One of these days, Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources may be posting signs every 100 yards or so warning swimmers to stay out of Spring River because of human waste. Two water samples recently collected by a Carthage Senior High School volunteers found human fecal material near the dam below Spring River and very high levels of animal waste downstream. Such findings are not all that unusual in streams across the region.

Clean water is a precious resource that can be compromised by inattention to what is happening along the banks of our creeks and streams, and consequently to the quality of our surface water. Releases by plants that treat human waste, by leaking septic tanks and, of course, the offal of cattle, horses and fowl are the problem. Spring River, which eventually empties into Grand Lake in Oklahoma, isn’t the only waterway that may pose a health threat. Little Sac River also has shown evidence of human waste. It flows into Stockton Lake.

E. coli and enterococci bacteria have been found for several years in samples taken from five sites along Shoal Creek by the stream team, evidence that the problem isn’t going away. The presence of E. coli and enterococci in significant amounts can cause outbreaks of serious, even fatal, infections in humans.

What better argument than preserving the quality of Southwest Missouri’s water supplies can be made to legislative consideration for additional funding so DNR and counties can to do more testing? Certainly the state needs to be proactive in investigating the various sources of such pollution and take corrective action.

Only Lawrence County regularly takes samples from streams, lists waterways where significant rates of human waste are found and posts signs warning people to beware of the contents in the water.

Newton County is gearing up for such an approach. The problem for cash-strapped counties is finding the money to make the stream surveys and then to have the laboratory testing done. We believe that the state should step into the picture. Clean water is not just a Spring River or Carthage or Joplin problem, but one of statewide importance.

Finding the money may not be easy. But legislators should look long and hard to find additional dollars for such a program when they convene next month.