approaches to addressing bacteria impairments kevin wagner texas water resources institute
TRANSCRIPT
Approaches to Addressing Bacteria Impairments
Kevin Wagner
Texas Water Resources Institute
Watershed Action Planning
•“A process for coordinating, documenting, and tracking strategies and activities to protect and improve water quality.”▫Simplify coordination regarding water
quality planning activities▫Seeks greater local participation from
stakeholders▫Process to determine which approach is
best given available data and stakeholder input
Alternatives to Addressing Bacteria Impairments
•Water Quality Standards Review▫Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) and
Recreational Use Attainability Analysis (RUAA)
•Planning ▫Total Maximum Daily Loads
And Implementation Plan▫Watershed Protection Plan
Water Quality Standards Review• UAAs are assessments of the physical, chemical,
biological, and economic factors affecting attainment of a waterbody use.
• UAAs are used to identify and assign attainable uses and criteria to individual waterbodies.
• Applicable uses and associated criteria are defined in the Texas Surface Water Quality Standards
• So, UAAs are used to set the most appropriate water quality standard for each particular waterbody taking into account it’s unique characteristics
Slide borrowed from Water Monitoring Solutions
Bacteria Criteria
• Water quality standards create a tiered set of criteria for the 4 categories▫PCR = 126▫SCR1 = 630▫SCR2 = 1,030▫NCR = 2,060
• To put these proposed water quality standards in place, a RUAA must be performed to determine what level of recreation is actually occurring
Slide borrowed from Water Monitoring Solutions
Recreational Use Attainability Analysis
•Sampling Conditions: Conducted during normal warm season (March-October) during baseflow conditions.
•Site Reconnaissance and Selection: Locate areas where the waterbody is accessible to the public and have highest potential for recreational use.
•Describe hydrologic characteristics, such as stream type, stream flow, hydrologic alterations, etc.
•Choose 3 sites per every 5 miles of stream. Slide borrowed from Water Monitoring Solutions
Recreational Use Attainability Analysis•Stream Surveys: Measure the width, depth, and
flow of stream to assess if recreation can physically take place
•Photographic Record: A photographic record must be made of each site during the site survey. Photographs should include an upstream view, left and right bank views, downstream view, any evidence of observed uses or indications of human use, hydrologic modifications, etc.
•Assess the condition of the riparian area and ease of bank access to the stream
Slide borrowed from Water Monitoring Solutions
Recreational Use Attainability Analysis
•Historical Information: A historical review of recreational uses of the water body back to November 28, 1975 should be conducted.
• Interviews: Interviews from users present during the field survey, streamside landowners and local residents should be conducted in order to obtain information on existing and historical uses
Slide borrowed from Water Monitoring Solutions
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs)
•A budget for pollution in the stream•Defines the maximum amount (or load) of
a pollutant that a waterbody can assimilate on a daily basis and still meet water quality standards
•Allocates pollutant loads between point and non-point sources
•Requires adoption by TCEQ and must be approved by USEPA
Slide borrowed from TSSWCB
TMDL AllocationsTMDL = WLA + LA + MOS
▫WLA = Waste load Allocation = regulated sources▫LA = Load Allocation = Non-regulated sources▫MOS = Margin of Safety
• Implementation Plan▫Developed by local stakeholders▫Typically a 3-5 year plan of activities▫Revised periodically to evaluate the process of
improving water quality and revised as necessary
Slide borrowed from TCEQ
TMDL: Wastewater Treatment Facilities
•Permit limits for E. coli concentration•Monitoring requirements for E. coli•Facilities in TMDL watersheds will receive
E. coli concentration limits•Other stakeholder initiated requirements
may be in Implementation plan.
Slide borrowed from TCEQ
TMDL: Urban and Suburban Storm Water (TPDES MS4 Permits)
•TPDES Storm water permits must be consistent with TMDL and Implementation Plan
•USEPA does not require numeric limits in MS4 permits
•Storm water quality improvement strategies will be identified in the Implementation Plan
•Strategies will be set by stakeholders
Slide borrowed from TCEQ
TMDL: Non-Regulated Sources
•Involved in Implementation process•Requirements will be set by stakeholders
TMDL Implementation Plans•Based on environmental target of TMDL,
the I-Plan is developed•Prescribes measures necessary to mitigate
human-caused sources of that pollutant in that waterbody
•Specifies limits for point source dischargers & recommends best management practices for nonpoint sources
•Can be revised by stakeholders to incorporate adaptive management
•Only requires State approval
Watershed Protection Plans (WPPs)
Slide borrowed from TSSWCB
Watershed Protection Plans: •WPPs are mechanisms for voluntarily
addressing complex water quality problems that cross multiple jurisdictions
•WPPs holistically address all of the sources and causes of impairments and threats to both surface and ground water resources within a watershed
•WPPs are coordinated frameworks for implementing prioritized and integrated protection and restoration strategies driven by environmental objectives
Slide borrowed from TSSWCB
WPPs•WPPs are tools to better leverage the
resources of individual landowners and citizens, local governments, state and federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations
•WPPs are developed and implemented through diverse, well integrated partnerships with decision-making founded at the local level
•WPPs also use adaptive management to modify the plan based on stakeholder input
Slide borrowed from TSSWCB
9 Key Elements of a WPPa) Identification of the causes and sources of water quality problemsb) Estimate of the load reductions expected to be achievedc) Description of management measures that will need to be
implementedd) Estimate of technical and financial assistance needed to implement
the plane) Information/education component that will be used to enhance
public understanding of the planf) Schedule for implementing management measuresg) Interim, measurable milestones for determining whether
management measures are being implementedh) Set of criteria used to determine whether load reductions are being
achievedi) Water quality monitoring component to evaluate effectiveness of
implementation
Slide borrowed from TSSWCB
Merits of WPPs
•Holistic –protection & restoration•Coordinated framework of strategies•Partnerships•Stakeholder driven = decision-making•Leverage resources•Voluntary approach•Adaptive Management
Slide borrowed from TSSWCB
Merits of TMDL and I-Plans
•Results in automatic removal from 303(d) list
•TMDL approved by State & EPA▫I-Plan only approved by State
• I-Plan developed in cooperation with regional and local stakeholders (further builds partnerships)
•Voluntary for non-point sources•Leverage resources•Adaptive management
WPP and TMDLs
•Side by Side Comparison of Watershed Protection Plans and Total Maximum Daily Loads
Image from Google
Comparison of Watershed Plans and TMDL ComponentsWatershed Plan Components
1. Build partnerships
2. Characterize the watershed• Id waterbody, impairments,
study boundaries• Gather and analyze data• Id causes and sources• Estimate loads
Slide borrowed from USEPA
TMDL Components
1. Provide opportunity for public involvement
2. Identify the problem• Id waterbody, impairments,
study boundaries• Gather and analyze data• Id causes and sources (ie.,
WLA and LA)• Estimate loads
Comparison of Watershed Plans and TMDL Components continuedWatershed Plan Components
3. Sets goals and Id solutions• Develop indicators/targets• Determine load reductions• Id critical areas• Develop management
measures to achieve goals
Slide borrowed from USEPA
TMDL Components
3. Identify water quality targets and goals and allocate loads• Id critical areas and seasonality• Describe technical analysis used in
load estimation, load reduction, modeling, etc.
• Allocate acceptable loads between point and nonpoint sources (WLAs, LAs)
• Provide for a margin of safety (MOS)
Comparison of Watershed Plans and TMDL Components continued
Watershed Plan Components
4. Design an implementation program• Develop an implementation
schedule• Develop interim milestones• Develop criteria to measure
progress• Develop monitoring
component• Develop educational
component• Id technical /financial
assistance • Assign responsibility
TMDL I-Plan Components
4. Provide a monitoring and restoration strategy – Optional except for phased-TMDLs• WLAs implemented through
NPDES permits• LAs implemented through
voluntary and incentive based programs
• Monitoring and restoration information encouraged but not required unless the TMDL is phased
Slide borrowed from USEPA
Conclusion
•Both TMDLs and WPPs try to reduce pollution and restore water quality
•Both use scientific tools in development•Both provide estimates for pollutant
loadings•Both empower local stakeholders to have
input into the plan•Both are developed with cooperation with
regional and local stakeholders
Questions?
Kevin WagnerTexas Water Resources [email protected]
Allen BertholdTexas Water Resources [email protected]