Urban Water Quality Urban Water Quality IssuesIssues

July 17th, 2008

Greensboro, North Carolina

NACAA Annual Meeting & Professional Improvement Conference

Development PatternsDevelopment Patterns

Ultra Urban EnvironmentUltra Urban Environment Increasing:Increasing:

impervious areasimpervious areas land valueland value

DecreasingDecreasing land availabilityland availability

Increasing Need for:Increasing Need for:Space Efficient Space Efficient

Best Management PracticesBest Management Practices

Typical Urban Non-Point Source Typical Urban Non-Point Source Pollutant LoadingPollutant Loading

Typical Urban Non-Point Source Typical Urban Non-Point Source Pollutant LoadingPollutant Loading

Algae bloom; York River, 9/9/05Courtesy Bill Portlock, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Why is it that this particular design does not have to follow the

fundamental unit processes of water quality?

Physics of Settling – Stokes Physics of Settling – Stokes LawLaw

Henry Darcy

1803 - 1858

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tdhK

dWQvA

Media Filtration – Darcy’s Media Filtration – Darcy’s LawLaw

BMP EvaluationBMP Evaluation

In the Lab; or in the Field?

Lesson 1: Clearly Defined Project Lesson 1: Clearly Defined Project GoalsGoals

Quality Assurance Project PlanQuality Assurance Project Plan

1.1. Conditions and DefinitionsConditions and Definitionsi.i. Treatment ObjectiveTreatment Objective

ii.ii. Performance GoalsPerformance Goals

2.2. Project DescriptionProject Description

3.3. Quality Assurance PlanQuality Assurance Plan

Treatment ObjectivesTreatment Objectives and Performance and Performance GoalsGoals

Particle SizeParticle Size

Treatment ObjectivesTreatment Objectives and Performance and Performance GoalsGoals

Treatment Objectives and Treatment Objectives and Performance Performance GoalsGoals

Treatment Objectives and Performance Treatment Objectives and Performance GoalsGoals

Treatment Objectives and Performance Treatment Objectives and Performance GoalsGoals

Treatment Objectives and Performance Treatment Objectives and Performance GoalsGoals

Lesson 2: Sample CollectionLesson 2: Sample Collection

Grab samples Flow-paced auto samples

One Grab = One SnapshotMultiple Grabs =Multiple Snapshots

Lesson 3: Site Selection - LocationLesson 3: Site Selection - Location

Currituck Gas HouseBarco, NC

Trench Drain from up-hill side of pumps

Trench Drain on

down-hill side of

Oil-Water separator

Canopy drain

StormFilter Vault

Bypass/Diversionmanhole

Outlet junctionmanhole

Lesson 3: Site Selection - SimplicityLesson 3: Site Selection - Simplicity

1 pipe in and 1 pipe out!1 pipe in and 1 pipe out!

Simple is better!Simple is better!

Eliminate Variables and External Eliminate Variables and External Influences (MEP)Influences (MEP)

Lesson:Lesson:All fuel islands should have an Oil/Water SeparatorAll fuel islands should have an Oil/Water Separator

Lesson 4: Learn the 1Lesson 4: Learn the 1stst Law of Law of Monitoring:Monitoring:

What Can Go Wrong, Will Go Wrong!What Can Go Wrong, Will Go Wrong!

Once upon a time, there was this Once upon a time, there was this site . . .site . . .

10/0210/02 System MaintenanceSystem Maintenance 10/0210/02 Remote automated sampling Remote automated sampling

equipment Installedequipment Installed 11/02 11/02 Remote automated sampling Remote automated sampling

equipment disabled by insect equipment disabled by insect infestationinfestation

Corrective Action TakenCorrective Action Taken

As Luck Would Have It (or not):As Luck Would Have It (or not): 1-2/031-2/03 Storm CaptureStorm Capture 5/035/03 Phone Line Disabled by LightningPhone Line Disabled by Lightning 6/036/03 Automated Sampling Equipment Automated Sampling Equipment

Fried by LightningFried by Lightning

But then . . .But then . . .

9/039/03 New Automated Sampling New Automated Sampling Equipment Installed Equipment Installed

9/039/03 System Outfall Area Impacted by System Outfall Area Impacted by Adjacent Construction Activities Adjacent Construction Activities and Heavy Stormsand Heavy Storms

Hurricane Isabel

Before

After 2/042/04 Outfall Area RestoredOutfall Area Restored

The Saga Continues:The Saga Continues: 3/043/04 Storm CaptureStorm Capture 8-9/048-9/04 Phone lines and Automated Phone lines and Automated

Sampling Equipment Disabled Sampling Equipment Disabled by by Lightning (again); ANDLightning (again); AND

Alex, Bonnie, & Earl – 8-9/04Alex, Bonnie, & Earl – 8-9/04

We Are Committed!We Are Committed!

6/056/05 Resume MonitoringResume Monitoring

No Matter What . . .No Matter What . . .

9/059/05 RodentsRodents

Corrective Action TakenCorrective Action Taken

AND THEN:

We Survived Hurricane Season ‘05We Survived Hurricane Season ‘05

Happily Ever AfterHappily Ever After

8/068/06 Project Completed!Project Completed!

Lesson 5: Predict the Weather and Lesson 5: Predict the Weather and Act FastAct Fast

We Got Better!We Got Better!

Days with measurable precipitationDays with measurable precipitation 6868

Qualified Storm Events - Qualified Storm Events - (meet DQO of >0.1 in. (meet DQO of >0.1 in. and >72 hr. antecedent conditions); hindsightand >72 hr. antecedent conditions); hindsight 3535

Attempts to capture storm samplesAttempts to capture storm samples 2323

Successful Captures (10) vs. Opportunities (35)Successful Captures (10) vs. Opportunities (35) 29%29%

Successful Captures (10) vs. Attempts (23)Successful Captures (10) vs. Attempts (23) 43%43%

Early 2000’s success rate – Captures vs. Atts.Early 2000’s success rate – Captures vs. Atts. 10%10%

Key Elements to a Successful Field Key Elements to a Successful Field Monitoring ProjectMonitoring Project

Clearly defined Clearly defined Project GoalsProject Goals Data Quality ObjectivesData Quality Objectives MethodsMethods

Appropriate Site SelectionAppropriate Site Selection

Dedicated Project TeamDedicated Project Team

Adaptive management in actionAdaptive management in action

From: Restoration of Puget Sound Rivers

Ralph and Poole, 2003

As Conceived in Consensus Building Process

As Designed in Consensus Building Process

As generally implemented

Adaptive management in piecesAdaptive management in pieces

Experimentation in the Urban Experimentation in the Urban EnvironmentEnvironment

We’re running out of experimental We’re running out of experimental opportunities!opportunities!