Report Template - Science

Assessment of the Relationship between Nutrient Impaired Waters and Wastewater Treatment Plants: Implications for the Regulation of Phosphorus in Automatic Dishwashing Detergent

Prepared for: Soap and Detergent Association 1500 K Street NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20005 By: ENSR Corporation 2 Technology Park Drive Westford, MA 01886 February 2006 Document Number 06091-002

CONTENTS

1.0 SUMMARY.......................................................................................................................................... 1-1 2.0 APPROACH........................................................................................................................................ 2-1 3.0 ILLINOIS ............................................................................................................................................. 3-1 4.0 MAINE ................................................................................................................................................. 4-1 5.0 MASSACHUSETTS ........................................................................................................................... 5-1 6.0 MICHIGAN .......................................................................................................................................... 6-1 7.0 MINNESOTA....................................................................................................................................... 7-1 8.0 VERMONT .......................................................................................................................................... 8-1 9.0 WASHINGTON ................................................................................................................................... 9-1 10.0 REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................... 10-1

APPENDICES A

B

Illinois A.1 Illinois - All Wastewater Treatment Plants A.2 Illinois - Wastewater Treatment Plants Potentially Impacting Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies Maine B.1 Maine - All Wastewater Treatment Plants B.2 Maine - Wastewater Treatment Plants Potentially Impacting Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies

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CONTENTS (Cont’d) C

D

E

F

G

Massachusetts C.1 Massachusetts - All Wastewater Treatment Plants C.2 Massachusetts - Wastewater Treatment Plants Potentially Impacting Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies Michigan D.1 Michigan - All Wastewater Treatment Plants D.2 Michigan - Wastewater Treatment Plants Potentially Impacting Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies Minnesota E.1 Minnesota - All Wastewater Treatment Plants E.2 Minnesota - Wastewater Treatment Plants Potentially Impacting Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies Vermont F.1 Vermont - All Wastewater Treatment Plants F.2 Vermont - Wastewater Treatment Plants Potentially Impacting Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies Washington G.1 Washington - All Wastewater Treatment Plants G.2 Washington - Wastewater Treatment Plants Potentially Impacting Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies

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LIST OF TABLES Table 1-1 Summary of Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies in Selected States ........................................ 1-2 Table 1-2 Selected State’s Phosphorus Standards .............................................................................. 1-4 Table 1-3 Summary of Wastewater Treatment Plants in Selected States ........................................... 1-6 Table 1-4 Summary of Nutrient TMDLs for Water Bodies in Seven States ......................................... 1-7 Table 2-1 Comparison of Treatment Levels Determined by Reviewing NPDES Permits and Determined Using P Limits and Effluent Concentrations ................................................. 2-2 Table 2-2 Comparison of Data from PCS and the Minnesota State PCA Database ........................... 2-3 Table 3-1 Summary of Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies in Illinois ........................................................ 3-1 Table 3-2 Illinois Wastewater Treatment Plants .................................................................................... 3-2 Table 3-3 Illinois TMDLs for Nutrient and DO Impaired Water Bodies ................................................. 3-3 Table 4-1 Summary of Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies in Maine ........................................................ 4-1 Table 4-2 Maine Wastewater Treatment Plants .................................................................................... 4-2 Table 4-3 Maine TMDLs for Nutrient and DO Impaired Water Bodies ................................................. 4-3 Table 5-1 Summary of Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies in Massachusetts ......................................... 5-1 Table 5-2 Massachusetts Wastewater Treatment Plants ..................................................................... 5-2 Table 5-3 Massachusetts TMDLs for Nutrient and DO Impaired Water Bodies .................................. 5-3 Table 6-1 Summary of Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies in Michigan ................................................... 6-1 Table 6-2 Michigan Wastewater Treatment Plants ............................................................................... 6-2 Table 6-3 Michigan TMDLs for Nutrient and DO Impaired Water Bodies ............................................ 6-3 Table 7-1 Summary of Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies in Minnesota ................................................. 7-1 Table 7-2 Minnesota Wastewater Treatment Plants ............................................................................. 7-2 Table 7-3 Minnesota TMDLs for Nutrient and DO Impaired Water Bodies .......................................... 7-3 Table 8-1 Summary of Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies in Vermont .................................................... 8-2 Table 8-2 Vermont Wastewater Treatment Plants ................................................................................ 8-2 Table 8-3 Vermont TMDLs for Nutrient and DO Impaired Water Bodies ............................................. 8-3 Table 9-1 Summary of Nutrient Impaired Water Bodies in Washington............................................... 9-1 Table 9-2 Washington Wastewater Treatment Plants........................................................................... 9-2 Table 9-3 Washington TMDLs for Nutrient and DO Impaired Water Bodies ....................................... 9-3 C:\Documents and Settings\pdeleo\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\LTGR5V9T\SDAFinal.doc

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1.0 SUMMARY The goal of this project is to assess the potential contribution of phosphorus (P) in automatic dishwashing detergent (ADD) to nutrient loading to surface waters. To assess this, we reviewed the level of treatment of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in selected states and the potential for those WWTPs to impact nutrient impaired water bodies. After determining which WWTPs discharge to nutrient impaired water bodies, their tributaries, or upstream river segments, we evaluated the level of treatment provided by the WWTPs and considered how a change in the P content of ADD might affect the level of impairment. This assessment included Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, and Vermont because there has been some indication that regulation of P in ADD has been considered in these states. An important premise of this project is that the load of P from WWTPs with advanced treatment for P removal is independent of the concentration in the wastewater coming into the plant. Plants with advanced treatment for P have incorporated that treatment to meet P concentration limits in their National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. These plants are designed to achieve a set P concentration in their effluent regardless of the concentration in the influent. Therefore, absence or presence of P in ADD will not impact the load of P to surface waters from such advanced treatment WWTPs. In contrast, plants with primary or basic secondary treatment systems generally do not have set P concentration limits and do not treat to a predetermined P concentration. Therefore, in these systems removing P from ADD may reduce the load of P to the watershed from the WWTP. Many secondary WWTPs have been assigned P limits with successive NPDES permit renewals, and if true tertiary treatment for P has not been instituted, these have incorporated simple chemical additions before primary or secondary settling to lower P concentrations. These are included here as advanced WWTPs, based on the concentration of P achieved in the effluent. The essential split is therefore between WWTPs that actively remove P to a lower concentration (