Waterways Committee Completes Review

The City of Marco Island Waterways Committee has completed their review of assigned items sent to them by the city manager’s office. These items arose from last year’s examination of the Environment Research and Design (ERD) report on the source of contaminants in local waters.

In the ERD report, the consultants provided a list of possible culprits of the elevated level of contaminants that may impact the city’s waterways.

City Manager Michael McNees’ office reviewed the report and assigned selected entities with tasks to provide the city council with recommendations for action. Over the last several months, those groups developed recommendations. As part of the reviews, council prioritized an action plan to move forward with a concerted effort to improve water quality. However, it will ultimately be council’s decision as to which items would be adopted as part of that plan.

The following items were proposed:

1. The committee agreed to support rain gardens for newly proposed homes. They strongly recommend the elimination of hundreds of illegal roof drains which directly discharge into canals. The committee recognized this will be a long-term educational process.
2. The committee rejected the installation of “denitrification beds” along seawalls, due to the costs. Instead, as a first step, the committee suggested that the city install similar beds in swales and review their success.
3. A recommendation was made to create a Request for Proposals (RFP) to reduce nutrient loads within reuse waters being produced by the city’s utility. In addition, a program would be launched to educate homeowners on how to reduce watering to minimize the amount of nutrients being utilized in landscaping.
4. The creation of a water quality utility for Marco Island, the composition of which, in terms of design and nature, would be determined by council. The ERD report pointed out that this would open the door for the city to obtain grant dollars not presently available. The water quality utility would be a separate entity to specifically deal with stormwater issues using its own staff and reporting directly to the city manager’s office. There are 160 such districts within the State of Florida, the closest being the City of Naples.
5. The continuation of monthly testing and additional testing sites were strongly recommended, with the use of outside experts for monitoring and evaluating the process.

Committee member Eugene Wordehoff suggested that the city propose an RFI (Request for Information), however, it was not clear as to “what” was being sought by his open-ended request. Some suggested a more defined definition of what would be required as a target to reduce the numbers, as it relates to “reuse water.” Others felt that this would be an operational item for city staff. Some even questioned why there was a focus on phosphorus and not nitrogen. However, Mr. Wordehoff continued to see phosphorous as a major concern.

Committee member Phillip Thompson shared his desire to see the reuse water treated to a higher standard so it could be directly pumped into local waterways or into the Gulf of Mexico. That, however, would be a subject for another meeting.

The Marco Island Waterways Committee meets monthly on the third Thursday at 9 AM in council chambers. Meetings are open to the public.