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Access to Clean and Safe Surface Water
About this indicator: King County's Access to Clean and Safe Surface Water Index includes information about the conditions of water quality at freshwater and marine environments.
Status: Overall, conditions were at standard.
Influencing factors: Fecal coliform bacteria can enter lakes, streams and Puget Sound from untreated wastewater effluent, household or farm animals, wildlife, storm water runoff, sewage overflows or failing septic systems. Increased temperatures due to regional climate changes, coupled with increased watershed development and nutrients, may lead to increased cyanobacteria blooms and possible toxin production. Cyanobacteria populations are known to increase with increased nutrients in the lake.
What you can do:
- Properly dispose of or manage pet and livestock wastes.
- Minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides by practicing natural yard care.
- Wash your car on the grass or gravel instead of on the street or driveway, or take it to a car wash.
- Report algal blooms on lakes.
More information about King County's Access to Clean and Safe Surface Water is available by continuing below for these measures:
- Fecal Bacteria at Large Lakes Swimming Beaches
- Routine Cyanobacteria Toxicity Testing at Large Lakes
- Toxic Algae Watch Program at all Lakes
- Fecal Bacteria at Marine Beaches
Fecal Bacteria at Large Lakes Swimming Beaches
About this indicator: When fecal coliform bacteria are found in lake waters it indicates a higher probability that the water has been contaminated with fecal material from humans, birds or other animals. Although fecal coliform bacteria themselves are usually not harmful, they often occur with other disease-causing bacteria so their presence indicates the potential for pathogens to be present that are a risk to human health.
Status: In 2011 there were several beaches monitored in Lake Washington (Gene Coulon, Houghton, Madison Park, Matthews Beach, Meydenbauer) and Lake Sammamish (Idylwood) that had incidents of high bacteria and did not meet target goals of meeting both parts of "The Ten State Standard" - a geometric mean of 200 CFU/100ml (colony forming units per 100 milliliter) fecal coliform with no single sample exceeding 1000 CFU/100ml. These events appear to have been short lived and did not result in closures. Juanita Beach was monitored only the last six weeks of the season as the park had been closed for renovation. Bacteria levels were low in Green Lake for the ninth year in a row.
Influencing factors: Fecal coliform bacteria can enter lakes from untreated wastewater effluent, household or farm animals, wildlife, storm water runoff, sewage overflows or failing septic systems. Monitoring results have shown that streams draining from urbanized areas have high fecal coliform concentrations. Beaches that are adjacent to these streams are at higher risk for fecal bacteria contamination.
Existing DNRP response: King County routinely monitors swimming beaches from mid-May through mid-September to determine levels of bacterial pollution and works with Public Health Seattle & King County to estimate relative human health risks. If bacterial counts at swimming beach testing sites have a geomean greater than 200 colonies per 100 ml of water or have a single sample greater than 1000 colonies per 100 ml, the beach will be immediately resampled and temporarily closed if needed.
Priority new actions: Identification and correction of sewer leaks, changes to park maintenance procedures and control of non-migratory, non-native waterfowl should reduce bacteria contributed from waterfowl and improve the water quality at large lake swimming beaches. Efforts to identify and correct bacterial source in the urban streams that discharge adjacent to swimming beaches will continue. An intensive bacteria monitoring survey effort took place in the Juanita Creek basin in 2008 as a joint effort between King County DNRP, the City of Kirkland, and the Washington State Department of Ecology. The intensive study identified key subbasin areas in need of further action which began in 2011. Similar intensive investigations took place in the Idlywood Creek, Issaquah Creek, and Boise Creek basins in 2011. Follow up on action items identified in these basins will continue in 2012 using new microbial source tracking analysis methods available through the King County Environmental Lab.
Fecal Bacteria at Large Lakes Swimming Beaches
2011 Findings
Click to download the PDF version.
For definitions and more detail.
Cyanobacteria Toxicity Testing at Large Lakes Swimming Beaches
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Washington State standards for potential harmful levels of cyanotoxins are currently under development. In 2008 the State set provisional recreational guidance levels of 6 µg/L for microcystin and 1 µg/L for anatoxin as warning thresholds for possible health risks from contact with lake water. Similar guidelines for several other known toxins are currently under study.
In 2003 the Major Lakes Monitoring Program began routine monitoring for the presence of microcystin at designated stations in Lakes Washington, Sammamish, and Union, also testing blooms when observed. Testing for anatoxin began in 2009. In 2009, routine sampling for cyanotoxins at offshore lake stations was discontinued due to budget cuts. However, monitoring will continue at beaches sampled as part of the Swimming Beach Monitoring Program to assess risk to recreational users.
Our indicator applies equal weighting to all data collected at the 18 beaches sampled in 2011. This environmental indicator is represented as a percent of the total samples collected at each lake having microcystin or anatoxin results below the minimum detection level and/or lower than the State draft guidance level.
Status: Over the last seven years including 2011, only two samples, both of which were collected from algal scums on Lake Washington, one in 2006 and one in 2010, exceeded the State guidance level for microcystin of 6 µg/L. For anatoxin, 2011 was the third year of measurement, and all samples were below the State guidance level of 1 µg/L.
Influencing factors: Cyanobacteria blooms are more frequent in the summer and fall, although they may occur throughout the year. Increased temperatures due to regional climate changes, coupled with increased watershed development and nutrients, may lead to increased cyanobacteria blooms and possible toxin production. Cyanobacteria populations are known to respond positively to increased nutrients in lakes. Managing nutrient inputs to lakes can reduce the abundance of cyanobacteria and reduce the incidence of cyanobacteria toxicity.
Existing DNRP response: In 2012 swimming beaches will be monitored for cyanobacteria toxicity through the Major Lake Monitoring and Swimming Beach Monitoring programs. Any bloom determined to be above the proposed state threshold will trigger assessment of the health risk posed and possible action to post warnings or close the water body temporarily for use.
Priority new actions: Continued education of the public through the King County web pages will expand public awareness of cyanobacteria blooms and the resources available to investigate potentially toxicity. In 2011 King County Environmental Laboratory expanded its capacity to offer screening of two further toxins, saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin. Water bodies with repeated dangerous levels of cyanobacteria toxins will be considered for management activity to reduce rate of incidence if available funds can be identified.
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Routine Cyanobacteria Toxicity Testing in Large Lakes 2011 Findings Click to download the PDF version. |
For definitions and more detail.
Toxic Algae Watch at King County Lakes
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Washington State standards for potential harmful levels of several cyanotoxins are currently under development. Provisional State recreational guidance levels of 6 µg/L for microcystin, and 1 µg/L for anatoxin have been set recently as warning thresholds for possible health risks from recreational exposure to lake water. Thresholds for several other known toxins are currently under study.
In 2007 the Washington Department of Ecology began a program to assist citizens and local jurisdictions with identification of cyanobacteria blooms and toxin testing at the King County Environmental Lab. Microcystin was targeted in 2007, and anatoxin was added in 2009. The King County Lake Stewardship Program participates in the program and has trained staff and lake volunteers to report and sample blooms. In addition, King County is collaborating in a regional study to determine the incidence and strength of toxicity in smaller lakes, which includes routine biweekly monitoring through 2011on 10 selected lakes in King County with known histories of bluegreen blooms.
This environmental indicator includes all King County lakes with samples submitted for testing in 2011 outside the routine Swimming Beach Monitoring Program and is represented as a percent of tested lakes with toxin results less than the State guidance level. Samples other than the routine project samples were collected only if a potential toxic algal bloom was reported to State or County staff. In 2011 Lakes Burien, Green, Jeane, Lorene and Wilderness were sampled for microcystin, on multiple occasions because of persistent toxicity. The maximum value attained for each lake was the criterion for assigning status for the indicator.
Status: In 2009, the reduction of the Lake Stewardship volunteer monitoring program from 50 to 12 lakes reduced the number of volunteers looking for algal blooms and reporting their presence. Participation in the regional collaborative program added 10 lakes monitored routinely from June through October. In addition to routine monitoring, in 2011 seven other county lakes had at least one sample submitted under the State algae program.
Influencing factors: Cyanobacteria blooms are more frequent in late summer through late fall, although they may occur at any time. Increased temperatures from regional climate changes, coupled with increased watershed development leading to higher nutrient loading to surface waters, may encourage cyanobacteria blooms with toxin production. Managing nutrient inputs into lakes can reduce the abundance of cyanobacteria and thus reduce the incidence of cyanobacterial toxicity.
Existing DNRP response: King County has established a cooperative relationship with the Department of Ecology Algae Program and will continue to sample all blooms reported through the Lake Stewardship and Trouble Call programs. Any bloom determined to be above the proposed state threshold will trigger assessment of the health risk posed and, if warranted, action ranging from posting warnings to closing the water body temporarily for use. In 2010 King County Environmental Laboratory expanded its capacity to offer screening of two additional toxins, if warranted, saxitoxin and cylindrospermopsin.
Priority new actions: Continued education of the public through the King County web pages will expand public awareness of cyanobacteria blooms and the resources available to investigate potentially toxicity. Water bodies with repeated dangerous levels of cyanobacteria toxins will be considered for management activity to reduce rate of incidence if available funds can be identified.
Toxic Algae Watch at King County Lakes
2011 Findings
Click to download the PDF version.
For definitions and more detail.
Fecal Bacteria at Marine Beaches
About this indicator: Fecal coliforms are one of many groups of bacteria that indicate the presence of fecal contamination at swimming beaches. The State of Washington's water quality regulatory standards indicate that organism counts should not exceed a geometric mean value of 14 colony-forming units (CFU) per 100 ml, and not more than 10 percent of the samples used to calculate the geometric mean should exceed 43 CFU per 100 ml. These standards are known as the geo-mean standard and the peak standard, respectively, and are intended to be protective of human health in relation to primary contact recreation (e.g. swimming) and shellfish consumption.
Comparisons to both the geo-mean and peak standard are made for each beach site monitored and reported for this indicator, using fecal coliform counts from samples collected on a monthly basis from 20 stations in 2011. Due to budget constraints, the number of marine beach stations monitored in 2011 dropped 20% - from 25 to 20 stations. The geo-mean value reflects the typical fecal coliform count at a given site, while the peak value is used to determine whether pulses of high fecal coliform counts may be present at a site.
Status: During 2011, 8 of the 20 stations monitored (40 percent) met both the geo-mean and peak standards for all 12 sampling events. Seventeen of the 20 stations (85 percent) met the geo-mean standard for all 12 sampling events, but did not meet the peak standard one or more times. Three of the 20 stations (15 percent) did not meet either the geo-mean or peak standards one or more times. The three stations that failed both the geo-mean and peak standards were located near Carkeek Park, Alki Point, and Redondo Beach. Stations with any type of standard failure are shown on the map by the red circled X.
Influencing factors: Fecal coliform concentrations measured at marine beach sites are highly influenced by proximity to fresh water inputs, especially during rainfall events. For example, two of the three stations that failed both the geomean standard and peak standard one or more times are located near freshwater inputs. The Carkeek Park station is located near the mouth of Piper's Creek and the Alki Point station is located near a stormwater outfall.
Existing DNRP response: Past and on-going efforts by King County have reduced fecal contamination from most wastewater outfalls to the point that contributions from non-point sources in the area are more significant than the outfalls themselves. DNRP has little control on improving current levels of fecal coliforms near most outfall sites.
Priority new actions: DNRP will pursue efforts to determine sources of non-point source contributions of fecal coliforms, if data warrant. These efforts will include evaluating emerging technologies in microbial source tracking, and the continued application of fecal coliform survey projects, such as the one performed at Alki Point in 2006. Potential candidates for microbial source tracking in 2011 include Redondo Beach and Golden Gardens Park. DNRP will continue to work with the State of Washington BEACH program on these trouble spots. Due to budget constraints, however, DNRP has had to reduce the beach monitoring program for 2011 from 25 to 20 stations. Those stations that were discontinued include Edwards Point, Me-Kwa-Mooks Park, Seahurst Park, Point Robinson Park, and Lisabuela Park.
Fecal Bacteria at Marine Beaches
2011 Findings
Click to download the PDF version.
For definitions and more detail.