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Costs to Achieve NNC Standards

Erica Stone, Ph.D.

September 11, 2012

Annual WateReuse Symposium

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Outline

• Background

– Florida AWT Definition

– Numeric Nutrient Criteria

• Cost Estimates

• Florida AWT Plant Performance

• US Plant Performance

• Where are we headed?

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Background

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Advanced Wastewater Treatment (AWT) has a Specific Definition in Florida

Parameter Annual

Average Limit

Maximum

Month Limit

Maximum

Week Limit

Total Nitrogen

(mg/L)

3.0 3.75 4.5

Total

Phosphorus

(mg/L)

1.0 1.25 1.5

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Florida Has Led the Nation for Decades in Use of Advanced Wastewater Treatment

Over 64 WWTPs with a

total capacity >500 mgd use

AWT processes

Bay County Military Point WRF

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AWT Treatment Processes Used in Florida

SBR 3%

MLE w/ SNDN 3%

Modified Bardenpho

49%

A2/O w/ DN filters 5%

Denitrification Filters

13%

Two-sludge 3%

Other 17% Bardenpho 7%

(December 6, 2006)

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NNC Timeline – I

• June 1998 – EPA published strategy

• December 2001 – FDEP began developing NNC to complement its narrative criterion

• July 2008 – Coalition of environmental groups filed suit against the EPA for failing to set numeric standards as required by the Clean Water Act

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NNC Timeline – II

• January 2009 – EPA declares NNC necessary for Florida to be in compliance with the CWA and sets deadlines

• August 2009 – EPA settles with environmental groups by agreeing to adopt NNC in Florida

• November 2010 – EPA signed final NNC Rule for inland surface waters for publication in Federal Register

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NNC Timeline – III

• April 2011 – FDEP petitioned EPA to withdraw determination for NNC in Florida

• June 2011 – EPA responded to FDEP’s petition supporting their continued efforts

• February 2012 – FDEP Rule signed into Florida law and submitted to EPA for approval

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FDEP Stream Regions

Nutrient Watershed

Region

TP

(mg/L)

TN

(mg/L)

Panhandle West 0.06 0.67

Panhandle East 0.18 1.03

North Central 0.30 1.87

Peninsular 0.12 1.54

West Central 0.49 1.65

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Parameter Minimum Criteria Maximum Criteria

TN, mg/L 0.51-1.27 0.93-2.23

TP, mg/L 0.01-0.05 0.03-0.16

Chlorophyll a, µg/L 6-20

Numeric Nutrient Criteria for Florida

Lakes…

Parameter Criteria

NO3 + NO2, mg/L 0.35

…and Springs

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Comparison of Max Pollutant Concentrations Allowed (Rivers and Streams)

Pollutant

National

Secondary

Limits

Florida

AWT

Limits

Rivers and

Streams

NNC

Lakes

NNC

cBOD5,

mg/L 20-30 5 - -

TSS, mg/L 20-30 5 - -

TN, mg/L No Limit 3 0.67 – 1.87 0.51 – 2.23

TP, mg/L No Limit 1 0.06 – 0.49 0.01 – 0.16

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Duration and Frequency

• AWT

– Annual arithmetic average

– Not to be exceeded monthly

• NNC

– Annual geometric mean

– Not to be exceeded more than once in a three year period

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Cost Estimates

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Background

• EPA proposed NNC for Florida

• Carollo was asked to prepare cost estimates for FWEA Utility Council

– Based on end-of-pipe discharge limits

– Use proven technologies

– Be site specific

• Original cost estimate for all POTWs

• Update for freshwater dischargers only

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Key Assumptions

• Low Estimate

– Includes freshwater dischargers

– Facilities in a county with a DIW can construct a new DIW

– Facilities with existing DIW were not included

– Facilities not meeting AWT have to upgrade to HLD if using a DIW

– All other facilities must upgrade to MF/RO with brine concentrator and crystallizer

– Facilities not meeting AWT have to upgrade to AWT if using MF/RO

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Key Assumptions

• High Estimate

– Includes Base List + Wetland + Wet Weather

– All facilities must upgrade to MF/RO.

– Facilities not meeting AWT have to upgrade to AWT.

– Facilities in a county with a DIW can construct a new DIW for concentrate disposal.

– Others must use a brine concentrator and crystallizer.

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FWEA Utility Council Cost Estimate

BNR

Effluent

Reverse

Osmosis

(NF/RO)

Microfiltration

(MF)

Product Water To AOP/Stabilization

Solids to

Disposal

Crystallizer Brine

Concentrator

Option 1

Option 2

Deep Injection Well

Co

nce

ntra

te

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Why was MF/RO chosen for some plants to meet NNC?

• Existing Florida AWT plants do not consistently meet NNC criteria for nitrogen and phosphorus

• A combination of BNR + MF/RO best represents the types of technologies that will be required

– DIW not viable in many parts of the state

• Most importantly, we selected technologies capable of meeting NNC that have been proven at large scale municipal wastewater treatment plants

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Cost Assumptions

Capital O&M

MF/RO $5/gpd AWT & MF/RO $1/1000 gal

Brine Disposal $3.10/gpd HLD $0.50/1000 gal

HLD $1/gpd Brine Disposal $3/1000 gal

DIW $1.10/gpd

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Cost Estimate

Estimate Source Included Plants

Project Cost

Annual Debt

Service

Annual Debt Service

(Include O&M)

Increase in Annual

Operating Costs

Yearly Sewer Rate

Increase per Customer

Original Florida Facilities With

NPDES Permits $24.4 B $1.6 B $2 B $433 M $673

Original All Florida Facilities $50.7 B $3.3 B $4.6 B $1.3 B $725

Updated

Base List Florida

Freshwater

Dischargers Only

$4.2 B $276 M $430 M $155 M $578

Updated

Base List + Wetland +

Wet Weather

Dischargers

$6.7 B $438 M $619 M $181 M $696

FDEP

Base List Florida

Freshwater

Dischargers Only

$4.2 B $271 M $456 M $185 M --

EPA $22.3-38.1 M

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FWEA Utility Council Cost Estimate

$0

$200

$400

$600

$800

$1,000

$1,200

$0

$50

$100

$150

$200

$250

DIW Only HLD + DIW MF/RO + Brine Concentrate

Disposal

AWT + MF/RO + Brine

Concentrate Disposal

Yearl

y S

ew

er

Rate

In

cre

ase p

er

Cu

sto

mer

($)

Pro

jec

t C

ost

($ M

illio

n)

Type of Upgrade

Project Cost

Yearly Sewer Rate Increase/Customer

(11) No. Facilities in Category

(11)

(17)

(14)

(68)

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Performance of

Florida AWT Plants

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Annual Geometric Mean – Effluent TN (Peninsula)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

A B C E F G H I J N O

An

nu

al

Geo

metr

ic M

ean

Eff

luen

t T

N (

mg

/L)

Facility

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

NNC Peninsular

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Annual Geometric Mean – Effluent TN (West Central)

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

D K L P Q R

An

nu

al

Geo

metr

ic M

ean

Eff

luen

t T

N (

mg

/L)

Facility

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

NNC West Central

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Annual Geometric Mean – Effluent TP (Peninsula)

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

A B C E F G H I J M O

An

nu

al

Geo

metr

ic M

ean

Eff

luen

t T

P (

mg

/L)

Facility

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

NNC Peninsular

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Annual Geometric Mean – Effluent TP (West Central)

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

D K L P Q

An

nu

al

Geo

metr

ic M

ean

Eff

luen

t T

P (

mg

/L)

Facility

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

NNC West Central

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Performance of Plants

Across the US

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Annual Geometric Mean - TN

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

An

nu

al

Geo

metr

ic M

ea

n E

fflu

en

t T

N (

mg

/L)

Facility

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

North Central NNC

Panhandle West NNC

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Annual Geometric Mean - TP

0.00

0.05

0.10

0.15

0.20

0.25

0.30

0.35

0.40

0.45

0.50

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

An

nu

al

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metr

ic M

ean

Eff

luen

t T

P (

mg

/L)

Facility

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

West Central NNC

Panhandle West NNC

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Where are we headed?

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Where are we headed?

• NNC Status Update

– Waiting for EPA to review FDEP rule

• On the horizon…

– FDEP triennial review

– Human Health Criteria (HHC)

• Based on drinking water and seafood consumption

• 87 compounds (mostly pesticides and DBPs)

• Lower than drinking water standards

• Lower than MDLs

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Questions?