Falls Lake watershed needs a clean-up
Herald-Sun
6 Mar 2010
In response to the editorial "Hoping for the best but," it's worth noting that the clean-up of Falls Lake is not about Raleigh's drinking water, it is about pollution in our own back yard.
The clean-up is being required because a great resource for the region -- Falls Lake and its tributary streams and rivers -- is significantly polluted.
This pollution includes bacteria that can affect human health and can be caught from swimming in the lake or splashing through a creek.
Unfortunately, the hot spot for pollution is our own hidden gem: Ellerbe Creek which runs through out Durham with water flowing to it as far west as Bennett Place on the Orange County line, from most of downtown, and tributaries running throughout east Durham all the way to the lake.
This clean-up is an opportunity for Durham to restore Ellerbe Creek and make it a great resource for our community.
There are already greenways, parks and nature preserves along the creek, but the creek must be more than an open stormwater drain for it to be a real resource. We must accept responsibility for the damage that we are causing to this resource and work to reverse that trend.
If the city spends its time trying to solve the problem rather than trying to get us out of our responsibility, I am sure a cost-effective, common-sense plan to restore Ellerbe Creek and Falls Lake will quickly follow.
PETER RAABE
Durham
Sewage overflows in two locations
Herald-Sun
3 May 2007
The city of Durham reported two sewage overflows Tuesday afternoon. Both blocked mains were caused by grease and other elements, and both were cleared and repaired by early Tuesday afternoon.
The first overflow, at Cole Mill Road and Shoccoree Drive, involved 72,000 gallons of sewage, some of which flowed into Ellerbee Creek.
The second, at Campus Drive and Oregon Street at Duke University, involved 45,000 gallons which were discharged into Sandy Creek.
The N.C. Department of Environment and Natural Resources was notified of both spills, and the city said there was no hazard to people or property and no "immediately visible" adverse environmental impact.