Staff Presentation to WRTAC 8/22/2016 1

Impaired Waters & TMDLs Local TMDLs Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act requires in Loudoun County – states to develop lists of “impaired waters”. Update These are waters that are too polluted or otherwise degraded to meet water quality standards set by states. Prepared for Water Resources Technical Advisory Committee The law requires the states to establish priority August 22, 2016 rankings for waters on the lists and develop TMDLs for these waters. David Ward, Dept. of Building & Development 1972 Clean Water Act (CWA) 1997 Water Quality Monitoring Information and Restoration Act (WQMIRA) 4

Water Quality Circle Content

Monitor 1. TMDL Fundamentals Stream 2. TMDLs in Loudoun County Implement Assess for Pollution Designated 3. TMDL Priorities Reduction Use 4. TMDL Implementation

Calculate List pollution impaired reduction to stream meet waste (Integrated load (TMDL) Report)

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What is a TMDL? Monitor Water Quality in Streams &

Reservoirs Monitor A Total Maximum Daily Load is a calculation of the Stream

Implement Assess for Pollution Designated maximum amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can . Benthic (Aquatic Life Use) Reduction Use

Calculate receive and still safely meet water quality standards. List pollution impaired reduction . stream Bacteria (Recreational Use) to meet (Integrated waste load Report) (TMDL) TMDL = Sum WLA + Sum LA + MOS . Water Chemistry Where: WLA = Waste Load Allocation (point source pollutant, e.g., Data window is . Fish Tissue (PCB and Mercury limited to past 6 discharge from a waste water treatment plant) years, therefore affecting consumption of fish) the 2014 LA = Load Allocation (non‐point source pollutant, e.g., runoff assessment is from pasture or road) . Toxics (Drinking water) based on 2007- MOS = margin of safety 2012 data

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Assess Waters for Designated Use

Monitor Designated Use Support of Use Demonstrated By Stream

Implement Assess for Pollution Designated Aquatic Life Use Biological evaluation (Benthic macroinvertebrates) Reduction Use Conventional Pollutants (Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Temp.)

Nutrients and toxic Calculate List pollution impaired reduction stream to meet (Integrated waste load Report) Swimming/Recreation Conventional Pollutant (Fecal Coliform Bacteria, E. coli) (TMDL) Use

Fish Consumption Use Advisories, limiting or restricting consumption (VDH); Exceeding state screening values for toxic pollutants found in fish tissue States define Public Water Supply Closures or advisories by VDH; comparison of data to “Designated Use applicable public water supply standards Uses” that are Wildlife Use Aquatic life toxics criteria in water column used to develop “Water Quality Standards” Shellfish Consumption Restricted harvesting and marketing of shellfish by VDH Use

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Assess Waters for Designated Use

Monitor Stream

Implement Assess for Pollution Designated . Category 1: Water fully supports all designated uses. Reduction Use . Category 2: Water fully supports all designated uses data Calculate List pollution impaired reduction stream to meet (Integrated waste load are available for, but there is insufficient or no Report) (TMDL) information regarding the remaining designated uses. . Category 3: There is insufficient information to determine Categories 4 & 5 if any designated uses are being met. are “Listed” . Category 4: Waters are impaired or threatened, but do not need a TMDL. . Category 5: Waters are impaired and do need a TMDL.

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List Impaired Waters Calculate Waste Load Reduction (TMDL)

Monitor Webmap Stream . Typically calibrate watershed model . VA DEQ submits Lists 303(d) in the Implement Assess for Pollution Designated Reduction Use “Integrated Report” to EPA for using daily streamflow and

monitoring data Calculate List pollution approval every two years impaired reduction stream to meet (Integrated waste load Report) (TMDL) . Simulate transport of fecal . Additional impairments and “Delisting” GIS Download coliforms or sediment through the . Over 2,500 pages, fact sheets, watershed under existing loads interactive map and GIS . Estimate target reduced loads . Informally referred to as “dirty water” necessary to achieve water quality standards by rerunning model

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Bacteria & Benthic Impaired Waters TMDLs  VA DEQ reports on surface water monitoring every 2 years (Water Quality Assessment) and submits “listed” water to EPA Nationwide there are over  EPA provides a 8‐13 year time frame for the 43,000 TMDL’s.

TMDL Report to be prepared In Virginia there are 281 approved TMDL’s and ~60  State (DEQ) prepares TMDL Reports with EPA TMDL Implementation Plans Approval followed by VA State Water Control Current agreed upon pace is to prepare 50 TMDL’s per year Board Approval In Loudoun County there are 9 TMDL’s and one has a TMDL  State (DCR) voluntarily prepares TMDL Implementation Plan Implementation Plans and engages in implementation BENTHIC (2010) BACTERIA (2010)

EPA approval can take a year or more and is required prior to release of GIS 14 17

Bacteria & Benthic Impaired Waters

BENTHIC (2014) BACTERIA (2014) EPA approval can take a year or more and is required prior to release of GIS 15 18 Staff Presentation to WRTAC 8/22/2016 4

TMDL Priorities 2016-2022

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TMDLs In Loudoun County

SWCB TMDL Project City/County Pollutant(s) Final report EPA approval date approval date

Final report 5/31/2002 Catoctin Creek Watershed Loudoun Fecal Coliform 6/17/2004 Addendum EPA rationale Final report 5/1/2003 Goose Creek Watershed Fauquier, Loudoun Fecal Coliform 6/17/2004 Modification EPA rationale

Goose Creek and Little River 4/26/2004 Fauquier, Loudoun Sediment Final report 8/31/2004 Watersheds EPA rationale Final report 7/6/2004 Limestone Branch Watershed Loudoun E. Coli 12/2/2004 Modification EPA rationale 7/6/2004 Watershed Loudoun E. Coli Final report 12/2/2004 EPA rationale

Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince 9/26/2006 Bull Run Sediment Final report 6/27/2007 William EPA rationale

Fairfax, Fauquier, Loudoun, 11/15/2006 watershed E. Coli Final report 7/31/2008 Prince William EPA rationale 9/26/2013 Sugarland Run, Mine Run, and Pimmit Run in Arlington, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun E. Coli Final report 4/4/2014 Fairfax, and Loudoun counties EPA rationale

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Recent Changes to Scheduled Implement Pollution Reduction

Monitor . Jeffries Branch (Benthic) was in the original priority Stream . Starts with an “Implementation Plan” (IP) Implement Assess for Pollution Designated list (July 2015). However, in April 2016, DEQ Reduction Use decided to remove it from the priority list. . Public participation through workgroups Calculate List pollution impaired reduction stream to meet (agricultural, government and residential) (Integrated waste load Report) (TMDL) . is not a formal priority –the list DEQ supplies to EPA includes both formal priorities (for . Funding which DEQ is required to develop TMDLs) and non‐ . Loudoun has one IP formal priorities. For non‐formal priorities such as Originally through Department of Conservation completed and one in preparation for bacteria. Broad Run, DEQ would like to move forward with and Recreation (DCR), VA Department of Health

TMDL development during 2016‐2022, but DEQ is (VDH) Loudoun has not benthic Ips. not required to do the work. The first step for . Now through Dept Environmental Quality (DEQ). Broad Run would be a stressor analysis.

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Catoctin Creek Bacteria TMDL Implementation

• Listed for bacteria in early 2000’s • TMDL for bacteria approved in 2002 • TMDL Implementation Plan in 2005 • EPA 319 funds for health and ag 2005-2009 • Currently listed as is “Implementation Project Closed”

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Upper Goose Creek Bacteria TMDL Implementation

• TMDLs developed for impaired segments in 2003 • Implementation Plan (IP) covers Upper Goose Creek, Cromwells Run, and Little River • Loudoun and Fauquier Counties • 165 sq. mi. (42% of Goose Creek Watershed) • First Public Meeting June 2016 • Draft Report January 2017

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