How Do Wastewater Facilities Address Contaminants in Water? Jim Pletl, Ph.D.

Transcription

1 How Do Wastewater Facilities Address Contaminants in Water? Jim Pletl, Ph.D. March 27, 2015

2 Outline Presentation Summary HRSD overview Clean Water Act primer for wastewater Pretreatment/pollution prevention Wastewater treatment Monitoring Research Public education 2

3 Fast Facts Created in 1940 Serving 17 cities and counties 1.6 million people Total average flow 150 MGD 500 miles of pipelines 112 pump stations Celebrating 75 th anniversary this year 3

4 Clean Water Act Wastewater Primer Virginia delegated by EPA to implement permit program Permit controls discharge based on limits for each standard Limits and requirements set in legally enforceable permits Clean Water Act sets penalties including fines and potentially imprisonment DEQ or EPA enforce the permit requirements 4

5 Clean Water Act Wastewater Primer Collect data to determine quality of effluent Organics (pesticides, PCBs, volatiles, semivolatiles) Inorganics (metals, ammonia, chlorine, nutrients, tds) Pathogen indicating bacteria Whole effluent toxicity Compare data to standards and/or limits HRSD has 52,491 opportunities annually to violate limits, average 1/yr 5

6 Pretreatment/Pollution Prevention HRSD has a DEQ-approved pretreatment program Currently regulate 185 discharges Permits have legally enforceable monitoring and reporting limits Permittees perform monitoring and are monitored by HRSD Provide support to jurisdictions regarding fats, oils and grease; roots in pipes 6

7 DISCHARGE CHLORINE SECONDARY AERATION PRIMARY HEADWORKS DENIT FILTERS Description of York River Treatment Plant (15 MGD)

8 Raw and Treated Sewage Characteristics Parameter Abbreviation Units Raw Final Biochemical Oxygen Demand Total Suspended Solids BOD mg/l TSS mg/l Total Nitrogen TN mg/l Total Phosphorus TP mg/l Fecal Coliform FC No./100 ml < 10 Enterococcus Entero No./100 ml

9 Monitoring Required permits issued by DEQ for effluent and air discharges land application of biosolids and incinerator ash regulated rigid monitoring and reporting requirements effluent characterized several times each permit cycle TMDLs 9

10 Monitoring Discretionary CMAP chlorophyll, algal blooms Process clarifiers, aeration, TN/TP removal Pathogen source tracking Solids land application 10

11 Research Nutrients CMAP identifying bloom species Link nutrients and blooms DEQ study Source tracking genetic markers Receiving water modeling, fate/transport Pathogens viruses Analytical methods/sensors qpcr, PCBs Mercury - NACWA 11

12 12 Research

13 Research Nutrients CMAP identifying bloom species Link nutrients and blooms DEQ study Treatment - Anammox Source tracking genetic markers Clean sampling Receiving water modeling, fate/transport Pathogens viruses Analytical methods/sensors qpcr, PCBs Mercury - NACWA 13

14 Research Parameters for which standards do not exist: Pharmaceuticals Personal care products Nanomaterials Microbeads Viruses in wastewater/surface water 14

15 Research PPCPs, TOrCs, ECs, etc. National EPA 50 facility effluent study WERF treatability WERF receiving water risk and hazard HRSD Influent, effluent 150 chemicals, PPCPs, fire retardants, nonylphenols fluorinated compounds (PFOS, etc.) Biosolids land application fate and transport study 15

16 EC analysis (ppb): 3 HRSD Plants Raw Final Biosolids Removal % Caffeine Erythromycin Ibuprofen Triclosan Cotinine

17 HRSD Land Application Emerging Contaminant Study 17

18 HRSD Land Application Emerging Contaminant Study 18

19 Public Education Boater Education Norfolk, VB TBT and commercial products Participate in local water quality public events Elizabeth River Project, Lynnhaven River Now HRSD Website STEM, STEAM Your Flush Counts This presentation! 19

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21 21 Public Education

22 Public Education Boater Education Norfolk, VB TBT and commercial products Participate in local water quality public events Elizabeth River Project, Lynnhaven River Now HRSD Website STEM, STEAM Your Flush Counts This presentation! 22

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