Presented by Caitlin Ruza Ohio Environmental Protection Agency

April 4, 2013 Ohio Water Environment Association Watershed Workshop

• Introduction

• Wastewater Treatment

• Clean Water Act

• US EPA Integrated Planning Approach

• Examples of Integrated Planning in Ohio

• What You Can Do

• Average American uses 100-176 gallons/day

• 1/2 inch rain in Columbus = 1.8 billion gallons

• Over 75% of homes connected to collection systems

• Treatment facilities range in quality

Photo: D - Ohio EPA. 2012.

• Recycle water

• Protect water quality

• Protect human health

• Pollutant reduction

– Nutrients

– Chemicals

– Metals

– Solids

– Bacteria

• Beach closing

• Fish kills

• Boil alerts

• Harmful algal blooms (HABs)

• Aesthetic problems

Photo E: SCDHEC, 2012 Photo F: Ohio DNR. ND. Photo G: NWF, 2011.

• Enacted in 1972

• Regulates discharge of pollutants

• Regulates water quality standards

• Established NPDES program

Photo J: IMGACE, 2012. Photo K:Associated Press, 2011.

Photo H: The Plain Dealer, 2008. Photo I: Plunderbund, 2012

Meeting the goals of CWA

• Addressing municipal waste and storm water separately

– Inefficient planning

– Increasingly expensive

– Increasing issues

– Lack of funds

US EPA Integrated Planning Approach

Stormwater

Treatment Sewer

Overflows

Adaptable Approach

• Define the scope

• Address 6 key elements

• Green infrastructure

• Implement the plan

– NPDES Permit

• Enforcement

Participation is voluntary

• Prioritize projects

• Maintain existing regulatory standards

• Balance CWA requirements

• EPA and/or the State approval

• Utilize innovative technology

Integrated planning sectors may include:

• Separate sanitary sewer system (SSS)

• Municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4)

• Combined sewer system (CSS)

• Wastewater treatment plant (WWTP)

• Source water protection

• Non-point source control (NPS)

Residential

Urban Industrial

WWTP

Storm Sewer

Sanitary Sewer

Residential

Urban Industrial

WWTP

Storm Sewer

Sanitary Sewer

Residential

Urban Industrial

WWTP

Combined Sewer

Residential

Urban Industrial

WWTP

Combined Sewer

Combined Sewer Overflow

• Address regulatory issues

• Evaluate current performance

• Coordinate

• Develop alternatives and schedules

• Define performance goals

• Consider possible improvements

Incorporate plan into NPDES permit

• Compliance schedule

• Flexibility

– possible phased approach

• Prioritize the most significant human health and environmental needs first

• Non-compliance with CWA

• Judicial Action

– Administrative Order

– Consent Decree

• Incorporate the Integrated Plan

– Schedule

– Priorities

– Flexibility

• Springfield

• Columbus

• Cincinnati

• Cleveland

NPDES Permits with CSOs Small Medium Large

• CSOs impacting Mad River

~1 billion gallons/year

• LTCP submitted 2000

– State Lead

• Phased implementation of CSO control projects

• Projects Incorporated into NPDES Permit

2007 NPDES Permit

• Phase I Projects

– Express sewer, WWTP upgrades, HRT facility

• Phase II submittal in 2012

2013 NPDES Permit

• Phase II Projects

• SSO Consent Decree with State of Ohio – 2002

• CSO Consent Decree - 2004

• Wet Weather Management Plan - 2008

• “Project Clean Rivers” – System-wide upgrades and improvements

Photo O: Project Clean Rivers. City of Columbus, Ohio Department of Public Utilities. 2013.

• 150 MGD treatment plant upgrades

• Tunnels for wet weather storage – OARS – CSO control

– ART – SSO control

– ORT – SSO control

• Priority Areas-SSO Control

Photo P: OARS 02329. City of Columbus, Ohio Department of Public Utilities. 2013.

• WWMP Amendment approved 2012

– Inflow & Infiltration removal

– Green infrastructure

Photo Q: MS Consultants. 2012.

• 14 billion gallons/year of CSO

• Interim Partial Consent Decree - 2002

• Global Consent Decree - 2010

• Wet Weather Improvement Program

• Established “Project Groundwork”

– CSOs, SSOs, WIB

– 2 phase approach

Photo L: Project Groundwork. MSDGC. ND

CSO #5

Photo M: MSDGC, 2012.

2012 Proposed Green Corridor

Photo N: MSDGC, 2012.

• Consent Decree - 2010

• “Project Clean Lake”

– $3 Billion; 25 years

• Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan

• Green for gray option

Photo R: Project Clean Lake. NEORSD. 2013.

• Green Infrastructure (GI) Plan

– Invest $42 million

– Capture 44 million gallons

– Complete by 2019

– Demonstrate implementation by 2021

• Developed a GI Index

• Coordination was essential

• Identified alternatives

Bioretention Swales

Photo S: Bioretention Swale or Cell. NEORSD. 2011

Photo T: Impervious Surface Removal and Reforestation. 2011

Photo U: Pervious/Porous Pavements. NEORSD. 2011.

Impervious Surface Removal

Photo V: Constructed Wetland (Wetland Extended Detention). NEORSD. 2011.

Constructed Wetland

Green Roof

Photo W: Green Roof. NEORSD. 2011

Reduce • Take shorter showers using low flow shower head • Replace private laterals to reduce I/I • Turn off the faucet when brushing teeth or shaving • Compost organics instead of using a garbage disposal Reuse • Reuse pet water to water plants • Reuse stormwater by installing a rain barrel • Landscape a rain garden

Be a good example -Share water conservation tips with children, friends and neighbors.

YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

• Use Integrated Planning Approach to manage CWA requirements

• Integrate NPDES permit and enforcement mechanisms

• Prioritize to achieve significant pollutant reductions

• Utilize gray and green infrastructure

– Maximize water quality benefits

– Lower costs

Water Use and Reclamation USGS. 2013. Rain: A Valuable Resource. Accessed March 8, 2013 at <http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/ earthrain.html> The World Water Organization. 2010. Water Facts & Water Stories from Across the Globe. Accessed March 8, 2013 at <http://www. theworldwater.org/water_facts. php> US EPA. 2004. Primer for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Systems. Accessed March 13 at < http://water .epa.gov/aboutow/owm/upload/2005_08_19_primer.pdf Clean Water Act US EPA. 2013. Summary of the Clean Water Act. Accessed March 12, 2013 at <http://www.epa.gov /regulations/laws/cwa.html> Integrated Planning Approach US EPA. 2013. Integrated Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater Plans. Accessed February 20, 2013 at <http://cfpub.epa.gov/ npdes/integratedplans.cfm> Columbus City of Columbus, Ohio Department of Public Utilities. 2013. Project Clean Rivers. Accessed March 4, 2013 at < http://publicutilities. columbus.gov/content.aspx?id=17376> MSDGC MSDGC. ND. Project Groundwork: Sustainable Infrastructure. Accessed March 4, 2013 at <http://project groundwork.org/sustainability/ groundwork/> Project Groundwork. ND. What’s the Solution? Accessed March 4, 2013 at <http://projectgroundwork.org/ solutions/index.htm> NEORSD NEORSD. December 28, 2011. Green Infrastructure Plan NEORSD. 2013. Project Clean Lake. Accessed on March 15, 2013 at <http://www.neorsd.org/I_Library .php?a=download_file&LIBRARY_RECORD_ID=5526>

Photos ( in order of appearance):

A-National Fish Habitat Partnership. ND. Web. Accessed Mar. 20, 2013 at < http://fishhabitat.org/partnership/ohio-river-basin-fish-habitat-partnership>

B -Sustainable Heights Network. 2012. Web. Accessed Mar. 20, 2013 at <http://www.sustainableheightsnetwork.net/2012/05/lake-erie-starts-herewith-little-help.html>

C - Photos: CSO Long-Term Control Plan presentation to NEORSD Trustees 2010 1118. NEORSD. 2010. Web. 4 Feb. 2013.

D - Ohio EPA. 2012. Wastewater Plants General Information. Web. Accessed March 15, 2013 at <http://www.epa.ohio.gov/dsw/pti/index.aspx>

E: South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), 2012. NPDES Permitting. Accessed March 6, 2013 at <https://www.scdhec.gov/environment/water/npdespage.htm>

F: Ohio DNR. ND. Pond Problems & Solutions: Fish Kills. Web. Accessed March 15, 2013 http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/home/fishing/pond/fishkills/tabid/6222/default.aspx

G: National Wildlife Federation (NWF), 2011. Toxic Algal Bloom Confirmed in Western Lake Erie. Accessed March 6, 2013 at <http://blog.nwf.org/2011/08/toxic-algae-bloom-lake-erie/>

H: The Plain Dealer, 2008. Euclid Corridor Health Line is a Strong RX for Cleveland’s Once and Future Main Street. Accessed March 6, 2013 at <http://blog.cleveland.com/architecture/2008/11/_cleveland_a_city_fighting.html>

I: Plunderbund, 2012. Will Kasich’s School Plan Lower Suburban Ohio Home Values? Accessed March 6, 2013 at <http://www.plunderbund.com/2012/03/12/will-kasichs-school-plan-lower-suburban-ohio-home-values/>

J: IMGACE, 2012. Hurricane Sandy Update from the Weather Channel October 30. Accessed March 6, 2013 at <http://imgace.com/pic/2012/10/hurricane-sandy-update-from-the-weather-channel-october-30/>

K: Associated Press, 2011. Bacteria Prompts Advisories at Ceaser Creek, Cowan Lake Park Beaches. Accessed March 6, 2013 at <http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2011/05/bacteria_prompts_advisories_at.html>

L: Project Groundwork. MSDGC. ND. What’s the Solution? Web. Accessed Mar. 13, 2013 at: <http://projectgroundwork.org/solutions/index.htm

M & N : MSDGC. 2012. Lower Mill Creek Partial Remedy Community Town Hall Meetings August 16, 2012 August 23, 2012. PowerPoint Presentation. Accessed March 25, at <http://projectgroundwork.org/downloads/lowermillcreek/Lower_Mill_Creek_meetings_presentation_23aug2012.pdf>

O: Project Clean Rivers. City of Columbus, Ohio Department of Public Utilities. 2013. Web. Mar. 5, 2013 at < http://publicutilities.col umbus.gov/content.aspx?id=17376>

P: City of Columbus, Ohio Department of Public Utilities. 2013. Accessed Mar. 5, 2013 at http://publicutilities.columbus.gov/doclibrary.aspx?id=54689

Q: MS Consultants. 2012. A New Way to Measure Sustainability. Accessed March 28, 2013 at <http://www.msconsultants.com/a-new-way-to-measure-sustainabilityh/>

R: Project Clean Lake. NEORSD. 2013. Web. Accessed on March 15, 2013 at http://www.neorsd.org/I_Library.php?a=download_file&LIBRARY_RECORD_ID=5526

S, T, U, V & W : Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD). December 28, 2011. Green Infrastructure Plan.