Elice Holman (left) and daughters Erica and Erin play in the swimming area at Lake Anna with relative Monica Peppers. The Holmans of Lansdale, Pa., were visiting for the weekend and said the water was wonderful. mwm View More Images from this story Visit the Photo Place

Determining water quality no simple matter

How clean is the water in Lake Anna? It's good--and bad.

By RUSTY DENNEN

Date published: 8/30/2003

By RUSTY DENNEN Tests show area lakes in good shape, but tributaries can bring contaminants

How clean is the water?

It's a common question asked by the thousands of people who live on or visit Lake Anna and other area lakes--one that's especially relevant as boaters, fishermen and swimmers head for the nearest boat ramp or beach for the Labor Day weekend.

The answer, regulators say, is: It depends. It depends upon the body of water, its size, use, and location near potential pollution sources.

Lake Anna, a 13,000-acre impoundment created by Virginia Power in 1972 to cool reactors at its nuclear plant, is a good example of how state regulators and local monitoring groups are trying to get at the answer.

"In general, Lake Anna's water quality is good," said Bryant Thomas, water-resources planner and monitoring supervisor for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality's Northern Virginia Regional Office.

"I have a friend who has a cottage there. Every time I'm invited, I'm down at the lake," he said.

He added, however, that the complete answer is not simple.

PCBs a concern

Six of Lake Anna's feeder streams show persistent bacterial contamination, according to recent tests. In addition, fish-tissue samples by DEQ showed the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls in Contrary Creek, and in two areas on the main stem of the lake encompassing a total of 3,160 acres.

Those were included in the state's 2002 Report on Impaired Waters in Virginia.

In 1994 and in 2000, DEQ found elevated concentrations of PCBs in samples of catfish, bass and striped bass. Channel catfish fillets collected in 1994 contained 114 parts per billion of PCBs. Two other samples collected in 2000 contained 97.6 and 168 ppb, while a striped bass sample contained 108 ppb.

The levels are above the DEQ's minimum threshold of 54 ppb, but below the 600 ppb level at which the Virginia Department of Health would issue a fish-consumption advisory.

The source of the PCB contamination is unknown. More PCB sampling is in the works.

PCBs are organic chemicals widely used as coolants and lubricants in transformers, capacitors and other electrical equipment. PCBs have been linked to cancer in animals and a variety of health problems, including neurological and immune-system disorders. They were banned in the late 1970s.

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Date published: 8/30/2003