monitoring plan
DESCRIPTION
Monitoring Plan. Mike Mickelson and Ken Keay Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. Boston Harbor project. CSO upgrades cleaner effluent improved outfall better dilution subpycnocline discharge distance from shore. concerns about outfall relocation. safe to swim safe to eat fish - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
Monitoring Plan
Mike Mickelson and Ken Keay
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
Boston Harbor project
CSO upgrades cleaner effluent improved outfall
• better dilution• subpycnocline discharge• distance from shore
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
concerns about outfall relocation
safe to swim safe to eat fish aesthetics ecosystem
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
Monitoring Plan development
1988 regulators require monitoring1991 Monitoring Plan developed1992 baseline monitoring implemented1994-96 monitoring design modifications1994 Contingency Plan developed1995 Bays Eutrophication Model (BEM)
completed 1995 draft thresholds developed1996 thresholds revised
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
Monitoring Plan development (continued)
1998 BEM model tested against monitoring data
1998 specific issues addressed (lobster larvae, whale-ship collisions, food web)
1999 final threshold statements and statistical protocols
1999 Monitoring Plan revised 1999 outfall to come on line
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
EPA/MADEP Permit for outfall T01:MWRA’s action list
1. monitor effluent7. Ambient Monitoring Plan
• 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
8. Contingency Plan• report exceedances quickly• simulate a problem• measure parameters relevant to nitrogen removal• maintain old outfalls in good working order
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
Permit (continued)
9. implement Best Management Practices10. impose water conservation11. keep hazardous waste out of the system13. monitor sludge quality for agricultural use15. limit industrial discharges16. monitor and improve CSO facilities18. maintain the sewer system
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 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 MeetingSeptember 1999
objectives of monitoring
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 MeetingSeptember 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
relative to baseline• mean value times a factor• 95th percentile (“appreciable”)
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
effluent monitoring
Contingency Plan thresholds• 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 MeetingSeptember 1999
survey schedule
J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D months
1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 weeks| | | | | | | | | |
N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N water nearfieldF F F F F F water farfield
C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C fecal coliformV V V V V V virus
x x x x sediment fluxH S benthos (hard/soft-bottom)
F L M flounder/ lobster/ mussel| | | | | | | | | |
1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 weeks
J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D months
watercolumnstations
J
- Nearfield, Farfield
FN F
-
M N
- N F
A N
-N
M
-
J N F
- N
J N
- N
A N F
- N
SN
-N F
ON
-
NN
-
D N
-71.0 -70.8 -70.6 -70.4 -70.2 -70.0
41.8
42.0
42.2
42.4
42.6
MWRA water column stations.
water chemistry winter zooplankton chem + plankton outfall diffuser chem + plankton + productivity 40 meter depth contour
N01N02
N03N04
N05
N06
N07N08
N09N10
N11
N12
N13N14
N15
N16N16
N17N18
N19
N20N21
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
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
benthicstations(soft-bottom)
J
-
F
-
M
-
A
- Flux
M
-
J
- Hard-bottom
FluxJ
- Flux
A Soft-bottom
-
S
-
O Flux
-
N
-
D
-71.0 -70.8 -70.6 -70.4 -70.2 -70.0
41.8
42.0
42.2
42.4
42.6
MWRA benthic stations.
soft-bottom benthic stations outfall diffuser 40 meter depth contour
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
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
fish &shellfishstations
J
-
F
-
M
-
FlounderA
-
M
-
J
-
LobsterJ
- Mussel
A
-
S
-
O
-
N
-
D
-71.0 -70.8 -70.6 -70.4 -70.2 -70.0
41.8
42.0
42.2
42.4
42.6
FLMF
F FLM
FL
M
M
MWRA fish and shellfish stations. F flounder stations L lobster stations M mussel stations outfall diffuser 40 meter depth contour
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
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
“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 exceedanceDay 1 MWRA receives data indicating exceedance
<90 days after sampling; <150 days for benthic diversityDay 5 Notify plant staff – adjust operations? Notify OMSAP.Day X OMSAP convenes
• confirm exceedance• decide on need for increased study or attention
Day 30 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.
later MWRA reports responses in quarterly and annual reports.
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
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 MeetingSeptember 1999
Outfall Contingency Simulation(Red Tide schedule)
Day 1 Sampling.Day 7 Exceedance noted. Confirmation split sent to
WHOI. MWRA notified. MWRA notifies others.Day 9 MWRA, DMF, WHOI convene technical
meeting.Day 13 OMSAP convenes; advises EPA and MADEP.Day 55 Summary appears in next quarterly Wastewater
Performance Report.Day 226 Details appear in annual Outfall Monitoring
Overview.
OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999
Warning Level exceedance:possible responses
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