Phase 1: Microbial Trackdown Study

Onondaga Environmental Institute102 W. Division St., 3rd Fl.

Syracuse, NY 13204

And

Onondaga County Department of Water Environment Protection650 Hiawatha Blvd.Syracuse, NY 13204

Phase I Microbial Trackdown StudyFunded by Onondaga County through

Environmental Benefits Fund ($145k)Project oversight by NYSDECInvolved parties:

Onondaga Nation – USEPANYS Law Dept. – NYSDECOnondaga Co. – City of Syracuse ASLF – OEI

BackgroundOnondaga Creek Revitalization Plan

Examined fecal coliform and rainfall data 2000-2007

200 cfu/100 mL exceeded on annual average basis of dry weather days: 16% at Dorwin Ave 75% at Kirpatrick St.

CSO’s not solely responsible for bacteria releaseProposal to OLP in 2008 by OEI and OCDWEP

Sept. 2008: Phase ISept. 2009: Phase I supplemental

Comparison of Onondaga Creek WatersComparison of Onondaga Creek Waters to Value of to Value of 200 cfu/100mL for Pathogens200 cfu/100mL for Pathogens

All data collected by Onondaga County between January 1, 2000 and Dec. 31, 2006. Weather data are collected at Metro sewage treatment plant.

(precip. < 1.3 mm/day, past two days)

84%

16%

F.coliform <200colonies/100ml

F.coliform ≥200colonies/100ml

Dorwin Ave.

25%

75%

KirkpatrickSt.

Weather condition: Dry WeatherDays per year: 215 d/yr

76%

24%

(precip. ≥ 1.3 mm/day, past two days; rate < 5.3 mm/hr)

19%

81%

Light Precipitation73 d/yr

(precip. ≥ 1.3 mm/day, past two days; rate ≥ 5.3 mm/hr)

38%

62%

Heavy Precipitation77 d/yr

34days

181days

14days

59days

48days

29days

162days

54days

55days

18days

73days

4days

PurposeIdentify urban and

rural sourcesMeasure season and

spatial variabilityTrace point source and

non-point source releasesPipesAgricultural runoffSeptic systemsSediment flux

Age of Syracuse Sewer System, OEI 2010

Methods Sampling Period:

Phase 1: Sept. 2008 – June 2009 Phase 1 supplemental: Sept. 2009 – Nov. 2009

Dry weather only (< 0.08 inches of rain in previous 48 h)

Four tasks:1. Routine sampling2. Temporal sampling3. Point source identification4. Tributary trackdown

Onondaga Creek

Harbor Brook

Bridge sampling8 events Sept – Nov. 20082 events April – May 2009Parameters:

Fecal coliformWater quality: temp, DO, pH, conductivity, turbidity.

2. Temporal

Onondaga Creek

Harbor Brook

3. Point Source Identification

Initial Any pipe, culvert, storm

drain, crack in concrete “Appreciable”

discharge - ~1 L/min

Follow-up F. coli > 1000

cfu/100 mL E. coli > 235 cell/100

mL New sources ID’ed

Supplemental 46 target sources

initially Then only where F.

coli > 200 cfu/100 mL

Harbor BrookAccessed by:

Stream bankWading

Onondaga CreekAccessed by canoe

Spring Brook City Line Brook Spring Brook City Line Brook

4. Tributary Trackdown

April 8 & 22, 2009Sept. 21 & Nov. 19,

2009F. coli, E. coli, water

quality

Tributary Sites

Kimber Brook Outlet + 1 upstream

Cold Brook Outlet + 2 upstream

Hopper Brook (S) Outlet + 1 upstream

Spring Brook diversion

Outlet

City Line/Spring Brook

Outlet + 3 upstream

Hopper Brook (N) Outlet + 5 upstream

1. Routine: Harbor Brook (2008-2009)

1. Routine: Onondaga Creek (2008-2009)

Routine SummaryHarbor Brook Onondaga CreekBacteria levels relatively

low2 samples > 1000

cfu/100 mLUpstream of Velasko

Rd., F. coli ≤ 210 cfu/100 mL

38.5% of samples > 200 cfu/100 mL

No consistent pattern

Bacteria levels typically low< 500 cfu/100 mL

Elevated levels observed at Dorwin October, 31 2008≥ 900 cfu/100 mL

Levels highly variable downstream of Dorwin Ave.40 – 5000 cfu/100 mL

Identified & repaired sewage inputs:Gifford St. collapsed pipeMidland Ave. collapsed

pipe

Temporal Sampling Events

October 20, 2009 – Onondaga Creek

Pulse releases

Post-peak bacteria levels recede, but not to pre-release conditions

2. Temporal (& routine 2008-2009)

Temporal SummaryHarbor Brook Onondaga CreekOne spike at Velasko Rd.

2300 cfu/100 mLNo spikes observed at

Fowler HS or Hiawatha Blvd.

All other samples < 420 cfu/100 mL

No correlation between parameters

≥ 1 pulse(s) of bacteria from upstream source

Water quality relatively consistent, did not show sudden changes

Consistent w/ task 1 Sources btwn. Elmhurst

and Dorwin Aves.2 additional events Oct.

2009 Similar pattern as in May

and June 2009 Bacteria 2x’s as high Single intermittent

source upstream of Clary Middle School footbridge

Point Source Summary: Harbor Brook11 of 13 PS’s F. coli < 100 cfu/100 mLHigh variability Point sources of concern:

PS Fall 2008Spring 2009

Fall 2009 Source

HB-PS100

15,500 cfu/100 mL

Not detectable

Groundwater, storm water, CSO078

HB-PS101B

Non-detect 58,000 cfu/100 mL

CSO018

HB-PS103

500 cfu/100 mL

Non-detect Possible cross-connection

HB-PS112

< 1000 cfu/100 mL

Harbor BrookPoint Sources of ConcernHB-PS100 [CSO 078] - Laundromat repair,

confirmation neededHB-PS101b [CSO 018] - Groundwater infiltrationHB-PS103 - DePalma St cross connect, not

locatedHB-PS112 - Potential release at Hiawatha Blvd

HBIS reconstruction may mitigate, follow-up recommended

Sewer Failures/Breaks1. Sept 19, 2008 (or

earlier?) – Oct 15, 20081. Collapsed pipe at

Gifford St.2. Continuous discharge

>>> CSO 036 3. Volume/duration is

unknown

2. April 11 - 20, 2009 Collapsed trunk sewer at Midland Ave. & W. Corning Ave.

Continuous discharge >>> CSO 067 (Newell St.)

Volume = 4.5 million gal

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000F

ec

al c

olifo

rm, c

fu/1

00

ml

19-Sep-08

24-Sep-08

30-Sep-08

7-Oct-08

DOWNTOWN SYRACUSETULLY VALLEY SOUTHSIDE/

NEDROW

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000F

ec

al

co

lifo

rm,

cfu

/10

0 m

l

15-Oct-08

24-Oct-08Sewer repaired

DOWNTOWN SYRACUSETULLY VALLEY SOUTHSIDE/NEDROW

Fecal coliform concentrations

(cfu/100mL) & Flow (estimated gpm)

Average point source load discharged into Onondaga Creek within a 12-hour period (Sampling period September 2008 - November 2009)

Point Source Summary: Onondaga Creek6 sources – significant

discharge in fall (250-3600 cfu/100 mL FC); not flowing in spring

10 sources > 200 cfu/100 mL3 > 10,000 cfu/100 mLOC-PS21 & OC-PS61

consistently > 10,000 cfu/100 mL

OC-PS22 & OC-PS23 consistently > 1000 cfu/100 mL

11 sources identified as potential concern and recommended for follow-up

OEI Point Source Code

Number of samples

Average concentration (cfu /

100mL)¹

Load in cfu for 12hr period²

OC-PS25 6 6,861,667 652,557,798OC-PS03 5 1,657 31,513OC-PS05 1 200 3,804OC-PS07 2 50 47,551OC-PS08 1 10 951OC-PS69 1 60,000 114,122,326OC-PS10 1 10 9,510OC-PS11 6 1,199 114,059OC-PS12 1 10 190OC-PS13 1 10 9,510OC-PS15 1 10 9,510OC-PS53 2 473 8,987OC-PS17 1 10 9,510OC-PS54 1 10 9,510OC-PS71 1 25,000 2,377,548OC-PS70 1 120 114,122OC-PS77 1 30 57,061OC-PS55 4 547 51,973OC-PS56 1 10 19,020OC-PS57 2 20 1,902OC-PS58 2 10 9,510OC-PS18 1 10 9,510OC-PS19 1 1,909 36,310OC-PS59 1 10 9,510OC-PS60 1 10 951OC-PS27 1 100 9,510OC-PS20 4 1,350 128,388OC-PS61 7 35,471 3,373,402OC-PS63 5 536 50,956OC-PS73 1 100 9,510OC-PS21 7 1,322,987 125,818,628OC-PS76 1 6,000 570,612OC-PS65 3 73 69,741OC-PS22 4 20,450 1,944,835OC-PS23 10 4,177 7,945,577OC-PS66 2 10 9,510OC-PS68 2 10 9,510OC-PS67 3 177 16,801

Onondaga CreekPoint Sources of Concern* major sources*OC-PS25 - City repair at Longmeadow & Hilton

Streets*OC-PS69 [CSO 067] - sewer collapse & repairOC-PS11 - High levels, sporadic sourceOC-PS71 - Limited data: High levels - sporadic sourceOC-PS70 - Limited dataOC-PS20 [CSO 037] - Potentially high concentration -

continuous very low to low flow – Byrne Dairy release

Follow-up Recommended

Onondaga CreekPoint Sources of Concern* major sourcesOC-PS61 - Very high levels-continuous low flow*OC-PS21 - severe levels-continuous low flowOC-PS76 [CSO 028] -Limited data: high levels-

continuous low flowOC-PS22 – Very high levels–sporadic sourceOC-PS23 [CSO 080, EBSS] – High level-

continuous moderate flow (ACJ 4th stipulation)

Follow-up Recommended

Supply Water Leaks(No evidence of sewage)

OC-PS17OC-PS54OC-PS56OC-PS59OC-PS60OC-PS20 [CSO

037]

Follow-up Recommended

4. Tributary TrackdownFall 2008

3 tributaries > 4000 cfu/100 mLTrackdown results (2009)

Hopper Brook North consistently btwn 200-550 cfu/100 mL

Hopper Brook South, Spring Brook diversion (PS03), & City Line Brook Bacteria levels varied

Kimber Brook, Spring Brook, & Cold Brook Bacteria free

Phase 1 Conclusions & Recommendations Identified sources of concern in Harbor Brook, Onondaga Creek &

Tribs Systems showed spatial and temporal variability Better understanding (multiple causes)of dry weather discharges

(residual CSO, ex-filtration to sub sewers/cross connects, or infiltration)

Identified and subsequently remedied several bacteria sources

More rigorous sampling design and analysis strategy Compliance benchmark – added events to AMP sites AMP sort data by dry v. wet weather OC flow control verify dry weather discharge at CSOs at manhole More comprehensive mapping Focus on dry-weather conditions, yet interpret alongside CSO

monitoring Shared information

Add/focus on priority point-source sampling

Moving Forward…Phase 2 Microbial Trackdown Study: June 2012

Onondaga Creek, Harbor Brook, & Ley CreekTasks

1. Routine & Priority Point Source – 3x’s/mo.2. Temporal3. Point Source Identification4. Tributary Trackdown

Upper Onondaga Creek21 sites upstream of Dorwin Ave.20 events June – Sept. 2012