Water Quality Improvements in Onondaga Lake Following Advanced Wastewater Treatment David A. Matthews, Upstate Freshwater Institute Janaki Suryadevara, Onondaga County Department of Water Environment Protection Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Presentation Overview • Trophic State and Metrics of Water Quality • Onondaga Lake and Historic Water Quality Conditions • Regulatory Framework • Onondaga County Infrastructure Projects • Onondaga Lake Response to Upgrades • Comparisons to Other Lake Rehabilitation Programs visitsyracuse.org Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
The Eutrophication Process high nutrient loading
excessive algal growth
oxygen depletion
diminished fish habitat
Oxygen Depletion August
June upper waters (epilimnion) lower waters (hypolimnion) Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Trophic State and Eutrophication Oligotrophic
• nutrient poor • low productivity • clear water
Mesotrophic
• moderate level of productivity
Eutrophic
• nutrient rich • high productivity • cloudy water • algal blooms
Cultural Eutrophication – an increase in productivity caused by human activity Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
• • • • • •
Metrics of Trophic State total phosphorus concentration in the epilimnion - TPepi chlorophyll concentration in the epilimnion - Chlepi Secchi disk transparency – SD downward flux of volatile suspended solids - DFVSS areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit – AHOD minimum dissolved oxygen at fall turnover - DOmin
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Morphometry: area = 12 km2
Onondaga Lake
mean depth = 10.9 m maximum depth = 20 m
Stratification: dimictic Chemistry: hardwater,
alkaline Flushing rate: ~ 4 times/year Watershed: 738 km2; population ~ 450,000 Location: metropolitan Syracuse, NY Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
South Deep
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
METRO
Historically Degraded Water Quality Conditions in Onondaga Lake
high concentrations of
phytoplankton; algal blooms common poor water clarity rapid loss of dissolved oxygen (DO) from the lower waters severe depletion of DO in upper waters during fall turnover Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
ONONDAGA COUNTY Infrastructure Projects & Initiatives Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant (Metro)
• Provides treatment for 245,000 residents and many industrial and commercial customers • Treats 62 MGD on average; full secondary and tertiary treatment up to 126 MGD; hydraulic capacity of 240 MGD • Discharges to surface of Onondaga Lake; 17% of annual inflow • Effluent contributed ~ 90% of ammonia load; ~ 60% of phosphorus load to lake Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Regulatory Framework Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ) – 1998 [grew out of the 1989 Consent Decree]
Goal: OL and its tributaries achieve best usage designated for Class “B” and “C” waters; comply with NYS AWQS/Guidelines (Ammonia, Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen, Phosphorus, Bacteria and Floatables)
15-year $380 million Phased Compliance program to achieve Lake and Tributary compliance with CWA by December 2012 Upgrades to Metro CSO Abatement Projects Implement AMP to assess the effectiveness of control actions
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Metro Upgrades and Compliance Results
Biological Aerated Filter (BAF) On-line January 2004
Polystyrene bead filter media Year-round nitrification BAF system achieved Metro Stage III SPDES
Ammonia limit ahead of compliance schedule (effective date Dec 2012; met Feb 2004) Onondaga Lake compliant with NYS ammonia standards and removed from 303(d) List (2008)
Actiflo® System (HRFS)
On-line February 2005 High rate flocculation/settling of TP Actiflo® system met Metro Stage II SPDES Interim Phosphorus
limit of 0.12 mg/L on schedule (4/1/06) Metro Stage II SPDES Interim P limit amended - 0.10mg/L (November 2009 ACJ 4th Stipulation)
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Ammonia Loading from Metro 1990-2011
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Total Phosphorus Concentration of 1 Metro Effluent 2
TPMetro (mgP/L)
3
1 1971: ban on P detergents 2
4
2
1979: secondary treatment
3
1981: tertiary treatment; Ca-rich industrial waste
1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 4
1986: tertiary treatment; ferrous sulfate
5
1 0
3
~ 100 fold decrease in TPMetro from 1970 to 2011 Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
5
2005: ACTIFLO速
Phosphorus Loading to Onondaga Lake Metro and Watershed Sources
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Resurgence of Recreational Interest Fish community expanded; supports varied recreational fishery
County’s Program (2000-2012) captured 49 different fish species; combined with other recent studies conducted since early 1990’s – 64 species identified Wild Carp Week Triathalon [2006 - Present] 2007 USA Wakeboard Nationals [July 2007] 2007 Bassmaster Memorial [July 2007] Fishing For Dollars Tournament [2007 & 2008]
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
ACJ 4th Stipulation (2009)
Incorporates County Executive’s initiative on green infrastructure with goals to promote sustainability and ensure cost effectiveness while providing multiple community and environmental benefits [ACJ through 2018]
Green: Save the Rain Program
[green roofs/permeable pavement/tree plantings/rain gardens/cisterns]
Gray: CSO Abatements Projects [storage and treatment]
Regulatory Goals 1.
Capture & Treat 95% of Annual CSO Volume by reducing the amount of stormwater runoff/untreated sewage reaching the lake and its tributaries 2. Achieve AWQS in Tributaries and Onondaga Lake Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
ONONDAGA LAKE Response to Upgrades
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Lake Response to Reductions in TPMetro (mgP/L)
TPMetro
3 2
large reductions in TPMetro
1
have resulted in: reductions in TPepi reductions in Chlepi increases in SD
100
(µg/L)
TPepi
0
50
(µg/L)
Secchi Depth (m)
Chlepi
0 40 20
Daphnia
0 1 2 3 4 5 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
• clear water phase (CWP) in 1987-02 and 2008-09 • importance of “top-down” effects
Lake Response to Reductions in TPMetro (mgP/L)
(mg/L)
DOmin
DFVSS AHOD (mg/m2 d-1) (mg/m2 d-1)
TPMetro
3 2
large reductions in
1
TPMetro have resulted in: decreases DFVSS reductions in AHOD increases in DOmin
0 4 2 0 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 8 6 4 2 0
eliminated the need for hypolimnetic aeration 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
TPepi (µgP/L)
TPMetro (mgP/L)
1.5
-91%
1.0 0.5 0.0 75 50 25
-68%*
1/SD (1/m)
Chlepi (µg/L)
0
-84%
40 20 0 1.5
-67%
1.0 0.5
(g/m ·d)
2
DFVSS
0.0
-73%
4 2
AHOD (g/m2·d)
0
-59%
2 1
Lake Response to Reductions in TPMetro • three intervals considered: – Interval I: 1980-1986 • historic, degraded – Interval II: 1989-2002 • transition – Interval III: 2007-2011 • post ACTIFLO®
0 1980-1986
1989-2002
2007-2011
Interval Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Improvements in Trophic State Interval
TPepi
Chlepi
SD
DFVSS
AHOD
1980-1986, I
-
E
HE
HE
E
1989-2002, II
E
E
M
E
E
2007-2011, III
M
M
M
M
E
HE – hypereutrophic; E – eutrophic; M – mesotrophic
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Algal Bloom Frequency During Summer 100% Minor bloom (>15 ppb)
Major bloom (>30 ppb)
80%
• no major algal blooms since 2004 • no minor algal blooms since 2007
60% 40% 20% 0% 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
Year
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
• cyanobacteria (bluegreen algae) are no longer an important component of the algal community
Response of Lakes to Diversion and Advanced Wastewater Treatment
• Diversion •Lake Washington, Washington •Lake Sammamish, Washington •Lake Norrviken, Sweden •Madison Lakes, Wisconsin • Advanced Wastewater Treatment •Shagawa Lake, Minnesota •Lake Zürich, Switzerland •Lake Søbygaard, Denmark Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Cooke et al. 2005
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
po st
20
Chl-a (Âľg/L)
0 40
0
-70%
-68%
po st
pr e
40
pr e
60
Secchi Depth (m)
Comparison of Lake Responses: Lake Washington and Onondaga Lake
TP (Âľg/L)
80
30 20
-84%
-83%
10
3 2 1
+3-fold
0
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Lake Washington
+3-fold Onondaga Lake
Summary total phosphorus concentrations in the Metro effluent have been
reduced by 99% since 1970 successful rehabilitation; change in trophic state from hypereutrophy to mesotrophy major improvements in common metrics of water quality 91% decrease in TPepi 84% decrease in Chlepi 3-fold increase in Secchi depth additional water quality improvements anticipated (2012 TMDL) e.g., Save the Rain
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013
Fecal Coliform Bacteria Compliance (April-October 2011)
Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney
NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013