Municipal Groundwater Municipal Groundwater Monitoring in Waterloo Monitoring in Waterloo Region Region Tammy Middleton, M.Sc. P.Geo. Senior Hydrogeologist Regional Municipality of Waterloo
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 New Supplies Education/ Well Awareness Maintenance Contamination Water Well Assessment Supply Upgrades Source Resource Protection Monitoring PoliciesCompliance
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 Water samples and laboratory testing Lab # samples # tests charges* 1999 11,173 41,136 $198,384 2001 28,369 139,057 $880,627 2009 18,311 131,379 $664,456 * Not including Water Protection extra samples
� Proactive Monitoring Proactive Monitoring � Greenbrook Wellfield Wellfield Greenbrook • 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 of 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 optimization � GUDI research � Well decommissioning
Greenbrook Water Level Monitoring 330 325 320 m ASL 315 310 305 300 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 M4-94B OW1-76
� Understanding Hydrogeological Understanding Hydrogeological � Systems - Middleton St. Wellfield - Middleton St. Wellfield Systems • 5 bedrock wells (Guelph/Gasport fms) • Residential/Industrial area, Cambridge • GUDI wellfield • 5 mil gal/day (250 L/s), 40% of Cambridge water supply • Under construction for TCE treatment • Must ensure un-interrupted wellfield operation
260 Elevation m asl MW1A-08 MW1B-08 MW1C-08 255 260 Elevation m asl MW1A-08 MW1B-08 MW1C-08 255 250 250 1-Sep-09 2-Sep-09 3-Sep-09 4-Sep-09 5-Sep-09 6-Sep-09 7-Sep-09 8-Sep-09 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 - - - - - - - - S S S S S S S S e e e e e e e e p p p p p p p p - - - - - - - - 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 • Importance of appropriate water level monitoring to understand hydrogeology • Cost effective
GUDI monitoring at an GUDI monitoring at an operating wellfield operating wellfield • 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
• Continuous water levels, online turbidity, now a key component of management during Middleton station construction • Reliable, cost- effective, minimum interference with construction schedule
Ontario’ ’s Clean Water Act s Clean Water Act Ontario 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 “ “Threats & Issues Threats & Issues” ” CWA • 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 Assessment Assessment Issues Results Results • Nitrate • Issues at 13 wellfields • Salt (chloride, • Urban & rural sodium) • “Issue Contributing • Trichloroethylene Areas” defined • ROW already • Related Threats monitoring and become significant addressing these within ICAs issues
Example: TCE Example: TCE TCE TRENDS MIDDLETON STREET WELLFIELD Reservoir 12 Concentration = 11 ~2.5 ppb 10 TCE CONCENTRATION (ug/L) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 - - - - - J J J J J a a a a a n n n n n - - - - - 0 0 0 0 1 2 4 6 8 0 DATE G01 G01A G02 G14 G03
Example: Salt Example: Salt Chloride Trends- Middleton St. Wellfield G01 G01A G02 G03 G14 400 CHLORIDE mg/L 300 200 100 0 1970 1975 1980 1984 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Salt Sources – Parking Lots
Regional Supply Well G5 400 Legend 350 Sodium Concentration Chloride Concentration 300 ODWS for Chloride 250 mg/L ‘94 ‘98 ODWS for Sodium 200 150 100 50 0 72 74 76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 00 02 04 06 08 Year
Example: Nitrate Example: Nitrate NITRATE -WILMOT CENTRE K50 K51 10 8 NITRATE mg/L 6 4 2 0 1980 1984 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
Next: Possible SPP Activities Next: Possible SPP Activities Financial Incentives for Municipal road-salt improved farm management plans management Smart about Salt Land purchase of most accreditation vulnerable areas Salt management for new development Business inspections Update Official Plan Risk management plans • Studies and restrictions Financial incentives to reduce spill risk
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 objectives – 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 WHPA-A ODWS 14% – Set procedures for data review I P 69 9 1 Z 9 21ppm and management (SOPs) g s b m 6 14% 9 365.23 m asl 3 2,691 3,572 – ROW datasets too large for usual 1 9 3467 n o t i i TCE d n o C computer tools 13 13 9 20 – Team with data experts, turbidity 1 6 9 20,482 9 1 9 automate as much as possible 86% 3 OW1-90 39 37 685 – Integrate with the lab L P A N 20 D Non-agricultural source 39 13 1 Moderate n 9 o t i i d n o n k C a Solvent b l e l a v r T material – Make QA/QC a priority 6.8 39 – New technology, GIS databases 86% TCE 2,691 1 9 818 R 13 6 o – Avoid proprietary programs for a 9 d s a l t Significant 2 data storage
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?
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