2. At a watewater Treatment plant near you

3. Clean Water Act  Goal –Fishable –Swimmable  Classifications –Aquatic life –Recreation –Water Supply –Agriculture

4. Clean Water Act  Standards –Physical & Biological –Inorganic –Organic –Metals

5. Changes to Regulations  Triennial Review –Required by State & Federal Regs  Colorado Process 5 years –Required for;  Basic Standards  Stream Standards  Site Specific Standards  Other regulations

6. Standards implementation Basic Stds June 2005 Stream Stds Discharge Permit New or revised EPA criteria 2006 San Juan & Gunnison 2007 Arkansas & Rio Grande 2008 Colorado 2009 South Platte or ALL at once Next = June 2010

7. Basic Standards 2005  New definitions –Effluent dependent stream –Effluent dominated stream –E.coli  Ambient Quality Based Stds. –Clarification (95 th percentile)  Temporary Modifications –Clarification (Reg.31 & 61)

8. Basic Standards 2005 cont.  Antidegradation Provisions –Use protected designation  Change methodology  Statewide Standards –Clarification of radionuclide analysis –Add Tributyltin (TBT)  Recreation Classification

9. Basic Standards 2005 Cont.  Temperature Standards –Daily Maximum (“DM”)  Cold 23.8 C  Warm 32.5 C  Cool 29.4 C –Maximum weekly average Maximum temperature (“MWAT”)  Cold 19.3 C  Warm 29.2 C  24.2 C

10. Basic Standards 2005 cont.  Metals –Aluminum  Revise based on pH –Arsenic  Acknowledge MCL –Antimony  Eat more fish –Others-

11. Basic Standards 2005 Cont.  Ammonia Standards –EPA’s 1999 criteria  New calculation –AMMTOX –vs- CAM  Total –vs- unionized –Early life stages

12. Ammonia Impacts to POTWs  Cold Water Segments –Some relief, less stringent standards  OR Not = antidegradation  Warm Water segments –More stringent standards  Less ammonia in discharge –May require:  New facilities  Higher O&M costs  Higher Operator certification

13. When Did this Happen?  The standards were NOT adopted on the usual basin-by-basin schedule: –San Juan/Gunnison in June 2006 –Remaining basins was implemented in one hearing in March 2007  The WQCD has sent letters to all permittees with information on the planned implementation

14. Who is likely to be impacted  POTWs –Warm water streams –Low dilution flows –Early life stages present

15. Comparison of standards

18. What are Your Options?  Let the Division set your limits based on default AMMTOX assumptions  Supply site-specific data on ELS and trout to modify the default assumptions  Run the AMMTOX model yourself using site-specific data 1.Accept the results, if they are okay 2.Ask the WQCC for a temporary modification for your segment at the March 2007 hearing if you need >5 years to upgrade your facility 3.Ask the WQCC for a site-specific ammonia standard at the March 2007 hearing

19. What can you do ?  Be prepared –Collect data  Flow  Temperature  pH  Biology –ELS present ?  Seek professional help

20. Basic Sampling Program  What –Stream: pH, temperature, time, ammonia (u/s) –Effluent: ph, temperature  When –Stream: biweekly or monthly –Effluent: individual samples (not DMR)  Where –Upstream –Downstream (equilibrium conditions)  Other –Variation in pH and temperature over day –Seepage and velocity

21. Temperature Standards  Adopted January 2007 –Final approval February 12, 2007 –Implement in basin hearings  Postpone Arkansas & Rio Grande to 2012  Interim standard –Effective July 2007

23. Interim Temperature Stds.  Effective 7/1/07 until basin hearing –Cold water 1 & 2  20deg C (MWAT)  18.2 deg C (MWAT) Gold Medal Fisheries  17 deg C (MWAT) above 7,000ft –1 st through 3 rd order streams –Warm water 1&2  30deg C (MWAT) –No Acute Standards

24. Definitions  Daily Maximum Temperature (DM) –Highest 2hr average in 24hr period  Weekly Average Temperature –Mathematical mean of multiple,Equaly spaced, daily temperatures over a 7 day period. (3/day min.)

25. Definitions cont.  Maximum Weekly Average Temp. (MWAT) –-largest mathematical mean of multiple equally spaced, daily temperatures over a 7 day period---

28. Nutrient Criteria  Purpose –Prevent eutrophication from human sources  Excess algae growth –pH –D.O. –Appearance –Measured as chlorophyll a

29. Nutrient Criteria cont.  Phosphorus = cause in most waters  EPA proposal –Define Ecoregion  Use 25 th Percentile –Assumes, least productive= most desirable  Fishery management may justify Different #s

30. Nutrient Criteria -3  Many States developing own criteria –Colorado is –Lakes first  May need to be site specific  Control regulations may be model –Dillon Reservoir -7.4ug/l “P” –Cherry Creek Reservoir-15ug/l Chl-a –Chatfield Reservoir -27ug/l “P” –Bear Creek Reservoir –less green

36. Nutrient Criteria -4  Phosphorus removal –Biological  BNR –Chemical/ physical  Metal salts –Ferric chloride –Alum  Clarification  Filtration

37. Spill Reporting  Colorado Water Quality Forum Work group  Reason for –Many different interpretations  What is reportable  Process –10 meetings since 11/2006  Results –CDPH&E WQCCD policy WQE-10

38. Contaminants of Emerging Concern  Improvements in analytical methods Detect at very low levels  Parts per billion, parts per trillion  So what? –Current science has made few determinations of impacts  Compounds include –Antibiotics, Prescription Drugs, non prescription drugs,Sex & Steroidal hormones etc.,etc

39. Contaminants of Emerging Concern-2  Research needed –Health effects –Aquatic effects –Improved methods  Nonylphenol –State standard set  Delayed implementation date –No EPA approved method –Study underway  MWRD, Boulder, Littleton/Englewood/ Colorado Springs