Nassau County's Water Quality Crisis: A Call to Action

Typically, I do not write about the three “P’s" — pollution, policy and politics. The reason I steer clear of writing about the three “P’s” is because politics and policies are rarely successful at keeping pollution from impairing waterbodies. However, given our current situation, I feel compelled to wade into water quality issues affecting my home in Nassau County, Florida.

Before you follow me down the rabbit hole of water quality despair, please take a few long, deep breaths. Think for a few minutes about how important water is to you. Where does your water come from and how do you use it? Is it clean enough to drink daily? Can I swim in local waters without getting sick? Can I eat food from local waters without long-term health effects? Is clean water something I am willing to prioritize in my life?

Water is life. People around the world have prayed to water for generations. Rivers are seen as the veins of Mother Earth carrying the blood of life, death, and rebirth in many cultures. Just as the river Jordan baptized souls into new life and spirit, the rivers surrounding us bring forth new life meant to sustain us. Indigenous cultures have believed for thousands of years that water holds the memory of creation and is sacred. All cultures know and value the meaning of “shall we gather at the river.”

Nassau County has a significant number of bodies of water that are impaired. As such, Nassau County is required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a plan addressing our water quality problems.

According to FDEP, “A Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP) is a framework for water quality restoration, containing local and state commitments to reduce pollutant loading through current and future projects and strategies. BMAPs contain a comprehensive set of solutions, such as permit limits on wastewater facilities, urban and agricultural best management practices, and conservation programs designed to achieve pollutant reduction established by a total maximum daily load (TMDL).

“These broad-based plans are developed with local stakeholders and rely on local input and commitment for development and successful implementation. BMAPs are adopted by DEP Secretarial Order and are legally enforceable.”

The map below displays the areas in Nassau County that are not meeting water quality standards. The shaded areas represent river bodies that are impaired. Dark shades of gray represented the most impaired waterbodies. The green lines represent waterbodies that have a plan to reduce or prevent future water quality problems. Nassau County is required to create a plan addressing local water quality issues.

What are the local water quality issues plaguing our county? Well, there are many water quality issues for us to consider. Mercury and other metal contamination has been identified in local fish tissue along with numerous pharmaceutical drugs. Some local waterbodies have low dissolved oxygen and elevated levels of E. coli in our county. In addition, as we continue to grow and develop our county, we will increase the TMDL of pollutants in our local waterbodies.

Specific sources of pollution that are a part of growth include increased nitrogen in urban streams from wastewater treatment plant effluents and leaky septic systems. Atmospheric deposition of mercury comes from industry burning coal and other fossil fuels. Mercury in the air settles in the water and eventually makes its way into the tissue of local fish. Fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides applied to lawns and golf courses increase the TMDL of a receiving waterbody. Leaching landfills and legacy sources such as development of agricultural land also increase TMDL. We have many issues to think about when it comes to water quality.

We are not the only ones facing water quality challenges. Water quality issues are a worldwide problem and can seem overwhelming in the eyes of many. I have heard some say why bring up tough water quality issues if there is not a viable solution. I cringe when I hear anyone think this way. My heart and my head remind me that the mother of invention is necessity.

EPA coordinates research, monitoring, clean-up, and enforcement with regard to air, water, and soil pollution, solid waste, disposal, radiation, and pesticides. The goal is to make sure we have safe water and air for all living beings on earth.

In 2018, the EPA sampled fish tissue for numerous chemicals throughout the nation. In this study, fish from all over the country were sampled for mercury, metals, PCBs and PFAS (forever chemicals).

Below is a map that depicts the location of all EPA sampling sites surrounding Amelia Island. You can access nationwide sampling sites and data here.

Purple circles indicate past water sampling sites.

Yellow squares indicate USGS sensors.

Orange squares indicate a permitted discharger into the waterbody.

In the St. Marys River watershed, fish tissue samples have been collected and analyzed by various organizations dating back to 1997. Samples are positive for mercury, metals and pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Krista McCoy, Director, Florida Oceanographic Society, tells us that there are 85,000 synthetic chemicals in existence today. Only 2% have been studied on human health. About one half of these synthetic chemicals affect the endocrine system, and they are everywhere.

Endocrine disruptors are in pesticides we spray on our foods. We impregnate materials with flame-retardant chemicals and sleep in them. Chemicals are found on toys and in bottles we drink from. We breathe in synthetic chemicals 24 hours a day by washing our clothes and bedding with scented detergent.

McCoy asks us to consider that more than half of Americans take medicine every day. We take daily doses because we excrete most of the medicine through our waste. Our waste flows to the wastewater treatment plant and into local waterbodies. Every person who has been studied has these chemicals in their bodies. They are even found in the Antarctic and Arctic.

McCoy explains that the animals are telling us that their effects are our effects. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals disrupt reproductivity. McCoy explains how hypospadias – a defect that is observed in human males at birth is also found in cane toads. Amphibians are indicator species, like a canary in a coal mine. And, what happens in cane toads happens in humans.

In 1970, the hypospadias rate per 10,000 human births was 1 in 500. In 1992, it was 1 in 300. In 2011, it was 1 in 125. In 2024, it was 1 in 50 births, the same number of people who have green eyes. That is more than a 500% increase in 50 years. What is happening here? You can learn more by listening to McCoy speak to the Florida Oceanographic Society here.

Dr. Aaron Adams, Director of Science and Conservation, Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, and an affiliate faculty member at Florida Atlantic University recently conducted a study to determine the level of pharmaceuticals in fish. His team of scientists looked at redfish or red drum, a very important recreational fish in Florida. 94% of all redfish sampled had pharmaceuticals in their tissue. On average, each redfish had at least two different pharmaceuticals in their tissue.

Overall, 17 different pharmaceuticals were detected in the sampled redfish from all over the state. Heart medication, opioids, and psychoactive medications were among the top three pharmaceuticals in redfish. Redfish tested in Apalachicola contained four different pharmaceuticals. In Tampa Bay, St. Augustine, Jacksonville, and Cedar Key, redfish contained at least two different pharmaceuticals in their tissue. All nine locations tested positive for at least one pharmaceutical in redfish tissue.  

The effects of pharmaceuticals on redfish are mostly unknown. However, Adams found that Tramadol, a popular pain reducer found in 53% of all redfish tested, caused gill and liver damage, lower activity, changes in behavioral patterns, and delayed hatching. Redfish with pharmaceuticals in their system were at a lower weight for their length than fish with no pharmaceuticals.

Is there any way to remedy the problem of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in local waterbodies? Yes, according to Adams. He found communities in Switzerland that successfully use ozone to remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater treatment facilities before effluent is released into the environment.

Folks, we have sawfish spinning in circles until death from neurological issues in South Florida. Scientists are pretty sure the problem is related to a certain alga that feeds on a high concentration of nutrients in the water. We must address the TMDL waterbodies can handle before we experience harmful algae blooms in our region.

Consider the following: 100 years ago, Miami did not exist. It was a small fishing village. Fifty percent of the mangroves in the state of Florida are gone. We have lost over 2 million acres of seagrass. Nine million acres of wetlands, 44% of Florida’s total wetlands are gone. A lot of Florida’s wastewater infrastructure is from the 1950s and 1960s. They will all have to be upgraded eventually.

Water quality is the most important habitat quality for all species in our state. Solutions will require each of us to reconsider our relationship with water and our values. What is more important than the health and well-being of our children?

The St. Marys Riverkeeper plays a very important role in our community. The riverkeeper unites all of us who value water quality in the St. Marys River watershed. According to their website, “The St. Marys River is 130 miles long, winding through four counties in two states. That includes more than 60,000 residents who depend on the health of the river for tourism, recreation, commercial fishing, and safe drinking water. Wildlife and plant ecosystems rely on the continued cleanliness of the watershed, including 3,000 miles of streams and tributaries. To all individuals, families and businesses who care about the local and global environment, and specifically clean water, please support SMRK. With your help, the St. Marys River will remain healthy and beautiful.”

Nassau County is within the St. Mary’s watershed. It is my hope we come together as a community and value water quality as the most important issue we face. Can we muster the willpower to protect ourselves from ourselves? Shall we gather at the river and develop solutions that protect our waterways for our children and all living creatures that call this place home? Nassau County, the time to act is now.