WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS AND LAND

USE IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN

PLACENCIA, BELIZE

Charlotte Haberstroh1, Christine Prouty1, Shawn Landry2, Maya A. Trotz1

1. Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering2. School of GeosciencesUniversity of South Florida

ESRI WATER CONFERENCEOne Water

February 7-9, 2017 Orlando, FL

OUTLINE

1. Background

2. Study Area

3. Objectives

4. Methods

5. Results

6. Summary and Discussion

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida 2

1. BACKGROUND

Belize

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

Placencia• Currently no centralized

wastewater treatment system

• Water quality monitoring by Belize Water Services Ltd. (BWS)

• Partnership with University of South Florida

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2. STUDY AREA AND LAND USE

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

Placencia Peninsula

Shrimp farms

Settlements

Shrimp Farms

Banana Plantations

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3. OBJECTIVES

1. Visualize WQ data in GIS

2. Identify spatial and temporal areas of interest for key WQ parameters linked to land use

3. Provide analytical methods for assessing critical sites and different types of impacts

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida 5

4. METHODS

1. Data Sources

Water quality (WQ) data

• BWS

• May 2014 – August 2016

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

Shapefiles

• Shrimp farms: Carto

• Biodiversity and Environmental Resource Data System of Belize (BERDS)

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Parameter Effluent requirements Source

Dissolved Oxygen (DO) ≥ 5 mg/l Ariola (2003)

Nitrate (as NO3--N) ≤ 2.5 mg/l Domestic Effluent

Limitations for Class I Waters (Belize Dept. of Environment, 2009)

Ammonia (as NH4+-N) ≤ 0.8 mg/l

E.coli (freshwater) ≤ 126 cfu/100 ml

Enterococci (saline water) ≤ 35 mpn/100 ml

2. Spatial analysisIdentifying frequently contaminated sites Quantifying measurements that cross effluent regulations

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

4. METHODS

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3. Exemplary analysis• Using WQ parameters as indicators for areas of concern• Comparing WQ at different seasons• Temporal analysis with Time Slider tool• Assessing impact of land use, climate, and tourism

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

4. METHODS

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4. RESULTS: VISUALIZING DATA

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

Water Monitoring Sites

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DO

June 2016 Spline Interpolation (with barrier)

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

4. RESULTS: VISUALIZING DATA

Nitrate

-

10

NO3- EnterococciE.coliNH4

+DO

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

4. RESULTS: SPATIAL ANALYSIS

Percent exceedance of effluent limitations May 14 – Aug 16

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4. RESULTS: LAND USE IMPACTS

Exceedance of Effluent limitations May 14 – Aug 2016

NH4+DO

Impact of Shrimp farming

DO < 5 mg/l 42 – 100 % • Lack of tidal mixing?

T-3: NH4+ > 0.8 mg/l 33%

• Shrimp farming effluents?

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida 12

4. RESULTS: LAND USE IMPACTS

GW-1:• DO < 5 mg/l 33% • NH4

+ > 0.8 mg/l 38%• E.coli > 35 mpn/100 ml 38%

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

Impact of development

no wastewater treatment ?

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Discharge methodsTreatment PlantDirect DischargeSoak PitSeptic System

4. RESULTS: LAND USE IMPACTS

• No direct pollution source • Many possible point and non-

point sources

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

Impact of development

Extracted from: Halcrow, 2012

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4. RESULTS: TEMPORAL ANALYSIS OVER STUDY PERIOD

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

NO3-

15

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

11/2/2015 12/12/2015

Rai

nfa

ll (m

m)

Rainfall data Placencia Nov and Dec 2015Jun 2016

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

4. RESULTS: CLIMATE IMPACTS - NITRATE (mg/l)

Dec 2015

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

5/10/2016 6/19/2016

Rai

nfa

ll (m

m)

Time

May and Jun 2016

Source: Belize National Meteorological Service

NH4+NH4

+

mg/l

16

Mar 2016

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

4. RESULTS: TOURISM IMPACT - ENTEROCOCCI (mpn/100mL)

Sep 2015

0

20

40

60

Jan

Feb

Mar

Ap

r

May Jun

Jul

Au

g

Sep

Oct

No

v

Dec

Hotel occupancy Placencia 2014/15 [%]

2014 1015

Source: Belize Tourism Board

Sep-15

Mar-160

100

200

300

400

500

600

Jul-15 Oct-15 Jan-16 Mar-16Jun-16

Rai

nfa

ll (m

m)

Rainfall Placencia Jul 15-16

Source: Belize National Meteorological Service

EnterococciEnterococci

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Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

5. Summary and discussion

• The water management of Placencia is a complex problem

• Mapping with ArcGIS candetect locations and seasons of concerninitiate studiescommunicate issues

• WQ assessment requires more detailed studies:e.g. Nutrient Fate and Transport Study financed by Caribbean Development Bank

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THANK YOU!

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

BWS Ltd. Staff: Mr. Alvan Haynes (CEO), Mr. Frederick Sandiford, & Mr. Ervin Flores

This research has been supported by grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) program on Centers for Water Research on National Priorities Related to a Systems View of Nutrient Management (grant 83556901) and the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 1243510. Although funded in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s STAR program through, it has not been subjected to any EPA review and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency, and no official endorsement should be inferred. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

“Reclaim” is an initiative led by the University of South Florida Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Anthropology, and Marine Science, to share news about joint research related to the reclamation of nutrient, energy, and water resources from waste.

CONTACT: CHABERSTROH@MAIL.USF.EDU

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Belize National Meteorological Service, 2017. Monthly Rainfall data Placencia Airstrip. http://www.hydromet.gov.bz/

Belize Tourism Board, 2015. Travel Statistics. http://belizetourismboard.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/BTB-TRAVEL-DIGEST-2015-FINAL.pdf

Carto, 2014. Shrimp Farms Belize. https://wwfca.carto.com/viz/d90ddb68-1291-11e4-81e8-0e230854a1cb/public_map

Halcrow, 2012. Feasibility Study for the Placencia Peninsula Pilot Wastewater Management System, Volume I - Final Report.

Meerman, J. and Clabaugh, J. 2016. Biodiversity and Environmental Resource Data System of Belize. http://www.biodiversity.bz

REFERENCES

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida 20

APPENDIX B: MEASURED WATER QUALITY PARAMETERS

Charlotte Haberstroh, Graduate Student Water Resources, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department, University of South Florida

Analysis Parameter Unit

In-situ

pHTemperature oCSalinity pptDissolved Oxygen mg/LTurbidity NTUConductivity µS/cmChlorophyll µg/L

Chem

Nitrates (as NO3-N) mg/LTotal Nitrogen (as N) mg/LPhosphate (as PO4) mg/LTotal Phosphorus (as PO4) mg/LAmmonia mg/LCOD mg/LSuspended Solids mg/L5-Day BOD mg/L

BactiTotal Coliform CFU/100mLE.Coli CFU/100mLEnterococci MPN/100mL

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