Municipal Groundwater Municipal Groundwater Monitoring in Waterloo - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Tammy Middleton, M.Sc. P.Geo. Senior Hydrogeologist Regional Municipality of Waterloo

Municipal Groundwater Municipal Groundwater Monitoring in Waterloo Monitoring in Waterloo Region Region

Presentation Overview Presentation Overview

• 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)

Water Sources Water Sources

• Surface Water

– Intake at Grand River (Kitchener) – Treatment at Mannheim WTP – 20%

Water Sources Water Sources

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

Hydrogeology Hydrogeology & Source Water Group & Source Water Group

Education/ Awareness Contamination Assessment Source Protection PoliciesCompliance Resource Monitoring Well Upgrades Well Maintenance New Supplies Water Supply

Monitoring Programs Monitoring Programs

• 120 Production Wells
• 50 Monitoring Well nests (quality)
• 170 Monitoring Well nests (levels)
• RoW Laboratory
• On-line analyzers
• Monitoring Scope:

– Regulatory & – “Beyond-Regulatory”

Monitoring Program Objectives Monitoring Program Objectives

Compliance with Legislation Proactive monitoring - early warning of supply or contamination issues Sustainable management of groundwater resources Understanding the hydrogeological systems

• Compliance with

Compliance with Legislation Legislation

$664,456 $880,627 $198,384 Lab charges* 139,057 28,369 2001 41,136 11,173 1999 131,379 18,311 2009 # tests # samples

* Not including Water Protection extra samples

Water samples and laboratory testing

• Proactive Monitoring

Proactive Monitoring Greenbrook Greenbrook Wellfield Wellfield

• 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

• f Waterloo
• Operated since~1900
• Water quality

database to 1970s

• Water level database

to 1950s

Beyond Compliance testing Beyond Compliance testing

• 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, ….

In The News In The News

1,4-dioxane plume at 1,4-dioxane plume at Greenbrook Greenbrook

UV - Hydrogen Peroxide

Aside: The challenges of well fields in developed areas

Sustainable Management Well/Aquifer

• ptimization

GUDI research Well decommissioning

Greenbrook Water Level Monitoring

300 305 310 315 320 325 330 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 m ASL M4-94B OW1-76

• Understanding Hydrogeological

Understanding Hydrogeological Systems Systems - Middleton St. Wellfield

• Middleton St. Wellfield
• 5 bedrock wells

(Guelph/Gasport fms)

• Residential/Industrial area,

Cambridge

• GUDI wellfield
• 5 mil gal/day (250 L/s), 40%
• f Cambridge water supply
• Under construction for TCE

treatment

• Must ensure un-interrupted

wellfield operation

250 255 260

1-Sep-09 2-Sep-09 3-Sep-09 4-Sep-09 5-Sep-09 6-Sep-09 7-Sep-09 8-Sep-09 Elevation m asl

MW1A-08 MW1B-08 MW1C-08

• Importance of appropriate water level monitoring

to understand hydrogeology

• Cost effective

250 255 260 1

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Elevation m asl

MW1A-08 MW1B-08 MW1C-08

• 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

GUDI monitoring at an GUDI monitoring at an

• perating wellfield
• perating wellfield

• Continuous water

levels, online turbidity, now a key component of management during Middleton station construction

• Reliable, cost-

effective, minimum interference with construction schedule

Ontario Ontario’ ’s Clean Water Act s Clean Water Act

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

Grand River Source Grand River Source Protection Area Protection Area

CWA CWA “ “Threats & Issues Threats & Issues” ”

• 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

Issues Issues Assessment Assessment Results Results

• Issues at 13 wellfields
• Urban & rural
• “Issue Contributing

Areas” defined

• Related Threats

become significant within ICAs

• Nitrate
• Salt (chloride,

sodium)

• Trichloroethylene
• ROW already

monitoring and addressing these issues

Example: TCE Example: TCE

TCE TRENDS MIDDLETON STREET WELLFIELD

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1

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a n

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DATE TCE CONCENTRATION (ug/L) G01 G01A G02 G14 G03

Reservoir Concentration = ~2.5 ppb

Example: Salt Example: Salt

100 200 300 400 1970 1975 1980 1984 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

CHLORIDE mg/L

G01 G01A G02 G03 G14

Chloride Trends- Middleton St. Wellfield

Salt Sources – Parking Lots

72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08

Year

50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 mg/L

Legend

Sodium Concentration Chloride Concentration

Regional Supply Well G5

ODWS for Chloride ODWS for Sodium

‘94 ‘98

Example: Nitrate Example: Nitrate

NITRATE -WILMOT CENTRE 2 4 6 8 10

1980 1984 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010

NITRATE mg/L

K50 K51

Next: Possible SPP Activities Next: Possible SPP Activities

Financial Incentives for improved farm management Land purchase of most vulnerable areas Business inspections Risk management plans Financial incentives to reduce spill risk Municipal road-salt management plans Smart about Salt accreditation Salt management for new development Update Official Plan

• Studies and

restrictions

Challenges/Lessons Learned Challenges/Lessons Learned

• Large program- 38

wellfields

– Have monitoring objectives and prioritize – Look for technology, efficiency, simplicity – Allocate manpower, resources – I take suggestions!

Challenges/Lessons Learned Challenges/Lessons Learned

Effective Monitoring

– Set monitoring program

• bjectives

– 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/Lessons Learned Challenges/Lessons Learned

• Data

– Set procedures for data review and management (SOPs) – ROW datasets too large for usual computer tools – Team with data experts, automate as much as possible – Integrate with the lab – Make QA/QC a priority – New technology, GIS databases – Avoid proprietary programs for data storage

20,482 2,691 3,572 21ppm 39 86% 3467 2 I P Z 6 m b g s OW1-90 Non-agricultural source material 365.23 m asl 37 9 1 9 20 69 13 9 14% 6 818 R

• a

d s a l t C

• n

d i t i

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Solvent TCE Moderate 3 9 1 ODWS 2,691 13 39 86% D N A P L 20 6.8 9 C

• n

d i t i

• n

TCE 9 1 39 685 Significant 9 1 9 13 14% 6 3 9 1 WHPA-A 13 9 T r a v e l b l a n k 9 1 turbidity

Challenges/Lessons Learned Challenges/Lessons Learned

• 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/Lessons Learned Challenges/Lessons Learned

• 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?