Puget Sound Matters
Puget Sound is in trouble. Four million people live in our region, and the cars we drive, the fertilizers we use, the open spaces we pave—even the prescription drugs we take—harm the natural balance of the Sound. Yet polls have shown many people aren't aware that the Sound is polluted. Puget Sound has suffered from decades of industrial, chemical, municipal, residential and agricultural pollution. Major threats to the health of Puget Sound are pollution and habitat destruction.
Pollution in the Sound comes from both "point" and "nonpoint" sources. Point source pollution has a specific site of discharge, and nonpoint source pollution originates from multiple individual sites. Industrial point source pollution has been plaguing the Sound for the last 100 years, and many of the discharged chemicals have accumulated in the sediments of the Sound. This contamination upsets the food web as these chemicals accumulate in the organisms in the Sound. Puget Sound also is being poisoned by such forms of nonpoint source pollution as stormwater runoff—precipitation that travels over impervious areas, picking up pollutants and carrying them into wetlands and bodies of water. Pollutants in stormwater include oils and heavy metals from vehicles and industry, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, pet and animal waste, sediment from construction sites and air pollutants that have settled on the ground.
Sewage treatment plants are in use in the populated areas around Puget Sound, while the rural areas use onsite septic systems. Six hundred million gallons of wastewater are released into Puget Sound every day from sewage treatment plants. Wastewater is treated before it is released into the Sound, but the facilities are not able to remove every contaminant, so pharmaceuticals and other personal-care products are passing through the plants and turning up in the Sound. The effect these will have on the health of the Sound is not yet clear. Outside the urban areas, onsite septic systems are the most common method of sewage treatment. Systems that are properly designed, located and maintained discharge only small amounts of pollutants, but many older systems around the Sound are failing—discharging pollutants into the Sound. Many of the homes along Hood Canal have substandard septic systems. Monitoring has shown that 60 percent of the nitrogen released into Hood Canal is from failing septic systems.
Development and growth in the Puget Sound region have led to a loss of fish and wildlife habitat in and around the Sound. Shoreline modification, bulkheads and dredging have destroyed much of the nearshore environment. The nearshore ecosystem adjacent to the shoreline supports a rich array of life, from single-celled organisms to salmon, and is essential for the survival of numerous species. Habitats in Puget Sound have also been impacted by the introduction of non-native and invasive species. These species displace the native species and disrupt the balance of the natural ecosystem.
The challenges facing Puget Sound will be amplified as the region grows; today approximately 4 million people live in the Puget Sound region, and 5 million are expected by 2010. The good news is that we all can do things to help, from the very small—letting your yard turn brown in the summer or recycling some of your trash—to the big—installing a green roof or getting rid of your car. Everyone who lives in this region can take action to help save the Sound.
Puget Sound Matters is a production of KCTS Television. Funding is provided by The Russell Family Foundation.
FACTS
- Puget Sound is surrounded by 2,500 miles of shoreline.
- 4 million people live in the Puget Sound region, and 5 million are expected by 2010.
- The Washington State Department of Ecology estimates that one-third of all the polluted waters in the state are polluted by stormwater.
- 27,000 gallons of stormwater runoff are created from a one-acre parking lot after one inch of rain.
- 5 species of Puget Sound salmon are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.
- The Puget Sound orca is listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, and is considered the most contaminated marine mammal in the world.
- Marine bird populations in the Puget Sound region have declined by nearly half since the 1970s.
- Washington state is the leading producer of farmed bivalve shellfish in the United States. Nearly 20 percent—or about 30,000 acres—of commercial shellfish beds have closed to harvest since 1980 due to pollution.
- Approximately 70 percent of the Puget Sound nearshore estuary habitat has been converted to residential, commercial and industrial use.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
There are a number of ways you can help Puget Sound at home, in the garden, on the water and in your community.
At Home:
Use less water. Take shorter showers, and flush the toilet less—this will decrease the impact on wastewater treatment plants and septic systems.
Drive your car less. Use public transportation when you can.
Maintain your car or truck. Fix all oil leaks.
Wash your car at a commercial car wash, where the water is discharged into the sanitary sewer system rather than into the stormwater system.
Never pour anything down a storm drain. Waste oil, paint and antifreeze don't belong in the stormwater system.
Maintain your septic system. Pump it out regularly, make sure it's working properly and replace it if it's failing.
Dispose of unused pharmaceuticals in the trash, not the toilet. Treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals from sewage waste.
Pick up after your pets to reduce the amount of fecal bacteria washing into the Sound.
When shopping, buy seafood that's sustainably harvested.
In the Garden:
Encourage your garden's growth with organic mulch and compost instead of fertilizers. If you do fertilize, use the product sparingly and don't apply it before a rainstorm.
Choose drought-tolerant plants that can grow in the Northwest climate.
Practice smart watering. Use water efficiently and don't waste it. Water in the evening hours so the water will evaporate less.
Let your lawn go brown in the summer. It will grow back in the fall when the rains start.
Use nontoxic pest-control methods rather than pesticides.
Pull weeds by hand or tolerate them instead of using herbicides.
Reduce impervious surfaces at home. Vegetation encourages rainwater to filter slowly into the soil, reducing runoff.
Build away from bluffs and keep shorelines in a natural state.
Prevent erosion with log barriers instead of concrete walls.
On the Water:
Keep your boat clean. Remove plants and animals from your boat.
Take care not to spill when refueling boats.
Use more environmentally friendly biodiesel fuel instead of regular diesel fuel.
Use boat sewage pumpouts to empty holding tanks.
Don't throw disposables overboard.
Fish responsibly. Avoid overfished species.
In Your Community:
Get involved with one of the community organizations listed below.
Become aware of your impact on Puget Sound and take steps to reduce it.
LOCAL RESOURCES AND ORGANIZATIONS
Puget Sound Partnership was launched by Washington Governor Christine Gregoire in December 2005 to develop an aggressive 15-year plan to protect and restore Puget Sound.
pugetsoundpartnership.org
Puget Sound Action Team partnership defines, coordinates and implements Washington state's environmental agenda for Puget Sound.
psat.wa.gov
Puget Soundkeeper Alliance protects and preserves Puget Sound by tracking down and stopping the discharge of toxic pollutants into its waters.
pugetsoundkeeper.org
The mission of Puget Sound Restoration Fund is to achieve on-the-ground restoration of habitat and native species in Puget Sound by focusing on action, not politics.
restorationfund.org
The mission of the Washington State Department of Ecology is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment and promote the wise management of our air, land and water.
ecy.wa.gov
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife serves Washington's citizens by protecting, restoring and enhancing fish and wildlife and their habitats, while providing sustainable fish- and wildlife-related recreational and commercial opportunities.
People for Puget Sound is a citizens' group working to protect and restore the health of Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits through education and action.
pugetsound.org
Georgia Strait Alliance is an organization based in Nanaimo, British Columbia that works to protect and restore the marine environment and promote the sustainability of Georgia Strait, its adjoining waters and communities.
georgiastrait.org
LINKS:
Our Troubled Sound, a five-part Seattle Post-Intelligencer series detailing the problems in Puget Sound; published in November 2002
seattlepi.nwsource.com/specials/sound/
Guide to Ocean Friendly Seafood from the Blue Ocean Institute
blueocean.org/seafood/
Information on septic systems and their maintenance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
cfpub.epa.gov/owm/septic/index.cfm
The Seattle Public Utilities Salmon-Friendly Gardening Guide
seattle.gov/util/Services/Yard/Natural_Lawn_&_Garden_Care/Salmon_Friendly_Gardening