Kent Johnson Manager, Environmental Monitoring Section Metropolitan Council Environmental Services

Transcription

1 The Mississippi River and Wastewater Treatment: A History of Water Quality Improvements and Its Impact on the Vitality of Saint Paul s Riverfront Development Kent Johnson Manager, Environmental Monitoring Section Metropolitan Council Environmental Services Kathryn Sarnecki, PE Vice President, Redevelopment and Harbor Management Saint Paul Port Authority Larry Rogacki Assistant General Manager, Support Services Metropolitan Council Environmental Services Outline Introductions MCES Who We Are History of the Mississippi River Development of the St. Paul Waterfront What s Next 2 1

2 Mission of the Metropolitan Council: To foster efficient and economic growth for a prosperous metropolitan region Metropolitan Council Environmental Services Transit Community Development Wastewater Planning and Treatment Water Resources Planning and Monitoring Water Supply Planning 3 Metropolitan Council Environmental Services Mission: To Provide wastewater services and integrated planning to ensure sustainable water quality and water supply for the region. 4 2

3 Metropolitan Council Environmental Services Details 624 Employees 8 Wastewater Treatment Plants (WRRFs) 600 miles of collection infrastructure $200 M annual budget Metropolitan Treatment Plant 170 MGD (Design 205 MGD) Direct discharge to Mississippi River 5 Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant:

4 Metro Plant, Treated Wastewater: 170 MGD 7 Confluence of the Metro Plant Effluent Channel and the Mississippi River 8 4

5 MCES Mississippi River Monitoring: Mississippi River: Pre European Settlement 10 5

6 Minneapolis Milling District: Early 1900s 11 Lock & Dam No. 1: April 5,

7 Untreated Sewage Discharged to the Mississippi 13 Sewage Mats on the Mississippi: May

8 Sewage in the Mississippi: May Sewage Mats on the Mississippi: June

9 Mississippi River: Coliform Bacteria Concentrations Mississippi River: August 1926 Coliform Bacteria Site (No. /100 ml) St. Paul (UM 839) 296,400 Newport (UM 831) 75,500 Hastings Dam (UM 816) 275,000 Red Wing Dam (UM 797) 14,700 Current water quality standard for E. coli bacteria = 126/100 ml 18 9

10 Mississippi River Fish Survey: APWA Conference 2016 Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant:

11 Federal Clean Water Act: 1972 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) became the permit system for regulating point sources of pollution Technology based standards (Best Available Technology) required for point sources Designated uses established for water bodies Water quality standards established to protect designated uses Congress created a major public works financing program for municipal WWTPs Cuyahoga River in Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant:

12 Metro Area Population Growth Metro Plant Flow APWA Conference Metro Plant Performance: APWA Conference

13 Annual Wastewater Phosphorus Loads APWA Conference 2016 Mississippi River Dissolved Oxygen Concentrations:

14 Mississippi River Bacteria Counts: APWA Conference 2016 Mayflies Return to the Mississippi River: June

15 Fish Return to the Mississippi River 29 Wildlife Returns to the Mississippi River Wintering Bald Eagles: 59 in the 1960s; currently 2,

16 Recreation Returns to the Mississippi River The Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Source: State of the River Report 31 APWA Conference 2016 Development Returns to the Mississippi Riverfront 32 16

17 Our Mission Build jobs, and tax base, in Saint Paul, while creating sustainable development opportunities. 33 Our Goals To improve people s lives by building vibrant economic communities. To be the premier economic development entity in the country. To be fiscally sound, socially responsible, collaborative, risk taking, innovative, and to act with integrity. The Saint Paul Port Authority Who we are, and what we do, for Saint Paul Manager of Saint Paul Harbor. Leader in sustainable design and development. Developer of 21 business centers, containing 500+ companies employing 24,000 people. Financing source for expansion. Redeveloper of polluted and abandoned land. Partner with community leaders to improve access to living wage jobs. For more information: Competing interests on the river 34 17

18 Minneapolis and Saint Paul Population, Source U.S. Census Bureau and Metropolitan Council 35 Population and Households in Saint Paul Source Metropolitan Council,

19 Vision: Saint Paul on the Mississippi Development Framework River as an amenity, central gathering space Connect to the Mississippi River New development within a Great River Park Vision: Great River Passage Master Plan The Saint Paul River Balcony... Will contribute to the economic vitality of Downtown and extend community life to the edge of the river. It will be comprised of a series of parks, linked by continuous broad pedestrian walkways that bring the City to the top of the bluff and the edge of the river. 19

20 River Balcony Master Plan

21 Recreation continues to increase 42 21

22 Passenger boat demand is increasing

23 45 Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport: One 15-Barge Tow Equals 216 Rail Cars or 1,050 Trucks One 15-Barge Tow 1,050 Large Semi Tractor-Trailers 216 Rail Cars + 6 Locomotives 46 23

24 Advantages of Inland Waterways Transport: Moving Freight Efficiently Throughout America Transporting freight by water is also the most energy-efficient choice. Barges can move one ton of cargo 616 miles per gallon of fuel. A rail car would move the same ton of cargo 478 miles, and a truck only 150 miles Ton-miles Traveled per Gallon of Fuel 47 Image of barges in Mississippi River 48 24

25 Are We Done Yet? Future Water Quality Standards Regulatory Flexibility Contaminants of Emerging Concern Pollution Prevention Infrastructure Finance 49 Future Water Quality Standards Nutrients Nitrates Sulfates Chloride Ammonia Tiered Aquatic Life Human health based WQS Copper Surface water pathogens Cadmium 50 25

26 Regulatory Flexibility Umbrella Permit Regulatory Certainty Non point Trading River Treatment MS4 Partnerships 51 Contaminants of Emerging Concern Too many to list Pollution Prevention Activities Triclosan ban Microbeads Phosphorus detergent Dental Mercury 52 26

27 Infrastructure/Finance 100+ Year Old Collection System Metro Population Growth Asset Management Industrial Pretreatment Incentive Program 53 Conclusion Historical investments made in wastewater collection and treatment paying off today Mississippi River water quality is much better today than it has been in the last 150 years Economic vitality of the region is closely aligned with water quality improvements Overwhelming challenges of the past are being replaced with overwhelming challenges of the future 54 27