STRATEGIES FOR PHOSPHORUS COMPLIANCE James E. Kleinschmidt, P.E. September 10, 2013
Strategies for Phosphorus Compliance
Applicable Statewide Criteria
Basis for Rule-Wadeable Streams
Basis for Rule-Nonwadeable Rivers
WPDES Permits-New Rule Permits Issued or Public Noticed 29.4 % Permits with TMDL Limits 11.2 % Permits with Limits at WQC 56.6 % (375 Permits) Likely to Increase Rock River Permits 21.1 % (55 permits) Fox/Illinois Permits 13 % (18 permits) Watersheds with Limits> WQC Wisconsin River Chippewa River Upper Fox/Wolf
WPDES Permit Conditions Year 1 Operational Evaluation Begin Study of Feasible Alternatives Year 2 Status Report Year 3 Preliminary Compliance Alternative Plan Adaptive Management Trading Commitment
WPDES Permit Conditions Year 4 Final Compliance Alternative Plan Year 6 Final Plans and Specifications Unless: Trading Adaptive Management Variance Site Specific Limit
Phosphorus Rule Flow Chart
Available Strategies for Compliance Accept Limit and Construct Facilities Adaptive Management Trading Elimination of Discharge Site Specific Limits Variance Hybrids (e.g treat to 0.2 mg/l and trade the difference)
Accept the Limit Tertiary Filtration with Chemical Addition Typical Molar Dose Rates (5 to 10 molar) Similar Volume to Phosphorus Removal from 6 mg/l to 1 mg/l Forms of Phosphorus No effluent TSS to meet a 0.075 to 0.100 mg/l limit
Forms of Phosphorus Total Phosphorus Soluble? Particulate? Soluble Ortho P Lead/Copper Poly P Iron/Manganese Organic P Total Organic P Particulate Organic P Chemical P Precipitation Adsorped P
Accept the Limit Available Technologies Limit 0.20 mg/l Conventional Sand Filtration Cloth Filter Filtration (Stainless or Cloth) Single Stage Upflow Filters Compressible Media Filtration Limit 0.10 mg/l Membrane Filtration Ballasted Sand Filtration Two Stage Upflow Filters
Accept the Limit $$$ Ballasted Sand Filtration 0.100 mg/l Membrane Filtration (Flat Plate) 0.100 mg/l $ Cloth Media Filtration 0.2 mg/l Compressible Media Filtration 0.2 mg/l
Knee of the Curve-Construct Facilities Additional Chemical
Adaptive Management Qualify Non-Point Source > 50% Practices must allow criteria to be met in future or limit will be set at criteria Wisconsin DNR guidance on adaptive management Filtration Required for Compliance with WQBEL
Adaptive Management-Timetable First Permit Term Operational Evaluation- 1 year after issuance Study of Feasible Alternatives-3 years after issuance Partners for Adaptive Management Selection for Adaptive Management- 4 years after issuance Second Permit Term Interim Limit 0.6 mg/l Stream Monitoring
Adaptive Management-Timetable Third Permit Term Interim Limit 0.5 mg/l Stream Monitoring Fourth Permit Term Criteria Met-Limit of 0.5 mg/l Criteria Exceeded-Limit based on Criteria
Trading Offset to Limit (DNR position) General Conditions DNR Guidance (page 10) Water quality trading should not create localized exceedances of water quality? Most Favorable Trades (uncertainty ratio of 1) Whole field management Companion Crops Conservation Easement Wetland Restoration
Eliminate Discharge Pump to Waterbody Meeting Criteria Regionalization Land Disposal Mounds (Small Facilities < 0.05 mgd) Infiltration (Suitable Soils) Spray Irrigation (Storage)
Site Specific Limit At levels exceeding the state wide criteria Does the water body meet its intended use Biological investigations required Fisheries macro invertebrates May require contested case hearing to preserve option Cashton, Elroy
WisCalm
Determination of Classification Non-Wadeable Rivers Excellent Fish IBI > 80 Good Fish IBI > 60 Fair Fish IBI > 40 Wadeable Streams Excellent Fish IBI > 65 Macro IBI > 7.5 Good Fish IBI > 50 Macro IBI > 5 Fair Fish IBI > 30 Macro IBI > 2.6
USGS Studies
Non-Wadeable Rivers Attainment Status Summary
Non-Wadeable Rivers-Excellent
Non-Wadeable Good
Non-Wadeable Fair
Non-Wadeable Poor
Non-Wadeable Very Poor
Trout Streams VERNON COUNTY TROUT MAP Class 1-Self Sustaining Class 2 Class 3
Trout Streams
Vernon County Total P
Vernon County (Fish IBI)
Vernon County (Macro IBI)
Walworth County Total P
Walworth County (Fish IBI)
Walworth County (Macro IBI)
Statewide Summary-Attaining Status 75 % of Streams > 0.170 mg/l 70 % of Streams 0.12 to 0.169 mg/l 87 % of Streams 0.075 to 0.119 mg/l 78 Per Cent of Streams > 0.075 mg/l Attaining Status
Variances Designated Use Not Obtained Reasons Other than Phosphorus
Variances-Bases
Variances-Bases Economic Variance (2% MHI) Not Likely High Natural Background Source Groundwater Wetlands Low-Flow Ephemeral Streams Physical Conditions Human Caused Conditions Hydrologic Modifications Dams Channelized Streams Tile Drainage
Proactive Steps Stream Sampling Headwaters Upstream Downstream Review Available Biological Investigations Site Specific Limit Variance Assess Costs of Compliance with WQBEL (Benchmark) Review Critical Watershed Characteristics Impoundments Drainage Systems Agriculture Wetlands Adaptive Management/Trading Feasibility BEGIN IMMEDIATELY EVEN IF PERMIT IS NOT EXPIRED!
Questions
Compliance Case Studies SINGLE WWTP DISCHARGER WATERSHEDS East Troy, WI (Honey Creek) Paddock Lake, WI (Brighton Creek) Union Grove, WI (West Branch Root River Canal) Cashton, WI (Little La Crosse River Plymouth, WI (Mullet River) Twin Lakes, WI (Bassett Creek)
Compliance Case Studies Multiple WWTP DISCHARGER WATERSHEDS Burlington, WI (Fox River-Illinois) Milton, WI (Rock River) Fort Atkinson, WI (Rock River)
Watershed Characteristics-I Size of Watershed (HUC) Upstream Point source Dischargers Upstream MS4s Upstream Agricultural Sources Upstream Wetlands History of Watershed Dams Tile Drainage Channelization
Watershed Characteristics-II Existing Stream Quality-Biological DNR Site Assessments Trout Stream Classifications Class I Class II Class III Exiting Stream Quality-Total phosphorus
East Troy, WI Honey Creek HUC-10 Substantial Hydrologic Modifications Lauderdale Lakes Whitewater Lake Fox River
East Troy, WI-Honey Creek Total Drainage Area 91.5 sq miles Six Impoundments Non-Attainment of Full, Fish and Aquatic Status Hydrologic Modifications In-Stream Phosphorous Upstream of Impoundment 3 50 ug/l Downstream of Impoundment 3 140 ug/l Impoundment 3 Immediately Upstream of Outfall
Honey Creek
East Troy, WI-Options Adaptive Management Dam Removal Possible Compliance with Criteria Limit 0.2 mg/l instead of 0.075 mg/l Trading Riparian Land Wetland Restoration Variance Without Dam Removal Hydrologic Modifications Human Caused Conditions
Paddock Lake, WI Brighton Creek HUC 12 High Background Phosphorus Des Plaines River
Paddock Lake-Brighton Creek Total Drainage Area 26.5 sq miles Low Flow Stream Identified as No Flow Stream at Point of Discharge (10.8 squ miles) Likely 7Q2 0.6 to 0.7 cfs Non-Attainment of Full, Fish and Aquatic Status High Up-Stream Phosphorus 0.42 mg/l
Paddock Lake-Brighton Creek Brighton Creek
Paddock Lake-Options Variance Low, Flow Ephemeral Stream High Background Phosphorus Trading Adaptive Management PS Dominated (PRESTO Model Verification) Criteria Likely Not Meetable
Union Grove, WI Root River Fox River West Branch of Root River Canal LAL at Discharge Agricultural Drainage Channel
Union Grove West Branch of Root River Canal Total Drainage Area 35.7 sq miles Agricultural Drainage Channel (10 miles downstream) Limited Aquatic Life at Discharge Non-Attainment of Full, Fish and Aquatic Status Limit Imposed at Downstream Location Union Grove 3% of Annual Flow in Canal
Root River Canal
Union Grove Options Variance (Contested Case Hearing Filed) Low, Flow Ephemeral Stream Human Caused Conditions Trading Wetland Restoration Adaptive Management PS Dominated (at point of change in classification not entire watershed) Criteria Likely Not Meetable Eliminate Discharge - Regionalization
Cashton, WI La Crosse River
Cashton-Little La Crosse River Class I Trout Stream WPDES Permit Mass Limit Downstream La Crosse River (Good Condition- WWSF) Data Collection Underway
Little La Crosse River La Crosse River
Cashton Options Site Specific Limit (Class I Trout Stream) Hearing Request Preserve Site Specific Option Object to Mass Limit ( Downstream ) 0.076 lbs/day 0.031 mg/l @ 0.29 mgd
Plymouth, WI
Plymouth-Mullet River Five Impoundments Two immediately Upstream of Plant Class II Trout Stream Upstream of City Mullet River Exceed Criteria Downstream of Dams in City Past Cranberry Cropping Activities (1800s)
Mullet River
Twin Lakes, WI Fox River
Twin Lakes-Bassett Creek Low Flow Stream 0.1 cfs at CTH F (one mile downstream of WWTP) 0.17 cfs at confluent with Illinois Fox Non-attainment of Full, Fish and Aquatic Status
Bassett Creek Fox River
Twin Lakes Options Variance Low, Flow Ephemeral Stream Trading (if allowed up to confluence with FoxIllinois River) Eliminate Discharge Effluent Pumping to Fox River Fox River Compliant? Contested Case Hearing (Alternative Effluent Limit for Thermal)
Viroqua, WI Disappearing Stream LAL at Discharge Downstream Class I Trout Stream
Springville Branch Fox River
Viroqua Options Site Specific Limit
Burlington, WI
Upstream WWTPs Point Source Dominated Watershed Sussex (5.1 mgd) Brookfield (12.5 mgd) Waukesha (14 mgd Root River Relocation?) Western Racine (2 mgd) East Troy (0.8 mgd) Mukwonago (1.3 mgd)
Fox River Phosphorus Loadings
Burlington Options Adaptive Management Criteria May be Met Point Source Controls Storm Water Controls Non- Point Controls Site Specific Limit Fishery Meets Intended Use (USGS Study Good) Trading if Criteria Not met, No Site Specific Limit
Burlington Site Specific Limit
Milton, WI River Exceeds Criteria Fish IBI-Very Poor TMDL Allocation Rock River Milton WWTP
TMDL Allocation-Milton Met TMDL limits in 2012
Milton Options Accept the Limit Seasonal Discharge to Seepage Cells? / Filtration Trading With Milton Excess Pounds Available to Others?
Fort Atkinson, WI River Exceeds Criteria Fish IBI-Very Poor TMDL Allocation
TMDL Allocation-Fort Atkinson Lowest Limit-0.42 mg/l Limit w/o Filtration
Fort Atkinson Options Accept the Limit Filtration Current Flows vs. Design Flows Trading with Fort Atkinson? Trading with Others?
Cambridge, WI River Exceeds Criteria TMDL Allocation Limit Based on Criterion
Koshkonong Creek Adequate Dilution Except at Headwaters Multiple Dischargers Sun Prairie (4.40 mgd) Deerfield (0.393 mgd) Cambridge (0.571 mgd) Rockdale (0.030 mgd) Phosphorus Exceeds Criterion of 0.075 mg/l Rock River TMDL No Remaining Impoundments
Koshkonong Creek
TMDL Allocation-Cambridge
Cambridge Options Site Specific Limit Variance Human Caused Conditions Hydrologic Modifications Tile Draining Trading Adaptive Management Criteria Not Likely Met Impact of Sun Prairie on Koshkonong Creek
Questions