It turned out not to be raw sewage, but effluent which had been through a septic tank and leach field. And, it was not flowing into the river.

This was not the first time the Dreams Park has been investigated for problems with its sewage treatment.

The investigation came about because of a tip received by the Otsego County Conservation Association that was passed on to the agencies.

``For a number of years, both OCCA and local residents have had concerns about water usage and proper disposal of sewage in the Route 28 corridor, especially in the more developed areas of the corridor,’’ said OCCA director Erik Miller.

Last summer, the OCCA commissioned a study of the water quality in the Susquehanna River upstream and downstream of the Dreams Park. The samples taken found an increase in fecal coliform downstream of the park, but did not determine if it was coming from the park’s septic system or agricultural runoff from nearby farm fields.

With this latest incident, it now appears to us that it is time to determine if there are serious water quality issues in the Susquehanna. A more thorough study must be undertaken to determine the extent of the problem, if there is one.

If, as many people surmise, development along the Route 28 corridor is negatively impacting the river, it is time to take steps to remediate the situation. If there are problems with agricultural runoff, then it is time for those farms to employ best management practices to prevent nutrient and pesticide laden runoff.

``The concerns related to the potential contamination of the Susquehanna River are many,’’ Miller said. ``The Susquehanna is a valuable natural resource that we should treat as our front yards not our dumping grounds.’’