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Fecal Coliform Bacteria TMDL for Four Mile Run Northern Virginia Regional Commission Don Waye June 14, 2001 Photo by Chuck Moore Four Mile Run Watershed Characteristics Size: 20 square miles Population: 183,000 (2000 Census) Population density: >9,000/sm Land Use: 0% agriculture; 100% urban (from medium density residential to high density commercial, highways, roads, stream valley park system, 1 golf course); 35-40% impervious Graphic Showing Predominance of Storm Drains in the Watershed There are over 10 linear miles of storm drains in every square mile across the Four Mile Run watershed A TMDL is due May 1, 2002 (NVRC Contract with Virginia starts June 2001) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Regulations: A TMDL or Total Maximum Daily Load is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards, and an allocation of that amount to the pollutant's sources. Water quality standards are set by States, Territories, and Tribes. They identify the uses for each waterbody, for example, drinking water supply, contact recreation (swimming), and aquatic life support (fishing), and the scientific criteria to support that use. The Clean Water Act, section 303, establishes the water quality standards and TMDL programs. TMDL Rules: Old vs. New • Four Mile Run TMDL regulated by Old Rule • New rule becomes effective Oct. 1, 2001 (unless Congress changes things) • New rule requires Implementation Plans • Old rule does not, but… • Virginia requires IPs • An IP for Four Mile Run will follow TMDL Timeline for Meeting CWA Goal • 1998-2000: DNA bacteria source investigation • 1999-2001: Optical brightener monitoring • 2001-2002: TMDL development • 2002: Draft Implementation Plan • 2003: Public review for IP • 2003-2004: Final actions/adoptions by EPA, Virginia and local governments • ~2008: Deadline for achieving CWA goals/ attaining w.q. standards Timeline for TMDL Development • June 01: Begin contract; 1st public meeting • June-Dec 01: Storm drain regrowth research • June-Oct 01: TMDL model dvpt. & calibration • Nov 01: Determine & model allocation scenarios; 2nd public meeting • Dec 01: Draft outlines for implementation strategies, monitoring & evaluation plans • Jan 02: Present plans at 3rd public meeting • Feb 28, 02: DEQ submits draft TMDL to EPA • Mar 02: 30 day EPA Region 3 review period • Apr 02: Address EPA comments; Final TMDL due 5/1/02 Four Mile Run Bacteria Perception v. Perspective Source: Center for Watershed Protection Fecal Coliform Bacteria, 1990 - 2000 Four Mile Run at G.W. Pkwy. Bridge (1AFOU000.19) Fecal Coliform MPNs 18,000 10 per. Mov. Avg. (Fecal Coliform MPNs) Poly. (Fecal Coliform MPNs) 16,000 2 y = 0.0008x - 59.249x + 1E+06 2 R = 0.2101 14,000 GW Parkway Bridge near National Airport 12,000 MPN 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 1-Jan-91 2-Jan-92 2-Jan-93 3-Jan-94 4-Jan-95 5-Jan-96 5-Jan-97 6-Jan-98 7-Jan-99 8-Jan-00 8-Jan-01 Fecal Coliform Bacteria, 1990 - 2000 Four Mile Run at Columbia Pike Bridge (1AFOU004.22) 10,000 Columbia Pike Bridge MPN 1,000 100 Fecal Coliforms, MPN 4 per. Mov. Avg. (Fecal Coliforms, MPN) Linear (Fecal Coliforms, MPN) 10 y = -0.1056x + 5233.6 2 R = 0.002 1 01-Jan-91 02-Jan-92 02-Jan-93 03-Jan-94 04-Jan-95 05-Jan-96 05-Jan-97 06-Jan-98 07-Jan-99 08-Jan-00 08-Jan-01 Arlington WWTP discharge easliy meets its permit limit of 200 monthly geometric mean. Pictorial Tour of Bacteria Microbial puddles during drought of Summer 1999 Iron-fixing bacteria is orange Bacteria colonies often appear as a surface sheen, slightly iridescent in blue-gray spectrum. Ballston Beaver Pond in Arlington Mystery “clouds” of organic-rich proteins or lipids in the sewers downstream of Ballston Beaver Pond Detail Raccoon tracks in sewers (bottom) and silt bar next to sewer in Four Mile Run Raccoon scat in the sewers of Four Mile Run Two Complementary Efforts 1. Optical Brightener Monitoring involves cotton and black light 2. DNA Source Tracking involves animal scat and expensive lab gizmos Photo by Don Waye Optical Brightener DNA Source Monitoring Tracking vs. • low cost ($50-$20,000) • high cost ($20,000-$150,000) • survey or spot-checks • sample only • low tech w/ high tech option • high tech • quick turn-around (1-3 • slow turn-around (6-18 • composite sample • grab sample • not in “Standard Methods” • not in “Standard Methods” • “Shimadzu scanning spectrofluorophotometer” • “Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE)” days) months) Optical Brightener Monitoring • Cotton traps at outfalls pick up laundry brighteners & whiteners present in nearly all laundry detergents Photo by Don Waye • A quick and cheap way to inventory a municipal separate storm sewer system* for certain types of illicit connections Helpful for Phase 2 NPDES MS4* Communities OBM Explained • Dyes known as optical brighteners are added to all commercial laundry detergents (whitens & brightens without bleach) • These dyes do not occur in nature, are unique to laundry detergents, and degrade slowly in the environment • They glow under common black light (fluoresce when exposed to UV light) • Look for elevated concentrations in outfall traps It is not the brighteners that are a problem; they are merely the means to detect sewage connections. OBM Results • Most had no detectable optical brighteners • 9-25 outfalls (out of 297) may have a problem; follow-up is pending • One illicit connection was confirmed with this technique a hotel had two industrial-sized washing machines tied to the storm sewer system Bacteria Source Identification Using DNA Fingerprinting • Dr. George Simmons pioneered this technique with work in Virginia’s Eastern Shore • E. coli-specific • PFGE DNA profiling (like barcoding) testing Photo by Don Waye Bacteria Source Identification Station Map Urban Wildlife in Four Mile Run • • • • • • • • • • • humans * dogs * cats * raccoons * Canada Geese * Mallard Ducks * other ducks pigeons seagulls * gray squirrels * opossum * • • • • • • • • • • • rats * beavers mice shrews bats deer rabbits flying squirrels * foxes * groundhogs muskrats Project-specific DNA scat library included 54 samples representing 12 species* Rogues Gallery of Bacteria Sources Dogs At ~800 per square mile, dogs contribute over 5000 pounds of pet droppings each day to the 20 square mile Four Mile Run watershed. Cats In several comparable MST studies of urban/suburban stream systems, cats have been implicated in roughly the same degree as dogs. Canada Geese Populations of the non-migratory race of this large waterfowl have exploded in recent years. Rogues Gallery (cont.) Humans Although the watershed has a separate sewer system, illicit discharges are discovered from time to time. (Homeless population adds a wildcard factor) Sanitary sewer interflow? Raccoons Population densities of this adaptive nocturnal mammal are an order of magnitude greater in urban settings than in the wild. They are known to use storm drain networks as their own "Intelligent Transportation System" to move from greenspace to greenspace. Success of Isolate Matching N = 639 Success of Isolate Matching, Pie Acceptable Matches 47% Unknown 24% (N = 302) NECFC 8% Unusable Isolates 8% Inconclusive 13% Isolates by “Probable” Species N = 302 Deer 6% Other 13% Waterfowl 31% Canine 13% Human 18% Raccoon 19% Conclusions • Storm drains and sediments (& scour pools?) seem to promote regrowth of bacteria • Lack of matches with species absent in watershed fosters confidence in technique • DNA work confirms low microbial biodiversity (large population of E. coli clones) • Waterfowl, humans, raccoons and dogs seem to be leading sources Why Suggest Regrowth? • Occum’s Razor—the simplest answer that fits the data • Highest bacteria counts from storm drain outfalls and sediments • Need more comparative data on bacteria strain variability (e.g., paired watershed study) Doctor’s Run TMDL Model Choice? NVRC’s SWMM Model Land Use Info for Water Quality Model For more information, visit www.novaregion.org/ 4MileRun/tmdl DEQ contact: Joan Crowther (703) 583-3828 NVRC contact: Don Waye (703) 642-4628 The End Extra Slides Ways to Kill or Reduce Bacteria • Restore conditions to encourage bacteria predation from other microbes like paramecium and rotifers • Go after the sources (e.g., “GeesePeace”-type solutions for waterfowl droppings, control pet waste, block raccoon ledges in storm drains) • UV light exposure (natural or artificial) Theoretical Ways; Not Recommended Antibiotics Heat Chlorine Recommended Approach Short term: • Track down illicit connections with Optical Brightener Monitoring and other tools • Enforce pooper scooper laws • Clean out catchbasins • Investigate benefits of high efficiency street sweeping • Investigate associations with scour pools and sunlight exposure (continue research) Recommended Approach* Long-term: • Restore conditions to encourage bacteria predation from other microbes like paramecium and rotifers • go after animal sources of bacteria • dissuade raccoons from using storm drains as toilets (e.g., remove ledges) • oral contraceptives for raccoons (being developed to fight spread of rabies) ?! • promote storm drain daylighting (very long term!) *For discussion purposes Storm Drain Marking …Then & Now Coming Summer 2001… • NVRC & the 4 watershed localities to design custom markers for Four Mile Run & order bulk quantities • Colorful, attractive, durable, affordable NVRC's first water quality project in the Four Mile Run watershed was born on Earth Day 1990, when it made stencils and paint available to volunteers. It was the first storm drain stencilling program in Virginia. • Volunteers needed! ACE dedicates new watershed education signs in Barcroft Park, Spring 2000 Photo by Don Waye Alexandria • Approved new Water Quality Master Plan • Consolidated environmental functions into 1 division with new staff (e.g, Bill Skrabak & Bill Hicks) • Alexandria’s Parks Commissioner, Judy Noritake, worked with Congressman Moran to secure $1M from EPA to investigate how to make the Four Mile Run flood control channel more environmentally friendly and aesthetically inviting • Gold Award winner in Va’s Chesapeake Bay Community Partner program • Award-winning “Targets of Opportunities” program. (e.g., Highpointe at Stonebridge has 3 innovative BMPs (sand filter, stormceptor, & bioretention) Falls Church • New city-wide water quality study • Woodward-Clyde study in the mid-1990s • Urban Forest demo project in Four Mile Run/East Falls Church Park • Ches. Bay Preservation Ordinance Fairfax County • Most comprehensive long-term chemical monitoring of streams statewide (FCHD) • Recently completed IBI-based county-wide Stream Protection Survey (available off County website) • New stream protection efforts, including use of OBM • High marks for responsiveness to active citizenry • Cooperating with Accotink Creek bacteria studies and TMDL • Restructured DPWES with new highly qualified staff to protect water quality • Acronym soup: NVSWCD & EQAC Fairfax County Arlington • Recently strengthened its Ches. Bay Protection Ordinance • Newly approved Watershed Management Plan, webdownloadable (Jason Papacosma) • Will share $1M EPA grant for Four Mile Run with Alexandria • Over $750K for new environmental initiatives including: • 1st-ever catchbasin cleaning • More & better street sweeping • New hires, including new E&S inspector for better enforcement Arlington • Over $750K for new environmental initiatives (cont.): • Inspection of the County's 360-mile (!) storm sewer network to identify problems such as clogged inlets, collapsed pipes, leaking joints and prohibited connections • Stormwater utility study • Watershed outreach activities (Aileen Winquist) • New volunteer stream-monitoring program A “quantum leap forward” -Jay Fissette, Arlington Board Chair