Assessment of Car Wash Runoff Treatment Using Bioretention

Transcription

1 Assessment of Car Wash Runoff Treatment Using Bioretention Mesocosms 98 TH NJ Water Environment Association Annual Conference May 14 TH, 2013 Steven E. Yergeau, Ph.D. Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program

2 WHO ARE WE? Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program The Water Resources Program is one of many specialty programs under Rutgers Cooperative Extension. The mission of the Program is to identify and address communitywater resources issues using sustainable and practical science based solutions. This is accomplished through research, education, outreach, andimplementation implementation.

3 PROJECT GOALS The goal of this study is to investigate e whether e rain gardens are an appropriate management practice for reducing pollutants from vehicle wash water ( runoff ). To date, few studies have investigated i the benefits of using rain gardens to reduce the negative impacts from vehicle wash water, specifically surfactants. Results from this research project will help develop design p j p p g criteria for rain gardens used in controlling pollution associated with vehicle wash water.

4 OUTLINE Background Methods Results Conclusions Future Work

5 BACKGROUND InNew Jersey, and elsewhere, many groups hold car washing fundraisers and other entities wash vehicles unaware of the pollution issues associated with the car wash runoff/wastewater. Vhil Vehicle wash water is known to be a source of petroleum hydrocarbon waste (oils, greases, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]), heavy metals, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), total suspended solids (TSS), and surfactants from car wash soap.

6 TYPICAL POLLUTANTS FOUND IN RUNOFF Sediment Soil particles transported from their source Toxics Pesticides Herbicides Fungicides Insecticides Metals (naturally occurring in soil, automotive emissions/ tires) Lead Zinc Mercury Petroleum Hydrocarbons (automotive exhaust and fuel/oil) Surfactants Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) Oxygen depleting material Leaves Organic material Nutrients Various types of materials that become dissolved and suspended in water (commonly found in fertilizer and plant material): Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) Bacteria/ Pathogens Originating from: Pets Waterfowl Failing septic systems Debris Litter and illegal dumping Thermal Stress Heated runoff, removal of streamside vegetation

7 BACKGROUND The most common pollution prevention strategies for vehicle washing involve: Public education Partnering with commercial wash facilities for fundraiser events Use of storm drain inserts to collect wash water Washing vehicles on lawns and other pervious surfaces

8 BACKGROUND We partnered ed with Clark Township s Department of Public Works (DPW) to build a sustainable car wash in 2012 using low impact stormwater management techniques (rain water harvesting and a rain garden). DPW is adjacent to Clark High School.

9 BACKGROUND Car washing fundraisers can be done with harvested rain water at Clark High School and the car wash runoff is treated by the rain garden. Each paying customer will also get an educational pamphlet describing the car wash and how low impact techniques can be applied at home.

10 RAIN GARDENS A rain garden is a landscaped, shallow depression that is designed to intercept, treat, and infiltrate stormwater at the source before it becomes runoff. The plants used in the rain garden are native to the region and help retain pollutants that could otherwise harm nearby waterways.

11 RAIN GARDENS

12 RAIN GARDEN BENEFITS Rain gardens provide a high level of treatment for some types of pollutants. The plant material (trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses) within the rain gardens provide native diversity in the landscape and wildlife habitat. Stormwater treatment requirements may be satisfied using rain gardens. They are aesthetically pleasing and easily incorporated into the existing landscape.

13 POLLUTANT REMOVAL MECHANISMS Absorption to soil particles Removes dissolved metals and soluble phosphorus Plant uptake Removes small amounts of nutrients Microbial processes Removes organics and pathogens Exposure to sunlight and dryness Removes pathogens Infiltration of runoff Provides flood control, groundwater recharge, g, and nutrient removal Sedimentation and filtration Removes total suspended solids, floating debris, trash, soilbound phosphorus, some soil bound pathogens

14 METHODS Four mesocosms s were ee built in June, 2011 following specifications outlined in the Rain Ri Garden Manual of New Jersey. Five sampling events took place between October 2011 and October 2012.

15 METHODS A vehicle waswashed washed and the vehicle wash water was collected and discharged into 3 of the 4 mesocosms. Clean tap water was discharged into the 4 th mesocosm used as a control.

16 METHODS All water (vehicle wash water and control) remained in each mesocosm for 24 hours, mimicking the time it should ldtk take for a properly functioning rain garden to infiltrate stormwater.

17 METHODS Theclean water, vehicle wash water (as influent), and mesocosm effluent were sampled and analyzed for TP, TSS, surfactants, t and PAHs. These parameters were chosen based on prior research investigating contaminants associated with vehicle wash water.

18 METHODS Pollutant removal was calculated as percent removal (%R) of the measured target analytes (TA) using the following formula: %R TA TA IN TA IN OUT X 100 Data (both sample concentration and %R) were analyzed for significance (p < 0.05) using analysis of variance (ANOVA: single factor).

19 RESULTS INFLUENT VEHICLE WASH WATER Mean pollutant concentrations in vehicle wash The mean pollutant water (+ indicates standard deviation). concentrations from Standards for the vehicle wash water Vehicle Wash Parameter Fresh Waters Water (mg/l) exceeded New Jersey (mg/l) a surface water quality standards for TSS and TP (±0.11) TP. Mean surfactant concentration was above the literature value for toxicity. TSS (±49.80) Surfactants 0.1 b (±2.99) PAHs Varies by PAH ND a NJDEP, 2011 b Lewis, 1991 a NJDEP. (2011). N. J. A. C. 7:9B Surface Water Quality Standards, Division of Water Monitoring and Standards, Trenton, NJ, Retrieved from b Lewis, M. A. (1991). Chronic and Sublethal Toxicities of Surfactants to Aquatic Animals: A Review and Risk Assessment. Water Research, 25(1),

20 RESULTS EFFLUENT MESOCOSM EFFLUENT Mean TSS and surfactant effluent concentrations were significantly lower than the vehicle wash water. Mean TSS %R was 85% and mean surfactant %R was 95%. Mesocosm 1 mean TSS / surfactant = 91% / 96% Mesocosm 2 mean TSS / surfactant = 82% / 96% Mesocosm 3 mean TSS / surfactant = 83% / 93% Mean TP effluent concentration was higher than the vehicle wash water although the increase was not significant. Mean TP %R efficiency was 462%. Mean TP %R in the control was 1,705%.

21 RESULTS EFFLUENT CHARACTERIZATIONC Mean TSS effluent concentrations were below New Jersey surface water quality standards (40.0 mg/l) = 11.9 mg/l Mean TP effluent concentrations were above New Jersey surface water quality standards (0.1 mg/l) = 0.70 mg/l Surfactant effluent concentrations were above literature based values for aquatic toxicity (0.1 mg/l) = 0.54 mg/l

22 RESULTS 1.60 Total Phosphorus (TP) TP (mg/l) TPhosphorus11A TPhosphorus11B TPhosphorus11C TPhosphorus12A TPhosphorus12B Sampling Event Runoff Control RG1 RG2 RG3

23 RESULTS 160 Total Suspended Solids (TSS) TSS (mg/l) TSS11A TSS11B TSS11C TSS12A TSS12B Sampling Event Runoff Control RG1 RG2 RG3

24 RESULTS Surfactants (LAS) Surfa actants (mg/l) Surfactants11A Surfactants11B Surfactants11C Surfactants12A Surfactants12B Sampling Event Runoff Control RG1 RG2 RG3

25 CONCLUSIONS Rain gardens havethe potential to effectively reduce some pollutants associated with vehicle wash water. The removal efficiencies for surfactants were not enough to reduce concentrations below literature based values for aquatic toxicity. TP concentrations were higher in the effluent than the vehicle wash water, indicating that the organic planting medium and mulch are leaching nutrients.

26 FUTURE WORK Four more rounds of sampling scheduled for Additional research is underway to determine which physical, chemical, and biological processes areoccurring to remove the target analytical parameters.

27 FUTURE WORK Further workonon the use and design of these systems is needed to reduce effluent concentrations below New Jersey surface water quality standards. Sample car wash facility at Clark DPW.

28 FUTURE WORK Rain gardens installed on school grounds could be used to offset the negative impacts of car wash fundraiser events by student clubs. Other facilities that perform vehicle washing may also benefit from rain gardens. Car wash events could become an education and outreach opportunity.

29 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My co investigators and co authors Michele Bakacs and Christopher Obropta, Ph.D., P.E.. Funding for this project was provided by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station through its Hatch/Hatch Multistate Awards and the New Jersey Water Resources Research Institute. The authors would like to thank the following Rutgers University students for help during this study: Rich Padgitt, Kyle Gourley, Nicole Del Monaco, Dillon Soto, and Carolyn Paul. We would also like to thank the Department of Environmental Sciences forprovidingthe vehicles that were washed as part of this experiment.

30 Questions?

31 Thank you! Steven E. Yergeau, Ph.D. Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program 14 College Farm Road New Brunswick, NJ Phone: (848) water.rutgers.edu