Annual Report 2019 - MVWQD

ANNUAL REPORT

2019

MISSOULA VALLEY

WATER QUALITY DISTRICT Protecting Missoula’s Sole-Source Aquifer Since 1993 Our Mission: To protect and improve surface and groundwater quality within the Missoula Valley

301 West Alder, Missoula, MT 59802 (406) 258-4964 waterquality@missoulacounty.us www.missoulacounty.us/wqd

2019

ANNUAL REPORT WATER QUALITY DISTRICT

Reflecting on 2019 is invigorating! It’s an opportunity to celebrate successes and challenge ourselves in the year ahead. Just this month, while attending a documentary about the significant sanitation struggles of urban cities in developing countries, my kids were amazed at the conditions of an urban river running through major population centers.

The river carried the city’s wastewater (untreated) along with its garbage. These stark images beg the question “What can we do in our small part of the globe to make a difference, when compared to the bigger issues elsewhere?” This question is really a call to action and an empowerment to think globally and to act locally.

While we don’t see the same types and quantities of contaminants flowing through Missoula’s urban streams, this was not always the case. Raw sewage was discharged to the Clark Fork until 1962 when our first treatment plant was built.

We now know that vigilant protection of our urban streams is key to their preservation. The aquifer beneath us, not easily seen, is the lifeblood of our community and continues to keep the District engaged in its protection and improvement.

We are grateful to live in a community that values these resources and puts their protection as a priority. Our local actions over the year include: • Working with our City to identify a location for permanent safe collection of household toxics.

• Identifying water level trends and providing our planners with the best data to protect groundwater and surface water.

• Mapping the movement of the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers to protect downgradient residents and the integrity of our rivers.

• Tracking and actively engaging in our local clean-up sites.

And a lot more! We celebrate these successes of work completed, ongoing and yet to come. We’re proud to work in a headwaters state and community that values water protection!

TRAVIS ROSS WATER QUALITY SUPERVISOR

MISSOULA VALLEY WATER QUALITY DISTRICT

WHO IS THE WATER QUALITY DISTRICT? Residents of Missoula depend on the Missoula Aquifer for 100% of their drinking water. Accordingly, it is a designated as a Sole-Source Aquifer by EPA. In the late 1980’s, numerous contaminants such as petroleum, sewage, solvents and pesticides were discovered in the aquifer prompting the closure of some public supply wells. Citizens, recognizing the connection between groundwater and surface water, as well as the benfits of protecting Missoula’s water resources, called for a local agency built on these core values. So, in 1993, the Missoula Valley Water Quality District was formed.

This District is administered by the Missoula City-County Health Department and is governed by a 8-member board of local elected officials and engaged community members. In addition, a 20-member Water Quality Advisory Council meets monthly to work on issues such as clean-up efforts, water policy and regulations, public education, and to advise the District and its Board. Our combined goal is to protect surface water and groundwater quality in the Missoula Valley.

OUR TEAM

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: MARTIN VIERECKL, EMILY LARSON, TODD SEIB, ELENA EVANS, TRAVIS ROSS AND THOMAS COPE

EMILY LARSON

TRAVIS ROSS

PROGRAM SUPPORT SPEACIALIST

SUPERVISOR

TODD SEIB

WATER QUALITY SPECIALIST

Travis brings 19 years of experience in water

Emily leads the District’s technology charge

With a PhD in Toxicology, Todd leads the effort

quality to lead the District in serving its people

and has supervised ongoing improvements to

to identify toxic and hazardous waste issues that

and fulfilling the District’s mission. Travis

our online file system, streamlined permitting,

impact the District. The pollution prevention

supervises the District, coordinates with the

improved the fee assessment system, and brings

(P2) program has undergone some changes to

Water Quality Advisory Council and works

everyday common-sense solutions to the District.

provide clearer guidelines to businesses that

with partner agencies and local government

Our websites and documents have also been

are responsible for implementing protections to

departments to address water quality needs,

polished and improved with Emily’s eye toward

reduce threats to Missoula’s sole-source aquifer.

cleanup sites, identify research opportunities and

detail.

Todd also leads the District’s education and

plan future projects.

ELENA EVANS HYDROGEOLOGIST

outreach efforts.

MARTIN VIERECKL GIS SPECIALIST

THOMAS COPE AMERICORPS MEMBER

Elena’s background in hydrogeology and

As the newest member of the team, Martin

Thomas is excited to be serving the District as a

geomorphology is furthering the District’s effort

is thrilled to bring his background in GIS and

Big Sky Watershed Corps (AmeriCorps) member

to understand long-term groundwater trends

cartography to the protection and improvement

for 2020. He looks forward to using his degree in

and identify areas where more data is needed.

of Missoula’s water resources. Martin’s goal

History to help the District expand its capacity,

With more real-time water level sensors installed

is to utilize GIS technology to streamline data

especially in education and outreach efforts.

in wells and surface water and an increase in

collection efforts, and to find creative ways to

surface water data, she is looking forward to

convey important spatial components of water

further refining our understanding of Missoula’s

quality issues.

sole-source aquifer and protecting water quality.

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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Missoula Valley Water Quality District

TABLE OF CONTENTS 2019 Introduction Letter .............................2 Who is the Water Quality District? .............3 Our Team .....................................................3 Overview Map and Timeline ......................4

CORE VALUES Education and Outreach .............................6 Research and Monitoring ...........................8 Pollution Prevention .................................12

PROJECT SPOTLIGHTS Surface Water-Groundwater Interaction Study at Smurfit Stone ..............................14 White Pine Sash .........................................16

Looking Forward ........................................20

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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CORE VALUES

EDUCATION & OUTREACH • Pollution Outreach • Household Hazardous Waste Days (Haz Waste Days) • Partnerships & Social Media

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Missoula Valley Water Quality District

EDUCATION & OUTREACH

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issoula’s groundwater and surface water is precious and abundant. Missoulians withdraw billions of gallons each year from the aquifer, and the WQD boundary encompasses this water source, spanning an area of approximately 200 square miles.

Enviroscape Related Outreach

This is a lot to protect! So while the District • Home and Garden Show (March 30 and 31, 2019) is charged with preserving, protecting, and • Target Range School - 3 Second Grade classes (May 8, 2019) improving our groundwater and surface • Burn’s Street Kids Club (July 1, 2019) waters, we can’t do it alone! Our education • Volunteer Fair (September 12, 2019) and outreach activities allow us to share • Let’s Talk About Water Event (September 18, 2019) our love for this precious resource, but it also helps engage the community, schools, and partners like the Watershed Education Network, Clark Fork Coalition, and other groups to help us accomplish our goal of protecting and improving our water.

POLLUTION OUTREACH Pollution can come from a variety of scattered sources like pet waste, auto fluids, sediment on roadways, and car washes. These diffuse sources are known as “non-point source pollution”, and controlling them is a challenge.

In 2019 we also continued to provide annual funding and staff support to the Watershed Education Network (WEN) to support water quality educational efforts within the District. Through our support WEN provided outreach to 1,593 students.

One form of public education we conducted in 2019, was the developedment of the “Clean Suds Car Wash Kit”. This kit is perfect for non-profits who use car washes to raise money, and is crucial for safely collecting and disposing of used car wash water.

In 2019, we also used our interactive community and landscape model, Enviroscape™, to demonstrate the impacts non-point source pollution have on stormwater, surface water, and groundwater.

One location we focused on was Target Range School. The Target We continued to distribute pet waste bags and Range neighborhood is in an area where the aquifer is close to the stickers at events throughout 2019. ground surface (less than 10 feet in some areas!) This is also an area where Missoula’s groundwater recharges the Bitterroot River. Good stormwater protection practices on land, such as appropriate deicing, pet and livestock waste management, auto washing and maintenance, and fertilizer and herbicide use are especially important in this area.

HAZ WASTE DAYS We hosted our annual Household Hazardous Waste Days event on September 20th and 21st. In two days we collected approximately 4,000 gallons of flammable waste products and over 10,000 pounds of pesticides.

Social Media: The District loves connecting with our community!

One way we do so is through our Facebook page, where we post information about water-related events like river clean ups and local seminars. We also post regularly to offer tips on preventing non-point source pollution and protecting groundwater and surface water, or to highlight new water quality research. This year we posted 44 times and our followers grew by 63%!

We continue to work on the development of a year-round disposal option for household hazardous wastes. With an established facility, local citizens will have more accessible means in carrying out their individual responsibilities in protecting our waterways and drinking water.

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CORE VALUES

RESEARCH & MONITORING • • • • •

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Storm Water Groundwater Drinking Water Microplastics Volunteer Monitoring

Missoula Valley Water Quality District

RESEARCH & MONITORING STORM WATER The District assists the University of Montana and City and County of Missoula with aspects of their storm water management programs. We use storm water data to gauge trends in discharge quality. We currently sample 4 locations that represent commercial, residential, and background qualities of storm water.

In 2019 our dry-weather sampling (sampling storm water pipes during periods of no rain) led to the identification of a new issue at the Ravenwood drainage in Missoula’s Miller Creek Neighborhood. This drainage runs through a dense residential area and eventually discharges to the Bitterroot River. This year, we received three complaints from area residents related to flowing water at times of the year that had been dry during past years. We worked with the City of Missoula Storm Water Utility and local consultants to help identify the sources of this flow. In addition to increased development and impermeable surfaces upgradient of the area, we are also aware of many natural springs in the area.

Natural changes in the drainage from seasonal runoff (snowpack melting faster and earlier), changes in flow from residential development that diverts or blocks the springs, and increased septic system installations upgradient could be altering and adding to the preferred path for the spring water. We tested the drainage for chlorides and nutrients, and while not above water quality standards, we recorded levels that were suggestive of human-caused impacts such as deicers, fertilizers, sewage, and pet waste. The District plans to conduct further monitoring of this location to learn more.

GROUNDWATER The District takes a pulse on water conditions through the valley by compiling data from various sources.

The foundation of much of our understanding is a network of 40 dedicated monitoring wells which are monitored quarterly for groundwater elevation and annually for dissolved metals, nutrients and other parameters. When used in conjunction with publicly available water quality data, private well test results, clean-up investigation information, and academic research, these data can give crucial insight into the state of our aquifer.

DRINKING WATER We continue to work with individual homeowners to trouble-shoot water quality problems they may be having.

These are primarily taste and odor complaints.

MICROPLASTICS Plastic, and more specifically, microplastic (particles <5mm) have been a known pollutant of the ocean and shown to be a problem for aquatic birds and other species for many years. Finding it A water droplet contianing microplastics in freshwater has been a fairly recent discovery and the jury is still out on what its presence in the environment means for human health. We want to know more about how and if the water resources in Missoula have been impacted. In 2019, we conducted a survey of microplastic levels in surface water, storm water, wastewater, and groundwater in the District. Having a city center surrounded by rural lands, a wastewater treatment plant in town, unique stormwater infrastructure, and access to a number of groundwater monitoring wells allows us to survey diverse areas. Our surface water sampling sites were chosen to incorporate both the densely populated and more rural sections of the Clark Fork River, ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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as well as a background site. The potential contributions of storm water and the capability of a stormwater treatment device to remove the microplastics were tested at Caras Park. Additionally, we are assessing seasonal differences (the effect of people’s clothing choices) on poly-fiber levels in municipal wastewater treatment effluent.

PATTEE CREEK While it may surprise many Missoula residents, Pattee Creek did not always reach the Bitterroot river.

Historically, the creek dissipated into a series of wetlands on Missoula’s southside that are now occupied by neighborhoods. Today however, water flows all the way from Pattee Canyon to the Bitterroot River through a series of underground pipes and concrete channels. The natural Creek officially ends as it leaves Pattee Canyon and enters the storm water treatment pond at the intersection of southwest Higgins Street and Pattee Canyon Road. After that, the Creek is largely piped and channelled, receiving year-round drainage of springs from the south hills of Missoula. The District tests the creek from upstream of town, in the canyon all the way to its discharge to the Bitterroot river. Our goal is to assess water quality impacts on this unique water way, specifically related to its contribution of seditment and chloride to the Bitterroot River. Some of our questions include: What are background levels of sediment and chloride in Pattee Creek upstream of developed areas?

How much sediment (TSS) and chloride are entering the Bitterroot from Pattee Creek during spring thaw?

How much sediment (TSS) and chloride are entering the Bitterroot from Pattee Creek during rain events?

Are certain neighborhoods/areas contributing more sediment and chloride?

How much sediment and chloride are being removed by the sediment treatment pond and Bancroft Ponds (a city park that also functions as a treatment wetlands)?

Sediment in parts per million (TSS or Total Suspended Solids) at 5 sample locations along Pattee Creek, compared to the standard.

With just one year of data, this project is still in it’s early stages. But as we expected, the highest Chloride in parts per million at 5 sample locations along Pattee Creek, compared to concentrations of sediment and chlorides were the standard. measured during the spring runoff period. More collection events will help us better define and understand these trends.

VOLUNTEER MONITORING 2019 was the inaugural year of our Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring Program. The objectivefor the first year of the study was to identify baseline data and possible impacts of urbanization on smaller streams within the Water Quality District. Nine volunteers collected samples from 19 sites on six streams in June, July, and October. Samples were analyzed for nutrients, chloride and total suspended solids. Sampling locations were selected so one site on each stream reflected background conditions with downstream sites representing land use changes, reach changes, or cumulative impacts.

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Missoula Valley Water Quality District

RESEARCH & MONITORING The Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers have been studied more extensively and assessed for whether they meet water quality standards. To expand our understanding to tributary streams, we sampled Grant, Miller, O’Brien, O’Keefe, Pattee and Rattlesnake Creeks. Of these creeks, O’Keefe Creek consistently had the highest concentrations for all parameters with downstream sites on O’Keefe Creek having the highest concentrations across parameters (Nutrients, Chloride, TSS).

O’Keefe Creek flows north to south from the Evaro area to its confluence with the Clark Fork upstream of the Smurfit-Stone site. Historically, O’Keefe Creek has flowed intermittently south of I-90. However, while monitoring the creek, flow was witnessed throughout the entire year, even while waterbodies like Grant and Butler Creeks, were dry at downstream sites in the Missoula Valley. We hypothesize this new year-round flow could be the result of a number of changes; increased inputs from septic systems in the increasingly developed Wye area, and reduced groundwater use downstream from the Smurfit-Stone pump field. Volunteers likely witnessed peak flows for O’Keefe Creek in 2019 following a rain on frozen ground event in April that left a number of fields flooded and resulted in significant sediment runoff from several construction sites in the area. Additionally, groundwater monitoring on Waldo Road indicates that the shallow aquifer shows reduced seasonal variability and information from a nearby private supply well indicates ground water remains very near the groundsurface. In fact, this well showed groundwater levels increasing by as much as 15 feet! The District plans to install a deeper dedicated monitoring well and continue to monitor O’Keefe Creek for water quality parameters and discharge to learn more about the O’Keefe drainage, improve water quality, and understand surface water-groundwater interaction and increasing groundwater levels.

In 2019, the MVWQD tested Pattee Creek for suspended solids (TSS) and chloride at five points (shown as pink crosses). Also in 2019, the help of volunteers was enlisted to help generate data regarding various contaminants and flow levels at 19 points (shown as orange dots) along rivers and streams throughout the district.

ANNUAL REPORT 2019

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CORE VALUES

POLLUTION PREVENTION • Regulated Substance Storage and Permitting • Complaint and Spill Response

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Missoula Valley Water Quality District

POLLUTION PREVENTION

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striking difference between the Missoula Valley Water Quality District and other districts in the state lies in our environmental regulatory authority. In 1994 the Missoula Valley Water Quality Ordinance was jointly passed by Missoula City Council and County Commissioners as a new municipal code that applies up to five miles outside of city limits. The broad purpose of the ordinance is to protect the quality of the solesource aquifer and surface waters in the Missoula Valley. The ordinance is applied in two specific ways: REGULATED SUBSTANCE STORAGE AND PERMITTING Our pollution prevention permitting program applies to facilities that handle regulated substances in large quantities within the Water Quality District Ordinance Boundary. The permitting process requires facilities to develop a spill prevention plan, provide training, implement applicable Best Management Practices, and be prepared for emergencies.

Because our aquifer is so vulnerable to contamination, facilities that do not store large enough quantities to require a permit will in some cases be required to secondarily contain their chemicals. The WQD periodically towels are used to prevent spilled diesel from inspects permitted Oil-absorbent entering a storm drain.

New P2 Search tool used in investigations: The ability facilities to ensure to quickly see the distribution of P2 facilities, and the compliance.

We quantities and types of chemicals stored at those facilities is a new and crucial tool we are using for public education, currently have 142 permitted facilities. We also review new in the event of a natural disaster, and for investigating releases. businesses as they open to ensure proper controls and if necessary, permits, are in place.

COMPLAINT AND SPILL RESPONSE The Ordinance prohibits placing contamination where it may pollute groundwater or surface waters.

To protect water resources and enforce this provision we log and respond to all complaints relating to water pollution.

Because chemical spills don’t only happen during work hours, a 24/7 emergency response team is always on call. In 2019, the WQD received and responded to 57 complaints. In most instances, staff were able to respond to complaints and spills within 24 hours.

The District responded to a wide variety of issues in 2019. Many of the “other” complaints in 2019 dealt with flooding property and, spring water movement.

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

CLARK FORK GROUNDWATER INTERACTION STUDY AT SMURFIT STONE

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Missoula Valley Water Quality District

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SURFACE WATER-GROUNDWATER INTERACTION STUDY AT SMURFIT STONE

n 2019, The District was fortunate to partner with Silixa and the Gardner Lab at the University of Montana to better understand groundwater recharge and contributions to the Clark Fork adjacent to the Smurfit-Stone property.

Silixa is an industry leader in distributed temperature sensing and generously partnered with the District to place 2.7 miles of fiber-optic cable in the Clark Fork River and take measurements in July, August, and September.

Along the length of the cable, six locations of groundwater recharge were identified using temperature differences.

In a large river such as the Clark Fork, identifying these areas is a large step forward in identifying key zones where groundwater enters the river.

Meanwhile, the University of Montana conducted a related study to identify whole-river contributions from groundwater to a slightly longer reach of the Clark Fork.

By sampling well-mixed water collected from the fastest part of the river, researchers are able to identify areas of high groundwater recharge by testing for dissolved radon.

Radon is an isotope that allows researchers to determine how recently water samples left their underground source and were incorporated in the stream. Since we know the rate at which Radon dissipates, back-calculating can provide an understanding of its source. This method varies from distributed temperature sensing in that it is not specific to an area of the river (like where the fiberoptic cable is placed) but represents contributions of groundwater from both sides of the river, with the radon signal stronger closer to where the groundwater enters surface water and lessening downstream.

Using a fiber optic cable and a differential temperature sensor, groundwater-surface water interaction sites can be identified where temperatures are unusually low. Using this and other methods, 6 areas of groundwater recharge were identified near Smurfit Stone.

Findings from both studies gave the District a better understanding of how groundwater interacts with the Clark Fork River near the Smurfit Stone site. This information will be used by the District to advocate for increased water quality sampling in the DEQâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Smurfit-Stone Assessment and refinement of their Site Conceptual Model.

2.7 miles of fiber optic cable was unspooled and secured to the Clark Fork River bottom adjacent to Smurfit Stone. Photo by Agatha Podrasky.

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

WHITE PINE SASH

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Missoula Valley Water Quality District

WHITE PINE SASH

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or most of twentieth century, lumber products were milled and treated at Missoula’s White Pine Sash (MWPS) facility on Scott Street and resulted in contaminated soil and groundwater.

Beginning in the mid-1930’s, door and window sash components were immersed in a stored mixture of diesel fuel and pentachlorophenol, also known as PCP or penta. Penta is a powerful pesticide and wood preservative, but also contains harmful dioxins. Once dipped, these window components were stacked on a slanted concrete pad to drain back into the dipping vats. When the drain pad was full, components were set on the bare ground to drain and dry.

The facility’s first reported dipping system was located on the southeast portion of the site and remained there until 1950. Underground tanks (USTs) stored the diesel that was pumped into the mixing vat, where solid penta flakes or granules were introduced. This mixture was then pumped directly into a large dipping vat.

In approximately 1950, a replacement dip system was installed adjacent to the first one and was used until 1987. This second dipping operation hinged on two 12,000-gallon above ground tanks (ASTs), an opentopped underground dip tank, and connective piping systems.

A pipe ran from the open-top dip tank to an injection well under the Scott St. underpass. The well was lined with round stones that were stacked without mortar.

The injection well, roughly 12 feet deep and 5 feet in diameter, teepee burner and log pond as seen from above White Pine Sash operated on Missoula’s Northside. was filled with nearby soil (likely APhoto credit: UM Archives already contaminated) in 1996.

In addition to the penta and dioxins introduced by MWPS’s dipping system, mill operations generated large quantities of methane-producing wood waste in the form of scrapwood and sawdust.

Methane is highly flammable and its presence poses a threat to future use of the property because it can migrate into structures. High methane levels were found mostly in the northern section of the former mill site at the location of the teepee burner. Much of this methane-generating wood waste was removed during 2016 and 2017 remediation efforts when 85,000 tons of contaminated waste and soil were removed by Huttig Building Products who owned the MWPS property between 1971 and 1999.

Originally planned to begin at the end of 2019, remediation work at the Former Wood Treatment Area (FWTA), the contaminated portion of the property with regards to penta and dioxins, has not yet begun.

The design and construction of a plastic-lined pit known as a land-treatment unit (LTU) has been the most-recent hurdle to be crossed before contractors can begin the excavation process. The main concern with the land-treatment unit is the inherent risk of leak or seepage that could reintroduce the penta and dioxins into the Missoula Aquifer.

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PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

1905

The Missoula Lumber Company begins mill operations at a large facility on Missoula’s north side

1917

Spokane company White Pine Sash purchases the 43-acre facility, which is thereafter called Missoula White Pine Sash

mid - 1930s

Implementation of first dipping system which included underground diesel tanks, above ground mixing vat where penta flakes were dissolved into the diesel, and an above ground dipping vat

1950

Implementation of a second, redesigned dipping system which included two 12,000 gallon above ground storage tanks, and an underground, open-topped, dipping vat

1971

Huttig Building Products of St. Louis purchases MWPS Facility

1987

Letter from Montana Department of Health and Environmental Services (MDHES, later MT DEQ) alerts MWPS management of association with PCP use and high dioxin levels

1989

MDHES discovers penta-contaminated soil at MWPS while monitoring removal of an underground storage tank

1993

MDHES samples groundwater at the site and finds contamination from petroleum products as well as PCP and dioxins

1994

In July, EPA includes MWPS site on Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) list In December, MDHES lists Facility on Comprehensive Environmental Cleanup and Responsibility Act (CECRA) list Also in 1994, a coalition of former MWPS workers, Northside Neighborhood Association members, and other interested citizens form the Citizens Advisory Group

1995

DEQ names Huttig as party responsible for remediation costs with a Unilateral Administrative Order

1996

MWPS facility closes permanently

1999

Huttig sells its property at MWPS: roughly 12 acres to WWW Investments, LLC and roughly 30 acres to Scott St., LLP

2000

Scott Street LLP and WWW Investments sell a combined 15.5 acres at MWPS site to the City of Missoula All three parties donate one acre of land to form a city park, now called White Pine Park

2003

Mountain Water Company’s public supply well at Dickens and Defoe, located two blocks east of former Wood Treatment Area, is closed

2014

Missoula County Commissioners and City Council pass Resolution 7861, which requests that DEQ “reconsider its conclusion…and recognize residential use as a future anticipated land use” at MWPS site

2015

In February, DEQ issues a Record of Decision which presents the selected remedial actions for MWPS site In September, DEQ approves Huttig’s Remedial Action Work Plan

2019 Spring 2020

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Logistical concerns postpone remediation activities at Former Wood Treatment Area Anticipated start for excavation of Former Wood Treatment area where some of the highest penta and dioxin levels still exist

Missoula Valley Water Quality District

WHITE PINE SASH

DEQ anticipates that field work will begin in spring 2020, but predicts that multiple seasons will be required for full remediation at the former dipping area. “The degree of oversight that we’ll be providing for this area will be fairly high given the nature of the contaminants,” said Dan Norris, DEQ’s Project Manager for the site . In April 2020, the LTU will be installed on the southwest portion of the Scott St. property and excavation of the dipping area can begin in early summer. Once in the LTU, the contaminated soil will be periodically aerated and watered to help microorganisms naturally break down the penta. Soil will be tested and the soil that does not meet standards will be hauled to an out-of-state facility.

Following the excavation of the area (expected to extend 5-15 feet below ground surface), deeper remediation will take place through in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO), a process which injects liquid oxidants into the ground and converts contaminants into harmless by-products. This process will likely occur during the 2021 and 2022 field seasons.

Areas with high dioxin levels at the White Pine Sash Superfund Site.

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LOOKING FORWARD

2020 AND BEYOND

• • • • •

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Advocacy Capacity Data Collection Channel Migration Zone Mapping Ordinance

Missoula Valley Water Quality District

LOOKING FORWARD

ADVOCACY During 2019, the District actively engaged in state legislation rule packages with water and public health implications. These included supporting legislation that provided meaningful steps for dischargers to meet water quality standards, adoption of new groundwater and surface water standards for cancercausing chemicals such as PFAS and PFOA, and administrative rules for management of radioactive waste generated by oil and gas exploration (TENORM). At a local level, the District participated in local planning efforts related to specific subdivisions and planning efforts such as the Downtown Master Plan and County Land Use Map. In 2020, we plan to participate in the Mullan Area Master Plan and incorporate ongoing efforts to understand groundwater levels and quality into larger planning efforts.

CAPACITY During 2020 the District is hosting its first Big Sky Watershed Corps member. Thomas Cope joined the Water Quality District in January 2020, and is already off to a great start - collecting groundwater and surface water field data, conducting water sampling, educating the public, and developing a story map of a state superfund site in Missoula (White Pine Sash). Additionally in January, the District hired its first Environmental Health/GIS Specialist. Martin Viereckl is helping us better use, organize, and collect the volumes of sampling data the District maintains. His cartography skills will also help us communicate important water quality data simply and effectively with maps!

DATA COLLECTION The District is working through 2020 to move data and processes into GIS-based platforms. This enables environmental testing data to be more readily analyzed. The District has already seen the value in GIS-based data analysis as we look at nitrate trends across the Missoula Valley. We see that, over time nitrate levels have decreased as septic systems are connected to municipal sewer. Using GIS to manage testing data also allows us to identify threats to water supplies, or changes to aquifer characteristics in a timely way and respond to questions with a more robust set of data. We will also be migrating a subset of our monitoring well network to automated water-level sensors (transducers).

These will allow us to see changes to water level throughout the year in more detail than quarterly measurements.

CHANNEL MIGRATION ZONE MAPPING The Water Quality District has partnered with the Missoula Conservation District to develop channel migration zone (CMZ) mapping for the Clark Fork and Bitterroot Rivers throughout Missoula County.

The map products are currently under development and expected to be available by mid-2020. By using historic aerial photography, CMZ mapping demonstrates how rivers move across the floodplain over time. They can also be used to anticipate future channel movement.

ORDINANCE Since 1994, the Water Quality District has relied upon the City of Missoula Municipal Code (Water Quality Ordinance), to provide a regulatory framework of protection of our sole source of drinking water. These regulations, which the District administers, address common sources of contamination such as proper containment, storage, and disposal of hazardous substances. The District is currently revising the ordinance by incorporating lessons learned over 25 years of aquifer protection. These revisions will be clearer and provide better protection to our local water resources.

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