THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT 2006 INTEGRATED REPORT TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY AND U.S. CONGRESS PURSUANT TO SECTIONS 305(b) AND 303(d) CLEAN WATER ACT (P.L. 97-117) Department of Health Environmental Health Administration Bureau of Environmental Quality Water Quality Division Government of the District of Columbia Anthony A. Williams, Mayor PREFACE PREFACE The Water Quality Division of the District of Columbia's Department of Health, Environmental Health Administration, prepared this report to satisfy the listing requirements of §303(d) and the reporting requirements of §305(b) of the federal Clean Water Act (P.L. 97-117). This report provides water quality information on the District of Columbia’s surface and ground waters that were assessed during 2006 and updates the water quality information required by law. Various programs in the Bureau of Environmental Quality contributed to this report including the Watershed Protection Division and the Fisheries and Wildlife Division. Questions or comments regarding this report or requests for copies should be forwarded to the address below. The District of Columbia Government Department of Health Environmental Health Administration Bureau of Environmental Quality Water Quality Division 51 N St., NE Washington, D.C. 20002-3323 Attention: N. Shulterbrandt ii TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ................................................................... ii TABLE OF CONTENTS........................................................iii ACRONYMS .................................................................ix PART I: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .............................................. 1 District of Columbia Water Quality .......................................... 1 Causes and Sources of Water Quality Impairment .............................. 2 Programs to Correct Impairment............................................ 3 Water Quality Trends ..................................................... 3 Highlights.............................................................. 3 PART II: BACKGROUND ...................................................... 5 Atlas and Total Waters ................................................... 5 Maps.................................................................. 7 Effectiveness of Pollution Control Programs .................................. 7 Watershed Approach............................................... 7 Water Quality Standards Program ..................................... 9 Point Source Program ............................................. 10 Nonpoint Source Control Program ................................... 10 Stormwater Management and Sediment Control Regulatory Programs . 14 Inspection and Enforcement .................................. 15 BMP Maintenance.......................................... 16 Low Impact Development.................................... 17 Land Use Projects .......................................... 19 Habitat Modification ........................................ 20 Completed and Ongoing Habitat Enhancement and Restoration Projects ..... 21 Natural Resource and Habitat Restoration.............................. 24 Coordination with Other Agencies ................................... 25 Benefit Assessment ............................................... 25 PART III: SURFACE WATER ASSESSMENT .................................... 26 Strategy to Achieve Comprehensive Monitoring and Assessments ................ 26 Current Surface Monitoring Program ....................................... 26 Assessment Methodology and Summary Data ................................ 26 Assessment Methodology .......................................... 26 Maps........................................................... 29 Section 303(d) Waters ................................................... 30 Categorization of District of Columbia waters .......................... 34 iii Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) Program.......................... 34 Background ..................................................... 34 TMDL Development.............................................. 35 TMDL Implementation ............................................ 35 Fish Populations .................................................. 50 Fish Passage..................................................... 51 PART IV: PUBLIC HEALTH - RELATED ASSESSMENTS.......................... 53 Drinking Water Program Monitoring & Assessments........................... 53 PART V: GROUND WATER ASSESSMENT ...................................... 54 Introduction ........................................................... 54 Summary of Ground Water Quality ........................................ 54 Overview of Ground Water Contamination Sources ........................... 54 Overview of Ground Water Protection Programs .............................. 56 Summary of Ground Water Contamination Sources ........................... 59 Ground Water/Surface Water Interaction .................................... 60 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................ 61 iv LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.2: Monthly and yearly mean flow on the Anacostia River, 2004-2005 ............. 6 Figure 2.1: Monthly, yearly and normal total rainfall (inches), 2004-2005 ................. 6 Figure 2.3: Monthly and yearly mean flow on the Potomac River, 2004-2005 .............. 7 v LIST OF TABLES LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1.1 DESIGNATED USE SUPPORT BY RIVERS OR STREAMS ................ 1 TABLE 1.2 DESIGNATED USE SUPPORT BY LAKES ............................. 2 TABLE 1.3 DESIGNATED USE SUPPORT BY ESTUARIES ......................... 2 TABLE 2.1 ATLAS ........................................................... 5 TABLE 2.2 NUMBER AND TYPE OF STORMWATER MANAGEMENT BMPS APPROVED FOR INSTALLATION.................................................. 15 TABLE 2.3 SALES OF FISHING LICENSES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA (2001 TO 2005) ..................................................................... 25 TABLE 3.1 CRITERIA FOR FISH CONSUMPTION USE SUPPORT CLASSIFICATION . 27 TABLE 3.2 CRITERIA FOR USING CONVENTIONAL POLLUTANTS AND PATHOGENS ..................................................................... 27 TABLE 3.3 CRITERIA FOR OVERALL USE SUPPORT CLASSIFICATION ........... 29 TABLE 3.4 SUMMARY OF FULLY SUPPORTING, THREATENED, AND IMPAIRED RIVERS AND STREAMS ....................................................... 36 TABLE 3.5 INDIVIDUAL USE SUPPORT SUMMARY FOR RIVERS AND STREAMS . 37 TABLE 3.6 TOTAL SIZES OF WATER IMPAIRED BY VARIOUS CAUSE CATEGORIES FOR RIVERS AND STREAMS ............................................... 38 TABLE 3.7 TOTAL SIZES OF WATER IMPAIRED BY VARIOUS SOURCE CATEGORIES FOR RIVERS AND STREAMS ........................................... 39 TABLE 3.8 SUMMARY OF FULLY SUPPORTING, THREATENED, AND IMPAIRED LAKES ..................................................................... 40 TABLE 3.9 INDIVIDUAL USE SUPPORT SUMMARY FOR LAKES ................ 40 TABLE 3.10 TOTAL SIZES OF WATER IMPAIRED BY VARIOUS CAUSE CATEGORIES FOR LAKES............................................................... 41 TABLE 3.11 TOTAL SIZES OF WATER IMPAIRED BY VARIOUS SOURCE CATEGORIES FOR LAKES............................................................... 42 TABLE 3.12 SUMMARY OF FULLY SUPPORTING, THREATENED, AND IMPAIRED ESTUARIES ..................................................................... 43 TABLE 3.13 INDIVIDUAL USE SUPPORT SUMMARY FOR ESTUARIES FOR ESTUARIES ............................................................................ 43 TABLE 3.14 TOTAL SIZES OF WATER IMPAIRED BY VARIOUS CAUSE CATEGORIES FOR ESTUARIES .......................................................... 44 TABLE 3.15 TOTAL SIZES OF WATER IMPAIRED BY VARIOUS SOURCE CATEGORIES FOR ESTUARIES...................................................... 45 TABLE 3.16 YEARLY RELATIVE ABUNDANCE OF SELECT GAME FISH FROM 1994 TO 2005 FOR REGULAR ELECTROFISHING SITES ............................ 49 TABLE 5.1 MAJOR SOURCES OF GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION ........... 54 TABLE 5.2 SUMMARY OF DC GROUND WATER PROTECTION PROGRAMS ...... 58 TABLE 5.3 GROUND WATER CONTAMINATION SUMMARY .................... 59 vi APPENDICES APPENDICES APPENDIX 1.1: DEGREE OF SUPPORT FOR PRIMARY CONTACT RECREATION USE APPENDIX 1.2: DEGREE OF SUPPORT FOR SECONDARY CONTACT RECREATION USE APPENDIX 1.3: DEGREE OF SUPPORT FOR AQUATIC LIFE USE APPENDIX 1.4: DEGREE OF SUPPORT FOR FISH CONSUMPTION USE APPENDIX 2.1: MAJOR D.C. WATERSHEDS APPENDIX 2.2: BMP CLASSIFICATION APPENDIX 3.1: CONTINUOUS MONITORING STATIONS APPENDIX 3.2 PERCENT VIOLATIONS TABLES FOR CONTINUOUS MONITORS APPENDIX 3.3: PERCENT VIOLATION AND STATISTICAL SUMMARY APPENDIX 3.4: PRIMARY CONTACT USE SUPPORT APPENDIX 3.5: SECONDARY CONTACT USE SUPPORT APPENDIX 3.6: AQUATIC LIFE USE SUPPORT APPENDIX 3.7: FISH CONSUMPTION USE SUPPORT APPENDIX 3.8: NAVIGATION USE SUPPORT APPENDIX 3.9: CATEGORIZATION LIST OF DC WATERS APPENDIX 3.10: INDIVIDUAL WATERBODY WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENTS APPENDIX 5.1: WELL LOCATIONS APPENDIX 5.2: PRELIMINARY SAMPLING RESULTS vii ACRONYMS ACRONYMS ACE Army Corps of Engineers AWRC Anacostia Watershed Restoration Committee AWS Anacostia Watershed Society BAT Best available technology BEQ Bureau of Environmental Quality BMP Best management practice BNR Biological nutrient removal BOD Biochemical oxygen demand CBP Chesapeake Bay Program CERCLIS Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Information System (non-NPL) CHAMPS Capitol Hill