We need the Snohomish County Health District

Dr. Gary Goldbaum, our public health officer, shared some public health history with us today. I found his slide showing trends in deaths from disease the most interesting. Thanks to public health efforts, deaths caused by disease are only a small fraction of what they were at the turn of century.

We often take for granted many of the services provided by the Snohomish Health District that continue to keep that death rate low. I have talked in the past about their Tuberculosis control program, but that’s just the tip of the ice berg. The SHD oversees sewage and solid waste disposal, which if not done properly will spread disease. They also inspect food establishment so your food is safe.

They also make sure folks are vaccinated. Some think making vaccinations available for folks who can’t afford them is a form of welfare or charity, but in reality it’s in everybody interest. Sick people hurt the economy by increasing health care costs and decreasing productivity. And let’s face it, sometimes vaccinations don’t take (or we forget to update them). We don’t want anyone walking around with an infectious disease, whether we’re vaccinated or not. Keeping folks vaccinated is very much in the interest of everyone’s public health.

One very scary feature about the graph above is the peak labeled “Influenza Pandemic.” This is still a very real possibility that the SHD takes very seriously. In the event of another pandemic, the SHD is banking on the hope that new vaccines can quickly be developed and delivered. They also have emergency procedures to control the disease in the event vaccines are not ready in time.

The SHD is facing serious budget shortfalls next year. Let us not forget how much we need them, and let’s hope we can keep public health fully funded.

Correction: Dr. Goldbaum pointed out that the above graph only refers to infectious diseases, not chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

The Edmonds Wastewater plant: You probably haven't dined here

Edmonds is known for its high quality restaurants and great views.

The city of Edmonds also supports a very special kind of restaurant in downtown. No, it’s not at all like the restaurants we’re used to. In fact, you certainly wouldn’t want to eat at this place.

This restaurant is for bacteria not humans, and last Tuesday, the council got to tour this restaurant.

The Edmonds Wastewater treatment facility affords excellent dining for bacteria. In fact, they even have a view of the sound. They feast on the delicacies that we deposit in our toilet everyday. The bacteria break their food down into simple molecules like carbon dioxide so that our human waste doesn't flow into the sound and ruin the environment.

After solids are extracted from the sewage in a settling chamber, the remaining water goes into a chamber where air is pumped through the water, just like it is in a fish tank. Here, bacteria feasts on a enormous buffet of soluble pooh, pee, and other great treats. The air is needed to give the bacteria a good appetite.



After they feast, the water is then put in cylindrical settling tanks, where the bacteria go to sleep, and can be extracted by rakes. Then, the bacteria are pumped back into the air rich feasting chamber where they begin to eat again. Yum!





Thanks to the bacteria, the water only contains a small fraction of the waste that it entered with. After a disinfection stage, the water can safely be pumped into Puget Sound.

The bacteria get a free dining experience, compliments of your utility rates, and we get a clean Puget Sound with safe beaches. You might also be interested to know that Edmonds Wastewater treatment plant doesn’t allow just ANY bacteria to dine there. It’s a very exclusive restaurant. The bacteria are the same bacteria that you find in our streams, which is why water in streams can look so clear and clean.

Steve Coho, who gave us the tour, and his team do an excellent job at the plant. Their philosophy: they want to run a plant that can’t be seen, heard, or smelled. They do a pretty good job, although he’s quick to give the neighbors lots of credit for being patient when there are problems.

The plant has won several awards, but Coho and his crew are not about to rest on their laurels. They have a capital plan to make improvements that will control odor even more than they currently do now. Coho and his crew take a lot crap from us in Edmonds, but they do it with a smile and enjoy their work.

Even bacteria can dine with a view in Edmonds!