Water Treatment Additives for Lagoons

Amanda Bosak

MDEQ – Water Resources Division –

Permits Section

Presentation Overview

• What is a Water Treatment Additive (WTA)?

• When is a WTA Approval Not Needed?

• WTA Requests

• Information Required for WTA Request

• WTA Approval Process

• Approved, Not Approved

• Select WTAs

• FAQ and handout

• Helpful Links

What is a Water Treatment Additive (WTA)?

• Material added to condition or treat • Examples of WTAs include:

– Pesticides (fungicides, biocides, herbicides) – Disinfectants – Coagulants (ferric chloride, alum)

When is a WTA Approval Not Needed?

• Land application of pesticides

• Rule 97 Certificate of Approval – Application of materials to waters of the state

for water resource management purposes Dennis Bush 517-284-5522, BUSHD6@michigan.gov

When is a WTA Approval Not Needed?

• Aquatic Nuisance Control Permit – Control aquatic nuisance species in waters of

the state Aquatic Nuisance Control Contact: 517-284-5593, deq-wrd-anc@michigan.gov

• NPDES Pesticide General Permit – Pesticides applied not under another NPDES

permit NPDES Pesticide General Permit Contact: Chris Conn 517-230-4710, CONNC@michigan.gov

WTA Requests

• WTA requests - MiWaters – https://miwaters.deq.state.mi.us/miwaters/

• Approval needed prior to use/discharge

• DEQ response 6-8 weeks • Submit at any time

• Facility and contact information

• Safety Data Sheet (SDS), formerly MSDS, and product label (for pesticides)

• Aquatic toxicity data for North American freshwater animals:

– A 48-hour LC50 or EC50: planktonic crustacean

– One other species E.g.: 96-hour LC50 for a fathead minnow

Information Required for WTA Request

Continued on Next Slide…

• Name of pond or cell to be treated

• Product Name

• Product Active Ingredient

• Discharge Frequency

• Outfall

• Type of Removal or Treatment

• WTA Function

• Volume, acres, and depth of cell or pond at treatment and discharge

Information Required for WTA Request

Continued on Next Slide…

Information Required for WTA Request

• Total number of applications to each cell and days – E.g. 2 Treatments on Day 0 and Day 14 in Cell 1

• Date when wastewater will be discharged – E.g. Day 90

• Amount of product to be applied

• Initial concentration of active ingredient in each cell

• Calculations used for initial concentration

• Discharge concentration of active ingredient

• Calculations used for discharge concentration

Information Required for WTA Request

• Map of the lagoon system

Wastewater

Influent

Wastewater

Discharge to

Chris Creek

Sonar Treatment

1 treatment =

15.5 ounces

Cell 1

2,600,000 gal

2 acres

4 ft deep

Cell 2

1,950,000 gal

3 acres

3 ft deep

• Aquatic toxicity data aquatic life values (ALVs) – final acute value (FAV) and final chronic value (FCV)

• Compare proposed discharge concentration to FAV and FCV

– Approve discharge if proposed concentration below allowable values

– Do not approve discharge if proposed concentration above allowable values

Water Treatment Additive Approval

• WTA approvals are facility specific and depend on: – receiving water body (e.g. flow)

– facility’s authorized flow

– toxicity of the product

– proposed discharge concentration

– frequency of discharge

Water Treatment Additive Approval

Conditional Approvals

• The discharge of the WTA may be approved with monitoring or use conditions such as:

– pH or copper monitoring – Hold time of 120 days

Not Approved

Why are requests not approved?

• Proposed discharge concentration exceeds allowable values

• Aquatic toxicity data not provided

• Aquatic toxicity data does not meet the minimum requirements

• Discharge concentration not provided

Not Approved

What can you do when your request is not approved?

• Request can be revised and resubmitted for review:

– Decrease discharge concentration

• Use less product

• Consider removal, treatment, half-life

• ↑ time between treatment and discharge

– Conduct more aquatic toxicity tests on product

• Submit another request to use another product

Select Water Treatment Additives

• Commonly used products

• Requests – MiWaters

• Limit in NPDES permit

Select Water Treatment Additives

Constituent Corresponding NPDES Limited Parameter

Calcium hypochlorite total residual chlorine (TRC) and pH Sodium hypochlorite TRC and pH

Chlorine gas TRC and pH Sodium thiosulfate TRC and pH

Sodium sulfite TRC and pH Sodium bisulfite TRC and pH

Sodium metabisulfite TRC and pH Ferric chloride pH

Aluminum sulfate (alum)

pH

Hydrochloric acid pH

Phosphoric acid Phosphorus and pH Sodium hydroxide pH

Sulfuric acid pH Sodium bisulfite pH and dissolved oxygen (DO)

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/wrd-npdes-select-wta_446709_7.pdf

Frequently Asked Questions

• The product is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered pesticide and I am following the label instructions, so why do I need to submit a WTA request?

– Registered Pesticide instructions ≠ protection of water quality standards

• Can you give me some advice on a product to use?

– We don’t recommend products

• Do I need to submit a WTA request to discharge the WTA “booster” (adjuvant)?

– Yes

• How do I calculate a dosing concentration?

– See handout

• How to I calculate a discharge concentration?

– See handout

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why can’t I use barley straw?

– No Aquatic Toxicity data

• Do I need to be certified to use

pesticides/herbicides?

– Maybe http://www.michigan.gov/mdard

• Do I need to submit a request every year?

– If nothing changes (product, amount used, depth of pond, etc.) then NO

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary

• WTA request must have all required information

• WTA approval is required prior to use

• Approvals are facility specific

• Conditional approvals

• Request can be revised and resubmitted • Select WTAs streamlined

Helpful Links For More Information

• Rules and regulations – www.michigan.gov/deqnpdes

• Laws and Rules and click on Applicable Rules and Regulations, Part 4 Rules, Rule 1057

• Non-select WTA and Select WTA – www.michigan.gov/deqnpdes

• Water Treatment Additives

• MiWaters – https://miwaters.deq.state.mi.us/miwaters/

• Pesticide Certification – 517-284-5771, http://www.michigan.gov/mdard

• Licensing, Certification, & Registration

Contact Information

Amanda Bosak 517-284-5583

bosaka@michigan.gov

Christine Alexander 517-243-4670

alexanderc2@michigan.gov