USVI Integrated Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment Report
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2016 Water Quality Management Program Division ofEnvironmental Protection DepartmentPlanning of & Natural Resources USVI Integrated WaterUSVI Integrated Quality Monitoring & Assessment Report The 2016 USVI Integrated Water Quality Monitoring & Assessment Report intends to satisfy the USVI requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act Sections 305(b) and 303(d). Submitted by: Department of Planning &Natural Resources Division of Environmental Protection St. Croix (340) 773-1082 St. Thomas (340) 774-3320 Web: http://dpnr.vi.gov/ Table of Contents I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 8 A. Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 8 B. Overview of Water Quality Conditions and Trends......................................................... 8 1. Surface Water ................................................................................................................... 8 2. Ground Water ................................................................................................................... 9 C. Program Initiatives ........................................................................................................... 9 D. Summary of Classified Uses .......................................................................................... 11 E. Highlights of the Rest of this Report .............................................................................. 11 II. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................. 12 A. Resource Overview ........................................................................................................ 12 B. Classifications, Total Waters and Applicable Standards ............................................... 34 C. Water Pollution Control Program .................................................................................. 51 1. Territorial Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems Program ........................................ 52 2. Enforcement Actions ........................................................................................................ 63 D. Non-Point Source Program ............................................................................................ 66 E. Solid Waste Program ...................................................................................................... 102 F. Oil and Hazardous Materials .......................................................................................... 102 1. Underground Storage Tank Program .............................................................................. 102 2. The Used Oil Program .................................................................................................... 116 3. Hazardous Waste Program .............................................................................................. 129 4. Brownfields Program ...................................................................................................... 131 F. Wetlands Programs ......................................................................................................... 133 G. Water Quality Management Planning Program .............................................................. 148 1. Other Ambient Monitoring Activities ............................................................................ 148 2016 USVI Integrated Report Page 2 of 388 III. SURFACE WATER MONITORING & ASSESSMENT ............................................. 151 A. Surface Water Monitoring Program ................................................................................... 151 1. Monitoring Sites.............................................................................................................. 151 2. Monitoring Measurements .............................................................................................. 155 3. 2013, 2014 and 2015 Monitoring Frequency .................................................................. 156 4. Toxics/biological monitoring ......................................................................................... 159 5. Fish tissue, sediment, and shellfish monitoring: ............................................................ 159 6. Quality assurance/quality control program .................................................................... 159 7. Volunteer monitoring ..................................................................................................... 159 8. Program evaluation ........................................................................................................ 160 B. Assessment Methodology .................................................................................................. 160 C. Monitoring Strategy ........................................................................................................... 243 D. Estuary and Coastal Assessment ........................................................................................ 247 E. Wetlands Assessment ......................................................................................................... 263 F. Public Health/Aquatic Life Concerns ................................................................................. 267 IV. GROUNDWATER ASSESSMENT .............................................................................. 268 A. Permitting ........................................................................................................................ 269 1. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) ..................................................... 270 2. Public Water Systems that utilize groundwater .............................................................. 272 B. Wellhead Protection Actualization Assessment ................................................................. 273 1. Time of Travel Buffers ................................................................................................... 274 2. Flooding .......................................................................................................................... 275 3. Particular threats – poor siting or construction ............................................................... 275 4. Summary ......................................................................................................................... 276 5. Suggestions for Interim Measures .................................................................................. 276 C. WAPA wells ................................................................................................................... 277 2016 USVI Integrated Report Page 3 of 388 Appendix 1: 2016 303(d) List Narrative ..................................................................................... 312 Appendix 2: 2016 303(d) List of Impaired Waters ..................................................................... 343 Appendix 3: 2016 Responsiveness Summary for US Virgin Islands Assessment Methodology 363 Appendix 4: 2016 Responsiveness Summary for US Virgin Islands 303(d) List of Impaired Waterbodies & Narrative Document .......................................................................................... 373 Appendix 5: 2016 FINAL Responsiveness Summary for US Virgin Islands Integrated Report, 303(d) List & 305(b) Report ....................................................................................................... 382 2016 USVI Integrated Report Page 4 of 388 List of Tables Table II.A.1 Characteristics of Virgin Islands Watersheds and Islands ....................................... 13 Table II A.2 Sub-watersheds Listed in the Unified Watershed Assessment (UWA) ................... 15 Table II.A.3 Alignment of 14-Digit HUCs and Watersheds ........................................................ 17 Table II.A.4 Assessment Units, Square Miles and Monitoring Sites ........................................... 20 Table II.B.2 Area of Water Classes by Island .............................................................................. 49 Table II.C.1 US Virgin Islands TPDES Permits, 2014 and 2015 ................................................. 54 Table II.C.2 Summary of TPDES Activities, FY2014 - 2015 ...................................................... 61 Table II.C.3 Supplementary POTW Inspections: TPDES Activities, FY2014 - 2015 ................. 63 Table II.C.4 Summary of TPDES Enforcement Activities, FY 2014 - 2015 ............................... 64 Table II.D.1 TMDLs Established for the USVI due Primarily to Non-Point Sources. ................ 67 Table II.E.1.a List of Used Oil Permit Holders – St. Thomas-St. John District ......................... 118 Table II.E.1.b List of Used Oil Permit Holders – St. Croix District .......................................... 122 Table II.G.1 Summary of Issued Water Quality Certificates, FY 2014 - 2015 .......................... 149 Table III.A.1. Virgin Islands Ambient Monitoring Sites (153). ................................................ 151 Table III.C.1. Waterbodies, Segments, and Categories .............................................................. 248 Table III.D.1 Wetlands Classification12 .................................................................................... 264 Table IV.A.3 Overview of VI Public Water Systems Utilizing Groundwater ........................... 272 Table IV.B.1 Non-Permitted