TOLEDO CHANNEL, HÁBROR, AND LAKEFRONT Lake level fluctuations have been found to affect the Maumee River as far as 15 miles upstream; therefrom, pollution which enters the Maumee at one point in this lake affected area may degrade the water quality several miles upstream. Sediment is a problem in the navigation channel, which extends approximately seven miles upstream from the mouth of the River and must be continuously dredged. The suspended sediment is extremely fine and stays in suspension for long periods of time. The Maumee discharges over 1.4 million tons of sediment a year to Lake Erie. TABLE 7-2.—Plankton counts at mile point 65 on the Maumee River at Defiance, The waters in the navigation channel and lake front areas are severely polluted. Very high bacterial densities were found in these waters, with median densities of total coliform, fecal coliform, and fecal strep in excess of 100,000; 11,000; and 1,100 organisms per 100 ml respectively. As can be noted in Figure 7-12, fecal coliform were the prime coliform present in the lower eight miles of the Maumee River. The existence of human enteric pathogenic microorganisms were also revealed. Salmonella was detected 40 per cent of the times sampled, confirming the health hazard to persons exposed to these waters. A partial listing of Salmonella serotypes isolated is given in Table 7-3. Swimming, water skiing, boating, and other water contact sports are among the uses impaired by pollution in the area. A health hazard exists due to the presence of human enteric pathogens. The Lucas County Health Department recommends against swimming in any beach areas west of Crane Creek State Park and warns against swimming at the Park under certain wind conditions. TABLE 7-3.-Isolations of Salmonellae, Lower Maumee, Jan. 15-Apr. 1, 1964 The major sources of bacterial pollution in the Toledo area are from combined sewer discharges and the Toledo Sewage Treatment Plant. Even though this plant provides secondary treatment, its effluent contains over 18,000 pounds of BOD daily. This is equivalent in oxygen demand to the raw sewage from a city of 90,000. In addition to the effluent from the Toledo treatment plant, industrial wastes are being discharged throughout this lower reach. These discharges contain oil, phenols, solids, color, BOD, and COD. The following industries are the major contributors of oil or phenols; Standard, Pure, Gulf, and Sun Oil Companies, and Interlake Steel. With all these wastes being contributed to the Mauree River and Maumee Bay, recreational use of these waters is severely damaged in the Toledo area. The City of Toledo obtains its water supply from an intake located in Lake Erie approximately 9 miles east of the Maumee River. Toledo water is occasionally affected by Maumee River water. Its problems are not on the same scale as those cities whose source is exclusively the Maumee River. But, it is estimated by the City of Toledo that during some Spring runoffs, the Toledo intake will receive 70 to 90 per cent of its water from the Maumee. When this happens, hardness and alkalinity levels increase and occasional blooms of algae increase the taste and odor problems. These blooms are fed by the large amount of nutrients being contributed to the Bay by the Maumee and also from the Toledo Sewage Treatment Plant. CHAPTER 8. QUALITY IMPROVEMENT MEASURES GENERAL The problems of water pollution control in the Maumee River Basin are complex. Solutions to these problems will, of necessity, involve a program which includes construction of new treatment plant facilities, expansion of present facilities, and continuous and intensive monitoring of operations to maximize treatment plant efficiency. In addition, flow regulation may be required to maintain the water quality in sections of the Basin even after advanced or tertiary waste treatment is accomplished. The phases of a program for pollution control in the Maumee River Basin are discussed in the following paragraphs. MUNICIPAL WASTE TREATMENT There are approximately 45 municipal sewerage facilities in the Maumee River Basin. Of these, 36 provide secondary biological waste treatment. Municipal waste treatment construction needs for the major communities of the Maumee River Basin are shown in Table 8-1. The immediate goal in the treatment of municipal wastes is the provision of at least biological (secondary) treatment. Such treatment provides 90 percent BOD removal and is considered adequate in many parts of the Basin. To regain the desired water quality, tertiary or advanced treatment must be added to the present secondary systems in several areas. Adequate effluent disinfection is considered to be a necessity in the study area, particularly where recreational use of the receiving waters is prevalent or desired. There is also a major present need for increased phosphate removal. The waste collection systems in the metropolitan areas must be expanded to include the suburban areas which now lack treatment or discharge their septic tank effluents to the area's waters. INDUSTRIAL WASTE Table 8-2 lists the immediate industrial waste treatment needs for the Maumee River Basin. The waste discharge loadings from several of the industries listed are small, but due to the extreme low flows in many areas of the Basin these loadings are quite important. As with domestic wastes, industrial wastes require a very high degree of treatment in many of the subbasins of this region in order to provide suitable stream conditions. Most industries in the Basin are aware of the acute problems caused by their wastes and have programs which, when put into effect, will all but eliminate their waste problems. SOHIO at Lima is spending over a million dollars a year on just the operating costs of its treatment facilities. Besides BOD, the main industrial problems in the Maumee Basin are caused by oils, phenols, ammonia, and solids. TABLE 8-1.-Municipal waste treatment needs, Maumee River Basin |