Pollution Control Plan
Date Plan Created/Updated
2007, updated yearly until 2011 and re-written in December 2013.
Process for Creating SPD/Plan
In response to a downgrading of Oakland Bay in 2006, Mason County developed an Oakland Bay Action Plan. The Plan called for a survey of OSS owners and livestock owners to understand what would encourage them to change their behavior, and then to develop a marketing plan to encourage that behavior change. Meetings of the Oakland Bay CWDAC took place twice per month, and led to creation of a plan. In 2013, a county-wide stormwater utility district was recommended by a stormwater task force, but not funded.
Link to Pollution Control Plan
http://www.co.mason.wa.us/forms/Env_Health/oakland_bay_plan.pdf
Pollution Source: On-Site Sewage System (OSS)
Identifying Potential Pollution Source
The Mason County OSS/ water quality program uses a mix of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), permits, and shoreline surveys to ensure shoreline OSSs are in compliance. OSS Operations and Maintenance (O&M) is verified when the homeowner sells a house, applies for permits, or through complaints. The creation of a GIS data layer that contains OSS records is used to cross check permits, locations of systems, and structured lots without OSSs or maintenance. In order to gauge whether OSS inspections are being completed, Mason County does ambient monitoring of a third of the Oakland Bay shoreline each year in a three year rotation, uses DOH marine sampling data, and follows up on complaints or unsatisfactory service reports.
Validating Source of Pollution
Mason County Public Health (MCPH) follows approved standard operating procedures.
Verifying Pollution Source Has Been Corrected
n/a
Establishing a Threshold (concentration, number of counts or flow rate)
These parameters are defined in the SPD's Standard Operating Procedures (PDF) and/or the Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) for particular grant funded projects in the watershed/CWD.
Pollution Source: Agriculture
Identifying Potential Pollution Source
The County identifies agricultural sources that have the potential to pollute. MCD prepares farm plans and recommends best management practices (BMPs) for agricultural cooperators in the watershed.
Validating Source of Pollution
As per Mason County Water Quality Standard Operating Procedure, MCPH can perform monitoring above and below a property three times within a one year period. If the sample results do not meet the water quality standard, MCPH can either use solid waste enforcement rules for improper solid waste handling/nuisance or refer the property owner to the MCD for voluntary compliance or to Ecology for enforcement.
Verifying Pollution Source Has Been Corrected
As per Mason County Water Quality Standard Operating Procedures, additional monitoring is to be performed after the installation of BMPs to verify that the pollution source has been corrected. Further verification may come from DOH marine monitoring data and Mason County ambient monitoring.
Other Pollution Source
Pet Waste
Mason ECOnet has installed several pet waste stations in the Oakland Bay CWD and produced an education brochure in collaboration with MCPH. Oakland Bay CWD assisted with the installation of pet waste stations and members have volunteered to restock the stations with bags for pet waste disposal.
Wastewater Treatment Plant
The City of Shelton complies with the requirement of their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit from Ecology. The $37 million upgrade of the Wastewater Treatment Plant was supported by the CWDAC.
Other (including wildlife, stormwater, marinas)
n/a