AN ORIENTATION ON THE HISTORY, ISSUES, FUTURE EFFORTS & … · 2019. 1. 25. · Ammonia toxicity to...
Transcript of AN ORIENTATION ON THE HISTORY, ISSUES, FUTURE EFFORTS & … · 2019. 1. 25. · Ammonia toxicity to...
© 2016 HDR, Inc., all rights reserved.
David L. Clark, HDR Engineering, Inc. [email protected]
Kate Harris, City of Boise. [email protected]
AIC 2019 WATER SUMMIT
AMMONIA CRITERIA 101 AN ORIENTATION ON THE HISTORY,
ISSUES, FUTURE EFFORTS & OPTIONS
January 23, 2019
▪ Revised 2013 Federal Ammonia Criteria
▪ Northwest Ammonia Criteria Rulemaking
o Status of Northwest Ammonia Rulemaking
• Idaho Update
• Oregon and Washington
▪ Presence of Mussels and Snails
o Nationally and Idaho
▪ Mussel Surveyso Boise City Experience and Plans
• Survey Methods
• E-DNA
▪ Water Quality Based Effluent Limits and Site
Specific Ammonia Criteria
o Example Scenarios
o Criteria and Effluent Limits
AMMONIA CRITERIA 101
REVISED 2013 FEDERAL AMMONIA CRITERIA
BASIS FOR TOXICS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS
RULEMAKING
Toxicity to Aquatic Animals
▪ Aquatic Life Criteria
o CWA Section 304(a)
▪ Relationship Between Pollutants and Effect on Aquatic Organisms
o Acute: Highest One-hour Average Concentration
o Chronic: Highest 4-day Average Concentration
o Adjustments
• pH, Salinity, Temperature, Hardness
Human Health Risk Driven Water Quality Standards
▪ Protect From Adverse HumanHealth Impacts
o Long-term Toxics Exposure
• Consumption of Fish, Shellfish, and Water
o Exposure Basis
• Fish Consumption Rate
• Drinking 2 L/d Water
o Carcinogens
• Criteria Based on Risk of 1 Additional Case in 1 Million People (i.e. 10-6)
▪ Ammonia toxicity to aquatic life:
o Unionized fraction of ammonia (NH3) is toxic
o % unionized increases with increasing pH
o Increasing temperature also increases toxicity
▪ EPA recommended criteria history:
o 1976 – Redbook (0.02 mg/L NH3), simple pH and T matrix
o 1984 – bifurcated (with or without salmonids), acute and chronic (1986 Goldbook)
o 1992 – whitefish correction factor
o 1999 – major revision for salmonids, considers early life stages
Note – Not all states adopted or received EPA approval for 1999 criteria (e.g., Oregon)
AMMONIA TOXICITY CRITERIA HISTORY
Source: WEF MOP #34, Nutrient Removal, 2011
TABLE 2.2 Comparison of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended ammonia
toxicity criteria.*
1984
1992
1999
Draft 2009
Temperature, oC
Freshwater
mussels
present
Freshwater
mussels
absent
Acute criteria, mg/L as N
15 12.2 -- 13.3 15.6 23.6
20 12.0 -- 13.3 10.3 17.8
Chronic criteria, mg/L as N
15 1.7 2.1 4.2 0.88 6.3
20 1.2 1.5 3.1 0.63 4.6
*All values shown are at a pH of 7.5; 1999 values shown assume salmonids and early life
stages present.
2009 DRAFT CRITERIA REFLECT MUSSEL SENSITIVITY
Present
Absent
2013 NATIONAL AMMONIA CRITERIA REFLECT SENSITIVITY OF MUSSELS TO TOXIC AMMONIA
▪ “Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria For Ammonia – Freshwater, 2013”o 225 pages with 14 appendices
• Appendix N. Site-Specific Criteria for Ammonia
▪ “Flexibilities for States Applying EPA’s Ammonia Criteria Recommendations”o EPA presents a number of flexibilities are available for state
consideration including:
1. Recalculation Procedure for Site-specific Criteria Derivation
2. Variances
3. Revisions to Designated Uses
4. Dilution Allowances
5. Compliance Schedules
FINAL 2013 AMMONIA CRITERIA PUBLISHED BY EPA
Table 1. Summary Comparison of Ammonia Criteria at pH 7 and
Temperature 200C, and pH 8 and Temperature 250C
FINAL 2013 REVISED FEDERAL AMMONIA CRITERIA
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/aqlife/ammonia/index.cfm
2004 Permit Revision
EXAMPLE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON FUTURE NPDES PERMIT LIMITS
2009 Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria
Comparison of Ammonia Criteria • Existing Permit
• Chronic Criteria 1.97 mg/L
• Draft 2009 Criteria• Revised 2009 Chronic Criteria ~0.2 mg/L
• Final 2013 -- Future Permits• Final 2013 Chronic Criteria ~1.0 mg/L
NORTHWEST AMMONIA RULEMAKING
▪ Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria Will Impact Reasonable Potential Analysis and
May (or May Not) Be More Restrictive in Discharge Permitting
▪ Must First Be Adopted In State Rulemaking
▪ State “Implementation Guidance” Needed to Inform Site Specific Circumstances
to Be Used in Permitting
AMMONIA CRITERIA RULEMAKING
WASHINGTON RULEMAKING - AMMONIA
▪ Washington
o Last updated ammonia criteria in 2003
o Triennial review scheduled for 2019
• Aquatic life updates are included in the scoping document
OREGON – 2015 AMMONIA RULEMAKING
▪ January 7, 2015: Environmental Quality Commission (DEQ governing
body) adopted revised Oregon’s ammonia standard consistent with
EPA’s 2013 recommendations regarding ammonia
o Oregon’s previous water quality criteria based on 1985 EPA guidance
o Oregon did not ever adopt the revised federal ammonia criteria of 1999
▪ August 4, 2015, USEPA approved revisions to Oregon’s ammonia
water quality standards for the protection of aquatic life.
▪ September 2015, DEQ completes ammonia RPA spreadsheet that
reflects the revised Oregon ammonia standard
▪ Current Criteria
▪ 2017 Triennial Review
o Ammonia (aquatic life) identified as a high priority item
▪ Negotiated Rulemaking
o Several items driven by lawsuits or BiOp
• Copper, selenium, arsenic
▪ 2019 Schedule
o Undetermined if ammonia rulemaking will begin this year
IDAHO AMMONIA CRITERIA UPDATE
PRESENCE OF MUSSELS AND SNAILS
DISTRIBUTION OF MUSSELS AND SNAILS
▪ They’re everywhere!
▪ Highest diversity of
freshwater mussels in the
world (300 species)
▪ Declining numbers, water
quality is one reason
▪ 70% of mussels extinct or
imperiled
UNIONIDAE DISTRIBUTION IN UNITED STATES
298 North American
species over 1/3 of
worldwide species
From Williams and
Neves 1995 and
Williams et al. 2017
SHORT-DURATION GLOCHIDIUM STAGE HAS BEEN SHOWN
TO BE MOST SENSITIVE TO AMMONIA
▪ EPA notice of intent to re-
evaluate aquatic life criteria
for ammonia
▪ Seeks submittal of data on
freshwater mussels (Unionids)
▪ Early life stage that attaches
to fish (glochidium)
▪ Short duration glochidium
stage shown to be most
sensitive to ammonia
▪ Estimated 117 mollusk species in Idaho from 35
genera and 15 families.
Freshwater Mussels
▪ Order Unionida
o Family Unionidae
o Family Margaritiferidae
▪ Order Veneroida
o Clams
MOLLUSKS IN IDAHO
MUSSEL SURVEYS
▪ Lower ammonia criteria would impact the
City of Boise
▪ Investigating impacts and alternatives
o Macroinvertebrate data since 1995 – snails and
clams present, study not designed for mussels
o Mollusk survey 2016 – 25 sites
o USFS Genomics Laboratory – eDNA
o City of Boise Freshwater Mussel Surveys
BOISE CITY WORK
Lander Street West Boise
▪ 2018 – City of Boise Whitewater Park construction site
o Before and after dewatering
▪ 2019 – “Reconnaissance” of potential mussel habitat
▪ 2019 – Focused survey using visual and eDNA
seasonal sampling at potential mussel habitat reaches
▪ 2019 – Citizen science/crowd sourcing survey
CITY OF BOISE SURVEY
WATER QUALITY BASED EFFLUENT LIMITS AND SITE SPECIFIC CRITERIA
▪ EPA presents a number of flexibilities
available for state consideration including:
1. Recalculation Procedure for Site-
specific Criteria Derivation
2. Variances
3. Revisions to Designated Uses
4. Dilution Allowances
5. Compliance Schedules
POTENTIAL IMPACT ON PERMIT LIMITS
▪ 2013 Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria
o 2013 v. 1999 Ammonia Criteria
o Mussels Present
▪ Site Specific Criteriao Mussels Absent, Early Life Stage Fish Present
o Mussels Absent, Early Life Stage Fish Absent
“Flexibilities for States Applying EPA’s
Ammonia Criteria Recommendations”
Example Scenarios
2013 V. 1999 FEDERAL AMMONIA CRITERIA
2014 NPDES Permit
Chronic Criteria: 0.941 mg/L
Acute Criteria: 3.15 mg/L
2013 Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria
Chronic Criteria: 0.445 mg/L ( - 47%)
Acute Criteria: 1.95 mg/L ( - 62%)
2013 Criteria (Unionids Absent, Fish Present)
Chronic Criteria: 01.65 mg/L ( +75%)
Acute Criteria: 3.2 mg/L ( + 1%)???
Example NPDES Permit and Fact Sheet
▪ Mass Balance Equation
▪ Does predicted Receiving Water Concentration (RWC)
have the reasonable potential to exceed water quality
criteria after allowable mixing?
▪ If yes, WQBELs are established in the NPDES permit.
REASONABLE POTENTIAL TO EXCEED ANALYSIS (RPTE, RPA)
Mass Balance Equation
IDAHO, WASHINGTON AND OREGON HAVE MIXING ZONE RULES AND GUIDANCE
Idaho Guidance Illustration
LTA to WQBELs
Maximum Day Limit (MDL)
Average Monthly Limit (AML)
TRANSLATION TO EFFLUENT LIMITSEPA 1991 TECHNICAL SUPPORT DOCUMENT WQBELS FOR TOXICS
WLA to Long Term Average (LTA)
▪ Scenarioso A Medium Discharge, Small Stream
o B Medium Discharge, Small River
o C Medium Discharge, Medium River
▪ Reasonable Potential Analysis
o All Example Scenarios Have Reasonable
Potential for Exceedance
o Regulatory Agency Spreadsheet
Calculators Used for Analysis
EXAMPLE SCENARIOS ANALYSIS
▪ Effluent Limits Calculations
o All Example Scenarios Result in Low
Limits
o 95th Percentile: Average Monthly Limit
(AML)
o 99th Percentile – Max Daily Limit (MDL)
ASSUMPTIONS FOR RPA AND EFFLUENT LIMITS CALCULATIONS
SCENARIO A: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO SMALL STREAM
▪ Treatment Plant
o Max Day 10.2 mgd
▪ Receiving Water
o 7Q10: 24 cfs
• Dilution Factors
» Chronic 1.5
» Acute 1.0
o Temperature: 220C
o pH: 8.8
SCENARIO A: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO SMALL STREAM
AMMONIA CRITERIA
Criteria Chronic%
ChangeAcute
%
Chang
e
Remarks
Current 0.41 -- 1.23 -- Baseline
2013 EPA Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria
Mussels Present, Fish
Present0.19 -54% 0.73 -41% More Stringent
Mussels Absent, Fish
Present0.70 +70% 1.23 0% Fish Control Acute
Mussels Absent and Fish
Absent 0.70 +70% 1.92 +56% More Lenient
SCENARIO A: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO SMALL STREAM
EFFLUENT AMMONIA LIMITS
CriteriaMonthly,
mg/L
%
Change
Daily,
mg/L
%
Chang
e
Remarks
Current 0.31 -- 1.26 -- Baseline
2013 EPA Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria
Mussels Present, Fish
Present0.17 -45% 0.69 -45% Lower Limits
Mussels Absent, Fish
Present0.31 0% 1.27 0% Reverts to Current
Mussels Absent and Fish
Absent 0.49 +58% 1.99 +58% Relaxed Limits
▪ Treatment Plant
o Max Day 10.2 mgd
SCENARIO B: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO SMALL RIVER
▪ Receiving Water
o 7Q10: 116 cfs
• Dilution Factors
» Chronic 3.7
» Acute 1.2
o Temperature: 20.60C
o pH: 9.1
SCENARIO B: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO SMALL RIVERAMMONIA CRITERIA
Criteria Chronic%
ChangeAcute
%
Chang
e
Remarks
Current 0.291 -- 0.76 -- Baseline
2013 EPA Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria
Mussels Present, Fish
Present0.13 -55% 0.50 -34% More Stringent
Mussels Absent, Fish
Present0.46 +59% 0.76 0% Reverts to Current
Mussels Absent and Fish
Absent 0.49 +69% 1.19 +57% More Lenient
SCENARIO B: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO SMALL RIVEREFFLUENT AMMONIA LIMITS
CriteriaMonthly,
mg/L
%
Change
Daily,
mg/L
%
Chang
e
Remarks
Current 0.21 -- 0.85 -- Baseline
2013 EPA Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria
Mussels Present, Fish
Present0.12 -43% 0.48 -43% Lower Limits
Mussels Absent, Fish
Present0.21 0% 0.85 0% Reverts to Current
Mussels Absent and Fish
Absent 0.33 +57% 1.35 +59% Relaxed Limits
SCENARIO C: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO MEDIUM RIVER
▪ Treatment Plant
o Max Day 8.5 mgd
▪ Receiving Water
o 7Q10: 573 cfs
• Dilution Factors
» Chronic 13.1
» Acute 2.1
o Temperature: 18.10C
o pH: 8.1
SCENARIO C: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO MEDIUM RIVERAMMONIA CRITERIA
Criteria Chronic%
ChangeAcute
%
Chang
e
Remarks
Current 1.77 5.00 Baseline
2013 EPA Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria
Mussels Present, Fish
Present0.80 -55% 4.08 -18% More Stringent
Mussels Absent, Fish
Present2.44 +38% 5.01 0% Reverts to Current
Mussels Absent and Fish
Absent 3.02 +71% 7.82 +56% More Lenient
SCENARIO C: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO MEDIUM RIVEREFFLUENT AMMONIA LIMITS
CriteriaMonthly,
mg/L
%
Change
Daily,
mg/L
%
Chang
e
Remarks
Current 0.14 0.57 Baseline
2013 EPA Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria
Mussels Present, Fish
Present0.73 % 2.98 % Lower Limits
Mussels Absent, Fish
Present1.23 % 5.01 % Reverts to Current
Mussels Absent and Fish
Absent 1.93 % 7.82 % Relaxed Limits
ADDRESSING POTENTIAL AMMONIA EFFLUENT LIMITS
▪ Treatment Technology
o Evaluate Current Plant Performance
• Not All Plants are Optimized for Ammonia
Removal
o Evaluate How Permit Limits will Change
• Reasonable Potential Analysis
• WQBELs
▪ Site Specific Criteria
o Consider Mixing Zone and Dilution Analysis
o Revised Federal Criteria Provide
Flexibility
• Are Early Life Stage Fish Present?
• Are Sensitive Mussels Present?
Revised Water
Quality Standards
Regulatory Solutions
Appropriate and Feasible
Effluent Limits
Best Management
Practices
Capabilities of
Wastewater Treatment
Technology
© 2016 HDR, Inc., all rights reserved.
David L. Clark, HDR Engineering, Inc. [email protected]
Kate Harris, City of Boise. [email protected]
AIC 2019 WATER SUMMIT
AMMONIA CRITERIA 101 AN ORIENTATION ON THE HISTORY,
ISSUES, FUTURE EFFORTS & OPTIONS
January 23, 2019