Please report any pollution of the Bennington tributary to the Department of Environtmental Protection at 240-777-7770 during normal business hours and 240-777-3867 outside of normal hours.

On the evening of March 27, 2006, the water of the Bennington tributary of Sligo Creek was cloudy with a reddish brown cast near the part that spills out of the underground system. It was chalky grey slightly further down, in the stretch before the Bennington Court bridge.

A report was made to the Montgomery County Pollution hotline at 240-777-DUMP.

The Bennington tributary joins Sligo Creek just downstream from the tennis courts downstream from Colesville Road.

Cloudy water near confluence of Bennington tributary with Sligo Creek

At 9:45am, April 3, 2006, new pollution was reproted in the Bennington Tributary of Sligo Creek. It was reported to the County pollution dump hotline immediately.

The pollution is in the form of what appears to be soap suds, pouring through the grate where the underground portion of the tributary emerges outside. The water otherwise has become very trashed and polluted in the past week, with small pools of grayish, oily substances gathering on the surface.

The outfall that is the source of the Bennington tributary

Twenty feet downstream from the outfall lies a dam of trash

At 9.30am (Wednesday, April 5) , bubbles were noticed (possibly suds) coming through the grates of the Bennington tributary of Sligo Creek where the underground section spills outside. It was reported to Ms. Mott, the DEP investigator.

The April 4 rain storm washed away 80% of the pollution and trash.

On Wednesday April 6, Park Maintenance staff cleaned out the remaining debris, as local residents had requested at the end of March. They left one set of trash that has now become a duck nest.

At 9:25am Friday, April 7, bubbles were observed running out of the underground pipe into the outdoor portion of the tributary. Some 10 feet downstream from this spot, the water is a greenish gray.

This was reported this to our DEP investigator by phone immediately, who said she would probably take a look this afternoon. She said that in response to my previous report of bubbles earlier in the week (April 5), they had looked at all the storm drains feeding into the site, which did not have any evidence of bubbles. They thought, then, that the source of the bubbles may be the underground spring, which feeds the site, and a natural occurrence of leaf breakdown. They are doing a chemical analysis of the water to see if laundry suds are present. Back to top

Update by Anne Vorce
July 9, 2008

4.55 - 5.44 pm, Wednesday, July 9.

Walking the dog at 4.55pm and then following up an hour later, I noticed that the Bennington Tributary was shockingly chalky gray. With the water being part of our area's watershed, kids and dogs often playing in it downstream, and so much wildlife relying on it (nesting bird families nearby fly in and out; little bunnies are living near its banks; turtles and toads are relying on it), this is unacceptable.

The pollution seems to have been spilling for some time or with some concentration: the stones and creek bottom that the 2 pipes emerging underground empty onto are very white. In fact, standing from the nearby banks, the creek appears white.

I am not good at identification. I wonder however whether it is latex paint or some type of construction material, even though there was a different odor than normal which might have suggested another type of pollution.

If the discharge was indeed latex paint, each of us can try to prevent a next time by insisting that Best Practices are used in any painting and construction work that we do or have done.

Best practices : I reported the incident to the Department of Environmental Protection of Montgomery County. DEP sent me their weblink for their website advice on disposal of latex paint,

It is not advisable for homeowners or businesses to dispose of paint or other chemicals via the sink.

For me, the cleanup of latex paint and construction materials at the end of a work day may be as problematic. Even though it is considered ok by experts to wash brushes and roller pads containing latex paint in the sink, perhaps we should consider buying cheap brushes to be thrown away after each use. Or perhaps there is an even better solution.

On Thursday, July 10, am. I had a quick look at the water quality this am, but it seemed back to normal - as you might expect after the evening rain.

Back to top

Update by Anne Vorce
July 16, 2008

Wednesday, July 16, 5.25 pm

When walking the dog, I checked out the Bennington Tributary. I was stunned to see it looked just like it did on July 9th, when I made the previous report. The pollution has probably been spilling into the water for awhile because I could see signs of it downstream, closer to the bridge over Bennington Lane. I suspect that the same pollution occurred yesterday around the same time. I was walking my dog a bit later and couldn't decide whether the downstream chalkiness was a result of the afternoon sun or the same pollution diffused awhile later. I didn't want to report it or log it unless I saw the very solid white substance below the pipes that emerge from under Ellsworth and Bennington Drive.

I have reported this to Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, too, through their after-hours Hotline and through email to the DEP people who have acted with particular concern in prior water quality threats.

Shortly before I spotted the pollution, I saw a young boy with a fishing rod walking along the creek and a young girl and her mother on the creek bank, all around 500 feet downtream.

Back to top

Update by Anne Vorce
Late July 2008

July 22. DEP ON THE CASE.
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection reported to me that they followed up on my report of possible pollution in the Bennington Tributary immediately last week and visited the site twice. While alot of what I had observed had washed away, the environmenal specialist said that some of the gray substance had settled to the bottom and, while not having an odor, should not have been there.

He has asked us to report any further sightings.

I heartily commend the DEP team for their continuing interest and dogged investigations of pollution in the Tributary and Creek. It is due to their interest, persistence and skill that a frequent source of pollution of the Tributary was tracked down and the Peterson Company issued a Notice of Violation until it came up with and implemented a plan to clean the loading dock area at City Place more environmentally soundly.

The DEP team should be given an award for their service to the community, if it is available. Does the FOSC offer this possibility ?

5:50pm, Friday, July 25. POLLUTION AGAIN, BUT IT APPEARS TO BE A DIFFERENT TYPE.
Of course after hours on a Friday, there is what appears to be pollution emptying into the Bennington Tributary from both pipes emerging from underground, although the flow from the pipe on the left (facing the pipes) is stronger.

The pollution is different from the chalky white/gray pollution I've reported the last two times around. It is sudsy (or, if I'm wrong about the suds, call it bubbly.)

Because of the absence of it downstream, I suspect the pollution started pretty recently.

I wonder if there is a laundry room back-up problem uphill (happened before) or even a clean-up up hill that has run down to us.

I've just left a message on the Montgomery County after-hours hotline.

Back to top