Yuqiao Reservoir and Lake Erie Excess Nutrients, Watershed Protection, Collaboration, and Integrated Approaches John Ungvarsky Environmental Scientist USEPA Region 9 photo credit: Peter Husby
Yuqiao Reservoir and Lake Erie
Excess Nutrients, Watershed Protection,
Collaboration, and Integrated Approaches
John Ungvarsky
Environmental Scientist
USEPA Region 9 photo credit: Peter Husby
Yuqiao Reservoir
NE China, Tianjin Province
Tianjin is 6th largest urban center
in China
Yuqiao Reservoir provides drinking
water for 6 million people
Source water conveyed 100 km
Yuqiao Reservoir
“Safe Drinking Water for Sustainable Cities” grant to the Civil Engineering Research Foundation in 2003
Primary objective of the project was to ensure delivery of safe drinking water to Tianjin
The Yuqiao Reservoir is representative of water quality concerns in China.
Classified as Environmental Quality Standard Grade V because of excess nutrients. Goal is Grade III.
Yuqiao Reservoir Watershed
Yuqiao Reservoir Watershed, Principle Features and Monitoring Stations
Tianjin Province
Hebei Province
Problem Statement & Identification
• Drinking water treatment can be adversely impacted by algal blooms and result in formation of disinfection byproducts
Eutrophication pattern can occur during summer and fall
• The algal blooms in the Yuqiao Reservoir result from excess nutrients in the water
Assessment of Yuqiao
• Objective: Assess the quantity/quality of water and
relative contribution of nutrient sources
• Utilize all available methods
to collect needed data
• Data collection methods used- GIS - Mapping
- Surveys - Water quality sampling
- Water quantity measurement - Meteorological data
- Models - Extrapolation
Primary Sources of Nutrients
Affecting the Yuqiao
Runoff from villages
Runoff from agricultural lands
Wastewater: restaurants and hotels
Sediments in Yuqiao (phosphorus)
Sources in Hebei Province
• sources in neighboring watershed
• stormwater and wastewater from Zunhua
Runoff from Villages and Farms
• 128 villages around Yuqiao
• Roads
• Farmland
• Animal manures
Key Partners …
US Environmental
Protection Agency
Tianjin Environmental
Protection Bureau
Tianjin Environmental
Monitoring Center
Jixian Environmental
Protection Bureau
ESD China
Civil Engineering Research
Foundation
Recommendations
Focus on Sources Around Yuqiao
• Comprehensive and Integrated Approach at a Village Scale
Short-Term
Long-Term
Watershed Management Needed
Provincial and watershed boundaries
Feasibility Study for Demonstration Project
• Comprehensive approach drafted by Tianjin Academy of Environmental Sciences in December 2007
Modify traditional waste management to reduce nutrient and pathogen runoff from village; collect and transport to central location
Treat animal waste and crop residue in a digester to create renewable energy (biogas) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions
Renewable fuel source for cooking and improved air quality
Introduce nutrient management concepts to reduce runoff from farms and protect groundwater while utilizing nutrient-rich digester byproducts for crop production
Additional goals …
• Cost-effective, replicable,
• Village acceptance/ownership and easy management
Centralized Digester Option
Demonstration Project
• Agreements on demonstration project
Centralized Digester
Yaobiazhuang
Leverage EPA grant
• Lessons in Patience and Compromise
Challenge securing local funding
Yoabiazhuang out, Dajugezhuang in
Digester technology: household
Dajugezhuang
• 1150 people, 250+ homes
• swine (600), cattle (200), ducks (10,000)
• corn, wheat, orchards
Monitoring
Water• surface water
• runoff
• groundwater
Air • indoor and ambient
Solids• manure, crop residues
Biogas• volume generated
Runoff sampling sites
Project Status
• Full Implementation (2010)
– Monitoring plan for water quality, biosolids, biogas, air quality
– 200 + household digesters (most 8 m3) in the ground
– Full operation (2010)
• Training and Capacity Building (2009/2010)
– waste management, operation & maintenance of digesters
– nutrient management involving US experts
• Project Evaluation (2010/2011)
– Measuring success : environmental benefits, economics, village acceptance
• Extended Successes to Other Areas
Acknowledgments
• Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau
• Tianjin Academy of Environmental Sciences
• Tianjin Environmental Monitoring Center
• Jixian Environmental Protection Bureau
• Yaobaizhuang & Dagujezhuang
• US Environmental Protection Agency
• Terry Oda, consultant and formerly with EPA
• Professor Robert Burns, University of Tennessee
• Hailin Zhang, Oklahoma State University
• Forbes Walker, University of Tennessee
Clean Water Act &
Safe Drinking Water Act
The Source Water Protection Team
Standards
Treatment
Monitoring
Beneficial Uses
Water Quality
Standards
Commercial
Fishing
Habitat
Recreation
Supply
Case Study: Lake Erie
• Drinking water source for 11 million people; 26,000 km2
• During the 1960s Lake Erie was perceived to be "dying" as
excessive phosphorus causing eutrophic conditions
• Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement signed by the United States
and Canada in 1972. Coordinated, international approach
• Phosphorus concentrations declined from treatment technologies
implemented (e.g., POTWs), phosphorus banned in laundry
detergents
• Unprecedented success in producing environmental results through
international cooperation
Phosphorus Trends
Lake Erie
Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP)
• Watershed approach
• Federal, state and provincial governments
• Restore and protect the Lake Erie ecosystem
but … algal blooms have returned
Blue-green algae Microcystis
• Can produce toxin microcystin
• Could impact drinking water, recreational use, and aquatic community.
• Nutrient Management
Strategy pending (2010)
• More focus on non-industrial
sources (e.g., agriculture)
– 61% of P load
• Soluble reactive phosphorus
Nutrient Innovations Task Group
“Over 2.5 million acres of lakes,
reservoirs and ponds and 80,000 miles of
rivers and streams across the United
States are not meeting a state’s water
quality goals due to nutrients.”
“All major sources of nutrients must be
held accountable for their contributions
to the problem.”
Water Quality & Nutrients Web Sites
• Water Quality Criteria for Nitrogen and
Phosphorus Pollution
http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/nutrient/
• Lake Erie Binational Site
http://www.epa.gov/lakeerie
• Nutrient Innovations Task Grouphttp://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/waterquality/standards/
criteria/aqlife/pollutants/nutrient/