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Fecal Coliform Bacteria TMDL for Four Mile Run

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

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Fecal Coliform Bacteria TMDL for Four Mile Run

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  1. Fecal Coliform Bacteria TMDL for Four Mile Run Northern Virginia Regional Commission Don Waye June 14, 2001 Photo by Chuck Moore

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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.

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. Four Mile Run Bacteria Perception v. Perspective Source: Center for Watershed Protection

  9. GW Parkway Bridge near National Airport Columbia Pike Bridge

  10. Arlington WWTP discharge easliy meets its permit limit of 200 monthly geometric mean.

  11. Pictorial Tour of Bacteria Microbial puddles during drought of Summer 1999 Iron-fixing bacteria is orange

  12. Bacteria colonies often appear as a surface sheen, slightly iridescent in blue-gray spectrum.

  13. Ballston Beaver Pond in Arlington

  14. Mystery “clouds” of organic-rich proteins or lipids in the sewers downstream of Ballston Beaver Pond Detail

  15. Raccoon tracks in sewers (bottom) and silt bar next to sewer in Four Mile Run

  16. Raccoon scat in the sewers of Four Mile Run

  17. 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

  18. DNA Source Tracking Optical Brightener Monitoring vs. • high cost ($20,000-$150,000) • sample only • high tech • slow turn-around (6-18 months) • grab sample • not in “Standard Methods” • “Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE)” • low cost ($50-$20,000) • survey or spot-checks • low tech w/ high tech option • quick turn-around (1-3 days) • composite sample • not in “Standard Methods” • “Shimadzu scanning spectrofluorophotometer”

  19. Optical Brightener Monitoring • Cotton traps at outfalls pick up laundry brighteners & whiteners present in nearly all laundry detergents • A quick and cheap way to inventory a municipal separate storm sewer system* for certain types of illicit connections Photo by Don Waye Helpful for Phase 2 NPDES MS4* Communities

  20. 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.

  21. 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

  22. Bacteria Source Identification Using DNA Fingerprinting Dr. George Simmons pioneered this technique with work in Virginia’s Eastern Shore E. coli-specific testing PFGE DNA profiling (like barcoding) Photo by Don Waye

  23. Bacteria Source Identification Station Map

  24. 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*

  25. Rogues Gallery of Bacteria Sources DogsAt ~800 per square mile, dogs contribute over 5000 pounds of pet droppings each day to the 20 square mile Four Mile Run watershed. CatsIn several comparable MST studies of urban/suburban stream systems, cats have been implicated in roughly the same degree as dogs. Canada GeesePopulations of the non-migratory race of this large waterfowl have exploded in recent years.

  26. 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.

  27. Success of Isolate Matching N = 639 Success of Isolate Matching, Pie

  28. Isolates by “Probable” Species N = 302

  29. 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

  30. Why Suggest Regrowth? Doctor’s Run • 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)

  31. TMDL Model Choice? SWMM? HSPF? WASP? WTM? BASINS/Win HSPF? Other? QUAL2E?

  32. NVRC’s SWMM Model

  33. Land Use Info for Water Quality Model

  34. For more information, visitwww.novaregion.org/4MileRun/tmdlDEQ contact:Joan Crowther (703) 583-3828NVRC contact:Don Waye (703) 642-4628

  35. The End

  36. Extra Slides

  37. 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

  38. Recommended Approach Short term: • Track down illicit connections with Optical Brightener Monitoring and other tools • Enforce pooper scooper laws • Clean out catchbasins DRAFT Investigate benefits of high efficiency street sweeping Investigate associations with scour pools and sunlight exposure (continue research)

  39. 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!) DRAFT *For discussion purposes

  40. 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 • Volunteers needed! 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.

  41. ACE dedicates new watershed education signs in Barcroft Park, Spring 2000 Photo by Don Waye

  42. 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)

  43. 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

  44. 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

  45. Fairfax County

  46. Arlington Recently strengthened its Ches. Bay Protection Ordinance Newly approved Watershed Management Plan, web-downloadable (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

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