Pollutants persist despite reduced animal count

By Tim Stelloh Staff Writer, The Advocate, September 14, 2007

WILTON - For years, Norwalk city officials and environmentalists were certain about the source of E. coli in the Silvermine River.

It was, they thought, from animal waste from the Silvermine Sanctuary - a hobby farm nestled between Belden Hill Brook and the Silvermine River near the Wilton-Norwalk border.

At one time, the sanctuary was home to a goat, turkeys, swans, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats and two beloved llamas who were frequent visitors to libraries, senior centers and the Cannon Grange Agricultural Fair & Exposition.

After requests from officials to curb runoff to the river, Bob and Nancy Anderson, who own the sanctuary, thinned their herd.

But the elevated levels of E. coli bacteria have persisted, a fact that has confounded those trying to clean up the water and, at least for the moment, has vindicated Nancy Anderson.

"I'm thoroughly convinced it was never us that was the issue," Nancy Anderson said, adding that she and her husband had laid tarps beneath the llamas and always cleaned up after their animals, even giving the waste to the Wilton Garden Center to sell as fertilizer.

But more than a year ago, the Andersons donated the llamas - named Java and Lily - to an animal therapy organization in Brewster, N.Y. They got rid of half of their 18 chickens, as well as their turkeys and swans. And the goat died, Nancy Anderson said.

Dick Harris, director of Earthplace's River Watch programs, said that recent water quality tests found that since the Andersons began getting rid of their animals, there has been no major change in pollution.

In two areas downstream from the sanctuary, Harris found counts of 1,962 and 1,762 E. coli cells for every 100 milliliters of water.

State regulations allow 126 cells, he said. Upstream from the farm, Harris found 222 cells.

Harris said he's found as many 3,500 cells of E. coli downstream from the sanctuary.

E. coli bacteria can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and is particularly dangerous to children.

Officials began looking at the sanctuary after interns with the Norwalk Mayor's Water Quality Committee took samples from the area several years ago and discovered high levels of bacteria, Harris said.

"We got there by the process of elimination," he said.

Thomas Closter, director of environmental services for the Norwalk Health Department, said officials also looked at water quality data that predated the sanctuary. They found a dramatic difference in bacteria levels before and after.

Officials then reached out upstream, Closter said. "There were so many pollutants there that eventually we had a meeting with the Wilton health director to figure out" how to deal with the bacteria, he said.

After the sanctuary was targeted as the source of the pollution, the Andersons had their septic system checked to make sure it wasn't the problem. Tests turned up negative. They also donated Java and Lily to the New York group.

"They kept assuming our place was the source of the problem," Nancy Anderson said. "We placed (the llamas), rather than them keep bothering us, or us having to constantly defend ourselves. We found an ideal situation for them."

Their departure, she said, is like having kids go off to college. "That's the only way we've been able to be happy looking at it," she said.

The episode has left Harris scratching his head.

He commended the Andersons for the steps they've taken to lessen the impact of the animals.

But he still thinks the area is a poor location for a farm - "It's between two rivers, and its rocky banks run down to the water's edge" - and the remaining animals could be responsible for the still-present pollution.

It could be the dogs, Harris said, or the chickens.

"I'm not out to persecute (the Andersons)," he said. "But I am out to get that river cleaned up."