12/3/2015
Water Quality in AthensClarke County
Mayor and Commission Work
Session
December 8, 2015
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Purpose
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Provide background on why the Unified Government of
Athens-Clarke County (ACCUG) is involved with water
quality issues
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Discuss water quality issues in Georgia
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Discuss water quality issues in Athens-Clarke County
(ACC)
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Review potential causes of stream impairments in ACC
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Outline measures that ACCUG undertakes to improve
and maintain water quality
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Public Utilities Department activities
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Transportation and Public Works Department activities
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Background
Through permit mechanisms, ACCUG is responsible for
helping Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GAEPD)
assess water quality for the Federal Clean Water Act
Stormwater and wastewater permits focus on watershed
management
ACC Public Utilities Department – wastewater permittee
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Water quality and biological monitoring since 2005
Watershed Protection Plan approved in 2011
ACC Transportation and Public Works – stormwater
permittee
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Water quality management through its stormwater permit since
2003
Watershed data collection since 2009
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Water Quality in Georgia
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The State has assessed
~14,000 miles of streams in
Georgia
59% of the assessed streams
have poor water quality
33% of the assessed streams
have poor water quality due
to fecal coliform bacteria
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Water Quality in Georgia
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Water Quality in Athens-Clarke County
Fecal Coliform Impairment (19 stream segments)
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46 miles of stream segments within ACC
31 miles of stream segments with portions located outside of
ACC
Other Impairments
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Carr Creek for poor fish communities
Kingswood Branch for elevated pH
Middle Oconee River, as it enters ACC from Jackson County,
for poor macroinvertebrate communities
Noketchee Creek, originating in Madison County, for poor fish
communities
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Water Quality in Athens-Clarke County
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Potential Sources of Impairment
Fecal Coliform
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Levels above state standards are found in urban areas,
agricultural areas, and national forest areas
Not unique to Georgia, similar levels are seen in streams
across the nation
EPD is evaluating other indicators of human waste materials
and bacteria that can be correlated to human illness (GAEPD,
2014)
Data from some PUD screening sites suggest that bacteria
concentrations are high as streams enter the County
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Potential Sources of Impairment
Fish Communities in Carr Creek
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Industrial watershed could contribute to water quality
concerns
Drains an abandoned commercial fertilizer production site;
historical site operations led to groundwater contamination
likely contributing to ongoing water quality problems in Carr
Creek (GAEPD, 2003)
Per GAEPD, the results of a corrective action plan that was
implemented at the site are being evaluated; water quality
improvements have yet to be documented
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How PUD is Improving & Maintaining Water
Quality
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PUD implements multiple programs to improve water
quality
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Measures to comply with NPDES wastewater permit
Additional activities above and beyond their permit
Water quality measures are focused on identifying and
correcting inflow and infiltration (I&I) to PUD sewers
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Reduce the volume of sanitary sewer overflows
Reduce the volume of wastewater at plants
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How PUD is Improving & Maintaining Water
Quality – Wastewater Permit Compliance
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Instream Water Quality Monitoring
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Instream Biological Monitoring
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Six years of data (2005, 2011-2015), currently ongoing
Dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, turbidity, temperature at 10
locations
Fecal coliform and Escherichia coli (E. coli) at 10 locations
Nutrients, organic matter, and metals during wet- and dry-weather at
6 locations
Three years of data (2005, 2012, 2014), currently ongoing, required
every 2 years
Fish community assessments at 7 locations
Benthic macroinvertebrate assessments at 7 locations
Physical habitat assessments at 7 locations
Watershed Protection Plan Annual Report to GAEPD
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How PUD is Improving & Maintaining Water
Quality – Additional Activities
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Instream Water Quality Monitoring
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Comprehensive Flow Monitoring (2002, 2010, and 2012)
Dynamic Sewer Modeling
Sewer System Inspections
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Six years of data (2005, 2011-2015); currently ongoing
Dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, turbidity, temperature at 8
locations
Fecal coliform and E. coli at 8 locations
Closed-circuit television (CCTV), pole camera, and off-road camera
equipment
Smoke and dye tests
Rodder and flush trucks
Sewer System Rehabilitation Projects
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PUD sampling stations
(2005—present)
How PUD is Improving & Maintaining Water
Quality – Success & Next Steps
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Sanitary sewer overflows were reduced by 89% from
2010 to 2014
Continue to implement water quality measures previously
discussed and submit Annual Reports to GAEPD
The 2015 Service Delivery Plan outlines major sewer
rehabilitation projects
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Identified through field surveys and modeling
Expected to greatly decrease the amount of I&I in the sewer
system
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Best Management Practices for
Impaired Waterways and Watershed
Management
Transportation and Public Works, Stormwater Management Program
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How T&PW is improving water quality
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Infrastructure Improvements
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Measuring Stream Health
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Areawide Stormwater Master Plan
Drainage Improvements to address water quantity deficiencies
Watershed Characterizations
Stream walks, data collection, best management practice
recommendations
Monitoring Water Quality
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Creating Impaired Waters Monitoring Plan
Delisting our streams through monitoring
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Infrastructure improvements
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T&PW developed Areawide Stormwater Master Plan to
address flooding concerns throughout the county.
The plan resulted in 59 Level I drainage improvements
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Since 2000, T&PW has completed 60% of the Level 1 priority
drainage improvements throughout the county.
Images of flooding on Baxter Street
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Measuring stream health
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Watershed characterizations use physical, chemical and
biological data to determine stream health and make
recommendations for improving or maintaining water quality.
These characterizations allow ACC to be proactive with water
quality and go above and beyond the permit requirements.
ACC Staff conducting a stream walk in Trail Creek
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Measuring stream health
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The county has completed 6 watershed characterizations
and is working on completing 3 more.
Completed
In progress
Tanyard Creek
McNutt Creek
Hunnicutt Creek
Carr Creek
Brooklyn Creek
Big Creek
West fork of Trail Creek
Shoal Creek
Cedar Creek
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Monitoring water quality
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Impaired Waters Monitoring Plan
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State required sampling plan to address the 82 miles of
impaired stream segments
ACC streams are impaired for Fecal Coliform (FC), pH,
Fish Bioassessments (BioF), and
Macroinvertabrate Bioassessments (BioM)
Fecal coliform impairment (19 stream segments)
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46 miles of stream segments completely within ACC
31 miles of stream segments with portions located outside of ACC
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Developing the Monitoring Program
Step 1:
Identify the impaired waters within Athens-Clarke County
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Impaired Waters List
Creek Name
Pollutant
Extent (miles)
Cause
Brooklyn Creek
Fecal Coliform
2
Urban Runoff
Carr Creek
Fecal Coliform, Fish Biota
2
Industrial Facility, Urban Runoff
Cedar Creek
Fecal Coliform
4
Urban Runoff
Cloverhurst Branch
Fecal Coliform
2
Urban Runoff
East Fork Trail Creek
Fecal Coliform
3
Urban Runoff
Hunnicutt Creek (Mitchell Bridge Branch)
Fecal Coliform
1
Urban Runoff
Kingswood Branch
Fecal Coliform, pH
1
Urban Runoff
McNutt Creek
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Nonpoint Sources, Urban Runoff
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Nonpoint Sources
Middle Oconee River
Fecal Coliform
Fecal Coliform,
Macroinvertebrate Biota
Fecal Coliform
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Nonpoint Sources
Middle Oconee River
Fecal Coliform
4
Urban Runoff
Noketchee Creek
Fish Biota
5
Nonpoint Sources, Urban Runoff
North Bypass Branch
Fecal Coliform
2
Urban Runoff
North Oconee River
Fecal Coliform
2
Nonpoint Sources
North Oconee River
Fecal Coliform
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Municipal Facility, Urban Runoff
Oconee River
Fecal Coliform
4
Urban Runoff
Tanyard Creek
Fecal Coliform
1
Urban Runoff
Trail Creek
Fecal Coliform
2
Urban Runoff
Tributary to Middle Oconee River
Fecal Coliform
1
Nonpoint Sources, Urban Runoff
West Fork Trail Creek
Fecal Coliform
3
Urban Runoff
Middle Oconee River
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Clarke County Impaired Waters
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Developing the Monitoring Program
Step 2: Determine sample locations, sample types, and
frequency of sample collection
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Impaired Water Monitoring
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Developing the Monitoring Plan
Step 3: Future Steps to Delist Streams
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Plan’s future elements
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Fecal Source Tracking
Stream Restorations
Public Education and Outreach Programs
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Septic Tank Maintenance
Pet Waste Management
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Fecal Source Tracking
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Fecal Source Tracking lets us know where the fecal is
coming from
Potential sources
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Human
Dogs
Wildlife
Agricultural runoff
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Stream restorations
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Stream restoration brings back natural stream functions
and improves water quality
Stream restoration requires
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Restoration of native vegetation
Restoration of riparian habitat
Result in restoration of fish and other animal
communities
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Planned stream restoration
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Target streams for stream restoration:
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Brooklyn Creek
Carr Creek
Cedar Creek
Trail Creek stream buffer work day.
Native species planting along Trail Creek.
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Planned stream restoration
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Public outreach
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Continue targeted public outreach
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Septic inventory and education program
Pet waste program
Rain harvesting program
Education and outreach programs
exceed permit requirements
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Next steps
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Will have a Water Quality Master Plan in 2 years
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Mirrors the Stormwater Quantity Master Plan that guided
successful flood control measures
Builds on the watershed characterizations and the impaired
waters monitoring plan for all 17 drainage basins
Use the Water Quality Master Plan to identify key
improvement projects
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Projects could include stream restorations, man-made
wetlands, and other mitigation measures
Projects would be funded through a combination of
Stormwater Utility and SPLOST funds
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Questions
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