Onondaga Lake Water Quality Presentation

Water Quality Improvements in Onondaga Lake Following Advanced Wastewater Treatment David A. Matthews, Upstate Freshwater Institute Janaki Suryadevara, Onondaga County Department of Water Environment Protection Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Presentation Overview • Trophic State and Metrics of Water Quality • Onondaga Lake and Historic Water Quality Conditions • Regulatory Framework • Onondaga County Infrastructure Projects • Onondaga Lake Response to Upgrades • Comparisons to Other Lake Rehabilitation Programs visitsyracuse.org Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

The Eutrophication Process high nutrient loading

excessive algal growth

oxygen depletion

diminished fish habitat

Oxygen Depletion August

June upper waters (epilimnion) lower waters (hypolimnion) Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Trophic State and Eutrophication Oligotrophic

• nutrient poor • low productivity • clear water

Mesotrophic

• moderate level of productivity

Eutrophic

• nutrient rich • high productivity • cloudy water • algal blooms

Cultural Eutrophication – an increase in productivity caused by human activity Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

• • • • • •

Metrics of Trophic State total phosphorus concentration in the epilimnion - TPepi chlorophyll concentration in the epilimnion - Chlepi Secchi disk transparency – SD downward flux of volatile suspended solids - DFVSS areal hypolimnetic oxygen deficit – AHOD minimum dissolved oxygen at fall turnover - DOmin

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

 Morphometry:  area = 12 km2

Onondaga Lake

 mean depth = 10.9 m  maximum depth = 20 m

 Stratification: dimictic  Chemistry: hardwater,

alkaline  Flushing rate: ~ 4 times/year  Watershed: 738 km2; population ~ 450,000  Location: metropolitan Syracuse, NY Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

South Deep

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

METRO

Historically Degraded Water Quality Conditions in Onondaga Lake

 high concentrations of

phytoplankton; algal blooms common  poor water clarity  rapid loss of dissolved oxygen (DO) from the lower waters  severe depletion of DO in upper waters during fall turnover Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

ONONDAGA COUNTY Infrastructure Projects & Initiatives Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Metropolitan Syracuse Wastewater Treatment Plant (Metro)

• Provides treatment for 245,000 residents and many industrial and commercial customers • Treats 62 MGD on average; full secondary and tertiary treatment up to 126 MGD; hydraulic capacity of 240 MGD • Discharges to surface of Onondaga Lake; 17% of annual inflow • Effluent contributed ~ 90% of ammonia load; ~ 60% of phosphorus load to lake Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Regulatory Framework Amended Consent Judgment (ACJ) – 1998 [grew out of the 1989 Consent Decree]

Goal: OL and its tributaries achieve best usage designated for Class “B” and “C” waters; comply with NYS AWQS/Guidelines (Ammonia, Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen, Phosphorus, Bacteria and Floatables)

15-year $380 million Phased Compliance program to achieve Lake and Tributary compliance with CWA by December 2012  Upgrades to Metro  CSO Abatement Projects  Implement AMP to assess the effectiveness of control actions

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Metro Upgrades and Compliance Results

Biological Aerated Filter (BAF) On-line January 2004

 Polystyrene bead filter media  Year-round nitrification  BAF system achieved Metro Stage III SPDES

Ammonia limit ahead of compliance schedule (effective date Dec 2012; met Feb 2004)  Onondaga Lake compliant with NYS ammonia standards and removed from 303(d) List (2008)

Actiflo® System (HRFS)

 On-line February 2005  High rate flocculation/settling of TP  Actiflo® system met Metro Stage II SPDES Interim Phosphorus 

limit of 0.12 mg/L on schedule (4/1/06) Metro Stage II SPDES Interim P limit amended - 0.10mg/L (November 2009 ACJ 4th Stipulation)

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Ammonia Loading from Metro 1990-2011

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Total Phosphorus Concentration of 1 Metro Effluent 2

TPMetro (mgP/L)

3

1 1971: ban on P detergents 2

4

2

1979: secondary treatment

3

1981: tertiary treatment; Ca-rich industrial waste

1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 4

1986: tertiary treatment; ferrous sulfate

5

1 0

3

~ 100 fold decrease in TPMetro from 1970 to 2011 Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

5

2005: ACTIFLO速

Phosphorus Loading to Onondaga Lake Metro and Watershed Sources

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Resurgence of Recreational Interest Fish community expanded; supports varied recreational fishery

County’s Program (2000-2012) captured 49 different fish species; combined with other recent studies conducted since early 1990’s – 64 species identified  Wild Carp Week Triathalon [2006 - Present]  2007 USA Wakeboard Nationals [July 2007]  2007 Bassmaster Memorial [July 2007]  Fishing For Dollars Tournament [2007 & 2008]

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

ACJ 4th Stipulation (2009)

Incorporates County Executive’s initiative on green infrastructure with goals to promote sustainability and ensure cost effectiveness while providing multiple community and environmental benefits [ACJ through 2018]

Green: Save the Rain Program

[green roofs/permeable pavement/tree plantings/rain gardens/cisterns]

Gray: CSO Abatements Projects [storage and treatment]

Regulatory Goals 1.

Capture & Treat 95% of Annual CSO Volume by reducing the amount of stormwater runoff/untreated sewage reaching the lake and its tributaries 2. Achieve AWQS in Tributaries and Onondaga Lake Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

ONONDAGA LAKE Response to Upgrades

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Lake Response to Reductions in TPMetro (mgP/L)

TPMetro

3 2

 large reductions in TPMetro

1

have resulted in:  reductions in TPepi  reductions in Chlepi  increases in SD

100

(µg/L)

TPepi

0

50

(µg/L)

Secchi Depth (m)

Chlepi

0 40 20

Daphnia

0 1 2 3 4 5 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

• clear water phase (CWP) in 1987-02 and 2008-09 • importance of “top-down” effects

Lake Response to Reductions in TPMetro (mgP/L)

(mg/L)

DOmin

DFVSS AHOD (mg/m2 d-1) (mg/m2 d-1)

TPMetro

3 2

 large reductions in

1

TPMetro have resulted in:  decreases DFVSS  reductions in AHOD  increases in DOmin

0 4 2 0 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 8 6 4 2 0

eliminated the need for hypolimnetic aeration 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

TPepi (µgP/L)

TPMetro (mgP/L)

1.5

-91%

1.0 0.5 0.0 75 50 25

-68%*

1/SD (1/m)

Chlepi (µg/L)

0

-84%

40 20 0 1.5

-67%

1.0 0.5

(g/m ·d)

2

DFVSS

0.0

-73%

4 2

AHOD (g/m2·d)

0

-59%

2 1

Lake Response to Reductions in TPMetro • three intervals considered: – Interval I: 1980-1986 • historic, degraded – Interval II: 1989-2002 • transition – Interval III: 2007-2011 • post ACTIFLO®

0 1980-1986

1989-2002

2007-2011

Interval Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Improvements in Trophic State Interval

TPepi

Chlepi

SD

DFVSS

AHOD

1980-1986, I

-

E

HE

HE

E

1989-2002, II

E

E

M

E

E

2007-2011, III

M

M

M

M

E

HE – hypereutrophic; E – eutrophic; M – mesotrophic

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Algal Bloom Frequency During Summer 100% Minor bloom (>15 ppb)

Major bloom (>30 ppb)

80%

• no major algal blooms since 2004 • no minor algal blooms since 2007

60% 40% 20% 0% 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Year

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

• cyanobacteria (bluegreen algae) are no longer an important component of the algal community

Response of Lakes to Diversion and Advanced Wastewater Treatment

• Diversion •Lake Washington, Washington •Lake Sammamish, Washington •Lake Norrviken, Sweden •Madison Lakes, Wisconsin • Advanced Wastewater Treatment •Shagawa Lake, Minnesota •Lake Zürich, Switzerland •Lake Søbygaard, Denmark Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Cooke et al. 2005

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

po st

20

Chl-a (Âľg/L)

0 40

0

-70%

-68%

po st

pr e

40

pr e

60

Secchi Depth (m)

Comparison of Lake Responses: Lake Washington and Onondaga Lake

TP (Âľg/L)

80

30 20

-84%

-83%

10

3 2 1

+3-fold

0

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Lake Washington

+3-fold Onondaga Lake

Summary  total phosphorus concentrations in the Metro effluent have been

reduced by 99% since 1970  successful rehabilitation; change in trophic state from hypereutrophy to mesotrophy  major improvements in common metrics of water quality  91% decrease in TPepi  84% decrease in Chlepi  3-fold increase in Secchi depth  additional water quality improvements anticipated (2012 TMDL) e.g., Save the Rain

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013

Fecal Coliform Bacteria Compliance (April-October 2011)

Onondaga County Executive Joanne Mahoney

NYWEA Spring Meeting June 2013