Gray Water’s Dark Side

While hiking on a public trail last week, Environmental Defense Center staff observed a discharge from a pipe into San Roque Creek. The pipe was coming from a house on the stream bank and was located under dense vegetation as if to be hidden. The pipe spewed for several minutes then turned off.

EDC staff recognized this as an illegal gray water discharge into the creek. We noted its location and reported the pollution to Santa Barbara County Project Clean Water, Environmental Health Services, and California Department of Fish and Game officials. Within several days, the County visited the site, contacted the owner, and determined the pipe was unlawfully discharging from a washing machine to the creek. The pipe was sealed and the owner corrected the water pollution violation.

Pollutants from laundry soap can cause algae blooms in creeks and rivers, which deprive the water of dissolved oxygen and can kill fish and other aquatic life. Bleach is highly toxic to fish and amphibians.