Letter: Proposed sewage system a bad idea

Editor,

I read the article that appeared in the South Whidbey Record on July 18 about the Freeland Plaza Shopping Center submitting an application to replace their septic system with a newer sewage treatment system.

They propose to discharge into soil that flows into Freeland Creek, which feeds into Holmes Harbor. I live and own property between the shopping center and Holmes Harbor.

Freeland Creek flows through my property.

The storm water that comes off their parking lot flows through that creek already — it needs no more pollutants. Deer, birds, fish, etc… drink and swim in that water source — I see them every day. People regularly eat crabs and shell fish from Holmes Harbor caught yards from where the creek empties into the harbor.

Today I encountered two guys from Fish and Wildlife surveying Freeland Creek where it flows through my property and my neighbors’ properties they were trying to see if culverts under the roads that cross the creek were big enough for fish to maneuver up the creek.

This seems like a real contradiction of uses for the creek.

If fish can get through the culverts, are they then to be met with sewage effluent?

It is already bad enough that the storm water runoff has little more than some grass to filter out all its harmful contaminates before it enters the creek and then within a block it’s in Holmes Harbor and Puget Sound waters.

This application is bad for the creek, harbor, sound, wildlife and residence of the area.

Kim Kelzer

Freeland