MunicipalMunicipal GroundwaterGroundwater MonitoringMonitoring inin WaterlooWaterloo RegionRegion Tammy Middleton, M.Sc. P.Geo. Senior Hydrogeologist Regional Municipality of Waterloo PresentationPresentation OverviewOverview • Waterloo Region • Groundwater monitoring programs – Overview and examples • Clean Water Act • Next Steps/Lessons Learned 7 Municipalities 525,000 people 12.5 Billion Igal 17 water supply systems 13 waste water systems (2009) WaterWater SourcesSources • Surface Water – Intake at Grand River (Kitchener) – Treatment at Mannheim WTP – 20% WaterWater SourcesSources Groundwater Wells – 120 wells – GUDI Wells (under influence of surface water) – Aquifer Storage & Recovery Wells – Waterloo Moraine, Fractured Rock, and River Collector wells – 80% Water Sources Rural & Urban Elmira Cambridge HydrogeologyHydrogeology && SourceSource WaterWater GroupGroup New Supplies Education/ Well Awareness Maintenance Contamination Water Well Assessment Supply Upgrades Source Resource Protection Monitoring Policies Compliance MonitoringMonitoring ProgramsPrograms • 120 Production Wells • 50 Monitoring Well nests (quality) • 170 Monitoring Well nests (levels) • RoW Laboratory • On-line analyzers • Monitoring Scope: – Regulatory & – “Beyond-Regulatory” MonitoringMonitoring ProgramProgram ObjectivesObjectives Compliance with Legislation Proactive monitoring - early warning of supply or contamination issues Sustainable management of groundwater resources Understanding the hydrogeological systems ComplianceCompliance withwith LegislationLegislation Water samples and laboratory testing Lab # samples # tests charges* 1999 11,173 41,136 $198,384 2001 28,369 139,057 $880,627 2009 18,311 131,379 $664,456 * Not including Water Protection extra samples ProactiveProactive MonitoringMonitoring GreenbrookGreenbrook WellfieldWellfield • 5 overburden wells (Waterloo moraine) • Park/residential area • GUDI wellfield • 2.5 million gal/day (125 L/s) production • Fe, Mn treatment • Studied since the 1970s by University of Waterloo • Operated since~1900 • Water quality database to 1970s • Water level database to 1950s BeyondBeyond ComplianceCompliance testingtesting • Testing each source (raw wells, monitoring wells) • More frequent testing (eg seasonal trends, early warning monitoring) • Non-regulated chemicals – TCA, MTBE, NDMA, 1,4-dioxane, …. InIn TheThe NewsNews 1,4-dioxane1,4-dioxane plumeplume atat GreenbrookGreenbrook UV - Hydrogen Peroxide Aside: The challenges of well fields in developed areas Sustainable Management Well/Aquifer optimization GUDI research Well decommissioning Greenbrook Water Level Monitoring 330 325 320 315 m ASL 310 305 300 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 M4-94B OW1-76 UnderstandingUnderstanding HydrogeologicalHydrogeological SystemsSystems -- MiddletonMiddleton St.St. WellfieldWellfield • 5 bedrock wells (Guelph/Gasport fms) • Residential/Industrial area, Cambridge • GUDI wellfield • 5 mil gal/day (250 L/s), 40% of Cambridge water supply • Under construction for TCE treatment • Must ensure un-interrupted wellfield operation MW1A-08 MW1B-08 MW1C-08 8-Sep-09 260 MW1A-08 7-Sep-09 MW1B-08 MW1C-08 6-Sep-09 8-Sep-09 5-Sep-09 255 7-Sep-09 6-Sep-09 4-Sep-09 260 5-Sep-09 4-Sep-09 3-Sep-09 Elevation m asl m Elevation 255 3-Sep-09 Elevation m asl m Elevation 2-Sep-09 2-Sep-09 250 1-Sep-09 250 1-Sep-09 • Importance of appropriate water level monitoring to understand hydrogeology • Cost effective GUDIGUDI monitoringmonitoring atat anan operatingoperating wellfieldwellfield • Regulatory requirement to complete long-term GUDI monitoring • Operational constraints- ensure continuous supply AND manage TCE levels in finished water • Continuous turbidity meters •SCADA • Electronic water level measurements • Continuous water levels, online turbidity, now a key component of management during Middleton station construction • Reliable, cost- effective, minimum interference with construction schedule OntarioOntario’’ss CleanClean WaterWater ActAct Four Steps: •Stage 1: Establish Local Framework – SP Committee, TOR •Stage 2: Watershed/Source Water Assessment * – Technical Rules and provincial guidance •Stage 3: Protection Plan Development •Stage 4: Protection Plan Implementation * Now completing GrandGrand RiverRiver SourceSource ProtectionProtection AreaArea CWACWA ““ThreatsThreats && IssuesIssues”” • Threat: potential source of groundwater contamination • Condition: area that is already contaminated • Issue: documented contamination within a water intake – According to Technical Rules- must use data to identify contamination and/or trends IssuesIssues AssessmentAssessment ResultsResults • Issues at 13 wellfields • Nitrate • Urban & rural •Salt (chloride, • “Issue Contributing sodium) Areas” defined • Trichloroethylene • Related Threats • ROW already become significant monitoring and within ICAs addressing these issues Example:Example: TCETCE TCE TRENDS MIDDLETON STREET WELLFIELD 12 Reservoir 11 Concentration = 10 ~2.5 ppb 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 TCE CONCENTRATION (ug/L) 2 1 0 01-Jan-02 01-Jan-04 01-Jan-06 01-Jan-08 01-Jan-10 DATE G01 G01A G02 G14 G03 Example:Example: SaltSalt Chloride Trends- Middleton St. Wellfield G01 G01A G02 G03 G14 400 300 200 100 CHLORIDE mg/L 0 1970 1975 1980 1984 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Salt Sources – Parking Lots Regional Supply Well G5 400 Legend 350 Sodium Concentration Chloride Concentration 300 250 ODWS for Chloride ‘94 ‘98 ODWS for Sodium 200mg/L 150 100 50 0 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 Year Example:Example: NitrateNitrate NITRATE -WILMOT CENTRE K50 K51 10 8 6 4 NITRATE mg/L 2 0 1980 1984 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Next:Next: PossiblePossible SPPSPP ActivitiesActivities Financial Incentives for Municipal road-salt improved farm management plans management Smart about Salt Land purchase of most accreditation vulnerable areas Salt management for new development Business Update Official inspections Plan Risk management • Studies and plans restrictions Financial incentives to reduce spill risk Challenges/LessonsChallenges/Lessons LearnedLearned • Large program- 38 wellfields – Have monitoring objectives and prioritize – Look for technology, efficiency, simplicity – Allocate manpower, resources – I take suggestions! Challenges/LessonsChallenges/Lessons LearnedLearned Effective Monitoring – Set monitoring program objectives – Plan ahead - what data will you need in 1 year? 10 years? – Tailor monitoring to your objectives and report accordingly – Contingency plans to respond to monitoring data Challenges/LessonsChallenges/Lessons LearnedLearned •Data WHPA-A ODWS 14% – Set procedures for data review 69 919 IPZ 21ppm and management (SOPs) 6m bgs 14% 2,6913,572 3 9 – ROW datasets too large for usual 346791 asl TCE Condition computer tools 13 365.23 m 13 – Team with data experts, 91turbidity 6 9 20 20,482919 automate as much as possible 86% 37 393 OW1-90 685 – Integrate with the lab Non-agricultural39DNAPL13 source2091 materialTravelCondition blank – Make QA/QC a priority ModerateSolvent 6.839 – New technology, GIS databases 86%TCE2,69191 – Avoid proprietary programs for 818 Road salt13 69 2 data storage Significant Challenges/LessonsChallenges/Lessons LearnedLearned • Large and aging monitoring network – Regulatory burden: work with MOE inspectors to prioritize, anticipate – Plan and carry out an inspection/maintenance program – Technology- finding and replacing/plugging aging wells – Limit new permanent installations (technology?) Challenges/LessonsChallenges/Lessons LearnedLearned • Working in an increasingly regulated environment – Communicate with MOE, foster professional relationships – Get legal advice – Comply, but don’t be afraid to challenge, MOE will listen – Be careful about communicating monitoring results, to avoid time-wasting “compliance” misunderstanding, eg. Preliminary results vs final – Look ahead, stay educated for new rules (eg Clean Water Act) Questions?Questions?.