Nine years of discharge ambient monitoring

1. Revisions to MWRA’s Ambient Monitoring Plan: WhyMichael J. HornbrookMWRA Chief Operating OfficerOutfall Monitoring Science Advisory PanelJune 29, 2009

2. Nine years of discharge ambient monitoring • Comprehensive Ambient Monitoring planned for 5 years • Has continued an additional 4 years on its expired permit • Time frame for new permit still unclear • In September will complete 9 years discharge ambient monitoring plus 8 years baseline • All >30 monitoring questions posed by the Outfall Monitoring Task Force answered. • Water quality standards in Massachusetts Bay are met and generally better than planning predictions

3. MWRA’s purpose today • Based on 9 years of monitoring results, scaling back is appropriate, for existing permit • Not a template or basis for monitoring requirements in next permit • MWRA’s position for next permit is that Ambient Monitoring or Contingency Plan permit requirement is not necessary • Extensive effluent sampling will continue Diffuser #2, active Diffuser #44, inactive

4. Bays ecosystem is healthy The bays continue to support a healthy ecosystem in the water and in the sediments with no adverse impacts from the outfall observed over 9 years of intensive monitoring Dolphins playing in the wake of the R/V Aquamonitor, August 2007 photo by Bob Mandeville

5. MWRA committed to performance excellence • Pollution prevention through stringent limits on industrial discharges. • Investment in maintenance of treatment infrastructure. • Treatment process achieves high quality effluent, documented by rigorous effluent testing. • MWRA consistently meets or does better than permit limits.

6. Effluent testing will remain intensive • 35,000 tests annually, about 95 tests/day includes • Conventional pollutants • TSS • BOD • Bacteria • Priority pollutants • Metals • Organics • Toxicity • Nutrients Process Control

7. 2008 solids discharges remained low <20 tons/day

8. 2008 metals discharges about 100 pounds/day

9. Actual pollutant loadings below original planning projections #Conservative value, all samples were non-detect

10. Significant Investment in Ambient Monitoring • $53 million in external monitoring, modeling and cooperative research projects for monitoring outfall effects • Including MWRA laboratory and technical staff costs brings total to more than $60 million. • With changes reviewed today, ambient monitoring expenses remain substantial: >$2 million for FY10.

11. Results are in • Investment yielded high-quality science done by acknowledged experts from major universities and research institutions. • Hundreds of technical reports, reports at symposia, and peer-reviewed publications in scientific journals. • Bottom line: Boston Harbor recovering and no adverse impact on Massachusetts or Cape Cod Bays.