The results of a year-long study of Eastsound’s groundwater is nowhere near conclusive, but it does give a slightly clearer picture of the aquifer’s capacity and water quality.

The promising news is that the capacity of the aquifer is much greater than other studies have indicated.

“Modeling predicts it can produce over 80 million gallons per year – that’s 40 million more than we thought,” Eastsound Water Users Association General Manager Paul Kamin said. “That is very encouraging. It delays the need for desalinization or other sources of additional water.”

Unfortunately, they still can’t find a cause for elevated levels of nitrates in some areas of Eastsound, particularly at the Curtis Lane well and the Blanchard area.

The study was funded by a grant from the Department of Ecology and conducted by EWUA and the San Juan County Health Department. Hydrogeologist Steve Swope of Pacific Groundwater Group authored the report, and he outlined the results of their testing during a recent public meeting.

Swope said there are two possible causes of nitrate contamination: septic systems or high fertilizer use. As Eastsound is not a region of agricultural activity, he said the “most probable explanation is septic systems – at least in the Blanchard area because of its high density. The Terrell Beach area is less clear, because it is less populated.”

The first step in testing for that link was to look for caffeine levels, which would indicate a septic system connection. All of the results came back non-detect (negative), but Swope says that doesn’t rule out their original hypothesis.

“It could still be there, but be beneath the detection level,” he said. “We can only see down to a certain level because of the groundwater.”

The state’s limit of nitrate contamination is 10; the Curtis Lane well has been continually rising since monthly monitoring began in Dec. 2007. It’s peak number is 6.77 mg/L. In virgin or unpopulated land in Eastsound, there are no nitrate levels at all, indicating it is the presence of human activity that is the cause. The Blanchard area has had levels between 1.5 and 6.

But EWUA is not drawing any conclusions because there are so many variables. Swope explained it like this: Eastsound is shaped like a bowl, with groundwater running downhill and then out to the sound at two spots: near the airport along North Beach and Crescent Beach. It takes more than 10 years for the water to make its full run, so the contamination that is present now could be from activity up to a decade ago. It could also be coming from surface water that contains nitrates.

The next steps in the study are to monitor additional wells, most notably one directly across from the Curtis well, and test for the possibility of surface water contamination. Swope will author another report in early 2010.

“I appreciate the many citizens who have volunteered to let us test their wells,” Kamin said. “We hope to be monitoring this for years and we’ll be able to watch trends before it gets out of hand. Groundwater is the most affordable source of water for our community. That is why it’s so important to protect it.”

Whatever the results of the ongoing studies are, Eastsound Sewer and Water District intends to hook up homes that are within the Urban Growth Area boundary, even if their septic systems aren’t failing.

“We are obligated to get all properties within the UGA hooked up,” ESWD district board member Ed Sutton said. “We are sensitive to the financial burden, especially for the lower income neighborhoods, and we’re not going to force this down anyone’s throat. We are trying to put together a financial package that makes it more bearable.”

ESWD’s study of septic density in the Eastsound basin will be available within the next month or so.

“The initial draft suggests that we should have concerns about the numerous old septic drainfields situated over our aquifer,” Sutton said.