Water Quality Data
How the City is Misleading the Citizens!
Over the past several weeks, Mr. Joel and Mr. Moss have been disseminating misleading information to the press. First, Mr. Joel was quoted in a front-page article in the January 8, 2006 Sunday edition of the Naples Daily News ("Test data show Marco waters high in pollutants"), then he appeared on a Channel 2 news broadcast (NBC) spreading the same malicious story, and most recently, Mr. Moss was quoted in a front-page article in the January 18, 2006 Marco Island Eagle "Waterways over pollution thresholds: City data shows tested sites exceed acceptable levels."
NBC TV were professional enough to give me a place on the same broadcast to counter Mr. Joel's statements. The Naples Daily News offered me a chance to rebut in the second section of the January 17, 2006 edition. Although Billy Bruce's article was fine, responding in the second section of the paper 9 days later isn't quite the same as rebutting within the first article. ("Man Rapes Neighbor's Wife!!!!" ... and 9 days later, "Wife admits to occasional hallucinations.")
Mr. Joel's and Mr. Moss' misinterpretation and misuse of the data provided by our Environmental Technician (Nancy Richie) is reprehensible. It damages the reputation of our City in the public media; it diminishes tourism; it destroys property values. Who would want to vacation or buy property in a cesspool of pollution? At first one might excuse Mr. Joel for not knowing any better. Why would a sewer engineer be expected to interpret scientific data correctly? But when their errors are pointed out and they persist in their misstatements, there is only one word for them: liars. Webster defines "to lie" as "to create a false or misleading impression" and they certainly are doing that!
A number of C.A.R.E.S. members have worried that the City might be correct ... that maybe we do have a problem with our water quality.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DATA TO SUPPORT THAT CONTENTION!
The Moss/Joel duo are purposely misconstruing the test data to support their cause. They combed City data for the worst reading they could find in 5 years and suggest that it is indicative of our water quality. That's not the way it works. State and federal standards are based upon AVERAGES, never upon a single readings. A manatee, dolphin, bird or dog who left a "calling card" before the water sample was taken destroys the validity of the measurement and there's no way to know whether that happened until the sample is analyzed. That is why averages are always used. When an unusually high reading is found, proper practice calls for taking another water sample and testing again. In Nancy Richie's raw test data (links provided below), you will see that she often resampled when there was an anomaly. The resampled data values are next to the original ones, usually in parentheses.
When these data were averaged by Rookery Bay scientists, they determined that the average fecal coliform count in Marco's sewered canals was about 6.8 MPN and the average fecal coliform count in Marco's unsewered canals was about 9.5 MPN. The "safe" limit is 200 MPN based on a monthly AVERAGE with no sample above 800 on any one day! As far as total coliform is concerned, the "safe" level is 1,000 as a monthly AVERAGE, with no sample above 2,400. Enterococcus counts below 34 are described as "Good"; 35-103 as "Moderate"; and counts greater than 104 are "Poor". A "Poor" rating requires resampling prior to issuing a Health Advisory or Warning.
I have written a Letter to the Editor of the Marco Island Eagle which you can read by clicking on the colored link. We hope it is published as is in the coming issue.
The City's raw data for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 can be found by clicking on the boldface underlined link for that year. You will see that the City did not begin testing for Enterococcus until 2003 and that the frequency of testing dropped that year from monthly to every other month. What can you say about a City that claims to care about water quality but won't pay to test it?
Prepared & Paid For By Citizens Advocating Responsible Environmental Solutions, Inc. (C.A.R.E.S.)