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The Wet Weather Partnership and The National Association of Clean Water Agencies Cutting Edge LTCP Development Iss

NY/NJ Toxics Study Raises Questions About the Value of CSO Control. Sheldon Lipke, P.E.Passaic Valley Sewerage CommissionersBridget McKennaPassaic Valley Sewerage CommissionersMick DeGraeveGreat Lakes Environmental Center. ?Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) are the repugnant remnants of antiqua

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The Wet Weather Partnership and The National Association of Clean Water Agencies Cutting Edge LTCP Development Iss

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    1. The Wet Weather Partnership and The National Association of Clean Water Agencies Cutting Edge LTCP Development Issues

    2. NY/NJ Toxics Study Raises Questions About the Value of CSO Control Sheldon Lipke, P.E. Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners Bridget McKenna Passaic Valley Sewerage Commissioners Mick DeGraeve Great Lakes Environmental Center

    3. “Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) are the repugnant remnants of antiquated technology that plague older cities like Boston and threaten precious water resources like the Charles River by introducing raw sewage during wet – weather events” (Boston College Environmental Affairs Law Review, Summer 1999) Most of you have heard the mantra that CSOs are bad, and that the ultimate cure is sewer separation. After all, wastewater is full of nasty contaminants, while rainwater is pure. We all have assumed that the contaminants in combined sewage are primarily found in the wastewater portion of the mixture of wastewater and rainfall that is combined sewage. But, conventional wisdom is not always correct.Most of you have heard the mantra that CSOs are bad, and that the ultimate cure is sewer separation. After all, wastewater is full of nasty contaminants, while rainwater is pure. We all have assumed that the contaminants in combined sewage are primarily found in the wastewater portion of the mixture of wastewater and rainfall that is combined sewage. But, conventional wisdom is not always correct.

    4. Contamination Assessment & Reduction Project (CARP) CARP was a bi-state monitoring, modeling and management project to identify the major sources of toxic contaminants to the NY/NJ Harbor Estuary

    5. NY/NJ Harbor

    6. Water Measurements - Ambient and Loadings

    8. New Jersey CSO and SWO Locations

    9. The most startling information to come out of the study was the relative concentrations / loadings of contaminants between storm water and combined sewage.The most startling information to come out of the study was the relative concentrations / loadings of contaminants between storm water and combined sewage.

    10. How Do Toxic Contaminants Get into the Stormwater? The SWO / CSO results focused our attention on: Atmospheric contamination Street dirt Urban surfaces (buildings, plants, soils, roofs) Sewer system sedimentsThe SWO / CSO results focused our attention on: Atmospheric contamination Street dirt Urban surfaces (buildings, plants, soils, roofs) Sewer system sediments

    11. POTW PCB Trackdown Experience Results to Date A multi – year study to investigate this phenomenon - for PCBs onlyA multi – year study to investigate this phenomenon - for PCBs only

    12. Storm Water Collection Manhole Insert Based on the results we decided to perform a small experimentBased on the results we decided to perform a small experiment

    13. 85% Capture Example85% Capture Example

    14. PVSC serves 47 communities in Northern, NJ. Of those, approximately 50% are serviced by combined sewers and 50% by separate sewers.PVSC serves 47 communities in Northern, NJ. Of those, approximately 50% are serviced by combined sewers and 50% by separate sewers.

    15. Why Not Sewer Separation? Comparison of CSO Volumes to Storm Water Volumes A comparison was made on the discharge of toxic compounds by CSOs with 85% capture and by equivalent separate sewer systems.A comparison was made on the discharge of toxic compounds by CSOs with 85% capture and by equivalent separate sewer systems.

    16. Concentrations above are the NJ Stormwater and NJ CSO concentrations used in the CARP Model

    20. Conclusions and Implications For each of the five contaminant classes (pesticides, PCBs, dioxins/furans, PAHs and metals) measured in CSOs and SWOs in the CARP study, the mean concentrations in CSOs were either the same as measured in SWOs (PCBs) or lower than measured in the SWOs.

    21. Conclusions and Implications (continued) Concentrations of pesticides, dioxins/furans, metals and PAHs were 9%, 15%, 58% and 60% lower, respectively, in CSOs than in stormwater. PCB levels were comparable between CSOs and SWOs. Therefore, based on these concentration data, the contribution of these chemical classes from sanitary sewage is less than that from stormwater.

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