an orientation on the history, issues, future efforts & … · 2019. 1. 25. · ammonia...

$: AN ORIENTATION ON THE HISTORY, ISSUES, FUTURE EFFORTS & … · 2019. 1. 25. · Ammonia toxicity to aquatic life: o Unionized fraction of ammonia (NH 3) is toxic o % unionized increases$
© 2016 HDR, Inc., all rights reserved.

David L. Clark, HDR Engineering, Inc. [email protected]

Kate Harris, City of Boise. [email protected]

AIC 2019 WATER SUMMIT

AMMONIA CRITERIA 101 AN ORIENTATION ON THE HISTORY,

ISSUES, FUTURE EFFORTS & OPTIONS

January 23, 2019

mailto:[email protected]


▪ Revised 2013 Federal Ammonia Criteria

▪ Northwest Ammonia Criteria Rulemaking

o Status of Northwest Ammonia Rulemaking

• Idaho Update

• Oregon and Washington

▪ Presence of Mussels and Snails

o Nationally and Idaho

▪ Mussel Surveyso Boise City Experience and Plans

• Survey Methods

• E-DNA

▪ Water Quality Based Effluent Limits and Site

Specific Ammonia Criteria

o Example Scenarios

o Criteria and Effluent Limits

AMMONIA CRITERIA 101

REVISED 2013 FEDERAL AMMONIA CRITERIA

BASIS FOR TOXICS WATER QUALITY STANDARDS

RULEMAKING

Toxicity to Aquatic Animals

▪ Aquatic Life Criteria

o CWA Section 304(a)

▪ Relationship Between Pollutants and Effect on Aquatic Organisms

o Acute: Highest One-hour Average Concentration

o Chronic: Highest 4-day Average Concentration

o Adjustments

• pH, Salinity, Temperature, Hardness

Human Health Risk Driven Water Quality Standards

▪ Protect From Adverse HumanHealth Impacts

o Long-term Toxics Exposure

• Consumption of Fish, Shellfish, and Water

o Exposure Basis

• Fish Consumption Rate

• Drinking 2 L/d Water

o Carcinogens

• Criteria Based on Risk of 1 Additional Case in 1 Million People (i.e. 10-6)

▪ Ammonia toxicity to aquatic life:

o Unionized fraction of ammonia (NH3) is toxic

o % unionized increases with increasing pH

o Increasing temperature also increases toxicity

▪ EPA recommended criteria history:

o 1976 – Redbook (0.02 mg/L NH3), simple pH and T matrix

o 1984 – bifurcated (with or without salmonids), acute and chronic (1986 Goldbook)

o 1992 – whitefish correction factor

o 1999 – major revision for salmonids, considers early life stages

Note – Not all states adopted or received EPA approval for 1999 criteria (e.g., Oregon)

AMMONIA TOXICITY CRITERIA HISTORY

Source: WEF MOP #34, Nutrient Removal, 2011

TABLE 2.2 Comparison of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommended ammonia

toxicity criteria.*

1984

1992

1999

Draft 2009

Temperature, oC

Freshwater

mussels

present

Freshwater

mussels

absent

Acute criteria, mg/L as N

15 12.2 -- 13.3 15.6 23.6

20 12.0 -- 13.3 10.3 17.8

Chronic criteria, mg/L as N

15 1.7 2.1 4.2 0.88 6.3

20 1.2 1.5 3.1 0.63 4.6

*All values shown are at a pH of 7.5; 1999 values shown assume salmonids and early life

stages present.

2009 DRAFT CRITERIA REFLECT MUSSEL SENSITIVITY

Present

Absent

2013 NATIONAL AMMONIA CRITERIA REFLECT SENSITIVITY OF MUSSELS TO TOXIC AMMONIA

▪ “Aquatic Life Ambient Water Quality Criteria For Ammonia – Freshwater, 2013”o 225 pages with 14 appendices

• Appendix N. Site-Specific Criteria for Ammonia

▪ “Flexibilities for States Applying EPA’s Ammonia Criteria Recommendations”o EPA presents a number of flexibilities are available for state

consideration including:

1. Recalculation Procedure for Site-specific Criteria Derivation

2. Variances

3. Revisions to Designated Uses

4. Dilution Allowances

5. Compliance Schedules

FINAL 2013 AMMONIA CRITERIA PUBLISHED BY EPA

Table 1. Summary Comparison of Ammonia Criteria at pH 7 and

Temperature 200C, and pH 8 and Temperature 250C

FINAL 2013 REVISED FEDERAL AMMONIA CRITERIA

http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/aqlife/ammonia/index.cfm

http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/standards/criteria/aqlife/ammonia/index.cfm

2004 Permit Revision

EXAMPLE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON FUTURE NPDES PERMIT LIMITS

2009 Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria

Comparison of Ammonia Criteria • Existing Permit

• Chronic Criteria 1.97 mg/L

• Draft 2009 Criteria• Revised 2009 Chronic Criteria ~0.2 mg/L

• Final 2013 -- Future Permits• Final 2013 Chronic Criteria ~1.0 mg/L

NORTHWEST AMMONIA RULEMAKING

▪ Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria Will Impact Reasonable Potential Analysis and

May (or May Not) Be More Restrictive in Discharge Permitting

▪ Must First Be Adopted In State Rulemaking

▪ State “Implementation Guidance” Needed to Inform Site Specific Circumstances

to Be Used in Permitting

AMMONIA CRITERIA RULEMAKING

WASHINGTON RULEMAKING - AMMONIA

▪ Washington

o Last updated ammonia criteria in 2003

o Triennial review scheduled for 2019

• Aquatic life updates are included in the scoping document

OREGON – 2015 AMMONIA RULEMAKING

▪ January 7, 2015: Environmental Quality Commission (DEQ governing

body) adopted revised Oregon’s ammonia standard consistent with

EPA’s 2013 recommendations regarding ammonia

o Oregon’s previous water quality criteria based on 1985 EPA guidance

o Oregon did not ever adopt the revised federal ammonia criteria of 1999

▪ August 4, 2015, USEPA approved revisions to Oregon’s ammonia

water quality standards for the protection of aquatic life.

▪ September 2015, DEQ completes ammonia RPA spreadsheet that

reflects the revised Oregon ammonia standard

▪ Current Criteria

▪ 2017 Triennial Review

o Ammonia (aquatic life) identified as a high priority item

▪ Negotiated Rulemaking

o Several items driven by lawsuits or BiOp

• Copper, selenium, arsenic

▪ 2019 Schedule

o Undetermined if ammonia rulemaking will begin this year

IDAHO AMMONIA CRITERIA UPDATE

PRESENCE OF MUSSELS AND SNAILS

DISTRIBUTION OF MUSSELS AND SNAILS

▪ They’re everywhere!

▪ Highest diversity of

freshwater mussels in the

world (300 species)

▪ Declining numbers, water

quality is one reason

▪ 70% of mussels extinct or

imperiled

UNIONIDAE DISTRIBUTION IN UNITED STATES

298 North American

species over 1/3 of

worldwide species

From Williams and

Neves 1995 and

Williams et al. 2017

SHORT-DURATION GLOCHIDIUM STAGE HAS BEEN SHOWN

TO BE MOST SENSITIVE TO AMMONIA

▪ EPA notice of intent to re-

evaluate aquatic life criteria

for ammonia

▪ Seeks submittal of data on

freshwater mussels (Unionids)

▪ Early life stage that attaches

to fish (glochidium)

▪ Short duration glochidium

stage shown to be most

sensitive to ammonia

▪ Estimated 117 mollusk species in Idaho from 35

genera and 15 families.

Freshwater Mussels

▪ Order Unionida

o Family Unionidae

o Family Margaritiferidae

▪ Order Veneroida

o Clams

MOLLUSKS IN IDAHO

MUSSEL SURVEYS

▪ Lower ammonia criteria would impact the

City of Boise

▪ Investigating impacts and alternatives

o Macroinvertebrate data since 1995 – snails and

clams present, study not designed for mussels

o Mollusk survey 2016 – 25 sites

o USFS Genomics Laboratory – eDNA

o City of Boise Freshwater Mussel Surveys

BOISE CITY WORK

Lander Street West Boise

▪ 2018 – City of Boise Whitewater Park construction site

o Before and after dewatering

▪ 2019 – “Reconnaissance” of potential mussel habitat

▪ 2019 – Focused survey using visual and eDNA

seasonal sampling at potential mussel habitat reaches

▪ 2019 – Citizen science/crowd sourcing survey

CITY OF BOISE SURVEY

WATER QUALITY BASED EFFLUENT LIMITS AND SITE SPECIFIC CRITERIA

▪ EPA presents a number of flexibilities

available for state consideration including:

1. Recalculation Procedure for Site-

specific Criteria Derivation

2. Variances

3. Revisions to Designated Uses

4. Dilution Allowances

5. Compliance Schedules

POTENTIAL IMPACT ON PERMIT LIMITS

▪ 2013 Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria

o 2013 v. 1999 Ammonia Criteria

o Mussels Present

▪ Site Specific Criteriao Mussels Absent, Early Life Stage Fish Present

o Mussels Absent, Early Life Stage Fish Absent

“Flexibilities for States Applying EPA’s

Ammonia Criteria Recommendations”

Example Scenarios

2013 V. 1999 FEDERAL AMMONIA CRITERIA

2014 NPDES Permit

Chronic Criteria: 0.941 mg/L

Acute Criteria: 3.15 mg/L

2013 Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria

Chronic Criteria: 0.445 mg/L ( - 47%)

Acute Criteria: 1.95 mg/L ( - 62%)

2013 Criteria (Unionids Absent, Fish Present)

Chronic Criteria: 01.65 mg/L ( +75%)

Acute Criteria: 3.2 mg/L ( + 1%)???

Example NPDES Permit and Fact Sheet

▪ Mass Balance Equation

▪ Does predicted Receiving Water Concentration (RWC)

have the reasonable potential to exceed water quality

criteria after allowable mixing?

▪ If yes, WQBELs are established in the NPDES permit.

REASONABLE POTENTIAL TO EXCEED ANALYSIS (RPTE, RPA)

Mass Balance Equation

IDAHO, WASHINGTON AND OREGON HAVE MIXING ZONE RULES AND GUIDANCE

Idaho Guidance Illustration

LTA to WQBELs

Maximum Day Limit (MDL)

Average Monthly Limit (AML)

TRANSLATION TO EFFLUENT LIMITSEPA 1991 TECHNICAL SUPPORT DOCUMENT WQBELS FOR TOXICS

WLA to Long Term Average (LTA)

▪ Scenarioso A Medium Discharge, Small Stream

o B Medium Discharge, Small River

o C Medium Discharge, Medium River

▪ Reasonable Potential Analysis

o All Example Scenarios Have Reasonable

Potential for Exceedance

o Regulatory Agency Spreadsheet

Calculators Used for Analysis

EXAMPLE SCENARIOS ANALYSIS

▪ Effluent Limits Calculations

o All Example Scenarios Result in Low

Limits

o 95th Percentile: Average Monthly Limit

(AML)

o 99th Percentile – Max Daily Limit (MDL)

ASSUMPTIONS FOR RPA AND EFFLUENT LIMITS CALCULATIONS

SCENARIO A: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO SMALL STREAM

▪ Treatment Plant

o Max Day 10.2 mgd

▪ Receiving Water

o 7Q10: 24 cfs

• Dilution Factors

» Chronic 1.5

» Acute 1.0

o Temperature: 220C

o pH: 8.8


AMMONIA CRITERIA

Criteria Chronic%

ChangeAcute

%

Chang

e

Remarks

Current 0.41 -- 1.23 -- Baseline

2013 EPA Revised Federal Ammonia Criteria

Mussels Present, Fish

Present0.19 -54% 0.73 -41% More Stringent

Mussels Absent, Fish

Present0.70 +70% 1.23 0% Fish Control Acute

Mussels Absent and Fish

Absent 0.70 +70% 1.92 +56% More Lenient


EFFLUENT AMMONIA LIMITS

CriteriaMonthly,

mg/L

%

Change

Daily,

mg/L

%

Chang

e

Remarks




Present0.17 -45% 0.69 -45% Lower Limits


Present0.31 0% 1.27 0% Reverts to Current


Absent 0.49 +58% 1.99 +58% Relaxed Limits

▪ Treatment Plant

o Max Day 10.2 mgd

SCENARIO B: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO SMALL RIVER

▪ Receiving Water

o 7Q10: 116 cfs


» Chronic 3.7

» Acute 1.2

o Temperature: 20.60C

o pH: 9.1

SCENARIO B: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO SMALL RIVERAMMONIA CRITERIA

Criteria Chronic%

ChangeAcute

%

Chang

e

Remarks






Present0.46 +59% 0.76 0% Reverts to Current



SCENARIO B: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO SMALL RIVEREFFLUENT AMMONIA LIMITS

CriteriaMonthly,

mg/L

%

Change

Daily,

mg/L

%

Chang

e

Remarks




Present0.12 -43% 0.48 -43% Lower Limits


Present0.21 0% 0.85 0% Reverts to Current


Absent 0.33 +57% 1.35 +59% Relaxed Limits

SCENARIO C: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO MEDIUM RIVER

▪ Treatment Plant

o Max Day 8.5 mgd

▪ Receiving Water

o 7Q10: 573 cfs


» Chronic 13.1

» Acute 2.1

o Temperature: 18.10C

o pH: 8.1

SCENARIO C: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO MEDIUM RIVERAMMONIA CRITERIA

Criteria Chronic%

ChangeAcute

%

Chang

e

Remarks

Current 1.77 5.00 Baseline





Present2.44 +38% 5.01 0% Reverts to Current



SCENARIO C: MEDIUM DISCHARGER TO MEDIUM RIVEREFFLUENT AMMONIA LIMITS

CriteriaMonthly,

mg/L

%

Change

Daily,

mg/L

%

Chang

e

Remarks

Current 0.14 0.57 Baseline



Present0.73 % 2.98 % Lower Limits


Present1.23 % 5.01 % Reverts to Current


Absent 1.93 % 7.82 % Relaxed Limits

ADDRESSING POTENTIAL AMMONIA EFFLUENT LIMITS

▪ Treatment Technology

o Evaluate Current Plant Performance

• Not All Plants are Optimized for Ammonia

Removal

o Evaluate How Permit Limits will Change

• Reasonable Potential Analysis

• WQBELs

▪ Site Specific Criteria

o Consider Mixing Zone and Dilution Analysis

o Revised Federal Criteria Provide

Flexibility

• Are Early Life Stage Fish Present?

• Are Sensitive Mussels Present?

Revised Water

Quality Standards

Regulatory Solutions

Appropriate and Feasible

Effluent Limits

Best Management

Practices

Capabilities of

Wastewater Treatment

Technology

© 2016 HDR, Inc., all rights reserved.

David L. Clark, HDR Engineering, Inc. [email protected]

Kate Harris, City of Boise. [email protected]

AIC 2019 WATER SUMMIT

AMMONIA CRITERIA 101 AN ORIENTATION ON THE HISTORY,

ISSUES, FUTURE EFFORTS & OPTIONS

January 23, 2019



an orientation on the history, issues, future efforts & … · 2019. 1. 25. · ammonia...

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