. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. One community's disposal dilemma Wrightsville Beach officials took major steps to deal with their town's growing waste disposal problem on a community- wide scale in the mid-60s. Septic tanks, having multiplied over the years with an ever-increasing influx of residents and vacationers, were overtaxing the ability of the sandy beach soil to absorb increasing amounts of sewage. So the town got together and built a sewage treatment plant. Treated waste- water from the plant is discharged into Shell Island Sou
. Coast watch. Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology. One community's disposal dilemma Wrightsville Beach officials took major steps to deal with their town's growing waste disposal problem on a community- wide scale in the mid-60s. Septic tanks, having multiplied over the years with an ever-increasing influx of residents and vacationers, were overtaxing the ability of the sandy beach soil to absorb increasing amounts of sewage. So the town got together and built a sewage treatment plant. Treated waste- water from the plant is discharged into Shell Island Sound, estuarine waters run- ning between the island community and the mainland. By 1972, town officials saw the writing on the wall: Growth was outpacing the treatment plant's capacity to process wastes. Changes in permit-letting rules and agencies concerned with water quality brought plans for plant expansion and im- provement to a standstill. Today, the treatment plant is operating at capacity, yet the glistening waters and sands of Wrightsville Beach attract more people every year. Shellfishing is no longer permitted in waters where the town's sew- age effluents are pumped. Although the treatment plant can't be blamed as the sole polluter, many are convinced that its dis- charge largely contributed to the closing of shellfishing waters. Under the Federal Water Pollution Con- trol Act. municipalities may obtain federal funds to upgrade sewage treatment facili- ties. A plan for the design of such facilities and their impact on the environment must be approved by a state environmental board and the Environmental Protection Agency. Wrightsville officials have taken steps to find solutions to the waste disposal problem and to obtain federal funds for upgrading facilities. They have submitted a plan to the state proposing eight alternative means of waste disposal. The plan, designed to fulfill 201 facilities planning requirements under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, names
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookcollectionunclibra, booksubjectoceanography
