Stober, Trent, HDR, Inc., 2014 Missouri Water Quality Regulations and Beyond, Missouri Water Seminar, Sept.4-5, 2014, Columbia, MO

2014 Missouri Water Seminar

2014 Missouri Water Quality Regulations

and Beyond

Presenter:

TRENT STOBER – HDR

Today’s Discussion

• 2014 Missouri Effluent Regulations

• 2014 Water Quality Standards Regulations

• Missouri TMDL Solutions

• 2015 Missouri Water Quality Standards

• 2017 Missouri Water Quality Standards

• Federal Ammonia Criteria

• Federal Bacteria Criteria

• Integrated Municipal Planning

Water Quality Standards Framework

• Beneficial Uses• Fishable/Swimmable

• Use Attainability Analyses

• Water Quality Criteria• Narrative

• Numeric

• Antidegradation• Primarily Permitting Impacts

• Alternatives Analyses

• Socio-Economic Importance

Federal Regulations

State Regulations

Impairments

TMDLsPermits

2014 Missouri Effluent Regulation

• Losing Stream Regulations

• BOD/TSS Limits Applicability

• Nitrate Limits Applicability

• 126 cfu/100 mL E. coli – 10% Exceedance

• Effluent Limit Derivation Process

• Compliance Schedule Provisions

Permit Limit Process

Water Quality

StandardsTotal

Maximum Daily Loads

Prevent Impairment &Antidegradatio

nImpairment Determinatio

n Water Quality & Biologic

Monitoring

NPDES Permit Requirements

Yes

No

Technology Standards

2014 Missouri Effluent Regulation

• Monitoring Provisions

• Flexibilities for reduced monitoring

• Bacteria & Nutrient Monitoring Frequency

• WET Testing Procedures

• Bypass Regulation, SSO Reporting and Blending Clarification

2014 Water Quality Standards Rule

• New Aquatic Life Uses & Structure

• Default “Fishable/Swimmable” Use Designations

• Beneficial Use Designation Dataset

• Use Attainability Analysis Process

• Variance Provisions

Default Beneficial Use Designations

• All perennial rivers and streams,

• All intermittent streams with permanent pools, and

• All waters represented by enhanced 1:100K NHD.

• Exceptions for wastewater and stormwater conveyances and treatment structures

2014 WQS Rule – Aquatic Life Uses & Structure

• Aquatic Habitats

• Great River 1,035 miles – 1%

• Large River 2,204 miles – 2%

• Small River 7,398 miles – 7%

• Creek 17,168 miles – 16%

• Headwater 80,419 miles – 74%

• Modified Aquatic Habitat

• Limited Aquatic Habitat

• Ephemeral Aquatic Habitat

Stream Network

New Fishable/Swimmable Streams

Challenges with Previous Framework

New Aquatic Life Use Framework

USEPA Review of 2014 Missouri 303d List

• 373 Approved Listings• 12 Disapproved

Delistings• 37 Approved Delistings

• 2 Fish Delistings due to Methodologies

• 3 Macroinvertebrate Delistings due to Size Comparisons

Variances: Pathway for Previous Missouri Nutrient TMDLs?

Permit Collision with TMDLs (40 CFR 122.44)

• State public notices Fulton permit reflecting first phase of approved TMDL implementation plan

• USEPA Objection to Fulton Permit• Effluent limits developed to protect a narrative

water quality criterion, a numeric water quality criterion, or both, are consistent with the assumptions and requirements of any available wasteload allocation for the discharge prepared by the State and approved by EPA pursuant to 40 CFR 130.7.

Fulton Permitting & TMDL Approach

• Variance from TMDL to Enhanced Nutrient Removal

• Iterative WWTP Improvements • 22 yr Compliance

Schedule• Stepwise progression

through nutrient improvements

• In-Stream assessment of WQS attainment

Fulton Permitting & TMDL Approach

• 2016• Bypass

Elimination• Secondary

Upgrades• Disinfection

Assessment, Delist,

New TMDL

• 2026• Biological

Nutrient Removal

• TP – 1 mg/L• TN – 8 mg/l

Assessment, Delist,

New TMDL • 2035• Enhanced

Nutrient Rem

• TP – 0.1 mg/L

• TN – 4 mg/lVariance, UAA, New

TMDL

Missouri 2015 Water Quality Standards Rule

Use Designation Dataset Revisions

Water Quality Criteria• Lake Nutrients• pH• Hardness Assumptions• SO4+Cl Assumptions

Mixing Zone Clarifications

Missouri 2017 Water Quality Standards Rule

Water Quality Criteria• Stream Nutrients• Dissolved Oxygen• Ammonia• Bacteria• Latest National Criteria• Wetlands

Incorporate Federal Regulations• Waters of the United States• Water Quality Standards

National Ammonia Criteria to Protect Mussels

2013 National Ammonia Criteria

Impacts of New Ammonia Criteria

• Large Receiving Water

Impacts of New Ammonia Criteria

• Effluent Dominated Stream

Recreational Criteria Background

• 1986 Bacteria Criteria• Based upon 1950’s studies• Epidemiologic studies to

understand risk• 2000 BEACH Act

• States must adopt new criteria

• USEPA to conduct studies and develop new criteria

• NRDC Lawsuit• 2008 Consent Decree &

Settlement Agreement

2012 Recreational Criteria

2012 Recreational Criteria Impacts

• States Heavily Impacted

• Tiered Recreational Uses

• Longer Averaging Periods

• Sample Size Restrictions for Impairment Decisions

• Adoption at Subsequent WQS Triennial Review

• Additional Impaired Waters

• Additional or Reevaluated TMDLs

• Altered Permit Limits

Regulatory Challenges Facing Today’s Utilities

Regulatory Challenges Facing Today’s Utilities

EPA’s Integrated Planning Framework

• US Conference of Mayors

• NACWA• EPA Memo: “Achieving

Water Quality Through Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Plans” Oct 27, 2011• Facilitate Use Sustainable

and Comprehensive Solutions, Including Green Infrastructure to Improve Water Quality

History and Issues EPA Final Framework June 5, 2012

Timing of Key USEPA Integrated Planning Policies

“Achieving Water Quality Through Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Plans”• October 2011

“Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning Approach Framework”• June 2012

“Assessing Financial Capability for Municipal Clean Water Act Requirements”• January 2013

“Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Planning - Frequently Asked Questions”• July 2013

USEPA Integrated Planning Overarching Principles

USEPA Integrated Planning Elements

Springfi eld/Greene County Integrated Planning Approach

• Phase I – Assessment• Where are we now?

• Phase II – Vision• Where do we want to

be?• Phase III – Tactical

• How do we get there?• Phase IV – Adaptive

Management• How will we measure

progress?

Today’s Discussion

• 2014 Missouri Effluent Regulations

• 2014 Water Quality Standards Regulations

• Missouri TMDL Solutions

• 2015 Missouri Water Quality Standards

• 2017 Missouri Water Quality Standards

• Federal Ammonia Criteria

• Federal Bacteria Criteria

• Integrated Municipal Planning

Thanks!

Trent StoberHDR Engineering

3610 Buttonwood Drive, Suite 200

Columbia, MO 65201573-489-5961

trent.stober@hdrinc.com

• Rulemaking Initiated – October 2009

• Expand Universe of Regulated Discharges

• Establish Minimum Post-Construction Standards for New and Redevelopment

• Develop Single Set of Consistent Requirements

• Address Retrofit Requirements for Existing Development

• Additional Requirements for Chesapeake Bay and other Sensitive Waters

• Rule Deferred – Mar 19, 2014

National Stormwater Rulemaking

• USEPA is “…updating [their] stormwater strategy to focus now on pursuing a suite of immediate actions to help support communities in addressing their stormwater challenges…”

Hooks in MS4 Permit WQS & TMDL Requirements

• Discharges causing or contributing to WQS impairments are not authorized

• SWMP must include description of BMPs ensuring that WQS impairments do not occur

• If TMDLs and WLAs are targeted at MS4• Determine future controls needed & supporting

calculations to meet WLA• Develop schedule of planned controls• Implement monitoring plan to demonstrate WLA

attainment

Missouri Draft MS4 Permit

• Current Permit Expired June 2013

• Similar Conditions in Current Draft

• Improved MEP Language• Remaining Issues

• Water Quality Criteria Applicability• Attain TMDL Wasteload Allocations• TMDL Implementation Plans

(30 months)• Affordability Analysis

• Potential for USEPA Enforcement or 3rd Party Lawsuits

MS4s MDNRMS4s USEPA NGOs

San Diego Region MS4 – May 2013

San Diego Region MS4 – May 2013

Boise, ID New Combined Sewer Community???

Federal Waters of the United States Rule

• Proposed Rule Published March 25, 2014• Intent to reflect US Supreme Court

Decisions and current USEPA/USACE Policy• Key Provisions

• Significant Nexus• Adjacent Waters• Tributaries• Ditches• Shallow Groundwater• Impoundments• Maintains Agricultural Permit Exemptions• Maintains Waste Treatment Exemptions

Key Impacts of Waters of the United States Rule

• 404/401 Permitting• Application of Water

Quality Standards• New Missouri WQS Rule• NPDES Permitting• MS4 Conveyances vs.

Streams

2012 Recreational Criteria

• Magnitude• Two sets of criteria at State discretion• Eliminates higher risk criteria• Geomean primarily based off of 1986 criteria• Statistical Threshold Values (STV) – 10% CI• Beach Advisory Values (BAV) – 25% CI

• Duration• 30 day static or rolling averaging period

regardless of sample size• Frequency

• Geometric mean shall not be exceeded• 10% exceedance for STV

Opportunities to Reduce Impacts

• Quantitative Microbial Risk Analyses• Waters with

mixture of bacteria sources

• Urban stormwater• NPS dominated• Large rivers

• Site Specific STVs• Flowing waters with

higher variability