Water resources encompass water bodies (such as lakes, streams, ground water, and wetlands) and their associated ecosystems. They sustain a multitude of plant and animal species and provide for drinking water, irrigation, fishing, recreation, and many other needs. Because water is constantly cycling above and below the surface of the earth, there are many connections between water resources and other parts of the environment. Major water quality threats include urban and agricultural runoff, land development, stream bank erosion, straightening of the stream channel, flow modifications, failing septic tanks and non-permitted and illegal discharges.
The surface waters of Stark County are divided into three primary watersheds or basins Tuscarawas River, Mahoning River, and Cuyahoga River. General water quality ratings for these streams range from fair to good. Efforts to improve and protect Stark County’s surface waters have focused on reducing impacts from point (discharges from a pipe or any identifiable point) and nonpoint (discharges over a wide land area and not from one specific location) sources of pollution. Starting in 2010, new limits on phosphorous discharges will be enforced, requiring expensive overhauls of water treatment facilities.
All point source discharges into surface waters require a permit from the Ohio EPA which authorizes a release of substances at levels that meet Ohio water quality standards. Wastewater from Stark County homes and businesses is treated and discharged by permitted wastewater treatment facilities or by home sewage treatment systems (HSTS, also commonly known as septic systems). There are approximately 44,000 HSTSs in Stark County. There is a higher risk of pollution in areas with higher densities of houses using septic systems.
Permitting is not limited to discharges from homes and businesses but also includes the discharge from municipal separate storm sewer systems located in urbanized areas. Stark County communities have developed a storm water management program that addresses the six minimum control measures, established by the U.S. EPA, to reduce pollutants in urban storm water runoff. 2009 marks the first year of permit review.
Storm water presents another problem in rural areas in the form of flooding. Traditionally the approach to flood control has been to straighten and trench rivers and streams. However, it has been found that straightening and trenching cause silt and flood problems further downstream. In order to prevent downstream problems, some political jurisdictions in Stark County, such as Louisville, have created natural riparian buffers, or flood plains, in order to more naturally control flooding.
On average 94 percent of days in Stark County have been between good to moderate range for the air quality index (AQI), five percent of days were designated as unhealthy for people with respiratory ailments and one percent unhealthy for all people. Air quality is measured by carbon monoxide, ozone, and particulate matter. As air quality degrades, the air becomes unhealthy especially for adults and children with respiratory ailments such as asthma or heart disease.
Two pollutants of concern are ozone and particulate matter. In the Earth's lower atmosphere, near ground level, ozone is formed when pollutants emitted by cars, power plants, industrial boilers, refineries, chemical plants, and other sources react chemically in the presence of sunlight. Particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter are called "fine" particles. These fine particles can lodge deep within the respiratory system causing potential problems for sensitive groups. Sources of fine particles include all types of combustion, including motor vehicles, power plants, residential wood burning, forest fires, agricultural burning, and some industrial processes.
In 2008, Stark County was in compliance for ozone but not in compliance with particulate matter. Earlier in 2009, the U.S. EPA put into effect new lower ozone standards. Unless Stark County ozone levels are lowered, the County will not be in attainment when the standards are enforced.
Many substances such as radon, carcinogenic volatile organic compounds (VOC), propellants, perfume, candles and tobacco smoke, affect the quality of air inside homes, schools, workplaces and other buildings. Indoor air pollution can be an irritant and possibly carcinogenic. Heavily insulated homes with high R-values have a reduced exchange of outdoor and indoor air and are at higher risk for high levels of indoor air pollution.
Upper Tuscarawas River Region Watersheds
Ohio EPA
U.S. EPA
Canton City Health Department - Environmental Health |
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