Maine Statewide Bacteria TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Loads) August 2009 Report # DEPLW-1002 Marine & Estuarine Waters Prepared by: ENSR Prepared for: Maine Department of Environmental Protection Maine Statewide Bacteria TMDL Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION...............................................................................................................................4 2.0 BACKGROUND................................................................................................................................5 2.1 Bacteria ...................................................................................................................................5 2.2 Bacteria Sources .....................................................................................................................6 2.2.1 Point Source Pollution ..............................................................................................6 Illicit Discharges.......................................................................................................................6 Wastewater Discharges & Treatment Facilities ......................................................................6 Overboard Discharges.............................................................................................................6 Accidental & Unspecified Discharges......................................................................................6 Combined Sewer Overflows....................................................................................................6 Stormwater ..............................................................................................................................7 2.2.2 Non-point Source Pollution.......................................................................................8 Stormwater ..............................................................................................................................8 Septic Systems........................................................................................................................8 Pet Waste ................................................................................................................................8 Wildlife Waste..........................................................................................................................8 Agriculture ...............................................................................................................................9 Recreation ...............................................................................................................................9 2.3 Monitoring Bacteria for Compliance with Water Quality Standards & Source Identification...9 2.4 Waterbody Descriptions and Priority Ranking.......................................................................11 3.0 WATER QUALITY STANDARDS ..................................................................................................19 3.1 Applicable Water Quality Standards......................................................................................19 3.2 Numeric Water Quality Target...............................................................................................20 4.0 TMDL ..............................................................................................................................................23 4.1 TMDL Definition.....................................................................................................................23 4.2 Loading Capacity, MOS, and Allocations..............................................................................23 4.2.1 Concentration TMDLs.............................................................................................24 4.3 Seasonal Considerations ......................................................................................................28 4.4 Future TMDL Applicability .....................................................................................................28 5.0 MONITORING PLAN......................................................................................................................28 6.0 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.............................................................................................................28 6.1 Best Management Practices & Educational Resources........................................................29 6.1.1 Maine NPS Watershed Management.....................................................................30 6.2 Case Studies, for Real People ..............................................................................................31 6.2.1 Spruce Creek, Low Impact Development Retrofit Study ........................................31 6.2.2 Spruce Creek, Neighborhood Septic Social ...........................................................33 6.2.3 Casco Bay, Shoreline Surveys ...............................................................................35 6.2.4 Casco Bay, Overboard Discharge Project..............................................................36 6.2.5 Seal Harbor Beach, Watershed Survey..................................................................38 6.2.6 Kenduskeag Stream (Bangor) ................................................................................40 7.0 REASONABLE ASSURANCE .......................................................................................................46 8.0 PUBLIC PARTICIPATION..............................................................................................................46 9.0 REFERENCES................................................................................................................................48 i Maine Statewide Bacteria TMDL List of Tables Table 2-1. Rivers and Streams Impaired by Bacteria and Pollutants Other Than Those Listed in 5-B Through 5-D (TMDL Required) [Maine Listing Category 5-A] (MEDEP 2008)............................14 Table 2-2. Rivers and Streams Impaired by Bacteria Contamination (TMDL Required) [Maine Listing Category 5-B] (MEDEP 2008) .....................................................................................................15 Table 2-3. Estuarine and Marine Waters Impaired only by Bacteria (TMDL Required) [Maine Listing Category 5-B] (MEDEP 2008). ....................................................................................................16 Table 2-4. Estuarine and Marine Waters Impaired by Pollutants Other Than Those Listed in 5-B Through 5-D (TMDL Required) [Maine Listing Category 5-A] (MEDEP 2008). .........................................19 Table 2-5. Estuarine and Marine Waters Impaired by Bacteria from Combined Sewer Overflows [Maine Listing Category 5-B-2] (MEDEP 2008).......................................................................................19 Table 3-1. Bacteria Water Quality Standards Applicable to Maine Waters ..................................................21 Table 4-1. TMDLs, WLAs, and LAs for Fresh Water Bacteria (May 15 – September 30)............................25 Table 4-2. TMDLs, WLAs, and LAs for Estuarine and Marine Waters (non-shellfish harvesting areas) Bacteria (May 15 – September 30)..............................................................................................26 Table 4-3. Bacteria (Fecal Coliform) TMDLs WLAs, and LAs for Shellfish Harvesting Areas (applicable year round)...................................................................................................................................27 List of Figures Figure 2-1. Relationships among Indicator Organisms (USEPA 2001) with Maine’s indicator organisms highlighted......................................................................................................................................5 Figure 2-2. Combined Sewer Overflows Locations in Maine...........................................................................7 Figure 2-3. Maine Healthy Coastal Beach Program Monitoring Locations (MHB 2006). .............................10 Figure 2-4. Maine Bacteria Impaired Segments. ..........................................................................................11 Figure 2-5. Maine Major Watersheds (HUC8) ..............................................................................................13 Figure 3-1. Maine Shellfish Growing Areas Classification ............................................................................22 Appendix I Freshwaters Appendix II Marine & Estuarine Waters Appendix III TMDL Calculations & Graphs Appendix IV Impaired Segments with TMDL Endpoints Appendix V Public Comments & DEP Response ii Maine Statewide Bacteria TMDL LIST OF ACRONYMS AFO Animal Feeding Operation BMP Best Management Practice CDBG Community Development Block Grant CSO Combined Sewer Overflow CWA Clean Water Act CZM Coastal Zone Management DDT Dichloro-Diphenyl-Trichloroethane DECTA Division of Engineering, Compliance and Technical Assistance (ME) DLLR Division of Land Resource Regulation (ME) DMF Department of Marine Fisheries (ME) DMR Division of Marine Resources (ME) DWM Division of Watershed Management (ME) DWQM Division of Water Quality Management (ME) GIS Geographic Information System GMWQS Geometric Mean Water Quality Standard HUC Hydrologic Unit Code LA Load Allocation MEDEP Maine Department of Environmental Protection MEP Maximum Extent Practicable MHB Maine Healthy Beaches MEPDES Maine Pollutant Discharge Elimination System MOS Margin of Safety MS4 Municipal Separate Storm