Urban Water Quality Issues July 17th, 2008 Greensboro, North Carolina NACAA Annual Meeting & Professional Improvement Conference

Development Patterns

Ultra Urban Environment Increasing: Increasing: impervious areas impervious areas land value land value Decreasing Decreasing land availability land availability Increasing Need for: Increasing Need for: Space Efficient Best Management Practices

Typical Urban Non-Point Source Pollutant Loading

Algae bloom; York River, 9/9/05 Courtesy 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 Law Henry Darcy Media Filtration – Darcys Law

BMP Evaluation In the Lab; or in the Field?

Lesson 1: Clearly Defined Project Goals Quality Assurance Project Plan 1. Conditions and Definitions i. Treatment Objective ii. Performance Goals 2. Project Description 3. Quality Assurance Plan

Treatment Objectives and Performance Goals

Particle Size Treatment Objectives and Performance Goals

Lesson 2: Sample Collection Grab samplesFlow-paced auto samples

One Grab = One SnapshotMultiple Grabs =Multiple Snapshots

Lesson 3: Site Selection - Location Currituck Gas House Barco, NC

Trench Drain from up-hill side of pumps Trench Drain on down-hill side of Oil-Water separator Canopy drain StormFilter Vault Bypass/Diversion manhole Outlet junction manhole Lesson 3: Site Selection - Simplicity

1 pipe in and 1 pipe out! Simple is better!

Eliminate Variables and External Influences (MEP) Lesson: All fuel islands should have an Oil/Water Separator

Lesson 4: Learn the 1 st Law of Monitoring: What Can Go Wrong, Will Go Wrong!

Once upon a time, there was this site... 10/02System Maintenance 10/02System Maintenance 10/02Remote automated sampling equipment Installed 10/02Remote automated sampling equipment Installed 11/02 Remote automated sampling equipment disabled by insect infestation 11/02 Remote automated sampling equipment disabled by insect infestation

Corrective Action Taken

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

But then... 9/03New Automated Sampling Equipment Installed 9/03New Automated Sampling Equipment Installed 9/03System Outfall Area Impacted by Adjacent Construction Activities and Heavy Storms 9/03System Outfall Area Impacted by Adjacent Construction Activities and Heavy Storms

Hurricane Isabel

Before After 2/04Outfall Area Restored 2/04Outfall Area Restored

The Saga Continues: 3/04Storm Capture 3/04Storm Capture 8-9/04Phone lines and Automated Sampling Equipment Disabled by Lightning (again); AND 8-9/04Phone lines and Automated Sampling Equipment Disabled by Lightning (again); AND

Alex, Bonnie, & Earl – 8-9/04

We Are Committed! 6/05Resume Monitoring 6/05Resume Monitoring

No Matter What... 9/05Rodents 9/05Rodents

Corrective Action Taken AND THEN:

We Survived Hurricane Season 05

Happily Ever After 8/06Project Completed! 8/06Project Completed!

Lesson 5: Predict the Weather and Act Fast

We Got Better! Days with measurable precipitation 68 Qualified Storm Events - (meet DQO of >0.1 in. and >72 hr. antecedent conditions); hindsight 35 Attempts to capture storm samples 23 Successful Captures (10) vs. Opportunities (35) 29% Successful Captures (10) vs. Attempts (23) 43% Early 2000s success rate – Captures vs. Atts. 10%

Key Elements to a Successful Field Monitoring Project Clearly defined Clearly defined Project Goals Project Goals Data Quality Objectives Data Quality Objectives Methods Methods Appropriate Site Selection Appropriate Site Selection Dedicated Project Team

Adaptive 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 pieces

Experimentation in the Urban Environment Were running out of experimental opportunities!