Download Monitoring Plan

Monitoring Plan
Mike Mickelson and Ken Keay
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
Boston Harbor project

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
CSO upgrades
cleaner effluent
improved outfall
• better dilution
• subpycnocline discharge
• distance from shore
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
concerns about outfall relocation
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safe to swim
safe to eat fish
aesthetics
ecosystem
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
Monitoring Plan development
1988
1991
1992
1994-96
1994
1995
1995
1996
regulators require monitoring
Monitoring Plan developed
baseline monitoring implemented
monitoring design modifications
Contingency Plan developed
Bays Eutrophication Model (BEM)
completed
draft thresholds developed
thresholds revised
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
Monitoring Plan development
1998
1998
1999
1999
1999
(continued)
BEM model tested against monitoring
data
specific issues addressed (lobster
larvae, whale-ship collisions, food web)
final threshold statements and statistical
protocols
Monitoring Plan revised
outfall to come on line
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
EPA/MADEP Permit for outfall T01:
MWRA’s action list
1.
7.
monitor effluent
Ambient Monitoring Plan
•
•
•
•
•
8.
test diffuser dilution
model eutrophication
study lobster larvae
submit scope of work for a whale-prey food web model
assist review of red tide monitoring
Contingency Plan
•
•
•
•
report exceedances quickly
simulate a problem
measure parameters relevant to nitrogen removal
maintain old outfalls in good working order
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
Permit (continued)
9.
10.
11.
13.
15.
16.
18.
implement Best Management Practices
impose water conservation
keep hazardous waste out of the system
monitor sludge quality for agricultural use
limit industrial discharges
monitor and improve CSO facilities
maintain the sewer system
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
Permit (continued)
20. public reporting includes
• the monthly Discharge Monitoring Reports
• all “caution” and/or “warning” level exceedances
• all reports sent by the MWRA to the OMSAP for
review
• any proposed changes to the ambient Monitoring
Plan or Contingency Plan
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
objectives of monitoring
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
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test for compliance with the Permit
test whether environmental changes are within the
bounds projected by the SEIS
test for exceedance of Contingency Plan
thresholds
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
basis of thresholds

relative to standards
• Permit
• State, federal criteria or guidelines

as assumed in EIS
• modeled nitrogen load
• dilution achieved by scale model
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relative to baseline
• mean value times a factor
• 95th percentile (“appreciable”)
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
effluent monitoring
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Contingency Plan thresholds
•
•
•
•
•
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pathogen indicators, residual chlorine
total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand
toxicity testing, PCBs
flow, pH
nitrogen loading
other measurements:
• numerous organic and inorganic contaminants
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
survey schedule
J
|
F
|
M
|
A
1 0
|
N
F
N
F
C
V
C
|
|
M
|
J
|
2 0
|
N N
N
F
C CC
V
|
N
|
N N
F
CC
V
C
x
H
F
|
|
|
|
1 0
J
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F
|
|
2 0
M
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A
|
M
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J
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J
|
A
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S
|
O
|
3 0
4 0
|
|
N N N N
F
C C C
V
x
x
S
L
M
|
|
|
|
N N
N
F
C C C
V
x
3 0
4 0
J
|
A
|
|
|
D
|
N
N
C CC
V
|
|
water nearfield
water farfield
fecal coliform
virus
sediment flux
benthos (hard/soft-bottom)
flounder/ lobster/ mussel
|
weeks
5 0
O
months
weeks
5 0
|
S
N
N
|
D
months
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
water
column
stations
J
-
N01
Nearfield, Farfield
42.6
N13
N14
N12
F
N11
F
-
N15
N21
N20
N
N04
N03
N02
N19
N18
N09
N05
N16
N06
N17
N07
N08
N10
M
N
-
N
A
N
F
42.4
N
M
42.2
J
N
-
N
J
N
-
N
A
N
-
N
F
42.0
F
41.8
S
N
N
O
N
-
F
-71.0
-70.8
-70.6
-70.4
-70.2
-70.0
MWRA water column stations.
N
N
D
N
water chemistry
chem + plankton
chem + plankton + productivity
winter zooplankton
outfall diffuser
40 meter depth contour
water column

Contingency Plan thresholds
• dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll
• nuisance and noxious algae, zooplankton
• diffuser mixing

other measurements
•
•
•
•
temperature, salinity, light, water clarity,
solids, all nutrients, plankton
photosynthesis, respiration
remote sensing, moored instruments, and marine mammal
observations
• bacterial indicators, viruses
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
benthic
stations
(soft-bottom)
J
42.6
F
M
42.4
-
A
Flux
M
42.2
J
-
Hard-bottom
Flux
J
42.0
A
Flux
Soft-bottom
S
41.8
-
O
Flux
-71.0
-70.8
-70.6
N
D
MWRA benthic stations.
soft-bottom benthic stations
outfall diffuser
40 meter depth contour
-70.4
-70.2
-70.0
benthic monitoring

Contingency Plan thresholds:
• community structure
• sediment oxygen, and sediment toxic metal and
organic chemicals

other measurements:
• sediment bulk characteristics, chemistry, and tracers
• nutrient and oxygen flux
• rock/cobble communities
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
fish &
shellfish
stations
J
42.6
F
M
F
42.4
-
M FLM
F
Flounder
A
FLM
M
42.2
J
Lobster
42.0
J
-
FL
M
Mussel
A
S
41.8
-
O
-71.0
N
D
F
L
M
-70.8
-70.6
MWRA fish and shellfish stations.
flounder stations
lobster stations
mussel stations
outfall diffuser
40 meter depth contour
-70.4
-70.2
-70.0
fish and shellfish monitoring

Contingency Plan thresholds
• mercury, chlordane, dieldrin, DDTs, and PCBs in
flounder, lobster, and mussels
• lead and PAH in mussels
• liver disease in flounder

other measurements:
• age, physical abnormalities
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
“In the Massachusetts Bays system, which includes
the Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, and Cape Cod
Bay, I think we have one of the best environmental
monitoring programs not only in the US but in the
world”
-Dr. Jerry Schubel, OMTF chair
Timely response to an exceedance
Day 1
Day 5
Day X
Day 30
later
MWRA receives data indicating exceedance
<90 days after sampling; <150 days for benthic diversity
Notify plant staff – adjust operations? Notify OMSAP.
OMSAP convenes
• confirm exceedance
• decide on need for increased study or attention
Warning Level exceedance
• were there adverse impacts?
• did MWRA contribute to such impacts?
• MWRA prepares a response plan to address adverse
impacts that it caused.
• report every 30 days until exceedance is remedied.
MWRA reports responses in quarterly and annual reports.
Outfall Contingency Simulation
(Red Tide threshold)

Caution Level: Alexandrium tamarense
concentration (nearfield seasonal average)
exceeds the 95th percentile of the baseline
concentration (i.e. exceeds 0.3, 5, or 1 cells/L
during winter-spring, summer, or fall, respectively).
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
Outfall Contingency Simulation
(Red Tide schedule)
Day 1
Day 7
Day 9
Day 13
Day 55
Day 226
Sampling.
Exceedance noted. Confirmation split sent to
WHOI. MWRA notified. MWRA notifies others.
MWRA, DMF, WHOI convene technical
meeting.
OMSAP convenes; advises EPA and MADEP.
Summary appears in next quarterly Wastewater
Performance Report.
Details appear in annual Outfall Monitoring
Overview.
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999
Warning Level exceedance:
possible responses
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tightened discharge limits
revise plant operational procedures
enhanced removal
enhanced pollution prevention
enhanced educational programs
alternate disinfection options
nitrogen removal
basin-wide nitrogen control
diversion of flow
other corrective actions to be tailored in a timely fashion
OMSAP Public Meeting
September 1999