Water Quality Monitoring in Water Quality Monitoring in the Urban Rivers and Upper the Urban Rivers and Upper

BayBay

Presented by:

Jennifer CraganEnvironmental Scientist

Narragansett Bay Facts

•Bay area = 147 mi2

•Watershed area = 1600 mi2

•Population 2 million

•60% MA / 40% RI

•$25 Million/yr in fish and shelling landings

•$400 Million/yr generated from tourism

Issues in Urban WatersIssues in Urban Waters

• Water Quality Water Quality

• Habitat QualityHabitat Quality

• Industrial Users – WWTFs Industrial Users – WWTFs

• How is the River Impacted?How is the River Impacted?

Our Urban Rivers

Listed on the EPA 303(d) List for impairments for

•Nutrients

•Pathogens

•Metals

•Biodiversity Impacts

•Low DO

•Excess algal growth

Why?

What impacts water quality?What impacts water quality?Anthropogenic InputsAnthropogenic Inputs• Point sourcesPoint sources

– Industrial Users past and present (Atlantic Industrial Users past and present (Atlantic Chemical)Chemical)

– WWTFs WWTFs Metals, nutrients, organics, suspended solids, Metals, nutrients, organics, suspended solids,

biologically oxygen demanding waste, grease, oilbiologically oxygen demanding waste, grease, oil

• Non-point sourcesNon-point sources– Run-off from roads, agriculture, septic system Run-off from roads, agriculture, septic system

leaching, golf coursesleaching, golf courses

Impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots) Impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots) increase the magnitude of the impact of NPS on increase the magnitude of the impact of NPS on water quality. water quality. Urban areasUrban areas

What impacts habitat What impacts habitat quality?quality?Anthropogenic InputsAnthropogenic Inputs• Point sourcesPoint sources

– Industrial Users past and present (Atlantic Industrial Users past and present (Atlantic Chemical)Chemical)

– WWTFs WWTFs Metals, nutrients, organics, suspended solids, Metals, nutrients, organics, suspended solids,

biologically oxygen demanding waste, grease, oilbiologically oxygen demanding waste, grease, oil• Non-point sourcesNon-point sources

– Run-off from roads, agriculture, septic system Run-off from roads, agriculture, septic system leaching, golf coursesleaching, golf courses

Impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots) increase Impervious surfaces (roads, parking lots) increase the magnitude of the impact of NPS on water the magnitude of the impact of NPS on water quality. quality. Urban areasUrban areas

WATER QUALITY!WATER QUALITY!

What does the NBC do about What does the NBC do about this?this?• Routine water quality monitoringRoutine water quality monitoring

• Implementation of Pretreatment Implementation of Pretreatment ProgramProgram

• CSO Abatement ProjectCSO Abatement Project

Weekly River Sampling Locations

Blackstone: 2

Woonasquatucket: 6

Moshassuck: 7

West: 2

Providence: 1

Total = 18

Providence: 14

Seekonk: 7

Total = 21

Twice Monthly Bay Sampling

Locations

River Bacteria SamplingRiver Bacteria Sampling• Sample 5 urban rivers at Sample 5 urban rivers at

18 sample locations every 18 sample locations every weekweek

• Rivers are sampled every Rivers are sampled every Monday and Tuesday, Monday and Tuesday, regardless of rainfallregardless of rainfall

• Then re-sampled on Then re-sampled on Thursday if bacteria results Thursday if bacteria results are highare high

• This sampling allows us to This sampling allows us to closely study and track the closely study and track the effects of our Combined effects of our Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs)Sewer Overflows (CSOs)Woonasquatucket RiverWoonasquatucket River

Data Supports IM Data Supports IM Department’s CSO Department’s CSO

Maintenance ProgramMaintenance Program• CSOs usually work well during CSOs usually work well during

dry weatherdry weather

• However, regulators can get However, regulators can get clogged with trash and debris, clogged with trash and debris, causing dry weather dischargescausing dry weather discharges

• CSOs can overflow into the rivers CSOs can overflow into the rivers during wet weather or when during wet weather or when regulators become clogged with regulators become clogged with debris debris

• Sampling data provides IM with Sampling data provides IM with an alert system to minimize an alert system to minimize effects of these dry weather effects of these dry weather dischargesdischarges

Combined Sewer Overflow

Woonasquatucket River Woonasquatucket River SamplingSampling

• Woonasquatucket Woonasquatucket River - part of the River - part of the Phase I project Phase I project focus areafocus area

• General decrease General decrease observedobserved

• Improved Improved maintenance of maintenance of CSO regulators CSO regulators by IMby IM

Maintenance Work by IM is improving water qualityMaintenance Work by IM is improving water quality

Woonaquatucket River Geomeans of Fecal Coliform Bacteria 1998-2005

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1600

1800

2000

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Year

Fe

ca

l Co

lifo

rm B

ac

teri

a G

eo

me

an

s(M

PN

/10

0m

l)

Manton Avenue

Olneyville Square

Delaine Street

Atwells Avenue

Pleasant Valley Prkwy

Kinsley and Park St.

Begun half way through the year

CSO Abatement ProjectCSO Abatement Project• The new tunnel will The new tunnel will

help store this water help store this water and then allow the and then allow the plant to provide a high plant to provide a high level of treatmentlevel of treatment

• A reduction in overflow A reduction in overflow volume of volume of approximately 40% is approximately 40% is expected after Phase I expected after Phase I facilities are complete facilities are complete

• Sampling data will be Sampling data will be able to show the able to show the beneficial effects of the beneficial effects of the CSO abatement projectCSO abatement project

Bay Sampling in the Bay Sampling in the Providence and Seekonk Providence and Seekonk

RiversRivers• Since 2003, NBC has Since 2003, NBC has

sampled for fecal sampled for fecal coliform biweekly from coliform biweekly from May to DecemberMay to December

• Provides valuable data Provides valuable data that can be used to that can be used to assess treatment assess treatment upgrades and discharge upgrades and discharge permit changespermit changes

• Data available to assist Data available to assist EPA & DEM with special EPA & DEM with special investigations in the investigations in the BayBay

New NBC Research Vessel, The New NBC Research Vessel, The R.V. Monitor, Acquired in 2004R.V. Monitor, Acquired in 2004

Recent Bay Fecal Coliform Recent Bay Fecal Coliform ResultsResults

18

257217 221

281

229287

378

1551

277

292

9174 66 77

59

31 30

20 21

10

100

1000

10000

MP

N/1

00 m

l

bay fecal coliform 2005

bay fecal coliform 2004

Red dashed line is at 50 MPN/100 ml.This is the primary contact criterion.

How are we doing?How are we doing?• Clean Water Act – 1972 Clean Water Act – 1972

Unlawful to discharge pollutants from a Unlawful to discharge pollutants from a point source to navigable waterspoint source to navigable waters

• Creation of the Pretreatment Creation of the Pretreatment Regulations within the Clean Water Regulations within the Clean Water Act – 1978Act – 1978

• 1981 - NBC establishes Pretreatment 1981 - NBC establishes Pretreatment ProgramProgram

• BNR, UV disinfection, WW UpgradesBNR, UV disinfection, WW Upgrades

30,707

0

200,000

400,000

600,000

800,000

1,000,000

1,200,000

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

Year

Pounds

Pretreatment Program:

Metals Loadings to Field’s Point 1981 - 2005

Field's Point: Comparison of Loading Estimates

0

4000

8000

12000

16000

As Ag Cr Se Mo Pb CN Ni Cu Zn

Parameter

Po

un

ds

Estimated Industrial Loading

Estimated Background Loading

What else do we do?What else do we do?

• River Clean UpsRiver Clean Ups

• Special ProjectsSpecial Projects

• Education and Outreach Education and Outreach

WoonasquatucketWoonasquatucket River River Clean UpClean Up

Refrigerator found Floating in the Woonasquatucket River during a river clean up

Boom DeploymentBoom Deployment•Boom deployed Boom deployed on on Woonasquatucket Woonasquatucket RiverRiver

•Extremely Extremely successful successful

BUTBUT

Labor Labor intensiveintensive

•Impedes river Impedes river transporttransport

•Most items Most items captured were captured were hard-to-dispose-of hard-to-dispose-of itemsitems

50 foot boom deployed for one week

Wet Weather CSO studiesWet Weather CSO studies

11/22/05 12:30 AM

11/22/05 9:30 AM

11/22/05 1:30 PM

BODTSS

FOG

0

15

30

45

60

75

90

105

120

135

Co

nc

en

tratio

n (p

pm

)

Date

OF-218 - Bucklin Point

BOD

TSS

FOG

11/21/05 9:30 PM11/22/05 12:30 AM

11/22/05 8:30 AM

11/22/05 9:30 AM

11/22/05 12:55 PM

11/22/05 1:30 PM

OF-218 - Bucklin Point

OF-54 - Field's Point

0

250000

500000

750000

1000000

1250000

1500000

1750000

2000000

2250000

MP

N/1

00

mL

Date

Fecal Coliform Results

OF-218 -Bucklin Point

OF-54 -Field's Point

ConclusionsConclusions Pathogen Monitoring has helped IM more quickly locate and

clear blockages

2004 – Providence and Seekonk Rivers Removed from the 303(d) List for metals

With upgrades at Bucklin Point and the CSO Abatement Project currently under way, bacteria levels are expected to greatly diminish as the completion of these projects progress.

The CSO Abatement Project will help bring these areas

closer to meeting the Fishable and Swimmable goals of the Clean Water Act.

RI & MA WWTFs - Upper Bay Watershed