Study: Stormwater less than average

The results of a study of Albany’s stormwater were released on Feb. 18. These studies, sponsored by the Stormwater Coalition of Albany County, detailed the quality of the water found in certain watersheds that flow into the Hudson River.

   The University at Albany is one of 13 members of the coalition.

   Among the studied watersheds were Krumkill and Normanskill. Both of these watersheds receive some of their stormwater from the University at Albany’s Indian Lake, which is actually a retention pond for stormwater.

   The study was conducted using a new method that uses aquatic insects. This information can be used to determine what kind of pollution may be occurring in a watershed.

   The study rated the quality of the waters on a scale 0 to 10 with 0 being the worst quality and 10 being impeccably clean.

   According to the “report card” given out regarding the watersheds, sites below 5.0 “should be subject to detailed study to identify the sources of impairment and guide water quality improvement measures.”

   None of the eight Krumkill tributaries got above a 4.5; in fact, most were in the 3 range. The Impact Source Determination found that the water pollution is most likely coming from homes, commercial buildings, industrial waste, and impoundment sources. Normanskill did slightly better with three of its six tributaries finding their score in the 5 range.

   Coinciding with this research, the Krumkill watershed is on The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s current draft of the list of waters that are impaired and require immediate improvement.

   While the stormwater is not the water that we use for drinking, showering, and brushing our teeth, it is still necessary to make sure that this water remains clean and relatively pollution free so that it does not contaminate larger waterways.
 

     Bill Dosch, the director of Code Administration for the Environmental Health and Safety Department at UAlbany, said that the university does its part by “managing water quality by managing what flows off campus.”

   In regards to whether or not the source of the pollution may be from Indian Lake, Dosch said “you couldn’t point to one spot,” meaning that this rather new and under tested study alone cannot determine the source for the impurities. It would require a lot more analysis and research to determine this.

   Dosch, along with the rest of the Stormwater Coalition of Albany County, are chiefly concerned with educating the public about stormwater and the catch basins that hold it. Preventing the contamination of the catch basins -- Indian Lake being the primary concern for UAlbany students -- is a very attainable goal for the everyday person.

   The Environmental Health and Safety Center recommends taking basic security measures to avoid contaminating the catch basins that lead to Indian Lake. Common sense precautions such as not changing your oil near a catch basin and not dumping anything near the lake are often overlooked but are vital to protecting the stormwater in Albany.

   Dosch said that the coalition will continue to look for the best means of measuring water quality. The key in their research will be to find a “cheap way of doing it” because by doing this you effectively test as many watersheds as you need “until you find the source.”