See the COASTKEEPER's findings featured in The Salisbury Daily Times and WBOC TV 16.
August 2007 - Assateague Coastal Trust and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) released the NRDC “Testing the Waters” 2006 report. Using data just collected from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the report, “Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches,” showed that water samples exceeding the standard for bacteria at Maryland beaches increased to 13 percent in 2006 from 9 percent in 2005. Testing sites included beaches on the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, barrier islands, Atlantic coastal bays and other bays and sounds.

In particular, the report shows that Public Landing, in Snow Hill, MD, exceeded acceptable standards for enterococcus bacteria 40 percent of the time, while Ocean City and Assateague Island beaches averaged a 0-3 percent exceedance rate.

“While some might argue that Atlantic ocean beaches will show a lower exceedance rate because of the flushing actions of the tides and currents, the results of this report clearly point to a much greater problem in Public Landing,” commented Kathy Phillips, the ASSATEAGUE COASTKEEPER®. “What we have at Public Landing is a situation that will continue to keep Public Landing’s recreation waters unsafe until certain conditions are rectified,” she continued.

Phillips noted that the Worcester County Environmental Programs department does conduct regular water testing at Public Landing, and in accordance with the law also posts a notice at the site when the waters test unsafe. She also noted that these results are posted on the Worcester County website.

“A 40 percent exceedance rate is totally unacceptable for our citizens and visitors who use the Public Landing recreation area,” Phillips exclaimed. “The Public Landing neighborhood has very old septic systems that leach enterococcus bacteria into the ground water, which then flows along ditches and grassy swales during high rain events and eventually ends up discharging out of two drainage pipes directly into the bay near the pier at the Public Landing parking lot,” she continued.

Stormwater runoff from surrounding yards and agricultural fields also finds it way to the lower lying parking lot and flows directly into a metal grate that drains directly into the bay waters near the pier.

Phillips stated that an immediate solution would be to re-design the Public Landing Parking lot with a vegetative buffer along the bulkhead and a bio-retention garden at the metal grate drain location, each of which would help to filter stormwater runoff before it reached the bay waters.

“This is a good start, but will not solve the problem,” Phillips commented. “The County Commissioners have been hiding their heads in the sand over the septic issue in Public Landing for too long. This report screams for their attention. While Assateague Coastal Trust does not support the idea of public sewer in Public Landing, a more viable solution is to help these citizens upgrade their septic systems to more current technology and to immediately identify and fix any and all failing septic systems in the Public Landing area,” she further explained.

Phillips said that until the County Commissioners take a pro-active role in solving problems like the Public Landing beach advisories, our citizens and visitors will have to continue to recreate in dirty waters.

For a complete NRDC 2006 “Testing the Waters: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches” visit www.nrdc.org or click here for the Maryland portion of the report.

The Assateague Coastal Trust is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, that works to protect and enhance the natural resources of the Atlantic coastal bays watershed through advocacy, conservation and education.

The Assateague COASTKEEPER is a member of the WATERKEEPER ALLIANCE and empowered to protect and speak for the waters of the Atlantic coastal bays of Maryland and the northern Eastern Shore of Virginia.

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment.