Introduction to the SEWRPC Regional Water Quality Management Plan Update for the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds

Presentation to Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust Kinnickinnic and Menomonee River Watershed Restoration Plan Watershed Action Teams Workshop No. 1 November 10, 2008 Michael G. Hahn, PE, PH SEWRPC Chief Environmental Engineer

SEWRPC Regional Water Quality Management Plan Update / MMSD 2020 Facilities Plan
Cooperative, Intergovernmental Watershed-Based Planning Program

Partners:

REGIONAL WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLAN UPDATE (RWQMPU or 208 Plan)

SEWRPC is State-designated and Federally-recognized areawide water quality planning agency RWQMPU prepared pursuant to Section 208 of the Federal Clean Water Act Areawide water quality planning is watershed-based Plan provides: Recommendations to abate water pollution Basis for issuance by WDNR of Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permits Basis for public and private sanitary sewer extension approvals

REGIONAL WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT PLANNING IN SE WISCONSIN

Initial 1979 Regionwide Plan Amended by SEWRPC Milwaukee Harbor Estuary Study in 1987 1995 SEWRPC Report Documented Status of Implementation of 1979 Plan Continuing Program is OngoingWDNR & SEWRPC Cooperative Program with U.S. EPA Support (sewer service areas, environmental corridor protection, etc.) 2003-2007 RWQMPU for Greater Milwaukee Watersheds

SEWRPC Regional Water Quality Management Plan Update / MMSD 2020 Facilities Plan (2020 FP)
Parallel, coordinated planning processes Both utilize the same watershed-based water quality models Joint Citizens Advisory Council and Watershed Officials Forum SEWRPC RWQMPU also has: Technical Advisory Committee Modeling Subcommittee

SEWRPC Regional Water Quality Management Plan Update Study Area

Civil Divisions
Nine Counties Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Washington, and Waukesha Dodge, Fond du Lac, and Sheboygan 88 Municipalities

SEWRPC Regional Water Quality Management Plan Update

SEWRPC has Prepared Two Reports: Planning Report No. 50, A Regional Water Quality Management Plan Update for the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds Technical Report No. 39, Water Quality Conditions and Sources of Pollution in the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds View chapters at sewrpc.org under Water Quality Management Plan and Plan Chapters

208 Plan Objectives

Develop a watershed-based plan Holistically address all water pollution sources Cost-effectively improve water quality Meet designated water use objectives and water quality standards/criteria to the degree possible Consider alternatives to simply meeting current regulations for point source control if a greater improvement in water quality can be achieved costeffectively

Existing Water Quality Conditions and Sources of Pollution in the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds Comparisons Watershed-wide conformance with water quality standards Conformance with water quality standards over time at given locations in streams Changes over time at given locations in streams Relative point and nonpoint source pollution loads

Water Use Objectives

Proportion of Dissolved Oxygen Samples Meeting Water Quality Standards for Greater Milwaukee Watersheds: 1975-2004
Percent meeting water quality standards
100

80

60

40

20

0 1975-1986 Milwaukee River Root River 1987-1993 Oak Creek 1994-1997 Menomonee River 1998-2001 or 2004 Kinnickinnic River

Proportion of Total Phosphorus Samples Meeting Water Quality Planning Standard for Greater Milwaukee Watersheds: 1975-2004
100

Percent meeting water quality standards

80

60

40

20

0 1975-1986 Milwaukee River Root River 1987-1993 Oak Creek 1994-1997 Menomonee River 1998-2001 or 2004 Kinnickinnic River

Proportion of Fecal Coliform Bacteria Samples Meeting Water Quality Standards for Greater Milwaukee Watersheds: 1975-2004
100

Percent meeting water quality standards

80

60

40

20

0 1975-1986 Milwaukee River Root River 1987-1993 Oak Creek 1994-1997 Menomonee River 1998-2001 or 2004 Kinnickinnic River

Fecal Coliform Bacteria Mean Concentrations at Two Sites in the Menomonee River Watershed: 1975-2001
2500

Fecal Coliform Bacteria (cells/100ml)

2000 1500 1000 500 0 County Lin e Road (RM 23.5) Upstream Site (WashingtonW ukes ha County Line) a

Special Va riance Standard 1000 cells /100ml-

Fecal Standard 200 cells/100ml-

S . 2nd Street (RM 0.0) Downstr eam Site (Just upstream o f the confluence wi th the Milwaukee River )

Monitoring Station 1975-1986 1987-1993 1994-1997 1998-2001

Chloride Mean Concentrations at Two Sites in the Menomonee River Watershed: 1975-2001
120 100
Chloride ( mg/l)

Note: Recomm ended planning s tandard of 1,000 mg/l is of f the graph scale .

80 60 40 20 0 County Line Road (RM 23.5) Ups tream Site (WashingtonWaukesha County Line) Moni toring Stati on 1975-1986 1987- 1993 1994-1997 1998-2001 S . 2nd Street (RM 0.0) Downstream Site (Just upstream o f the confluence with the Mi lwaukee River)

Mean Annual Concentrations of Total Phosphorus in the Menomonee (1985-2001) and Root (1986-2003) Rivers
Mean Total P hosphorus (mg/ l)

Planni ng Standard 0.1mg/l

0 .10

Menomonee River Main Stem

0.05

0.00 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 199 5 1996 1997 1998 1 999 2000 2001

0.25
Mean Total Phosphorus (mg/l)

Root River Main Stem

Planning Standard0.1mg/l

0.20

0.15

0.10

0.05

0.00 1986 1987 1988 198 9 1990 199 1 1992 199 3 1994 1995 199 6 1997 199 8 1999 2000 2 001 2002 200 3

Impro ving Water Qualit y

0.30

Improving Water Quality

0.15

Total Loads From Watershed: Fecal Coliform Bacteria

CSOs 5% WWTPs <1% SSOs 1% 22 Rural NPS 35 SSOs <1% 7 SSOs <1% 10 4 Rural NPS 2 93 84 20 11

100

80 Percent of Total

WWTPs CSOs SSOs

69

60

40

Urban NPS 59

78

Rural NPS Urban NPS

20

0 Milwaukee River Root River Oak Creek Menomonee Kinnickinnic River River

Pollution Sources Summary

Industrial Discharge 0%
Urban-NonAgricultural Runoff 23% WWTP 5% SSO's 2%

Greater Milwaukee Watersheds Fecal Coliform Loadings

CSO's 49% RuralAgricultural Runoff 21%

Industrial Discharge 0%

WWTP 2.5%

SSO's 2.5% CSO's 5% RuralAgricultural Runoff 21%

1975

Estimated Pollutant Reduction over 25-Year Period About 50 Percent

Urban-NonAgricultural Runoff 69%

KKRW: 69% nps, 31% pt source MnRW: 86% nps, 14% pt source

CONCLUSION: Focus on abating stormwater runoff pollution

2000

Identification of Nonpoint Source Hot Spots

Kinnickinnic River Watershed

Menomonee River Watershed

Phosphorus Loads in lbs per acre per year

Recommended Plan Components

Land Use Plan Element Surface Water Quality Element Urban and rural nonpoint source pollution abatement Point source pollution abatement measures in areas outside the MMSD planning area Generally includes MMSD 2020 Facilities Plan recommendations Instream water quality measures Inland lake measures Auxiliary surface water quality measures Groundwater Management Plan Element

Land Use Plan Element

Conveyance facilities sized using year 2020 population and land use based on community-supplied information and MMSD regional storage and treatment facilities sized using 2020 population and land use based on 2035 regional land use plan

Land Use Plan Element

Preserve primary environmental corridors (PEC) 85 % of PEC currently protected
Public interest ownership State-local floodplain and shorelandwetland zoning State rules on sanitary sewer extensions Local land use regulations

Preserve natural areas and critical species habitat sites

Base Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement Subelement

Rural Realistic level of implementation of Chapter NR 151 rules Manure and nutrient management (six months storage) Controls on barnyard runoff Riparian buffers Wetland and prairie restoration (restore 10% of crop and pasture land, focusing on marginally productive land) Tie-in with MMSD Greenseams program Restrict livestock access to streams Manage milking center wastewater Manage private onsite waste treatment systems

Urban Full implementation of Chapter NR 151 rules Enhanced program to detect and eliminate illicit discharges to the stormwater management system and to control urban-sourced pathogens Fertilizer management (low phosphorus fertilizer) Chloride reduction (roads and water softeners) Green features such as rain barrels, rain gardens, and stormwater trees Management of pet litter, marina waste Control of non-migratory waterfowl Litter control

Base Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement Subelement

Instream Water Quality Measures

Where practicable, and consistent with flood control needs, restore or rehabilitate selected degraded stream channels, including concrete-lined channels Develop dam abandonment and associated riverine area restoration plans Design stream crossings to allow passage of aquatic organisms

Instream Water Quality Measures

Fisheries Protect remaining natural channels Minimize number of stream crossings As opportunities arise, remove or retrofit obstructions to fish passage

Auxiliary Surface Water Quality Measures

Public beaches (local sources of contamination) Household hazardous waste collection Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (collection programs) Exotic invasive species

Auxiliary Surface Water Quality Measures

Instream water quality monitoring MMSD WDNR USGS Citizen-based programs
Lake monitoring (WDNR) Water Action Volunteers (UWEX) Testing the Waters (Riveredge Nature Center) Friends of Milwaukees Rivers Monitoring Program

Summary of Plan Costs

Plan Category
Urban runoff pollution abatement Rural runoff pollution abatement MMSD & member communities sewerage system Instream measures Other sewerage systems Monitoring and Other Total

Estimated Capital Cost

$239.0 million $244.0 million $1,981.0 million $183.9 million $66.8 million $1.0 million $2.72 billion

Average Annual Operation and Maintenance Cost

$34.7 million $21.8 million $1.5 million $0.6 million $0.8 million $1.9 million $61.3 million

Note: Of the total capital cost, $1.49 billion, or 55 percent, represent new expenditures, of the total Operation and Maintenance cost, $28.4 million, or 46 percent, represent new expenditures. Source: MMSD, HNTB, and SEWRPC.

Ability of Draft Recommended Plan to Meet Water Use Objectives and Water Quality Standards
Assessed based on: Water quality modeling results for pollutants for which there are regulatory or planning standards Modeled changes in instream pollutant concentrations under recommended conditions relative to existing and future conditions

Water Quality Standards Compliance Under Recommended Plan Conditions: Kinnickinnic and Menomonee River Watersheds

Implementation Plan
Designates over 100 management agencies with implementation responsibilities Recommends increased State funding for nonpoint source pollution abatement Includes an inventory of Federal, State, and private grant programs

Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust

Non-governmental, non-taxing, voluntary partnership Improve Regions water resources Watershed-based approach