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.

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
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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 nonpoint sources
• Requires adoption by TCEQ and must be
approved by USEPA
Slide borrowed from TSSWCB
TMDL Allocations
TMDL = 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 IPlan 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 nongovernmental 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 WPP
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
Identification of the causes and sources of water quality problems
Estimate of the load reductions expected to be achieved
Description of management measures that will need to be implemented
Estimate of technical and financial assistance needed to implement the
plan
Information/education component that will be used to enhance public
understanding of the plan
Schedule for implementing management measures
Interim, measurable milestones for determining whether management
measures are being implemented
Set of criteria used to determine whether load reductions are being
achieved
Water quality monitoring component to evaluate effectiveness of
implementation
Slide borrowed from TSSWCB
Merits of WPPs
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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
Components
Watershed Plan Components
TMDL Components
1. Build partnerships
1. Provide opportunity for
public involvement
2. Characterize the watershed
2. Identify the problem
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Id waterbody, impairments,
study boundaries
Gather and analyze data
Id causes and sources
Estimate loads
Slide borrowed from USEPA
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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 continued
TMDL Components
Watershed Plan Components
3. Sets goals and Id solutions
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Develop indicators/targets
Determine load reductions
Id critical areas
Develop management
measures to achieve goals
3.
Identify water quality targets and
goals and allocate loads
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Slide borrowed from USEPA
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
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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 phasedTMDLs
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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 Wagner
Texas Water Resources Institute
[email protected]
979-845-2649
Allen Berthold
Texas Water Resources Institute
[email protected]
361-318-8780