Water Technology and Policy Challenges to 2015+

Mike Shapiro Deputy Assistant Administrator

Office of Water U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Key Topics

1. Basic framework for EPA water programs

2. Investment, innovation and growth

3. Issues and technology needs

4. Advancing sustainability

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1. Clean Water Act Framework for Protecting and Restoring the Nation’s Waters

Technology-Based Approach

Effluent limitation guidelines for

industry and secondary treatment for POTWs

Case-by-case effluent limits where national guidelines don’t exist

Water Quality-Based Approach

•EPA develops water quality criteria information

•States and Tribes develop water quality standards and criteria

Monitoring and Assessment

NPDES Permits

Nonpoint Source Program

Restoring Polluted Waters - TMDLs

Funding & Technical Assistance

Wetlands Protection

Set Standards

Implement Programs

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SDWA Multiple Barrier Approach

PROTECTING AMERICA’S PUBLIC HEALTH MULTIPLE RISKS REQUIRE MULTIPLE BARRIERS

RISK

TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY

RIGHT-TO-KNOW

Prevent Contamination through Protection and Security Measures

RISK RISK

MONITORING/ COMPLIANCE 4

Water Infrastructure Security

• EPA has lead role for water and wastewater critical infrastructure

• EPA carries out responsibilities under Homeland Security Presidential Directives 7, 9 and 10

• Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Response Act of 2002 amended SDWA (§1433-1435)

– Vulnerability Assessments (VA)

– Emergency Response Plans (ERPs)

– Research

– Funding

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2. Investment, Innovation and Growth

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Investments Generate Jobs

• $1 billion in water infrastructure construction creates 40,000 jobs (American Public Works Association)

• $ 1 billion in water efficiency projects creates 22,000 construction, plumbing and manufacturing jobs (Alliance for Water Efficiency)

• Recent infrastructure investments of $45.2 billion raised GDP by 2.7% and created 2.7-3.7 million jobs (WH Council of Economic Advisors)

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Investments Spur Environmental Technology Exports

• Water is large and growing business:

– $800B global environment technologies market

– $309B is U.S. industry share

– 1.7 million jobs; 61,000 small businesses

– $111B is water technologies and services

• Estimated U.S. trade surplus of $13B on environmental technologies.

• U.S. leading edge approach to environmental management issues does enhance exports.

• EPA partnership with Commerce & trade promotion agencies is growing.

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3. Some Issues and Technology Needs

• Nutrient pollution

• Hydraulic fracturing

• Next generation water and wastewater treatment technologies

• Wet weather pollution management and water re-use

• Climate 'Nonstationarity' in Infrastructure Design

• Emerging contaminants & pathogens of concern

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Nutrient Pollution

• Issue: Further reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations are needed to achieve ecological goals. Nonpoint sources of pollution are major contributors but have unique measurement, monitoring, and management challenges

• Example Needs:

– Improved models and tools for assessing point and nonpoint sources and management strategies. These need to be technically sound, flexible, and suitable for decision makers. Approaches will vary based on major systems (e.g. Great Lakes, New England, etc..)

– Remote sensing techniques for real time monitoring and reporting water quality of fresh, estuarine and coastal waters.

– Inexpensive sensors, data acquisition and other tools for measuring the performance of differing nonpoint source management practices.

– Nutrient removal treatment technologies

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Hydraulic Fracturing

• Issue: The U.S. has vast reserves of natural gas that are commercially viable as a result of advances in horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies. EPA is working with states and other key stakeholders to help ensure that natural gas extraction does not come at the expense of public health and the environment. There is a critical role for technology in supporting responsible development of these shale gas resources.

• Example Needs:

– Industry and stakeholder input/response to ongoing EPA study of the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water resources .

– Input to May 2012 Draft Permitting Guidance for Oil and Gas Hydraulic Fracturing Activities Using Diesel Fuels and follow-on EPA rules and guidance.

– Technologies for treating and/or reuse of fracking fluids and stormwater from well sites.

– Sensors and data management systems for ensuring the integrity of the resource development and utilization process.

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Next Generation Water and Wastewater Treatment Technologies

• Issue: Demand is increasing for new approaches to treat and reuse water and wastewater. This is being driven by increases in energy prices, shortages of water supply, projected climate impacts, emerging contaminant concerns, and other factors.

• Example Needs: – Decision support tools to compare conventional and novel/alternative water

service approaches. – Treatment technologies for groupings of volatile organic chemicals at low

concentrations (e.g. aeration and granular activated carbon). – Technologies for treating ammonia, fluoride and other contaminants of

relevance to small systems. – Advanced technologies for energy recovery at drinking water and wastewater

treatment facilities. – Improved water conveyance technologies and innovative approaches for

rehabilitation and replacement of aging water infrastructure. – Private sector commercialization of ORD developed water technologies.

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Wet Weather Management • Issue: By weaving natural processes into the built environment, green

infrastructure (GI) provides not only stormwater management, but also flood mitigation, air quality management, and other benefits to advance sustainable communities. Technology development and assessment is needed to realize the full potential of GI systems.

• Example Needs: – Develop and evaluate integrated green and grey approaches at the sewer-

shed or urban watershed scales. – Measure effectiveness to improve current urban hydrologic cycles and

management approaches to reduce risks. – Address any gaps regarding GI performance and costs (e.g., long-term

O&M costs vs. grey infrastructure) – Determine GI BMP benefits for aquatic ecosystems and ecological

functions at the watershed level. – Develop predictive models for designing green/grey urban systems.

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Climate ‘Nonstationarity’

• Issue: There is increasing evidence that precipitation will occur in less frequent, but more intense, rainfall events, meaning wetter wet periods and dryer dry periods. Further, coastal areas are facing sea level rise and related storm surge. This poses a challenge to both existing and new infrastructure design.

• Example Needs:

– Updated precipitation ‘design storms,’ flood frequency information, and floodplain mapping.

– Infrastructure vulnerability assessments to identify risk, and adaptive management to proactively address threats.

– Integrated Water Resource Management across sectors within watersheds, to manage competition for water resources (drinking water supply, energy production, agriculture, industry, and ecological needs)

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Emerging Contaminants and Pathogens

• Issue: New and emerging contaminants and pathogens are of growing concern. They are unregulated, may be present but at very low levels, and their health impact may be in question. Among emerging contaminants are pharmaceuticals and personal care products, industrial chemicals present at low concentrations, and chemicals that may affect hormone status, referred to as "endocrine disruptors."

• Example Needs: – Stressor/dose response models to help assess the need for and nature of

any regulatory action.

– Analytical methods for determining presence and concentrations of contaminants and microorganisms of concern in source to finished water.

– Assessments of cumulative risk of mixtures in drinking water.

– Technologies and technology assessments of varying treatment approaches (e.g. membranes, ozone and chlorine).

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Partnerships: EPA and DoD Net Zero

• EPA-ORD and Army signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Nov 2011 to: – Demonstrate cutting-edge technology solutions to advance

both institutions' goals for increased resource efficiency and balanced resource use.

– Work jointly to advance the development and demonstration of new applications and technologies that can be used on installations striving towards NetZero water, waste and energy goals

– First pilots at Fort Riley, KS and Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA

• Broadened to DoD in February 2012

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Current Status of NetZero Partnership

Understand Needs

of the Installation

Scope subtasks,

resources,

delivery dates

Determine

areas of mutual

benefit

Identify

linkages to ORD

research

Focus Areas Indentified Thus Far

•Drinking Water/Waste Water Systems – water reuse,

treatment/distribution, energy recovery and efficiency

•Aging Infrastructure – monitoring and leak detection, optimization

combinations of old and new distribution lines

•Stormwater Management – wet weather flows, green

infrastructure, and water reuse

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Water Technology Innovation Cluster • Businesses, universities and governments working together to

promote economic growth and technology innovation. • Focus in greater Cincinnati, Dayton, Northern Kentucky and Indiana. • Initial emphasis placed on drinking water. • Scope includes wastewater, storm water, and water reuse

technologies. With increasing water scarcity they increasingly impact each other.

• May 22-23 Annual Conference in Dayton (http://www.makingwaterconnections.com)

Other areas ripe for innovation: water/energy nexus; near-coastal

and estuarine water quality, etc..

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4. Advancing Sustainability

WATER & WASTEWATER OPERATIONS

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

SOURCE WATER: QUANTITY AND

QUALITY

RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

SHORT TO LONG-TERM FINANCING

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Recognizing Synergies: Wastewater Treatment and Energy

Essex Junction WWTP (VT) -- combined heat and power system that uses almost 100% of the plant’s self-generated methane as a renewable fuel. Producing over 400,000 kilowatt hours of energy each year, while saving $37,000 in electricity costs and preventing 600,000 lbs of CO2 emissions from power plants annually.

Gloversville-Johnstown WWTP (NY) investing in biogas energy to provide the facility with 100% of its electrical power, while saving $400,000 on electricity costs annually.

Milwaukee Municipal Sewerage District (WI) building a pipeline to use methane gas from a local landfill to fuel one of their wastewater treatment plants; hoping to save $25 to $65 million dollars on electricity costs over the next 20 years.

Milwaukee also uses solar panels at its Jones Island Water Reclamation Facility to offset energy costs, and has various green infrastructure programs, including participating in the Regional Green Roof Initiative and assisting property owners with rain garden development.

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“Sustainability is a continuum......” Bob Perciasepe

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