The 2007-08 Calaveras County Grand Jury report found that contamination of the Middle Fork of the Mokelumne River near West Point needs greater monitoring, and the county Department of Environmental Health should collaborate more with water agencies to seek funding solutions.

The Middle Fork, which runs under Tom Taylor Bridge and Highway 26 south of West Point, has been contaminated with e-coli bacteria for some time, according to regular monitoring readings at the bridge. Consistently, the readings show the water to be polluted with above-normal levels of bacteria, making it harmful to drink. Locals have taken to calling the Middle Fork “E-coli River.”

Septic tanks and leach lines on numerous parcels in the vicinity of Barney Way and Charles Street, which parallel the river on the east side of the bridge, are situated at or near water level along the riverbanks just upstream from the bridge. The bridge site also collects rainwater runoff from nearby culverts and Highway 26, which drains into the river. Greater source identification for the contaminants needs to be undertaken, the grand jury said, especially on some 60 developed parcels along the two river-parallel roadways. Many of these homes have gone from being occupied only part-time during the summer season to full-time occupancy year-round, according to the report. There are currently no mandated requirements for regular cycles of septic tank cleaning and periodic inspections to enforce compliance for parcels owners in the county who rely on individual septic systems. The grand jury recommended that the county Department of Environmental Health conduct quarterly testing of the river and monitor it for potential public health hazards. Furthermore, the grand jury said, the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors should direct the department to develop an educational outreach program, working with service clubs in the local communities. The program would be a first step in dealing with the problem by making residents aware of the water quality issues and good septic maintenance practices.

The Board of Supervisors and the Department of Environmental Health should establish requirements for future periodic septic tank maintenance and inspection, the report recommended.

Recognizing that there are no inexpensive fixes for the septic tank/leach line problem along the river, authorities should look to funding grants and other creative financing solutions, the grand jury report said. The report recommended that the Board of Supervisors direct the Department of Environmental Health to collaborate with East Bay Municipal Water District officials and other regulatory and interested agencies to seek short and long-term funding solutions. Funding could be directed for septic education, river water testing and monitoring and clean-up, the grand jury recommended, possibly including enabling the acquisition of newer self-contained, home sewage septic systems, or connections that link area homes to the nearby wastewater treatment plant in West Point and the solid waste treatment plant in Wilseyville.

Moreover, since Tom Taylor Bridge has become a local recreational site for swimming and fishing, portable toilets should be installed in the area, the report recommended, to avoid further contamination of the river. Refuse containers should also be made available for recreation users, with signage identifying the area as part of the upper Mokelumne River watershed. Finally, the Department of Environmental Health should post signs at informal recreational sites along the river warning the public of above-normal levels of bacteria in the water.

Brian Moss, director of the Department of Environmental Health, was away from the department when the Calaveras Enterprise tried to reach him for comment on the grand jury’s recommendations. Calaveras County Supervisor Steve Wilensky was out of town and could not be reached for comment.

Contact Phillip Gomez at pgomez@calaverasenterprise.com