USV I in Tegrated W Ater Q U Ality M O N Ito Rin G & a Ssessm En T R Ep O Rt
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2010 Divisionof Environmental Protection DepartmentofPlanning & Natural Resources WaterQuality Management Planning & Program USVI Integrated Water Quality Monitoring &Assessment Report The 2010 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: www.dpnr.gov.vi/dep/home.htm Table of Contents I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 6 A. Purpose ............................................................................................................................. 6 B. Overview of Water Quality Conditions and Trends......................................................... 6 1. Surface Water ................................................................................................................... 6 2. Ground Water ................................................................................................................... 6 C. Program Initiatives ........................................................................................................... 7 D. Summary of Classified Uses ............................................................................................ 7 E. Highlights of the Rest of this Report ................................................................................ 8 II. BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................... 8 A. Resource Overview .......................................................................................................... 8 B. Classifications, Total Waters and Applicable Standards ............................................... 24 C. Water Pollution Control Program .................................................................................. 30 1. Territorial Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems Program ........................................ 30 2. Other Ambient Monitoring Activities .............................................................................. 35 3. Enforcement Actions ........................................................................................................ 36 D. Non-Point Source Program ............................................................................................ 37 E. Solid Waste Program ........................................................................................................ 51 F. Oil and Hazardous Materials ............................................................................................ 51 1. Underground Storage Tank Program ................................................................................ 51 2. The Used Oil Program ...................................................................................................... 52 3. Hazardous Waste Program ................................................................................................ 57 4. Brownfields Program ........................................................................................................ 58 F. Wetlands Programs ........................................................................................................... 59 G. Water Quality Management Planning Program ................................................................ 71 H. Coral Reef Monitoring ................................................................................................... 71 I. Other Non-Point Source Activities ........................................................................................ 72 1. Education Outreach/Non-point Source Newsletter ........................................................... 72 2. Public information dissemination/outreach ...................................................................... 72 3. 9th Annual NPS Conference ............................................................................................. 72 III. SURFACE WATER MONITORING & ASSESSMENT ............................................... 72 A. Surface Water Monitoring Program ..................................................................................... 72 1. Monitoring Sites................................................................................................................ 73 2. Monitoring Measurements ................................................................................................ 75 3. 2008 and 2009 Monitoring Frequency .............................................................................. 76 4. Toxics/biological monitoring ........................................................................................... 78 5. Fish tissue, sediment, shellfish monitoring: ..................................................................... 78 6. Quality assurance/quality control program ...................................................................... 78 7. Volunteer monitoring ....................................................................................................... 78 8. Program evaluation .......................................................................................................... 78 B. Assessment Methodology .................................................................................................... 79 C. Monitoring Strategy ........................................................................................................... 100 D. Estuary and Coastal Assessment ........................................................................................ 103 E. Wetlands Assessment ......................................................................................................... 110 F. Public Health/Aquatic Life Concerns ................................................................................. 113 2010 USVI Integrated Report Page 2 of 165 IV. GROUNDWATER ASSESSMENT .............................................................................. 113 A. Permitting ........................................................................................................................ 114 1. Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) ..................................................... 115 2. Public Water Systems that utilize groundwater .............................................................. 117 B. Wellhead Protection Actualization Assessment ................................................................. 117 1. Time of Travel Buffers ................................................................................................... 118 2. Flooding .......................................................................................................................... 119 3. Particular threats – poor siting or construction ............................................................... 119 4. Summary ......................................................................................................................... 119 5. Suggestions for Interim Measures .................................................................................. 120 a. Educate Licensed well drillers ........................................................................................ 120 b. Individual existing wells ................................................................................................. 120 c. Relief for owners of permitted wells .............................................................................. 120 C. WAPA wells ................................................................................................................... 120 Appendices Appendix 1: 2010 303(d) List of Impaired Waters ..................................................................... 141 Appendix 2: Responsiveness Summary 2010 US Virgin Islands List of Impaired Waterbodies & Assessment Methodology ........................................................................................................... 156 2010 USVI Integrated Report Page 3 of 165 List of Tables Table II.A.1 Characteristics of Virgin Islands Watersheds and Islands ......................................... 9 Table II A.2 Sub-watersheds Listed in the Unified Watershed Assessment ................................ 11 Table II.A.3 Alignment of 14-Digit HUs and Watersheds ........................................................... 12 Table II.A.4 Assessment Units, Square Miles and Monitoring Sites ........................................... 14 Table II.B.1 Summary of US Virgin Islands Water Quality Criteria ........................................... 26 Table II.B.2 Area of Water Classes by Island .............................................................................. 28 Table II.C.1 US Virgin Islands TPDES Permits, 2008 and 2009 ................................................. 31 Table II.C.2 Summary of TPDES Activities, FY2008 - 2009 ...................................................... 34 Table II.C.3 Supplementary POTW Inspections: TPDES Activities, FY2008 - 2009 ................. 34 Table II.C.4 Summary of Issued Water Quality Certificates, FY 2008 - 2009 ............................ 35 Table II.C.5 Summary of TPDES Enforcement Activities, FY 2008 - 2009 ............................... 36 Table II.E.1.a List of Used Oil Permit Holders – St. Thomas-St. John District ........................... 52 Table