In response to neighbor concerns, the COA Watershed Protection and Review Department have provided the following update on soil testing of the ponds at the Great Northern Location:
"The Watershed Protection and Development Review Department periodically tests the soil and sediment in a representative sampling of water quality ponds. The purpose of the testing is to determine whether the sediment can be disposed of at a regular landfill or if it needs special handling. This program began last year, and all the samples showed that the sediment did not require any special handling. Similar tests in the past have given the same, reassuring results."
"Although neighbors should not be worried about living or walking near water quality ponds, pets should not be allowed to swim in them, including the one on Great Northern Boulevard. Water quality ponds are designed to capture pollutants and are not safe for swimming. In fact, dogs in Austin have been infested by Heterobilharzia Americana, a fairly common parasite that lives in stagnant surface water. This parasite infects dogs and raccoons rather than humans. A good rule of thumb is not to let your dog swim in water that you wouldn’t swim in yourself. "
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