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.

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Update by Anne Vorce
Jan 2, 2011

Noon. While taking the dog for her morning walk a bit later than usual, I noticed a change in the Bennington Tributary of Sligo Creek, as we walked by. A grayish liquid with bubbles was coming out of both discharge pipes and emptying into the Tributary. I have no idea what it is (I couldn't tell if there was a smell). I reported it (since it was after hours) as the FOSC suggested: to the Park Police and MDE's emergency numbers. Their operators took down the information and said they would follow up. I took pictures with my cell phone but have to figure out how to send them.

1pm. Both the Park Police and MDE responded within the hour to my report (which is so commendable, especially on a Sunday and a holiday Sunday at that). The Park Police sent someone out to check the Tributary and the MDE water quality person called when the Park Police was evaluating the situation. The two of them spoke as the Park Policeman evailuated the situation. The Park Police policeman thought that the grayish liquid and bubbles were leaf foam from the rains. He pointed out that the water coming out of the discharge pipes was clear. I noted that I smelled laundry detergent scent, although I said that air currents were hard to track and it could be coming form a neighbors'. The MDE water quality person will come by on Monday to check things out

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Update by Anne Vorce
Jan 12, 2012

Walking with a neighbor's dogs on this glorious day, I noticed what may be pollution in the Bennington Tributary of Sligo Creek, as of around noon today (Thursday, January 12). Starting in the area across from our driveway, the water is grayish white. This pollution continues down until the Tributary meets Sligo Creek. While the rains have stirred up the waters, this looks more like some type of pollution, although I am not an expert. As far as I can tell, there is no odor. I have also called in the report to the Montgomery County line at 240-777-7770. The neighborhood is hosting what seems to be a lot more birds than usual (perhaps because of the unseaonably warm weather), so I hope that there is nothing polluting their water supply.

Within an hour of my report, DEP representatives were on the case. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the grayish white "stuff" had already moved downstream so that what I saw at noon wasn't there. They will however investigate upstream to see if there are any possible causes, including construction-related discharge. Next time, I will try to take a picture with my cell phone to document. The DEP investigators said that often this type of pollution moves through quickly and so is tough to assess.