Collaboration Across Boundaries to Achieve Integrated Watershed Management

Transcription

1 Collaboration Across Boundaries to Achieve Integrated Watershed Management A Means to Affordable Water Quality for the Saw Mill Run Watershed Ohio Water Environment Association Technical Conference June 28, 2017

2 Saw Mill Run Watershed Faces many challenges 12 municipalities 434 M gallons CSO annually 270,000 gallons SSO annually 11 B gallons stormwater - MS4 permit compliance Dry weather pollution Multiple other pollution sources TMDL requirements Flooding/Basement Backups Sewers years old All paid for by the same rate payer to address Need an affordable plan that addresses all challenges

3 Tributary Gateways SAW MILL RUN Green Boulevard Concept Headwater Neighborhoods Integrated Watershed Management Plan Goal Create a solution that holistically addresses all challenges (not just CSOs & SSOs) with a combination of green, gray and watershed-wide elements that will: Achieve consent order and Clean Water Act requirements, Address water quality and flooding issues, and Improve quality of life and contribute to economic development, wherever possible

4 Saw Mill Run Integrated Watershed Management Collaborative plan including all 12 municipalities Focus on water quality, using EPA framework Create meaningful partnerships: Economic Development South, US Army Corps of Engineers PADEP and regulatory buy-in throughout the process Joint TMDL planning and submittal

5 Integrated Watershed Management CWA Assess In-Stream Water Quality Impairments Impacting the Stream Habitat Stormwater (Quality & Quantity) CSOs SSOs Non-Point Sources (Ag, Septic, Illicits, etc.) Dry Weather Sources Integrated Approach Lowest Cost Pollution Abatement Gray Green Watershed

6 Integrated Watershed Management can improve traditional CWA approaches by: Build & engage public support 1. Integrating CWA requirements to save significant ratepayer dollars 2. Selecting water quality based solutions 3. Achieving greater improvement to water quality faster 4. Being more affordable for ratepayers Implement, evaluate, and modify action plan Create an affordable action plan Optimize water quality benefits Set WQ and community goals - develop solutions Characterize the watershed Define the pollution sources and pie chart 6

7 Integrated Watershed Management Overview Watershed Pollution Sources Traditional plans already have the necessary building blocks What are the water quality benefits of my projects? Not cost per gallon or lb of pollutant, but Cost Per Day of Increased WQS Compliance Put combined and separate sanitary sewer overflows into context with other pollutant sources Select a combination of gray/green/watershed controls that maximize improvements to water quality Tailored to local community priorities Dry Weather Other CSOs Stormwater SSOs Dry & Wet Weather Sources

8 Projects then developed based on water quality improvements and other community benefits at lowest cost $100 Cost increases CSO and SSO Projects Project Estimated Construction Cost ($M) $50 $10 $0 0 Water Quality Standards Compliance & Community Benefits Water quality gets better Stormwater Projects Other Pollution Source Projects Construct the Projects that Provide the Greatest WQ Improvements & Community Benefits for the $ Spent

9 Integrated watershed approach delivers greater water quality and community benefits at lower cost $3 Cost increases CSOs & SSOs Projects Only Overflows & Stormwater All Pollution Sources Cost ($) $2 $1 Full Attainment For the same investment, greater WQ and community benefits can be achieved with an integrated approach $0 0 Increased Water Quality Standards Compliance & Community Benefits Water quality gets better Implementation Schedule (Time)

10 Saw Mill Run Water Quality Sampling Program Dry Weather Sampling 9 In-stream locations 5 sampling events (11/ /2016) <0.1 for 72 hours before sampling Wet Weather Sampling 9 In-stream locations 6 source outfall locations (CSO, MS4) 3 sampling events (0.5 to 1.75 )

11 Saw Mill Run Water Quality Sampling Program Escherichia coliform Fecal coliform Total suspended solids Total dissolved solids Total iron Water Quality Parameters Dissolved Copper Total Zinc Dissolved Zinc Sulfate 5-day Carbonaceous Oxygen Demand Dissolved Iron Total ammonia (NH 3 ) Total Manganese Nitrate plus nitrite (NO 3 +NO 2 ) Dissolved Manganese Total Kjeldahl nitrogen Total Aluminum Total Phosphorus Dissolved Aluminum Ortho-Phosphate Total Copper

12 Bacteria Fecal Coliform PURE STORMWATER (NO CSO/SSO UPSTREAM) MOST IMPACTED BY CSO

13 Dissolved Oxygen PURE STORMWATER (NO CSO/SSO UPSTREAM) MOST IMPACTED BY CSO

14 Nutrients Total Phosphorus PURE STORMWATER (NO CSO/SSO UPSTREAM) MOST IMPACTED BY CSO

15 Water Quality Sampling Program Takeaways Sampling Program Results Confirm the IWM Approach Multiple Regulatory Issues / Impairments need to be Addressed to Restore Water Quality CSO & SSO controls alone will not achieve compliance with water quality goals in this watershed. Pollutant Bacteria Dry & Wet Weather Metals/Toxics Nutrients (P) Dissolved Oxygen Potential Sources Stormwater (SW), CSO/SSO, Dry Weather sources (DWS) AMD, SW, CSO/SSO SW, CSO/SSO, DWS AMD, SW, CSO/SSO, DWS

16 Water Quality Sampling Program Takeaways Existing Sediment & Phosphorus loads may not be as severe as indicated in TMDL. While important to address both pollutants, the end point in TMDL may be higher than necessary to meet CWA requirements. Further evaluation is needed. A strategic, collaborative, watershed-based rehabilitation of the existing storm & sanitary sewer infrastructure to eliminate cross-connections & reduce I/I, could provide significant reductions to dry & wet weather pollutants across the watershed.

17 SAW MILL RUN TMDL SUCCESS STORY TMDL Implementation Strategy Responses Submitted to PADEP Collaboration of Municipalities Developed Multi-Municipal TMDL Strategy using IWM Plan as Overarching Framework Met with PADEP and received concurrence to move forward with approach

18 SAW MILL RUN TMDL SUCCESS STORY Overall TMDL Strategy Two Phase Approach: 1. Implement BMPs in Near Term - Immediate, Quantifiable, Incremental Progress towards Specified TMDL Load Reductions 2. IWM Plan - Implement Necessary Pollutant Load Reductions to meet the various Clean Water Act requirements, including those specified in the TMDLs.

19 Saw Mill Run IWM Plan Demonstration Projects Worked with Municipal Partners to Identify representative projects for early implementation Criteria: Pollutant Reduction Types of Pollutants (single, multiple) Cost efficiency of removal Economic, Social Considerations CSO & SSO Volume Reduction Stormwater Volume / Peak Flow Reduction Funding Opportunities Partnership/Coordination Opportunities

20 IWM Can Provide Economic Benefit While Solving Watershed & Water Quality Challenges SAW MILL RUN GREENWAYS CONCEPT Cascading Pools OPEN WOODED AREA Redirected Stream For Low Flows Parks and Ball Fields Area OVERBROOK FIELDS Residential & Commercial New/Re-Development Stormwater Wetlands OVERBROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL (CLOSED)

21 Integrated watershed management delivers greater water quality and community benefits at a lower cost to your community Win-Win-Win primary goal of continuous WQ improvement and WQS compliance at an affordable rate Move away from the traditional approach of working in WQ silos these problems are all connected (to the stream) We need to spend at an affordable rate to maximize improvements to water quality and our communities IWM Toolbox 21

22 Thank You