Improve Surface Water Quality Research Articles

Comparison of runoff quantity and quality under annual cropping and forages

Conversion from annual cropping to perennial forages may be a beneficial management practice (BMP) to reduce runoff quantity and improve surface water quality. Runoff variables were determined in two 30 ha producer's fields over 4 years (2004–2007) using a rainfall simulator. Field 1 was cropped to barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in 2004 and then an alfalfa (Medicago sp.) and grass mix used for hay and fall grazing was grown from 2005 to 2007. Field 2 was cropped to barley-winter triticale (WT) (Triticosecale Rimpavi Wittm.) in 2005 and alfalfa-grass for hay was grown in 2006 and 2007. Runoff variables measured were runoff depth, electrical conductivity, and concentrations and loads of total suspended solids, total N, total P, and dissolved reactive P fractions. Conversion from barley to alfalfa-grass for hay and fall grazing in Field 1 resulted in reductions for only 13% of the 10 runoff variables, 33% of runoff variables were unaffected, and 53% of variables were significantly increased. Conversion from barley-WT to alfalfa-grass used for hay in Field 2 significantly reduced 25% of the 10 variables, 40% were unaffected, and 35% were significantly increased. Converting from annual cropping to forage did not improve the majority of runoff variables.

Modelling the urban water chain: Incentives and cost recovery in wastewater treatment in developing countries

To improve surface water quality in developing countries new approaches to design wastewater treatment schemes have been developed. We identify a compliance problem in these schemes which threatens their success. To analyze this problem, we integrate a compliance game into a model of the urban water chain. We illustrate the model with a numerical example on small scale leather processing. We find that the compliance problem indeed threatens the overall success of the treatment scheme and show under which conditions this is so. With an empirical calibration our model is a ready to use tool to provide quantitative results that can inform planners of urban wastewater treatment schemes.

Influence of hydropattern and vegetation on phosphorus reduction in a constructed wetland under high and low mass loading rates

Large constructed wetlands are extensively used in south Florida for surface water quality improvement as well as for flood control. Due to the periodic wet–dry climate of this region, it is likely that soils in these large constructed wetlands may become dry or partially dry (experiencing drawdown), which represent a challenge to managing and optimizing phosphorus (P) reductions in these systems. Therefore, we designed an experiment to study the interactive effect of hydropattern (batch vs. continuous flow) and the presence or absence of emergent vegetation on P exchange between surface water and organic soil in two sets of 12 mesocosms. These 24 mesocosms were filled with 30-cm deep peat soil, and each set were subjected to either high (12.5gm−2year−1) or low (3.4gm−2year−1) P loading from surface water. All treatments performed similarly prior to surface water drawdown with P reductions being relatively high for high P loading rates and being low for low P loading rates. Mesocosms subject to wet–dry–wet cycles exhibited a three- to four-fold increase in surface water effluent P concentrations immediately following soil re-flooding, which lasted 1–3 and 3–10 weeks for low and high P loading rates, respectively. The magnitude of P flux from sediment to surface water and the time period over which P release took place were P loading-dependent (higher loading led to higher P flux compared to lower P loading rates), and season-dependent (a longer duration of higher P flux experienced during dry- compared to wet-season drawdowns). Results indicated that hydropattern was the dominant factor affecting P flux to overlying surface water for the high P loading rate, while the presence or absence of emergent vegetation was the dominant factor influencing P release for the low P loading rate. Treatments lacking emergent vegetation generated the most particulate P (PP) for both high and low P loading rates. All P fractions were correlated to either hydropattern or inflow concentrations, for both low and high P loading rates, and, with the exception of PP, correlated to vegetation at low-P loading rate. Our results indicated that the presence or absence of emergent vegetation is a critical factor in the management of large constructed wetlands receiving low P loadings while hydropattern should be the focus in managing treatment systems receiving high loads of P. Regardless of the P loading rates, maintaining moist soils in large constructed wetlands is a good management strategy, particularly during dry climatic periods, to minimize soil P oxidation and P flux to surface water after soil re-flooding.

A Novel Method to Determine Buffer Strip Effectiveness on Deep Soils

Unfertilized buffer strips (BS) generally improve surface water quality. High buffer strip effectiveness (BSE) has been reported for sloping shallow aquifers, but experimental data for plain landscapes with deeply permeable soils is lacking. We tested a novel method to determine BSE on a 20-m-deep, permeable sandy soil. Discharge from soil to ditch was temporarily collected in an in-stream reservoir to measure its quantity and quality, both for a BS and a reference (REF) treatment. Treatments were replicated once for the first, and three times for the next three leaching seasons. No significant BSE was obtained for nitrogen and phosphorus species in the reservoirs. Additionally, water samples were taken from the upper groundwater below the treatments. The effect of BS for nitrate was much bigger in upper groundwater than in the reservoirs that also collected groundwater from greater depths that were not influenced by the treatments. We conclude that measuring changes in upper groundwater to assess BSE is only valid under specific hydrogeological conditions. We propose an alternative experimental set-up for future research, including extra measurements before installing the BS and REF treatments to deal with spatial and temporal variability. The use of such data as covariates will increase the power of statistical tests by decreasing between-reservoir variability.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Valuation of Surface Water Quality Improvements

AbstractSince 1982, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has used benefit-cost analysis to evaluate many of its surface water quality regulations. Early regulations were aimed at controlling co...

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) is an interstate compact water pollution control commission created jointly in 1948 by eight states (Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia) with the approval of the U.S. Congress (Figure 1). The mission of ORSANCO, as provided in the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Compact, is to regulate activities in the rivers, streams, and waters of the Compact district (i.e., the Ohio River Basin as it exists within the eight signatory states) to mitigate existing and future surface water pollution. The Ohio River is an important natural resource in many regards. Along its 981-mi (1579-km) length, it provides habitat for more than 120 species of fish and facilitates the transport of 200+ million tons of goods per year. In addition, more than 5 million people rely on the Ohio River as their drinking water supply. Figure 1 Location of the Ohio River Basin in the Midwestern United States. The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) Compact District includes a majority of the basin and has eight member states (area of the blue shading). The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission, in consonance with its mission and the broad powers granted to it under the Compact, operates programs to improve surface water quality in the Ohio River and its tributaries, such as the …

Effects of alum treatment on water quality and sediment in the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, Minnesota, USA

The effects of aluminum sulfate (alum) treatment on water quality in 4 lakes of the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes (MN, USA) were examined. Lakes Harriet and Calhoun (treated in 2001) and Cedar Lake and Lake of the Isles (treated in 1996) all showed initial water quality improvement based on surface water total phosphorus (TP), chlorophyll a (Chl-a), and Secchi disk depth. Three lakes (Harriet, Calhoun, and Cedar) were at or below historical estimates of growing season average TP after treatment and showed continued improvement in surface water quality through 2005. Lake of the Isles, which received the lowest alum dose, returned to pretreatment conditions after 6 years. Estimates of sediment phosphorus (P) release rates, however, indicated that alum treatment still limited internal P release in all 4 lakes. Although the alum application to Lake Harriet was a littoral-only treatment, water quality improved in this lake as well. The aluminum hydroxide floc drifted to the deeper part of the lake, reducing internal P release from deeper sediments by 85% in the 2 years following treatment, leading to unexpected improvements in surface water Chl-a and TP concentrations.

Growth rates of baldcypress ( Taxodium distichum) seedlings in a treated effluent assimilation marsh

Wetlands have proven effective at improving water quality of treated wastewater effluent, which in turn promotes increased primary productivity and vertical accretion. Baldcypress ( Taxodium distichum) seedlings grown under different conditions (bare root and potted) were planted in four subunits of an effluent assimilation marsh and a control marsh in southeast Louisiana, USA, and basal diameter growth was monitored over one growing season. Mean basal diameter growth for seedlings in the assimilation subunits ranged from 16.1 (±1.4) mm to 9.5 (±0.9) mm, whereas growth for seedlings planted in the control marsh was 6.4 (±0.9) mm. Seedlings planted nearest the outfall experienced greater basal diameter growth (18.1 ± 2.6) compared to those planted 700 m away (8.0 ± 0.9), with growth generally decreasing with distance. Potted seedlings experienced greater growth (19.1 ± 1.0 and 20.6 ± 1.0 for five-month-olds and ten-month olds, respectively) than bare root seedlings (4.6 ± 0.6 and 4.0 ± 0.4 for one-year-olds and two-year olds, respectively). Planting assimilation marshes with baldcypress seedlings can be an effective restoration tool for coastal Louisiana, which will provide hurricane protection and improved surface water quality. Wastewater treatment wetlands may offer an effective tool for restoring coastal baldcypress ( T. distichum)–water tupelo ( Nyssa aquatic) swamps in Louisiana.

Reclaimed Water as an Alternative Water Source for Crop Irrigation

Reclaimed water has been safely and successfully used for more than 40 years in Florida and California. Reclaimed water in these states is regulated with restrictions more stringent than World Health Organization guidelines. In the United States, Florida is currently the largest producer and California is the second largest producer of reclaimed water. Reclaimed water is more highly tested than other sources of irrigation water, and the safety of this water has been demonstrated in these and other states. Very high application rates of reclaimed water to citrus on well-drained Florida sands increased tree growth and fruit production. Although reclaimed water contains some nutrient elements, there is usually insufficient macronutrient content to meet plant nutritional requirements. Most reclaimed waters do not have high salinity levels although they are slightly more salty than the potable waters from which they originated. With an adequate leaching fraction, salts in reclaimed water can be handled with appropriate irrigation management. Use of reclaimed water has steadily increased in Florida since 1992, but other entities besides agricultural irrigation are now competing for its use. Public acceptance of reclaimed water has also increased, and crops grown with reclaimed water in Florida and California have been marketed without a negative public reaction. Recent issues of food safety have caused some to question reclaimed water, but there is no evidence of food safety problems with its use. Although reclaimed water in Florida was initially promoted as a way to improve surface water quality, it has now become an important alternate source of water to help meet water shortages and urban demand. In California, reclaimed water has become a necessary part of statewide water management.

English

The use of coal combustion by-products (CCBs) in mine reclamation has been advocated by some because of their low permeability and potential to generate alkalinity. However, others have argued that these benefits are outweighed by the potential for leaching of trace elements that can enter ground and surface waters. In 1996, an abandoned mine land (AML) site in southwestern Indiana was reclaimed using ponded ash as structural fill in highwall cuts, and fixated scrubber sludge (FSS) as capping material over pyritic refuse. Pre- reclamation and post-reclamation monitoring of surface water discharge from the site, groundwater elevations and chemistry, as well as soil moisture fluctuations in the unsaturated zone have provided a basis for evaluating the effects of CCBs on the hydrochemistry of the site and potential for off-site impacts. Limited recharge through the FSS is supported by barometric efficiency changes in the refuse aquifer, the presence of perched water measured in monitoring wells installed on the cap, and minimal fluctuations in soil moisture within and immediately below the cap. Reductions in oxygenated rainwater reaching the refuse are indicated by groundwater chemistry data, collected from the refuse aquifer between 1995 and 2007, which show an increase in pH along with decreasing trends in total acidity, specific conductivity (SpC), and arsenic. Concentrations of boron, a trace element commonly associated with CCBs, have declined to near pre-reclamation levels at most sites (~1 mg/L) after an increase immediately following reclamation. Although arsenic concentrations at 14 µg/L (EPA maximum contaminant level, or MCL, is 10 µg/L) along with boron (14 mg/L) remain slightly elevated in groundwater associated with ash-filled lakes, improvements in surface water quality leaving the site include significant reductions in total mineral acidity and total iron concentrations, while trace metal concentrations remain below EPA MCLs.

Assessing the Impacts of Long-Range Sulfur and Nitrogen Deposition on Arctic and Sub-Arctic Ecosystems

For more than a decade, anthropogenic sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition has been identified as a key pollutant in the Arctic. In this study new critical loads of acidity (S and N) were estimated for terrestrial ecosystems north of 60 degrees latitude by applying the Simple Mass Balance (SMB) model using two critical chemical criteria (Al/Bc = 1 and ANCle = 0). Critical loads were exceeded in large areas of northern Europe and the Norilsk region in western Siberia during the 1990s, with the more stringent criterion (ANCle = 0) showing the larger area of exceedance. However, modeled deposition estimates indicate that mean concentrations of sulfur oxides and total S deposition within the Arctic almost halved between 1990 and 2000. The modeled exceeded area is much reduced when currently agreed emission reductions are applied, and almost disappears under the implementation of maximum technically feasible reductions by 2020. In northern North America there was no exceedance under any of the deposition scenarios applied. Modeled N deposition was less than 5 kg ha(-1) y(-1) almost across the entire study area for all scenarios; and therefore empirical critical loads for the eutrophying impact of nitrogen are unlikely to be exceeded. The reduction in critical load exceedances is supported by observed improvements in surface water quality, whereas the observed extensive damage of terrestrial vegetation around the mining and smelter complexes in the area is mainly caused by direct impacts of air pollution and metals.

Willingness to Pay for Water Quality Improvements in the United States and Canada: Considering Possibilities for International Meta-Analysis and Benefit Transfer

This paper presents a multinational meta-analysis estimated to identify systematic components of willingness to pay for surface water quality improvements, developed to support benefit transfer for Canadian policy development. Metadata are drawn from stated preference studies that estimate WTP for water quality changes affecting aquatic life habitats—a type of study with few Canadian examples. The goals of this paper are to assess the properties of a multinational (United States/Canada) meta-analysis compared to a single-country (U.S.) analog; illustrate the potential information that may be derived as well as the analytical challenges; and assess the performance of resulting meta-functions for benefit transfer.

Management-oriented sensitivity analysis for pesticide transport in watershed-scale water quality modeling using SWAT

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was calibrated for hydrology conditions in an agricultural watershed of Orestimba Creek, California, and applied to simulate fate and transport of two organophosphate pesticides chlorpyrifos and diazinon. The model showed capability in evaluating pesticide fate and transport processes in agricultural fields and instream network. Management-oriented sensitivity analysis was conducted by applied stochastic SWAT simulations for pesticide distribution. Results of sensitivity analysis identified the governing processes in pesticide outputs as surface runoff, soil erosion, and sedimentation in the study area. By incorporating sensitive parameters in pesticide transport simulation, effects of structural best management practices (BMPs) in improving surface water quality were demonstrated by SWAT modeling. This study also recommends conservation practices designed to reduce field yield and in-stream transport capacity of sediment, such as filter strip, grassed waterway, crop residue management, and tailwater pond to be implemented in the Orestimba Creek watershed.

Modeling the effects of riparian buffer zone and contour strips on stream water quality

The use of contour and riparian buffer strips planted with perennial vegetation has been found to improve surface water quality by reducing NO 3-N and sediment outflow from cropland to a river. Modeling such a system to compare alternative layout and different strip sizes often faces challenges in flow routing scheme. The hillslope scheme in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) offers the flexibility of allowing the flow from a crop area to be routed through a buffer and/or contour strip, in which a thin sheet flow represents more closely the natural condition of a watershed. In this study, the SWAT model was applied to the Walnut Creek watershed and the hillslope option was used to examine the effectiveness of contour and riparian buffer strips in reducing NO 3-N outflows from crop fields to the river. Numerical experiments were conducted to identify potential subbasins in the watershed that have high water quality impact, and to examine the effects of strip size and location on NO 3-N reduction in the subbasins under various meteorological conditions (dry, average and wet). Variable sizes of contour and riparian buffer strips (10%, 20%, 30% and 50%, respectively, of a subbasin area) planted with perennial switchgrass were used to simulate the effects of strip size on stream water quality. Simulation results showed that a filter strip having 10–50% of the subbasin area could lead to 55–90% NO 3-N reduction in the subbasin during an average rainfall year. Strips occupying 10–20% of the subbasin area were found to be more efficient in reducing NO 3-N when placed along the contour than that when placed along the river. Varying the area and location of the contour and buffer strip affects NO 3-N outflow and crop yields as well since it takes the land out of production. The size of the filter strip has economic implications in deciding how much land area to dedicate to prevent NO 3-N loss to a desired limit or vice versa. The results of this study can assist in cost-benefit analysis and decision-making in best management practices for environmental protection.

Water quality changes in the Elbe River basin, Czech Republic, in the context of the post-socialist economic transition

This paper analyses the temporal dynamics and spatial trends in water quality changes in the Elbe River basin in the context of the post-socialist economic transition of the Czech Republic (Czechia). During the 1990s, the Czech portion of the Elbe River Basin underwent significant changes in the quality of surface waters. After a long period of massive discharges of pollution, which reached a peak at the end of the 1980s, a reduction in effluent from industrial and municipal sources led to a substantial decrease in the pollution of the Elbe River and its principal tributaries. The scope and speed of such water quality changes was unprecedented in Czechia as well as throughout Europe. The classification of the spatial distribution of water quality trends revealed that the majority of streams in the Czech Elbe River basin displayed improvement of surface water quality. However, the decrease in pollution levels was spatially concentrated mainly in the Elbe River and its main tributaries. Many of the peripheral streams are, on the contrary, experiencing deteriorating water quality, even in regions where water quality improved in the early 1990s because of a decline in local economic activity associated with political changes in the former Eastern Block countries. Further improvements in water quality are thus dependent on measures adopted across the entire river basin, including the numerous minor streams. The current economic revival in a number of regions where decreases in water pollution were not based on systematic pollution reduction measures, but only on the decline of industrial or agricultural production, may result in a return to deteriorating water quality, primarily in the outer regions of the catchment.

Compost product optimization for surface water nitrate treatment in biofiltration applications

Compost based material has been proposed for use as media for biofiltration for environmental restoration in many areas to remediate contaminated water and soil. The objective of this project was to develop techniques to produce compost products for nitrate removal in storm water biofiltration applications, from typical solid waste materials. Compost products were manufactured from different feedstocks and evaluated for their nitrate removal efficiencies. Three different compost products manufactured from varying feedstock amounts of wood chips and grass clippings, along with some dry compost material from the City of Brownsville Municipal Landfill Facility (BMLF), were evaluated using column studies. Indicators of the compost product’s quality included moisture % content, pH, and conductivity measurements. The columns were loaded with water containing at least 13.5 mg/L nitrate–nitrogen and effluent water from the columns was tested to determine the nitrate reduction for the different products. All of the manufactured compost products and the BMLF material removed some nitrate. The project demonstrated that compost product materials can be effectively used for some nitrate removal for surface water quality improvement and that compost product feedstocks and blends can influence the materials capability for nitrate removal.

APPLICATION GIS TO ESTABLISH THE MONITORING NETWORK OF WATER QUALITY BASA CATFISH POND AT AN GIANG

Nowadays, with developing all over country of aquaculture, basa catfish in the Mekong River delta, included An Giang province, has kept important position and contributed to economic development in the area. However, aquaculture activities has faced with environmental risk and aquacultures diseases that cause quality of fish pond water has usually pollution and reducing total of basa fish yeild. The water and sludge samples were conducted for six months in order to carry out the current status of water quality of fish ponds at My Hoa Hung commune at Long Xuyen city. Based on analysis results, proposing establishment dada base and monitoring network of surface water by using GIS that were conducted to improve surface water quality and identify the risks that may cause damage the environmental of basa fish ponds in this reserach.

Preliminary results of studies on the purification of water in a pond using the SCD Probiotics technology

The paper presents preliminary results of a study on the application of the SCD Probiotics Technology to improve surface water quality. The Technology is based on the principles of the effective microorganism (EM) technology developed in Japan over thirty years ago by Dr Teuro Higa. The study was carried out in 2006–2008 in a pond with an area of 1200m2, receiving purified sewage discharged from a constructed wetland system with willow vegetation filter, in operation since 1994, to which the SCD Probiotics Technology was applied since September 2007 till June 2008. A decrease of biogens concentrations in the pond water was recorded after applying the tested technology – ammonium nitrate concentration decreased by 85.2%, total nitrogen by 56.9%, while total phosphorus by 77.6%. Chlorophyll a level also showed a decreasing tendency. However, more detailed studies are still required to confirm the effectiveness of the SCD Probiotics technology in the purification of surface water.

Modeling the effect of agricultural best management practices on water quality under various climatic scenarios

The South Nation (SN) watershed in Eastern Ontario was studied for improvements in surface water quality due to best management practices (BMPs). Contributions of non-point sources (NPS) to nutrient loadings are both significant and poorly defined in the region. The study used the dynamic Annualized Agricultural NPS (AnnAGNPS) model to run continuous annual simulations, coupled with a dynamic water-quality model for simulation of riverine water chemistry. The simulation case matrix focused on the potential of BMPs within the context of climate change. Results of the work were then analyzed to determine ecological intensity (severity), duration, and frequency (IDF) of violations to species survivability within the stream network. Best management practices were found to reduce water quality impacts but stream standards were not reached. Adjustment of fertilizer application rates (FAR) and vegetative filter strips (VFS) outperformed alternative BMPs in the model. Results suggest that agricultural activity within the watershed must be diminished to reach standards.

Source apportionment of pollutants and flows of combined sewer wastewater

To reduce the combined sewer overflows (CSOs) and improve surface water quality in the Greater Milwaukee area, construction of a 19.5-mile (31.4 km) inline storage system (ISS) was completed in 1994 to capture and convey sanitary sewage and stormwater for treatment. However, one to six overflows per year still occur. Chemical mass balance (CMB) and positive matrix factorization (PMF) modeling was done in order to find origins of flows and pollutants in CSOs. Based on overflow events from 2000 to 2006 (CMB) and 2004 to 2006 (PMF), we found that between 27% and 56% of the total overflow is from sanitary sewage and most of the remaining from stormwater with possible minor contribution (⩽8%) from groundwater. Most total suspended solids and metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni, Hg, and Zn) are from stormwater, while sanitary sewage carries large contributions (⩾28%) of BOD 5, NH 3, and total phosphorus. The fraction of NH 3 is especially high, i.e., ⩾58%. Implications for a possible future sewer separation in combined sewer areas into separate sanitary and storm sewers are discussed.