CURRENT WATER QUALITY ISSUES

Gerard Thibeault

California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Santa Ana Region

May 8, 2008

ASCE Stormwater Committee Meeting Notice

• “Synopsis: Water quality policies and requirements are constantly changing based on TMDLs and Basin Plan requirements.”

• “Constantly changing” vs. “painfully slow”

• Last TMDL 2007

• Basin Plan revision 2004

WATER QUALITY ISSUES

• Re-issuance of MS4 Permits

• General Construction Permit

• Stormwater Quality Standards Task Force

• Once-through cooling

• Hydraulic Control of Chino Basin

• Recycled Water Policy

• Emerging Contaminants

State Policies

• Recycled Water Policy

– Important drought-related policy

– Very similar to Santa Ana Region policies

– Requires other regions to develop salt-management plans

• Once-through Cooling Policy

– Enormous significance for power generation in state

– Statewide consistency

Water Quality Issues

• Hydraulic Control of Chino Basin Groundwater

– Reverse GW gradient across lower basin

– Supply wells for Chino Basin desalters

– Stop migration of dairy and ag contaminated GW to Orange Co.

– Encourages SAR to migrate into Chino Basin

Water Quality Issues

• Emerging Contaminants

– Pharmaceuticals, personal care products, hormones, endocrine disruptors

– Documented effects on marine habitat

– Groundwater results

– Groundwater and surface water monitoring task force

MS4 Permit Re-issuance

• Area-wide permits for Orange County, San Bernardino County and Riverside County

• Expired during 2007

• First drafts completed or nearing completion

• First workshops early 2009

• Adoption in 2009

MS4 Permit Re-issuance

• Seeking SoCal consistency

– Meetings with Los Angeles, San Diego and Colorado River Regions and with U.S. EPA

– Topics

• Effective impermeable area• Municipal action levels• Hydromod or HCOC• Inclusion of TMDL requirements• LID

MS4 Permit Re-issuance

• Prefer unified SoCal MS4 permit, but not likely for this round

• Expect permits to be regionally focused, but essentially similar

– Exception may be use of Municipal Action Levels (MALs)

MS4 Permit Re-issuance

• LID/Green Infrastructure

– Build upon current permit site design requirements

– New

• Require Evaluation of ordinances to eliminate barriers to LID implementation

• Emphasize on site design components, structural source control, and treatment BMPs being operational before occupancy

• Long-term O&M tracking

MS4 Re-issuance

• HCOC

– Existing – per site basis

– New – link to jurisdictional, sub-watershed and watershed approach

– Jurisdictional and watershed plans to protect vulnerable streams

– Preserve existing unarmored streams

– S.B. Co. project underway

Progress Update

Hydromodification Mapping and Hydromodification Mapping and

DocumentationDocumentation

for Santa Ana River Watershed Area infor Santa Ana River Watershed Area in

San Bernardino CountySan Bernardino County

RBF Consulting14725 Alton Parkway

Irvine, CA 92618

John McCarthy, PE, CFMSteve Bein, PE

Hydromodification Mapping and Hydromodification Mapping and Documentation Documentation

for the Santa Ana River Watershedfor the Santa Ana River Watershed

Purpose Develop a comprehensive map of the Permit area within San

Bernardino County to assist the Co-Permittees and project proponents to determine whether a project will flow to a hydrologically sensitive area.

Screening Tool forCo-Permittees,applicants,

& Regional Board

Four Phase Project ApproachFour Phase Project Approach

Phase 1 - Completed Practical Working Definitions Develop Work Plan

Phase 2 - Completed Base Data Collection GIS Feature Creation & HCOC Map Preparation

HCOC ProjectData Input:

•Aligned Drainage Courses•Material•Dimensions•Ownership•Reach Limits

MS4 Permit Re-issuance

• Other matters to be addressed:

– Cross-media (air pollution)

– TMDL Implementation

• Not discretionary

– Performance standards

– Contaminated GW rising into MS4

MS4 Permit Re-issuance

• Next Steps:

– Collaboration with 3 counties and co-permittees

– Collaboration with environmental groups and other interested parties

– Drive for consensus• Process used in O.C. last round

– Workshops

– Hearings for consideration of adoption

Statewide General Construction Permit

• Expired in 2004

• March 18th – Preliminary draft

• New proposals

– Tech based Numeric Action Levels

• pH and turbidity

– Tech based Numeric Effluent Lim

• NEL for pH and turbidity (1000 NTU)

– Specifies more min BMP reqmts.

Statewide General Construction Permit

• New proposals (cont’d.)

– Risk-based permitting – 4 levels

• 3 lower levels in general permit• 4th level must have individual WDRs

– Soil characteristics monit. and rept.

– Effluent monit. & rept. – pH & turb.

• Compliance with NELs & NALs

– Receiving water monit. & rept.

• Risk levels 2 & 3

Statewide General Construction Permit

• New proposals (cont’d.)

– New development and re-development SW performance stds.

– Rain event action plan (48 hrs in advance)

– Site photographic self-monit. & rept.

– Annual reporting (> 3 months)

– Cert./Training reqmts for key staff

Stormwater Quality Standards Task Force

• Addressing issue of bacterial standards for body-contact recreation (REC-1)

– Fecal coliform vs. e coli

• Stormwater channels presumed REC-1, unless re-designated by Use-Attainability Analysis (UAA)

• UAA difficult to achieve, given CA definitions for REC-1 & REC -2

The Goal

Current Definition of REC-1

“Water Contact Recreation (REC1) waters are used for recreational activities involving body contact with water where ingestion of water is reasonably possible. These uses may include, but are not limited to, swimming, wading, water-skiing, skin and scuba diving, surfing, whitewater activities, fishing, and use of natural hot springs.”

Current Definition of REC-2

“Non-contact Recreation (REC2) waters are used for recreational activities involving proximity to water, but not normally involving body contact with water where ingestion of water would be reasonably possible. These uses may include, but are not limited to: picnicking, sunbathing, hiking, beachcombing, camping, tidepool and marine life study, hunting, sightseeing and aesthetic enjoyment in conjunction with the above activities.”

Contact or Non-Contact Recreation?

Reasonably Possible?

Web Site

• www.swrcb.ca.gov/santaana