in order to protect against infant methemoglobinemia (Blue-baby syndrome). Other health effects were not considered.

Learn More about Drinking Water Quality in Teton County

 

E. coli in Fish Creek & Flat Creek

• Fish Creek and Flat Creek now have public health warnings posted because bacteria levels from E. coli are present at high levels from wildlife, domestic animals and human waste.
• Teton County Conservation District’s 2003 study on Fish Creek approximated that 6% of the E. coli found was from human waste. The only human waste sources are septic systems leaking into the groundwater or the wastewater treatment plants.
• POWJH had to advocate extensively to have warning signs posted that swimming and float tubing should be avoided at Fish Creek and Flat Creek.

Drinking, accidentally swallowing, or swimming in water affected by a harmful algal bloom can cause serious health problems including:

• Rashes
• Stomach or liver illnesses
• Respiratory problems
• Neurological effects

Learn More about E. coli in Teton County

Nutrient pollution fuels the growth of harmful algal blooms which have negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

• When algae grow in excess, they consume oxygen in the water during the process of decomposition which can cause fish kills.
• Harmful algal blooms sometimes create toxins that are detrimental to fish and other animals.
• Even if algal blooms are not toxic, they can negatively impact aquatic life by blocking out sunlight and clogging fish gills.
• Nuisance algal blooms can impact aquatic insect populations by smothering habitat.

Learn more about how the Snake River is the immune system that support an entire ecosystem of biodiversity.

Drinking Water Costs

• Nitrates and algal blooms in drinking water sources can drastically increase treatment costs.
• It can also cost billions of dollars to clean up polluted water bodies. Every dollar spent on protecting sources of drinking water saves in water treatment costs.

Tourism losses

• The tourism industry loses close to $1 billion each year, mostly through losses in fishing and boating activities, as a result of water bodies that have been affected by nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms.

Real estate losses

• Clean water can raise the value of a nearby home by up to 25 percent. Waterfront property values can decline because of the unpleasant sight and odor of algal blooms.

The only human waste sources are septic systems leaking into the groundwater or the wastewater treatment plants.

A strong body of evidence exists which confirms that the Snake River Aquifer in Teton County is being contaminated and that poor wastewater management is playing a significant role. In general, septic systems are a significant source of nutrients, especially nitrates, to groundwater and surface waters in rural areas experiencing rapid growth.

• There are thousands of unregulated septic systems in Teton County
• Septic systems have been permitted throughout Teton County, many in areas that are unsuitable – due to shallow water table and “poor soils”—for such systems.
• Proper operation and maintenance of septic systems is one of the most crucial prevention measures to preventing contamination. Teton County does not require any specific maintenance procedures.
• The National Association of Home Builders estimates that the median age of owner-occupied housing across the U.S. is 43 years old, an indication that, without proactive homeowner maintenance, there may be significant needs for upgrading and/or replacing onsite wastewater infrastructure.
• Smaller onsite systems, such as septic tanks, have an average lifespan of 20 to 30 years
  The Town of Jackson’s Wastewater Treatment Plant is 41 years old. This wastewater treatment plant services the entire town of Jackson and many areas of Teton County.
• According to the American Society of Civil Engineers, the average life span for a wastewater treatment plan is 40-45 years.
• Systems that were constructed in the 1970s, around the passing of the Clean Water Act in 1972, are reaching the end of their service lives.

Our sewer and septic systems are responsible for treating increasingly large quantities of waste, and these systems do not always operate properly or remove enough nitrogen and phosphorus before discharging into waterways.

It has been shown that improving wastewater treatment is the key to significantly reducing nutrient pollution and can dramatically return bodies of water to health. POWJH is focused on several goals to achieve water quality protection including the development of a comprehensive county-wide water quality management plan, updating Teton County’s septic system regulations, and restoring water quality protections that were removed from the community’s comprehensive plan during the 1990s. Over the last year, POWJH’s primary focus has been to fundamentally change the way that Teton County manages wastewater in the sensitive watersheds of Jackson Hole. Learn More.

When homeowners or turfgrass professionals apply too much fertilizer on lawns, any nutrients not used by the turf infiltrates to groundwater (where it eventually discharges to rivers or streams) or is carried in runoff to the nearest body of water. There, nutrients over-feed algae, contributing to problematic algae blooms and the declining health of our lakes, rivers, and streams.

When the nitrogen and phosphorus in animal manure and pet waste are not fully utilized by plants they can infiltrate into groundwater or runoff into surface waters and negatively impact water quality.

When precipitation falls on our cities and towns it runs across hard surfaces – like rooftops, sidewalks and roads – and carries pollutants, including nitrogen and phosphorus, into local waterways.