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BSRA Water Testing Work
Plan 2005
1.
Mission:
To conduct
water quality and microbial source tracking testing in the ravines
and on the shoreline in the Municipality of Bluewater for the year
2004.
2.
Goals:
Goal One:
To conduct an e-coli
water testing program in the lake and ravines emptying into the Lake
in the Municipality of Bluewater similar to the 2003-2004 water
quality program sponsored by BSRA and Bluewater during 2005.
3.
Objectives:
Goal One
3.1)
To conduct E.Coli testing at the
following eight beaches:
Wildwood Ducharme
Glitterbay
Vista
Egerton
Cedar Bank
Sunset
Cove Highlands 1
3.2)
To conduct beach and ravine
testing at the following four beaches:
Houston
Heights St. Joseph’s
Sunset
Estates Ridgeway
The
purpose of this goal is to
continue to obtain e-coli results to expand the information
available for research purposes, to monitor trends over time and for
people using the lake for recreational purposes to provide timely
and accurate information on actual e-coli readings.
4.
Activities:
4.1)
To take individual water samples in the Lake at designated beaches
on a weekly basis for 10 weeks.
4.2)
When there is a significant amount of algae present at a testing
site, samples of the algae will be taken for identification and the
water at the site will be analyzed for phosphates and nitrates.
4.3)
To publish the results on a weekly basis.
4.4)
To analyze results to determine trends.
4.5)
Publish a final report.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED??
Bob Slow's view of the 2004 St. Joseph Watershed
Water Quality Pilot Project
1.From the water
analysis of the beaches and the ravines we learned that the beaches
failed to meet the standard of 100 E.coli/100 mL of water 43% of the
time while the ravines proved to be “E. coli machines” failing to
meet the standard 95% of the time and often exceeding this guideline
by factors of 10 and 100 (the highest single day record was 289x the
limit or 28900 E.coli / 100 mL of water).It must be pointed out that
E.coli is an indicator of fecal pollution and is one of many
pathogens that reside in such waters.It must also be noted that the
varietals of E. coli and other pathogens found today are much more
hazardous than say 10 years ago in that many of the present E.coli
and other pathogens have acquired resistance to many antibiotics
making them much more difficult for medical personnel and health
units to treat.BSRA was so concerned about the state of the ravines
that they manufactured signs warning of playing and swimming in the
ravines and made them available at cost to lakefront associations
fronting on same.
2.That Council’s vision
and confidence in the DNA study were borne out as we now have a
snapshot of E.coli populations in the sediments and water samples
throughout the drainage basin. From these samples alone council can
see “hotspots’ of E.coli activity in the study area.In addition
council has been led closer to the origin of E. coli through 9 DNA
matches of E.coli in the drain and where they impact the mouth of
the ravine.DNA microbial source tracking works and the results would
have been more specific had we sampled on individual’s
properties.This we did not do (we cited confidence to those agreeing
to such sampling) when it became apparent (due to accuracy of GPS
readings of samples) that such assurance could not be guaranteed.
3.We have learned that
all of the landowners involved in the study were positive and eager
in their response to this initiative with 100% agreeing to allow us
access to their property for sampling purposes!!They asked only that
something be done finally to fix the problem.They seemed to be
disappointed in what had been done in the past and seemed hopeful
but skeptical that anything would happen based on any study
including ours.This attitude begs for immediate and tangible
evidence of at least a start of something being done to improve
water quality.
4.We have learned that
GAP EnviroMicrobial is amongst the leaders of such labs in Ontario
.Mr. Palmateer and his staff have shown great commitment
,professionalism , thoroughness, accessibility, and knowledge
throughout the study.They insisted on completing the DNA matches at
the 95% confidence level when 80% would have been sufficient to
prove their technology and publish their results.This philosophy is
the driving force behind GAP in everything they do and assures them
of a place as one of the premier labs in all of Ontario.
5.We have learned that
Bluewater is fortunate to have a council as dedicated as it is for
often we see the Mayor or Deputy Mayor and councillors at a variety
of conferences workshops and information sessions throughout the
region.Their dedication and commitment is much appreciated and too
often unnoticed.
SUGGESTIONS—timeline
next two years
1.That Council continue
to treat the Zurich drainage basin as a pilot project to attract
funds from various government agencies for the purpose of
initiating and carrying out programs that will improve the quality
of water in the basin and ravine mouth and hence the beachwater at
the lake.Hopefully a successful protocol could be established that
would serve as a model to be implemented throughout Huron County
with provincial and federal funding.
2.That Council with the
Huron County Health Unit undertake immediate action to inspect all
septic systems in the basin with recommendations to pump out and /or
improve any and all such systems.
3.That Council impose a
moratorium on manure spreading in the lands within the basin or at
least reduce such spreading significantly under supervision for a
period of the next two years.Manure is pathogen-laden harboring a
host of bacterial and viral agents that can and often do too easily
find their way into wells and watercourses.
4.That Council enjoin
ABCA in approaching farmers in the basin for a visual inspection of
each facility with suggestions for limiting runoff from manure piles
that are adding fecal loadings to nearby drainage ditches and hence
the ravine.
5.That Council continue
to work with BSRA and GAP as this has been an excellent partnership
forming a collegial and effective team and that GAP be retained for
future testing to monitor improvements in water quality and to serve
in a consulting capacity in locating and suggesting strategies to
clean up existing and future “E. coli hotspots” along the drain.
6.That Council should view human and animal waste as a potential
resource too valuable(and dangerous) to be wasted on fields and
lagoons.Rather a facility could be built to accept all such wastes
and in the process energy could be produced with valuable
by-products such as pathogen free water and fertilizer along with a
host of enzymes such as phytase,cellulase etc. If such a facility is
too far in the future then an upgrade of the Zurich lagoons to an
activated sludge facility with a nutrient removal system should be
considered and built as soon as possible.
Water Quality Initiatives
Funding Suggestions to Bluewater Council
2005
Activity:
Amount
Lake and Ravine e-coli
testing $ 5,000
DNA testing
Follow up to 2004
testing $30,000
Houston Heights
Ravine $30,000
Testing for phosphates,
nitrates and algae $ 1,000
Community Development
Project $10,000
Liquid Manure Management
Project
The proposed project
being recommended is complete waste management system consisting of
collection, storage, thickening, and anaerobic treatment of
concentrated hog manure, dairy and poultry manure, with 80 percent
organic to methane conversion including energy recovery to produce
electricity. The "Demonstration Project" could be developed on less
than 1.0 hectares of land on one of the candidate farms.
Anaerobically digested sludge will be dewatered to produce 12
percent solids, using the Lystek Process. The dewatered digested
sludge will be partially treated by the Lystek system, which is a
novel technology that not only hydrolyzes sludges at relatively high
pHs to render them more fluid, but also achieves further biosolids
stabilization to Class A quality as per USEPA guidelines.. A
combined volume of permeate from thickening and sludge dewatering
will undergo physical/chemical treatment for phosphorus removal,
followed by biological and physical chemical treatment that will be
used to reduce ammonia, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and
phosphorus to the level acceptable for direct discharge or recycling
for use in farming operations or irrigation. On-site production of
phytase using solid state fermentation will be demonstrated along
with a significant cost-benefit to the farmer, in comparison to
purchasing phytase amended feed.. The overall quantity of sludge
will be greatly reduced with controlled phosphorus concentrations,
which should allow for better utilization of the available land
and/or expansion of production facilities without additional land
requirements. Any water leaving the site will exceed all surface
water guidelines for microbial and chemical quality. A pilot
project, as described can be scaled or sized to meet the needs for
manure management in Huron County.
The project
incorporates solid state fermentation of anaerobically digested
biosolids to produce phytase, an enzyme that enables swine to better
digest phosphorous, thus minimizing both inorganic phosphorous
supplementation in the feed and discharge in the hog manure. In
addition to phytase, the aforementioned technology will be employed
to develop cellulase, which is widely used worldwide to degrade
cellulose as well as single‑cell proteins for use in animal feed.
This project would be the first of its kind to document the
achievability of three important, potentially profitable, and
environmentally friendly food supplements directly from hog manure.
In addition, the Demonstration Project includes the use of a
proprietary sludge treatment technology, which can further enhance
the processed sludge quality for land application. The processed
sludge quality can meet or exceed all of the criteria for pathogen
destruction at levels that meet or exceed the proposed future
Class A biosolids standards developed in the United States.
The environmental
benefits to be accrued from this project include:
·
optimizing the farming
operations with respect to wastewater and manure generation,
followed by digestion of the organic materials, which would
substantively reduce the potential for surface and groundwater
issues associated with agricultural operations;
·
treatment and reuse of
the wastewater from the farming operations and the digestion process
would reduce water‑use demands;
·
processing the manure
and wastewater would result in earlier removal of the manure from
the barns, which would improve the air quality within the barns and
help to ensure the quality and health of the livestock population;
·
processing the manure
would significantly reduce odour and greenhouse gas emissions from
modified hog farming operations;
·
bio‑security would be
substantially improved by reducing the need to transfer manure and
products between farming operations;
·
processing the manure
could essentially eliminate pathogens and antibiotic‑resistant
bacteria, essentially achieving the equivalent of the Class A
biosolids standards that are being contemplated for municipal and
private wastewater treatment plants in Ontario;
·
volume reduction of the
manure effectively lowers the risk of the occurrence of unwanted
manure spills from transportation and spreading operations on the
farm; and
·
further processing the
manure would reduce the spread of weeds and disease.
Potential
socio‑economic spin‑off benefits include:
·
manufacture of enzymes
as animal feed supplements improves the efficiency of feed
utilization and reduces the impact of some nutrients such as
phosphorus on the environment;
·
rural employment at
treatment/processing facilities and secondary employment benefits
such as trucking, or through farming operation expansions; and
·
enhanced public
relations/perception may aid tourism and other economic activities.
Other benefits of the
project include the capacity to assess the potential
benefits/issues associated with cooperative wastewater treatment
systems in lieu of separate treatment systems at each farm.
Furthermore, the regulatory framework pertinent to agricultural
controls is continuing to evolve in Canada, North American and
throughout the World. This project represents an opportunity to
demonstrate a continuing commitment in this developing area, to
continue to assess opportunities to advance agricultural management
systems in a responsible and sustainable manner.
The accompanying figure
describes this multi-faceted program to manage manure in a
cost-effective manor. This design could be scaled from $500,000 and
higher depending on the scale. Many small communities throughout
Huron County are in the need of various degrees of wastewater
upgrades. In a number of cases the lagoons are being over-burdened
by waste treatment demands. A target site such as the Zurich
lagoons require an upgrade. Conestoga-Rovers and Associates have a
number of possible novel waste treatment options, that can be
employed here and replicated at various locations. CRA engineers
are well aware of the financial constraints these communities have
and have demonstrated design systems throughout Ontario, which could
be utilized anywhere.
To best provide a cost effective plan for Zurich should be discussed
with the design engineers with greater than 30 years experience, at
Conestoga-Rovers & Associates.
Draft
St. Joseph Watershed Water Quality
Pilot Project
2004-2005
Work Plan
Mission:
Develop and implement
initiatives with the purpose of improving water quality in the St.
Joseph pilot study watershed and in Lake Huron.
Goals:
1)
To Create a
Community Based Advisory Steering Committee to Develop and Implement
Action Plans on the following:
·
Upgrading of the
Zurich Lagoons
·
Ensuring all septic
systems are properly functioning and maintained
·
Reduce the negative
water quality impact of applying manure to fields, manure storage,
livestock assess to watershed and other potentially adverse
activities.
·
Develop a Watershed
Based Source Protection Plan for the Watershed
·
Make recommendations
for action to the following:
Bluewater Shoreline
Residence’s Association
Municipality of
Bluewater
County of Huron
2)
Attract Funding From
Senior Levels of Government to Finance Action Plans:
In addition to the
ongoing political initiatives, develop and implement plans to obtain
funding for water quality initiatives through all potentially
responsible ministries/departments of senior levels of government.
3)
Conduct Water Quality
Testing in the Watershed:
Develop and Implement a
water quality testing program for 2004 and subsequent years.
4)
Liaison and Activities
with Other Organizations Interested in Improving Lake Huron Water
Quality:
Continue to liaise and
develop joint activities with organizations outside of the
Municipality of Bluewater to promote, encourage and where possible
undertake activities designed to improve water quality in watershed
draining into and in Lake Huron
Objectives:
Goal One: Development of Action Plans
Goal Two: Attract Funding
Goal Three: Water Quality Testing
·
Develop and implement
a water quality-testing program for 2004 in the Municipality of
Bluewater. See BSRA 2004 water quality work plan
Goal Four: Other Organization Liaison
·
Identify and exchange
information with other organizations interested in improved Lake
Huron water quality.
·
Make presentation to
increase awareness and create opportunities for additional
partnerships.
Activities:
Goal One: Development of
Action Plans
Objective 1
1.1 Community
participation
·
Identifying all
property owners in the designated watershed and developing a means
of communication with them.
·
Encouraging the
participation of these property owners on the project Steering
Committee
·
Ensuring awareness
among property owners of water quality issues and project details
·
Reviewing the
appropriateness of a Ryerson professor participating in the
community development aspect of this project.
1.2
Zurich Lagoons
·
Review Bluewater’s
plan to upgrade Zurich lagoons
·
Determine if plan is
appropriate in terms of eliminating the lagoons as a potential
source of watershed contamination. Constant discharge, filtration,
disinfection
·
Investigate
fesability of expanding the lagoons to process manure to create a
source of alternative energy and other potentially cost effective
commercial possibilities.
1.3 Septic Systems
·
To review county
plans to establish a septic maintenance-funding program for Huron
County; this involves ensuring that the proposed county program will
meet the objective of eliminating septic systems as a source of
contamination
1.3
Alternatives to
spreading manure on fields
·
Investigate
technologies that help agricultural producers manage waste at the
source.
·
Examining the
alternative methods of treatment/ disposal of manure.
1.4 Watershed Source
Protection Plan
·
Developing a
watershed source water protection plan completed by the Ausable
Bayfield Conservation Authority.
·
Determining the
percentage of agricultural operations with nutrient management and
environmental farm plans
·
Encouraging the
creation and implementation of nutrient management and environmental
farm plans for all agricultural operations in the designated
watershed area
1.5
Recommendations to
governments
·
A report to the
Bluewater Council and Huron County Water Protection Steering
Committee in the fall of 2005 with respect to the project, and
recommend such additional measures as may be deemed necessary to
ensure the protection of water quality.
·
To review water
testing results and other related matters and identify projects
designed to improve surface water quality in the watershed and apply
for funding to senior levels of government to fund these programs.
Goal 2 Attract Funding
·
To upgrade the
Zurich lagoons
·
For grants or loans
for watershed property owners to undertake projects designed to
improve water quality in the watershed.
·
For a CURB like
program such as the Dowson initiative where property owners could
borrow funding for upgrading septic systems.
·
To obtaining the
funding to hire personnel to research what ministries have
jurisdiction over the relevant issues, what program funding is
available and to complete applications for funding.
·
To research the
Fergusson initiative which proposes conducting a feasibility study
on the viability and sustainability of a manure processing facility.
·
To determine the
feasibility, sustainability and cost of processing agricultural
manure waste by-products at the farm. This may include converting
methane to electricity or to dehydrate the manure and package the
solid dry manure as a retail good.
·
To acquire funding to
upgrade the Zurich lagoons
·
To acquire funds for
grants or loans for watershed property owners to undertake projects
designed to improve water quality in the watershed.
Goal 3 Water Quality
Testing:
·
See BSRA 2004 water
quality testing work plan
Goal 4 Other
Organization Liaison:
·
Participate and
attend water quality workshops.
·
Presentations to
interested organizations.
Results/Outcomes:
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