How Water Quality Research Leads

to Regional Action

10th Annual

Clean Rivers, Clean Lake

Conference

May 1, 2014

Cooperative Research Collaborations

E=mc2

Research Creates the Ripple Effect of

Knowledge, Decisions and Action!

Onionology

Research is like Peeling an Onion

What does good research require?

Yet, sometimes the answer is right in

front of you and you don’t see it!

Patience

Perseverance

Commitment

Diligence

Determination

Objectivity

and the Keen Power of Observation

An intense focus like that of hunting

Designed to improve the understanding of the emerging issues

facing the various water resources within the region.

Protect and promote the public's health and environment.

Assists scientists, water resource managers and policy makers by

providing sound technical and scientific information necessary

for beneficial programs, projects and objective policy decisions.

Identifies operational improvements and performance.

Takes advantage of collaborations and partnerships with others

to leverage limited research dollars in order to maximize results.

Fosters economic opportunities and growth.

Commonality of Design

Like speed dating on steroids

Does urban stream restorations scale up?

An analysis of

ecosystem

response to

restorations

throughout

river

networks in

the Great

Lakes basin.

Research overview

Phase 1: Process-based field work, Summer 2014

Assess the economic

and social costs and

benefits associated with

restoration actions.

Develop a management

tool to prioritize sites in

urban watersheds for

future restorations.

Quantify ecosystem

services related to

restorations in locations

within a river network.

.

Phase 2: Work towards management tool, Winter 2014/15

Phase 3: Scale results to urban areas

throughout the Great Lakes basin,

Summer 2015

Economic cost ($) = Social gain (reduced flood risk)

Return on investment = - Social + ecological gain

Economic cost

(A) Main Channel (A)

Storage (As)

k1 k2 + NH4

+

PO4

3-

+

Action: Scale results to urban areas throughout the

Great Lakes Basin

Applying data to decisions – return on

investment

Determine long-term trends in

chlorides due to road salt influence

Examine long-term chloride trends (~20+ years) in Milwaukee area streams

Compare seasonal differences in chloride trends

Compare chloride concentrations to established aquatic life criteria

Compare trends in Milwaukee area streams to urban rivers in other U.S. cities

The 800 Pound Gorilla in the Room

Road Salt

1

10

100

1,000

10,000

Estimated…

Estimated Chloride Concentrations Menomonee River Real-Time Monitoring

70th St. and State St. January 1 - April 8 , 2014

Ch

lori

de

s m

g/L

Acute 757 mg/L

Chronic 395 mg/L

Average number of days EPA

chronic water-quality criteria (230

mg/L) was exceeded in 1991-95

compared to 2006-10

The average exceedance

frequency has increased to as

much as 294 and 261 days per

year on the Kinnickinic and

Menomonee Rivers in the 2006-10

time period, respectively.

Action: Modeled Daily Results

Aquatic toxicity from road salt

Pyrolysis of Biosolids

Pyrolysis is the heating of organic material in a low or no-

oxygen environment at very high temperatures.

Organics are destroyed, producing a gaseous product

called “pygas” that contains combustible products that

can be use for energy.

A liquid fraction is also produced in the pyrolysis process

called “pyoil.

The pyrolysis process also produces “biochar”, the

remaining solid product after pyrolysis”.

Pyrolysis Process

The Pyrolysis Options

Pyrolysis - Lack of O2

- ~500oC ~50% Gas (CH4, CO, H2)

~2% Bio-oil

~48 % Biochar

Waste

Biosolids Anaerobic

Digestion

Drying &

Pelletizing

Fertilizer Pellets Land Application

Adsorption of Nutrients

From wastewater

Heat

Nutrient Rich

Wastewater

Recycle

Nutrient Deficient

Wastewater

Nutr

ien

t R

ich

Bio

ch

ar

Actions: Pyrolysis of Biosolids

Explores energy positive sustainable disposal

methods for biosolids

Serves as a means for sequestering carbon

Successful process will reduce the carbon

footprint for wastewater treatment

Possibly provide a valuable agricultural soil

amendment, “Milorganite® PLUS”

Removal of micro-contaminates

Transfer of technology

Detection of wastewater using optical

properties

Define relative magnitude of

wastewater influence in surface

waters due to sanitary sewer

contamination

Develop relations of human-

specific bacteria with optical

properties of water (lab-based

measurements)

Use lab results and develop field

sensors to detect wastewater

presence in surface water in real-

time

Menominee

Manitowoc

Milwaukee

River Raisin

Maumee Portage

Clinton

River Rouge

Urban sites Agricultural sites Mixed site Reference sites

Great Lakes Tributary Locations

E

mis

sio

n w

ave

len

gth

(n

m)

Excitation wavelength (nm)

Excitation wavelength (nm)

Storm Sewer Summer

Storm Sewer Fall

Sewage

Storm sewers and Sewage

E

mis

sio

n w

ave

len

gth

(n

m)

Actions: Wastewater Optical Properties

Define the relative magnitude of wastewater influence in surface waters

Developed methods to trace wastewater leakage to the source

Improve efficiency in locating wastewater leakage for repair/correction

Development of affordable and portable field sensors to detect wastewater presence in surface water in real-time

Transferability of these technologies

Organic Waste Compounds In Streams

USGS and MMSD Report

Sediment Results

PAH’s potential for toxicity in sediments

Coal-tar-based sealcoat products contain

about 1,000 times more PAHs than sealcoat

products with an asphalt base

“Chemical Fingerprinting” of PAH’s

Coal Tar Sealants Largest Source of PAH’s to Urban Lakes

Action: Sources and Toxicity of PAHs in Milwaukee Area Streams

Collect 50 sediment samples from streambeds and source areas

Identify source(s) of PAHs to streams

• Contributions from multiple sources, identify greatest sources

such as coal-tar based sealants.

Relate sediment PAH concentrations to toxicity to aquatic organisms.

Possible regional ban on coal-tar sealants depending on results.

Nearshore Carbon and Phosphorus Dynamics

net plankton flux

dissolved nutrient flux

0 m

5

10

15

20

25

30

thermocline

Cladophora growth zone

plankton

dissolved

nutrients

NEARSHORE ZONE OFFSHORE

plankton

DP

mussels

Cladophora

ejecta

River P

Load

How mussels effect nutrient cycle and flux -

movement

Develop conceptual model

Average Water Temperature 8oC

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1990’s

Cladophora

Abundance

5 m

Internal Lake Pool of

Phosphorus

River Inputs of

Phosphorus

Extent of Cladophora Growth

Phosphorus

Deposition

Indigenous

Mussel Species

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2002-2012

Cladophora

Abundance

Increased River

Inputs of

Phosphorus

Recycling of Internal Lake Pool of

Phosphorus Shoreward by

Invasive Mussels Filtering

Warmer Average Water

Temperature 12o C

Increased Water Clarity and

Greater Depth of Light Penetration

due to Invasive Mussels Filtering

Extent of Cladophora Growth 10 -15 M

Loss of Indigenous

Mussel Species

Phosphorus

Deposition

Phosphorus

Invasive Mussels

Species •

• •

Action: Conceptual Model to predict Cladophora

biomass and management

1. Cladophora biomass varies significantly from

year to year.

2. The proximal causes of this variation are both

water clarity and dissolved P concentration.

3. Inter-annual variation does not appear to be

linked to river nutrient loads.

4. Mid-summer biomass is greater when May is

colder and darker.

Industry/University Cooperative

Research Center (I/UCRC)

Water, Equipment and Policy center focus:

1. Advanced Sensor and Control System Technology

2. Novel Materials

3. Autonomous Inspection and Repair

4. Environmental System Design

5. Regulation, Legislation, and Water Policy

University Scientists

Industry Engineers

WEP I/UCRC COLLABORATION

Your Company

Other Companies

Additional Universities

Additional Universities

I/UCRC - WEP Center

Handheld Real-time WQ Meter

• Disposable test strip for bacteria, virus, heavy metal ions

• Potential applications: well water quality test, point-of-use test, etc.

• Wireless connection to iphones/central station

Consumer

Industrial

Municipal

Market Segments Strategic Thrusts

Research Thrusts

Materials

Sensors & Devices

Systems

Policy

Point-of-Use Technologies

Emerging Contaminants

Sustainability

Reduced Energy Consumption

Action: WEP I/UCRC Mission

• Develop pre-competitive water technologies.

• Train engineers and students in water technologies.

• Encourage entrepreneurship.

• Highly leveraged water research platform.

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in

Wastewater

Research performed at the South Shore WRF

Action: Medicine and Household Hazardous Waste

Collection

Action: Sharing knowledge and technology

Plume Following Autonomous Drifting Vehicle – UWM

Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) Gypsum for Phosphorus Control – WeEnergies and EPRI Effort

Genomic Center – UWM –SFS

South Shore Beach Relocation Study – Milwaukee County

Green Infrastructure Monitoring – Veolia

Assessment of Stormwater Outfalls for Sanitary Sewage Contamination – UWM

Corridor Study Agreement and Monitoring Program – USGS

Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring – USGS

Additional Ongoing Research

Research Reports found on MMSD New Website

www.mmsd.com

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Research Reports found on MMSD New Website

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to Water Quality

The End