OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

Monitoring Plan

Mike Mickelson and Ken Keay

Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

Boston Harbor project

CSO upgrades cleaner effluent improved outfall

• better dilution• subpycnocline discharge• distance from shore

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

concerns about outfall relocation

safe to swim safe to eat fish aesthetics ecosystem

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

Monitoring Plan development

1988 regulators require monitoring1991 Monitoring Plan developed1992 baseline monitoring implemented1994-96 monitoring design modifications1994 Contingency Plan developed1995 Bays Eutrophication Model (BEM)

completed 1995 draft thresholds developed1996 thresholds revised

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

Monitoring Plan development (continued)

1998 BEM model tested against monitoring data

1998 specific issues addressed (lobster larvae, whale-ship collisions, food web)

1999 final threshold statements and statistical protocols

1999 Monitoring Plan revised 1999 outfall to come on line

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

EPA/MADEP Permit for outfall T01:MWRA’s action list

1. monitor effluent7. Ambient Monitoring Plan

• test diffuser dilution• model eutrophication• study lobster larvae• submit scope of work for a whale-prey food web model• assist review of red tide monitoring

8. Contingency Plan• report exceedances quickly• simulate a problem• measure parameters relevant to nitrogen removal• maintain old outfalls in good working order

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

Permit (continued)

9. implement Best Management Practices10. impose water conservation11. keep hazardous waste out of the system13. monitor sludge quality for agricultural use15. limit industrial discharges16. monitor and improve CSO facilities18. maintain the sewer system

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

Permit (continued)

20. public reporting includes• the monthly Discharge Monitoring Reports• all “caution” and/or “warning” level exceedances• all reports sent by the MWRA to the OMSAP for

review• any proposed changes to the ambient Monitoring

Plan or Contingency Plan

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

objectives of monitoring

test for compliance with the Permit test whether environmental changes are within the

bounds projected by the SEIS test for exceedance of Contingency Plan

thresholds

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

basis of thresholds

relative to standards• Permit• State, federal criteria or guidelines

as assumed in EIS• modeled nitrogen load• dilution achieved by scale model

relative to baseline• mean value times a factor• 95th percentile (“appreciable”)

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

effluent monitoring

Contingency Plan thresholds• pathogen indicators, residual chlorine• total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand• toxicity testing, PCBs• flow, pH• nitrogen loading

other measurements:• numerous organic and inorganic contaminants

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

survey schedule

J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D months

1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 weeks| | | | | | | | | |

N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N water nearfieldF F F F F F water farfield

C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C fecal coliformV V V V V V virus

x x x x sediment fluxH S benthos (hard/soft-bottom)

F L M flounder/ lobster/ mussel| | | | | | | | | |

1 0 2 0 3 0 4 0 5 0 weeks

J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D months

watercolumnstations

J

- Nearfield, Farfield

FN F

-

M N

- N F

A N

-N

M

-

J N F

- N

J N

- N

A N F

- N

SN

-N F

ON

-

NN

-

D N

-71.0 -70.8 -70.6 -70.4 -70.2 -70.0

41.8

42.0

42.2

42.4

42.6

MWRA water column stations.

water chemistry winter zooplankton chem + plankton outfall diffuser chem + plankton + productivity 40 meter depth contour

N01N02

N03N04

N05

N06

N07N08

N09N10

N11

N12

N13N14

N15

N16N16

N17N18

N19

N20N21

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

water column

Contingency Plan thresholds• dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll• nuisance and noxious algae, zooplankton• diffuser mixing

other measurements• temperature, salinity, light, water clarity, • solids, all nutrients, plankton• photosynthesis, respiration• remote sensing, moored instruments, and marine mammal

observations• bacterial indicators, viruses

benthicstations(soft-bottom)

J

-

F

-

M

-

A

- Flux

M

-

J

- Hard-bottom

FluxJ

- Flux

A Soft-bottom

-

S

-

O Flux

-

N

-

D

-71.0 -70.8 -70.6 -70.4 -70.2 -70.0

41.8

42.0

42.2

42.4

42.6

MWRA benthic stations.

soft-bottom benthic stations outfall diffuser 40 meter depth contour

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

benthic monitoring

Contingency Plan thresholds: • community structure• sediment oxygen, and sediment toxic metal and

organic chemicals other measurements:

• sediment bulk characteristics, chemistry, and tracers• nutrient and oxygen flux• rock/cobble communities

fish &shellfishstations

J

-

F

-

M

-

FlounderA

-

M

-

J

-

LobsterJ

- Mussel

A

-

S

-

O

-

N

-

D

-71.0 -70.8 -70.6 -70.4 -70.2 -70.0

41.8

42.0

42.2

42.4

42.6

FLMF

F FLM

FL

M

M

MWRA fish and shellfish stations. F flounder stations L lobster stations M mussel stations outfall diffuser 40 meter depth contour

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

fish and shellfish monitoring

Contingency Plan thresholds• mercury, chlordane, dieldrin, DDTs, and PCBs in

flounder, lobster, and mussels• lead and PAH in mussels• liver disease in flounder

other measurements:• age, physical abnormalities

“In the Massachusetts Bays system, which includes the Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, and Cape Cod Bay, I think we have one of the best environmental monitoring programs not only in the US but in the world”

-Dr. Jerry Schubel, OMTF chair

Timely response to an exceedanceDay 1 MWRA receives data indicating exceedance

<90 days after sampling; <150 days for benthic diversityDay 5 Notify plant staff – adjust operations? Notify OMSAP.Day X OMSAP convenes

• confirm exceedance• decide on need for increased study or attention

Day 30 Warning Level exceedance• were there adverse impacts?• did MWRA contribute to such impacts?• MWRA prepares a response plan to address adverse

impacts that it caused.• report every 30 days until exceedance is remedied.

later MWRA reports responses in quarterly and annual reports.

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

Outfall Contingency Simulation(Red Tide threshold)

Caution Level: Alexandrium tamarense concentration (nearfield seasonal average) exceeds the 95th percentile of the baseline concentration (i.e. exceeds 0.3, 5, or 1 cells/L during winter-spring, summer, or fall, respectively).

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

Outfall Contingency Simulation(Red Tide schedule)

Day 1 Sampling.Day 7 Exceedance noted. Confirmation split sent to

WHOI. MWRA notified. MWRA notifies others.Day 9 MWRA, DMF, WHOI convene technical

meeting.Day 13 OMSAP convenes; advises EPA and MADEP.Day 55 Summary appears in next quarterly Wastewater

Performance Report.Day 226 Details appear in annual Outfall Monitoring

Overview.

OMSAP Public MeetingSeptember 1999

Warning Level exceedance:possible responses

tightened discharge limits revise plant operational procedures enhanced removal enhanced pollution prevention enhanced educational programs alternate disinfection options nitrogen removal basin-wide nitrogen control diversion of flow other corrective actions to be tailored in a timely fashion