I have been corrected occasionally and I must admit my initial sensation is sometimes negative, or even dismissive. But with time, maybe a long time, the emotions subside and the message is then received. When you see something dumb, you are doing the perp a favor to bring it up. They may not thank you, but you've done them a favor.

"The canyons surrounding the Salt Lake Valley provide up to half of the water used by the city's 400,000 water customers. To remove animal waste contaminants from water would cost about four times as much, Reynolds says.

For that additional treatment, each of the city's three canyon water treatment plants would need about $20 million in improvements and would see operations costs rise, she says." FROM: www.sltrib.com/News/ci_12918790


Pretty easy info to look up Jim. I was right, the treatment plants are not set up to treat that amount of pet waste. Would you like to somehow come up with the extra costs or just continue complaining about something that happened in the 80's...?

Here is why. This is the abbreviated article but you can read the whole one if you'd like.

www.state.nj.us/dep/watershedmgt/pet_waste_fredk.htm

Pet Waste: Dealing with a Real Problem

Pet waste….. can cumulatively have a big impact if left unmanaged.

Pet waste contains bacteria and parasites, as well as organic matter and nutrients, notably nitrogen and phosphorous.

Some of the diseases that can be spread from pet waste are:
• Campylobacteriosis- a bacterial infection that causes diarrhea in humans.
• Salmonellosis- the most common bacterial infection transmitted to humans from animals. Symptoms include fever, muscle aches, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea.
• Toxocarisis- roundworms transmitted from animals to humans. Symptoms include vision loss, rash, fever, or cough.

In addition to these diseases, the organic matter and nutrients contained in pet waste can degrade water quality. When pet waste is washed into a surface water body, the waste decays. This process of breaking down the organic matter in the waste uses up dissolved oxygen and releases ammonia. Low oxygen levels, increased ammonia and warm summer water temperatures can kill fish.

Excess phosphorous and nitrogen added to surface waters can lead to cloudy, green water from accelerated algae and weed growth. Decay of this extra organic matter can depress oxygen levels, killing organisms.

Flies and other pest insects can also increase when pet waste is disposed of improperly, becoming a nuisance and adding another vector for disease transmission.

so what you all are saying is that you do not treat your water for fecal waste no matter what the source? that doesn't sound correct.
so you drink the fish waste too? or am I still missing something.

the species that pollutes this planet the most are us humans.......tell me that's wrong

people washing their dishes in the creek using soap has always been a problem.

and no dexter........i don't want to pay for your water treatment or listen to you much either........I should do more research before going on a trip? were you even around in the eighties?

Think of all the prokaryotes needlessly killed or denied their right to live by denying all dogs their place to poo. The new SLC --- let your shit fly, save the Edangered coli!

OK ya'll. Don't want to join the pissing contest but...I'm currently finishing up an MS. My research and most of my course work deals with water quality, aquatic chemistry, and biogeochemistry--I've been putting a lot of time and effort into stuff like this. I'm not familiar with this specific situation in SLC, but wanted to point out that there are drinking water treatment plants, and then there are waste water treatment plants. Sounds like water from this creek goes to the drinking water treatment plant, which might not have some of the advanced processes necessary to remove some of the more persistent pathogens that could result from loads of dog shit. And then there are all the issues with the stream's ecology, and elevated nutrients in water entering the drinking water treatment plant, which might also raise treatment costs.

As for water being clean after it runs for a mile...this is probably based off of the dilution of some point-source pollution more than UV degradation etc. So doesn't really apply to dog shit laying all over a trail along the length of the stream. And it's definitely not a rule of thumb to bet your digestive tract on, especially not in the lower 48. The Brooks Range, sure.

dexter

the only thing that you are schooling me on is that you are an ass.

you think you are so smart........well there are a lot smarter folks on this site than you or me.

I did not bother reading your article........with no brain cells according to you.......what was I to use?

I am really wondering if you would speak to me like this if we were face to face.

I don't want to argue with you any longer about this, or how many brain cells I might have destroyed in the 80's

enjoy your canyon......enjoy your life

peace out as you youngsters say

water is really good at filtering out UV, the light only penetrates a couple mm. That stat about 1 mile undisturbed is BS.

let me help here- the water from LCC tastes about 1000000 times better than the chlorinated cesspool fed supply in CO.

booyah

mobley,

haven't had tap water for years.

I drink Eldo Spring water............which is probably some of the best water there is.

touche