Westport River Wate rsh e d A l l i an ce • www.we st port w at ers hed.org

Water QualityImprovementsand Projects at the Head of Westport

Roberta CarvalhoScience DirectorWestport River Watershed Al l ianceemai l—water@wrwa.com

This presentation describes some WRWA watershed • improvement projects and subsequent water quality improvements at the Head of Westport.1960s—• Shellfish Beds Closed—the MA Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) began testing in the 1960s in the Westport River—shellfish beds were increasingly being closed in the upper sections of the River due to fecal coliform contamination.

WRWA’s Goal—a Swimmable & Shellfishable Westport River

Here’s a recent presentation

done by WRWA’s Science

Director, which was given to the

WRWA Board of Directors.

It summarizes years of work

done at the Head of Westport to

improve water quality.

1991—WRWA’s bacteria monitoring sampling program begins.• 2006—WRWA established a • Watershed Improvement Fund (WIF) to provide partial funding for projects that make a significant contributions to improving the health of the watershed. Priority was given to projects that addressed major pollution problems.• Since the implementation of multiple projects, WRWA has observed improvements in water • quality parameters in the River at the Head.

There are two main types of pollution in the Westport River

1) bacteria, an indicator of sewage and pathogens—which can make you sick, close shellfish beds and beaches, and

2) nutrients, which fuel algae growth and create unhealthy ecosystems.

These two issues are often confused. This presentation focuses on bacteria/pathogen pollution.

Making a Difference—Decreasing Pollution

A laboratory measures fecal coliform levels using the Membrane Filtration Technique

Fecal Coliform Bacteria

Bacteria do not generally damage the ecosystem, but can make people sick when they eat tainted seafood, or swim in contaminated water. They are also a marker to identify the possible presence of other pathogens that come from the same fecal sources. Cesspools do not do an adequate job of treating bacteria. Functioning traditional septic systems (Title V approved) are effective at treating bacteria. High bacteria counts are why shellfish beds and/or beaches are closed.

Bacteria in the River comes from human wastewater as well as domestic, farm, and wild animal waste. The majority of bacteria are conveyed to the River via stormwater, although ground water can be significant too, particularly during wet weather.

Pathogens—Waste Related Bacteria

The number of bacteria colonies present in 100 ml of the water sample. Also salinity, temperature, pH and turbidity.

Indicator species = fecal coliform indicates the presence of bacterial pathogens in the water.

Desired regulatory ranges—Drinking water • 0/100 mlSwimming • < 200/100 mlBoating • < 1000/100 ml

Bacteria are naturally present in ecosystems—levels are increased by precipitation and runoff.

Typically comes from—animal waste and sewage.

In 1960 the state (DMF) began testing fecal coliform levels and used the data to open and close shellfish areas.

What Do We Test?

WRWA monitors bacteria weekly June—August

We map the data and put results on our website and facebook page each week

No rain 48 hours prior to sampling

2.21 inches of rain 48 hours prior to sampling

Here are two maps from different testing days—comparing results during dry and wet conditions. Rainfall causes runoff and makes bacteria levels spike.

History of Pollution at the Head of Westport1960’s–pipes were put under the • street to drain runoff, this speeds untreated road runoff and dumps it straight into the River.Since 1991 —WRWA finds • elevated bacteria counts (fecal coliform)—measuring in the hundred-thousands (not suitable for recreation activities).This part of the Westport River • is on the 303d list, also called the dirty waters list of the Clean Water Act. This part of the River had a pollution problem.

WRWA Grant Writing—Working with Local, State, and Federal Agencies to Fund Solutions

In the early 2000’s WRWA worked with Buzzards Bay National Estuaries Program (Dr. Joe Costa—Director) to write a series of grants for the Town of Westport to assess and remediate polluted stormwater runoff at the Head of Westport.

WRWA also helped write multiple grants for engineering services and BMPs (Best Management Projects) to engineer, design and fund construction of stormwater solutions for the area.

This series of grants led to a successful grant application to the Mass Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)—319 Grant program. These funds were used to implement the improvements.

Locations of Improvement Projects

Project LocationsHead of Westport Area

Ferry Farm Retention Ponds installed 1. in 2001. WRWA donated $12,000 of watershed improvement funds to help offset construction costs.Install catch basins and route road 2. runoff to vegetated area. Work done by Westport Highway Department as part of a Mass DEP funded 319 grant written in partnership with WRWA.Constructed wetland built by Westport 3. Highway Department as part of a Mass DEP funded 319 grant written in partnership with WRWA. WRWA supported the project with$41,000. Volunteers planted and WRWA has helped maintain since 2006.Rain gardens—second 319 grant to 4. reduce polluted runoff from municipal properties (Westport Middle School).Larger rain gardens built in 2013 at the 5. complex to treat parking lot, roof and road runoff.

Ferry Farm on Gifford Road—Retention Ponds

2001—Ferry Farm Retention Ponds were built. WRWA donated $12,000 of watershed improvement funds to help offset construction costs.

The retention ponds prevent cow manure and other polluted runoff from leaving the farm and draining into the River.

1

2Work by the Westport Highway Department on Gifford Road.

WRWA worked with the Westport Highway Surveyor and the Westport Highway Department to install catch basins on Gifford Road. This work stopped the road runoff from going down the street and instead made it drain into a vegetated area. This work was done by Westport Highway Department in 2005-2006 as part of a Mass DEP funded 319 grant written for the Town in large part by WRWA. The total grant award was $264,332.

3 Grant Funds Build a Constructed Wetland Treatment System

Constructed (man-made) wetland built by Westport Highway Department and contractors as part of a Mass DEP funded 319 grant written in partnership with WRWA. WRWA supported the project with $41,000 of funds to design, plant and maintain it since 2006.

Paved area before construction

How this Wetland Cleans Polluted Runoff

This system has been treating polluted runoff and cleaning it before it enters the River at the Head of Westport since 2006.

Native wetland plants help slow down and clean up road runoff.

Tweaking the Drainage System—Operation and Maintenance

In 2012, $4,500 in WRWA funds were used to buy equipment for the Town Highway Department to fix and improve Head of Westport road drainage into the constructed wetland.

WRWA worked with the Westport Highway Department to document and implement the project.

A Second 319 Grant Build Rain Gardens

WRWA worked with the Town to secure a second 319 grant from Mass DEP to reduce polluted runoff originating on municipal properties. Beginning at the road leading to the elementary school, a series of bioretention gardens were designed and built in 2012-13. The total grant for this project was $233,930.

4

Rain Gardens—at the Middle School Site5

More engineered rain gardens were designed by an environmental firm and constructed by the Westport Highway Department. This 2013 work was also funded by the second 319 grant to reduce polluted runoff from municipal properties (Westport Middle School). WRWA documented the project progress.

After construction by the Westport Highway Department, the gardens were planted by WRWA volunteers. The plants were paid for by WRWA Improvement Funds ($7k cost).

WRWA Testing Results—Average and GeomeanA geometric mean, Mathematical definition: The nth root

of the product of n numbers. unlike an arithmetic mean,

tends to dampen the effect of very high or low values,

which might bias the mean. This is helpful when analyzing

bacteria concentrations, because levels may vary anywhere

from 10 to 10,000 fold over a given period. Geometric mean

is really a log-transformation of data to enable meaningful

statistical evaluations.

Feca

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Con

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ratio

n (c

fu/1

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ead

of W

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WRWA Testing—Timeline of ProjectsFe

cal C

olifo

rm C

once

ntra

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(cfu

/100

ml)

Hea

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Wes

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Decrease in fecal coliform levels observed at the Head of Westport location after years of implementing pollution remediation projects.

Rough Estimation of Total Dollars Spent on Remediation Work Near the Head of Westport

$ 64,500

$498,262

$199,000

TOTAL =$ 761,762

Funding Sources

In TOTALWRWA provided

almost $65k in cash PLUS

hundreds of hours in staff time.

Westport River Wate rsh e d A l l i an ce • www.we s t port w at ers hed.org

WRWA

2 Separate 319 Grants

Town of Westport Highway Dept.(construction work used as

required 40% match for grant funds)

Wes t port Riv er W at e rsh e d A l l i an ce • www.we stportwatershed.org

Next big issue:Nitrogen PollutionTotal Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)

How to address nitrogen pollution and loads in the watershed.

WRWA works with the Buzzards Bay Coalition to monitor nutrients in the River since the program started in 1992.

What is measured—Nutrients (dissolved and particulate nitrogen, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, phosphorus at freshwater sites) plus temperature, salinity and water clarity.

Controllable sources of nutrients entering our waterways are wide and varied: septic systems, cesspools, fertilizers from lawns and farms, pet waste, and polluted runoff from the more densely populated areas.

We all contribute to the problem and we all can be part of the solution. Action is needed to protect the extraordinary natural resources of the Westport River. Nitrogen levels will continue to increase until we all act to reduce source inputs.

Nutrient Overload—Nitrogen Management

Municipal wastewater treatment (Sewage • Treatment Plants) are first to have requirements for limiting nitrogen inputs (No sewage treatment plant in Westport).

Starting in 2007 Rhode Island has property • inspection and cesspool phase out requirements in certain management areas.

In MA, standard Title V septic systems do not • effectively remove nitrogen from its effluent which seeps into groundwater and eventually the River.

The • Westport River Massachusetts Estuaries Report and Mass DEP TMDL Report tell us how much nitrogen needs to be removed from the River to ensure that it is a healthy ecosystem—The amount is around 19%.

The Town needs a Comprehensive Water • Management Plan to guide the watershed community on how to best proceed with nutrient reduction strategies.

The amount of nitrogen at a particular moment, typically reported as:

kgkilograms

The amount of nitrogen measured in a unit volume of water, typically reported as:

m g / lmicrograms per liter

The amount of nitrogen delivered to the river over a set period of time, typically reported as:

kg / daykilograms per day

AMOUNT GOING INTO THE

WESTPORT RIVER

The Westport River Watershed Alliance (WRWA) was incorporated in 1976, as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

WRWA’s mission is to restore, protect, celebrate and sustain the natural resources of the Westport River and its watershed located in Southeastern Massachusetts at the entrance to Buzzard’s Bay.

A critical focus of WRWA’s mission is to protect and improve water quality of the Westport River watershed. WRWA is a resource to the community with professional staff providing environmental education and research pertaining to water resources.

Westport River Watershed AlliancePO Box 3427—Westport, MA 02790www.westportwatershed.org Printed with

vegetable-based inks on process chlorine-free, recycled paper