Author: Stephen Silva

October Monitoring Results Available, End of 2024 Sampling Year

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The monitoring results for October are available on our monitoring results tracking spreadsheet. The monitoring results have also been added to our website 2024 sampling season spreadsheet. The results may be accessed anytime from the Water Quality Monitoring Tab at the top of the TRWA website home page and clicking on either the sample bottle picture or link to the data under the Documents heading. These are the last monthly results of the 2024 (April through October) sampling season.
 
The results again show high levels of nitrate downstream of the Brockton WWTP (Matfield River 0.79 mg/l and upper Taunton River at Cherry St. in Bridgewater 0.79 mg/l, double what we would like to see but half of last month so an improvement). This illustrates the importance of river water dilution as shown on page 4 of our spreadsheet. Stream flow measured by the USGS gauge in October was double what it was in September so nitrate concentration was reduced by half by this higher river flow. We put the streamflow, the sampling date and flow trend at the top of the fourth page of our results spreadsheets because this and the flow record from the USGS Bridgewater gauge help us interpret our results. The other important results useful in interpreting our data are the water temperature measurements on our separate DO, pH and water temperature spreadsheet. Warmer water encourages bacteria criteria violations and algae growth.
 
Total phosphorus (TP) levels were fairly good considering the relatively low dilution indicating that the WWTPs did well with TP removal. Even Bridgewater, which has not achieved final TP limitations, did well enough for the Town River to meet criteria. As mentioned last month, lack of rain for much of the sampling season means stormwater did not contribute major amounts of TP to the watershed’s rivers most of the time in September and October.
 
General lack of rain and stormwater runoff along with temperatures lower than summer caused bacteria levels to be relatively low in October. The higher values we detected are likely from a short rain event that occured the evening before we sampled.
 
As mentioned last month, global warming is changing the planet’s weather. We see record warm water in the Gulf of Mexico supercharging hurricanes, droughts in the west and Canada creating epic fires, widespread flooding and tornadoes in the south and midwest. For us in New England we see spring flooding followed by atypical dry or wet summers with short duration more intense rainstorms when they do occur impacting stormwater Best Management Practice effectiveness. We need to plan and implement actions for climate resilience. TRWA’s volunteer monitoring program is helping inform what we need to do.

September Monitoring Results, and TRWA Program on Climate Change

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The monitoring results for September have been added to our 2024 sampling season spreadsheet. All TRWA monitoring results may be accessed anytime from the Water Quality Monitoring Tab at the top of the TRWA website home page and clicking on either the sample bottle picture or link to the data under the Documents heading.
 
The results show high levels of nitrate downstream of the Brockton WWTP (Matfield River 1.66 mg/l and upper Taunton River at Cherry St. in Bridgewater 1.99 mg/l, over 4 times what we would like to see). This suggests that the Brockton WWTP plant may not have attained full operation of its nitrogen removal facilities. It also reflects very low available stream dilution (63 cubic feet per second (cfs) in September vs 193 cfs in August and 2,760 cfs in March). Since June when river flow fell below 400 cfs Matfield River nitrogen has been higher than we would like to see. We put the streamflow, the sampling date and flow trend at the top of the fourth page of our results spreadsheets because this and the flow record from the USGS Bridgewater gauge help us interpret our results. The other important results useful in interpreting our data are the water temperature measurements on our separate DO, pH and water temperature spreadsheet. Warmer water encourages bacteria criteria violations and algae growth.
 
Total phosphorus (TP) levels are good considering the low dilution indicating that the WWTPs with the major exception of Bridgewater WWTP did well with TP removal. The Town of Bridgewater was able to negotiate a schedule until 5/01/2027 for TP removal. In September TP in the Town River below the Bridgewater WWTP was 0.247 mg/l or 2.5 times what we would like to see to prevent algae blooms. Given the 4 million dollars spent to remove the Town River dam in order to restore fish passage to the upper river watershed and Lake Nippenicket, it is indeed unfortunate that the river will remain phosphorus polluted for 2 more years. Lack of rain for much of the sampling season means stormwater did not contribute major amounts of TP to the watershed’s rivers in September.
 
Lack of rain and stormwater runoff along with temperatures 4 to 6 C degrees cooler than August caused bacteria levels to be relatively low in September. The high value at Church Street, in Raynham about half way down the 40 mile Taunton River main stem is most likely from geese who have been observed sitting in the middle of the main channel feeding in the sediment because of the extremely low river flow.
 
In addition to our monitoring and USGS flow gauging, the other very important tool for evaluating Taunton River watershed health are the two MassDEP continuous monitoring buoys in Mount Hope Bay at the mouth of the Cole River (RI border) and in the central bay just south of the Braga Bridge, shown as gray teardrops on our Google map of monitoring locations on our website. If you click on either teardrop it says what they monitor continuously (every 15 minutes) at 1 meter depth from the surface and 0.5 meter from the bottom (DO, nitrate, chlorophyll-a, blue green algae and temperature). Because they monitor DO at depth rather than at the surface like we do these results are important for evaluation of the health of the bay.
 
In 2017 and 2018 and more recently in 2021 and 2022 these two sites recorded low DO for weeks at a time concurrent with high chlorophyll-a during the summer monitoring season. This long term low DO concurrent with high chlorophyll-a (algae) demonstrates the need for Taunton (almost done with construction finishing up now), Somerset (TN removal required by 6/01/2030) and Fall River (permit reissuance on hold) to remove nitrogen which causes the algae blooms which lower DO and impair the health of aquatic life. When this monitoring indicates that DO meets water quality standards SA 6.0 mg/l at the mouth of the Cole River and SB 5.0 mg/l south of the Braga Bridge concurrent with algae levels in a healthy range, chlorophyll-a 3-5 ug/l we will achieve water quality standards for Mount Hope Bay. As global warming causes ocean and Mount Hope Bay water temperature to rise it is important to lower nutrient levels (nitrogen and phosphorus) to meet DO levels needed for aquatic life.
 
Whether it is record warm water in the Gulf of Mexico supercharging hurricanes, droughts in the west and Canada creating epic fires, flooding and tornadoes in the south and midwest or New England weather changes consisting of warmer waters, higher tides, spring flooding followed by atypical dry or wet summers with more intense rainstorms when the do occur impacting stormwater Best Management Practice effectiveness. We need to plan for climate resilience. TRWA encourages you to come to our Regional Climate Change Impacts- Panel Discussion (9/28) at Bristol County Agricultural School (Bristol Aggie) in Berkley so you can question and hear from the experts. If you can’t make this program we will be having additional future programs on climate change and how to make our watershed more resilient to global warming.
 

August Sampling Results

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The monitoring results for August are available on our monitoring results tracking spreadsheet. The monitoring results have also been added to our website 2024 sampling season spreadsheet. The results may be accessed from the Water Quality Monitoring Tab at the top of the TRWA website home page and clicking on either the sample bottle picture or link to the data under the Documents heading.
 
The results again show high levels of nitrate downstream of the Brockton WWTP (Matfield River 0.85 mg/l and Taunton River at Cherry St. in Bridgewater 1.04 mg/l, not as high as last month but double what we would like to see). This suggests that the Brockton WWTP plant may not have attained full operation of its nitrogen removal facilities. It also reflects lower available stream dilution (193 cubic feet per second (cfs) in August vs 351 cfs in June). The Town River below the Bridgewater WWTP had a similarly high nitrate level of 0.78 mg/l.
 
Total phosphorus (TP) levels are elevated in some locations like last month due to lower dilution, however, the instream levels benefited from low rainfall which contributed less TP containing stormwater to the rivers. TP measured in the Town River at Haywood St below Bridgewater WWTP was high again at 0.166 mg/l because Bridgewater negotiated a 10 year schedule until 5/01/2027 for installation of TP removal facilities. Fortunately the Bridgewater Clean Water Act permit schedule for total nitrogen was only for 5 years (completion required 5/01/2022). These levels of phosphorus are high enough to stimulate algae and weed growth in fresh waters.
 
The number of bacteria water quality criteria violations was similar to last month. River temperature was cooler which reduces bacteria levels while flow was slightly higher from a small rainstorm a few days prior which tends to increase bacteria levels due to bacteria in stormwater runoff. This follows a similar pattern from last year’s results.
 

As our sampling moves through September and October we will be watching how river water temperature currently around 20 degrees C and stormwater runoff affect bacteria (and TP) levels. Our data last year and this year indicates that municipalities, commercial properties, state and EPA need to do a better job of stormwater management to keep bacteria levels in our rivers safe. More intense rainfall rates associated with climate change make addressing this problem critical.

July Water Quality Monitoring Results

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The monitoring results for July have been added to our 2024 sampling season spreadsheet. The results may be accessed from the Water Quality Monitoring Tab at the top of the TRWA website home page and clicking on either the sample bottle picture or link to the data under the Documents heading.

The results show high levels of nitrate downstream of the Brockton WWTP (Matfield River 1.66 mg/l and Taunton River at Cherry St. in Bridgewater 1.32 mg/l, almost double last month)! This suggests that the Brockton WWTP plant may not have attained full operation of its nitrogen removal facilities. It also reflects lower available stream dilution (351 cubic feet per second (cfs) in June vs only 165 cfs in July). The Town River below the Bridgewater WWTP had a similarly high nitrate level of 1.48 mg/l potentially indicating a combination of reduced removal efficiency and certainly lower effluent dilution.

Total phosphorus (TP) levels are elevated in some locations like last month due to lower dilution, however, the instream levels benefited from low rainfall which contributed less TP containing stormwater to the rivers. TP measured at in the Town River at Haywood St below Bridgewater WWTP was high again at 0.149 mg/l because Bridgewater negotiated a 10 year schedule until 5/01/2027 for installation of TP removal facilities. Fortunately the Bridgewater Clean Water Act permit schedule for total nitrogen was only for 5 years (completion required 5/01/2022). These levels of phosphorus are high enough to stimulate algae and weed growth in fresh waters.

The number of bacteria water quality criteria violations increased from last month due to warmer waters and lower river flow. This follows a similar pattern from last year’s results. It is almost certain that the bacteria violations would have been worse except for the fact that the last significant rain storms prior to our sampling were at the end of May when river flow at the Bridgewater USGS gauge was 1080 cubic feet per second (cfs) except for a small storm on 6/27 (river flow 400 cfs). In July for the 11 days prior to our sampling river flow steadily decreased from 400 cfs to 165 cfs. Last year we saw that stormwater discharges associated with significant summer rain storms deliver high levels of bacteria to our rivers. The absence of stormwater discharges in the 11 days prior to our sampling date kept the magnitude of bacteria violations measured in July down.

As our sampling moves through the season we will be watching how river water temperature currently 21 to 24 degrees C and stormwater runoff affect bacteria (and TP) levels. Our data last year indicated that municipalities, commercial properties, state and EPA need to do a better job of stormwater management to keep bacteria levels in our rivers safe. More intense rainfall rates associated with climate change make addressing this problem critical.

TRWA wants to thank our 29 dedicated water quality sampling volunteers for their great work! We couldn’t understand what is happening in our rivers or advocate effectively for the changes needed to protect our waters without their support!

June Monitoring Results

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The monitoring results for June have been added to our 2024 sampling season spreadsheet. The results may be accessed from the Water Quality Monitoring Tab at the top of the TRWA website home page and clicking on either the sample bottle picture or link to the data under the Documents heading.

The results show high levels of nitrate downstream of the Brockton WWTP (Matfield River 0.9 mg/l and Cherry St. in Bridgewater 0.8 mg/l). This suggests that the Brockton WWTP plant has not attained full operation of its nitrogen removal facilities yet. Total phosphorus levels are showing an increase with decreasing river flow (Cherry St below Brockton WWTP 0.103 mg/l, and Haywood St below Bridgewater WWTP 0.136 mg/l. These levels of phosphorus are high enough to stimulate algae and weed growth in the fresh waters in these areas.

The number of bacteria water quality criteria violations increased from last month due to warmer waters and lower river flow. This follows a similar pattern from last year’s results. It is almost certain however that the bacteria violations would have been worse except for the fact that the last significant rain storms prior to our sampling were at the end of May when river flow at the Bridgewater USGS gauge was 1080 cubic feet per second (cfs). For the 11 days prior to our sampling river flow steadily decreased from 1080 to 350 cfs. Last year we saw that stormwater discharges associated with significant summer rain storms deliver high levels of bacteria to our rivers. The absence of stormwater discharges in the 10 days prior to our sampling date kept the magnitude of bacteria violations measured in June down.

As our sampling moves through the season we will be watching how river water temperature (20 to 22 degrees C last summer) and stormwater runoff affect bacteria levels. Our data last year indicated that municipalities, commercial properties, state and EPA need to do a better job of stormwater management to keep bacteria levels in our rivers safe. More intense rainfall rates associated with climate change make addressing this problem critical.

May Monitoring Data Available

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The May monitoring monitoring results are on the website, click on the Water Quality Monitoring program tab from the top of the home page and either the sample bottles picture or link to our monitoring data page under “Documents”.
 
The results show a few high nitrate levels downstream of the Brockton WWTP (Matfield and Upper Taunton Rivers) which may reflect that the plant has not attained full operation of its nitrogen removal facilities yet. Total phosphorus was OK. The number of bacteria water quality criteria violations increased from last month following a similar pattern from last year’s results.
 
Last summer the number of bacteria violations was high. The pattern followed higher water temperatures and intense summer rainstorms. In April this year the water temperature was 7 to 10 degrees C. In May the temperature climbed to 14 to 15 degrees C. Large rainstorms this Spring generated periodic high stormwater runoff as reflected in the Taunton River stream flow measurements by the USGS stream flow gauge in Bridgewater.
 
As our sampling moves through the season we will be watching how river water temperature (20 to 22 degrees C last summer) and stormwater runoff affect bacteria levels. Our data last year indicated that municipalities, commercial properties, state and EPA need to do a much better job of stormwater management to keep bacteria levels in our rivers safe. More intense rainfall rates associated with climate change make addressing the problem critical.
 

April Monitoring Results Available

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The water quality monitoring results for last month (April 2024) are on the website.

The flow in the river at the Bridgewater USGS gauge was very high 1690 cubic feet per second (cfs) on the day we sampled, this is 3.6 times the April flow last year when we sampled which was already a typical high spring flow.

Because of the high flow and cold river temperatures we didn’t see many water quality standards violations. We measured a high nitrate value at the small Chuckamuckett Brook in Berkley likely from farm runoff and an elevated level in the Matfield River likely because Brockton hasn’t started full nitrogen removal yet (required in May by their Clean Water Act discharge permit). We saw three bacteria violations typically caused by stormwater runoff but not the extremely high values we measured in June to October last year. We also saw five pH values below 4.0 which may have been from low pH rainfall. We will be watching again this year to see if bacteria violations due to stormwater runoff increase dramatically like last year during the summer from June through October.

We want to thank our dedicated sampling program volunteers and our partners at Veolia Taunton Wastewater Treatment Plant for a smooth start to the sampling season.

EPA Issues New PFAS Drinking Water Regulations

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On April 10, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued the first-ever national, legally enforceable drinking water standard to protect communities from exposure to harmful per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals.’ Exposure to PFAS has been linked to deadly cancers, impacts to the liver and heart, and immune and developmental damage to infants and children.

Many water suppliers in Massachusetts have been working on treatment improvements to remove PFAS as a result of previously adopted Massachusetts PFAS drinking water rules. EPA estimates nationally that between about 6% and 10% of the 66,000 public drinking water systems subject to this rule may have to take action to reduce PFAS to meet these new standards. All public water systems have three years to complete their initial monitoring for these chemicals. They must inform the public of the level of PFAS measured in their drinking water. Monitoring and notification is already required in Massachusetts. Where PFAS is found at levels that exceed the new federal standards, systems must implement solutions to reduce PFAS in their drinking water within five years.

The new limits in this rule are achievable using a range of available technologies and approaches including granular activated carbon, reverse osmosis, and ion exchange systems. For example, the Cape Fear Public Utility Authority, serving Wilmington, NC – one of the communities most heavily impacted by PFAS contamination – has effectively deployed a granular activated carbon system to remove PFAS regulated by this rule. Drinking water systems will have flexibility to determine the best solution for their community.

More details about the final PFAS drinking water standards:

  • For PFOA and PFOS, EPA is setting a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal, a non-enforceable health-based goal, at zero. This reflects the latest science showing that there is no level of exposure to these contaminants without risk of health impacts, including certain cancers.
  • EPA is setting enforceable Maximum Contaminant Levels at 4.0 parts per trillion for PFOA and PFOS, individually. This standard will reduce exposure from these PFAS in our drinking water to the lowest levels that are feasible for effective implementation.
  • For PFNA, PFHxS, and “GenX Chemicals,” EPA is setting the MCLGs and MCLs at 10 parts per trillion.
  • Because PFAS can often be found together in mixtures, and research shows these mixtures may have combined health impacts, EPA is also setting a limit for any mixture of two or more of the following PFAS: PFNA, PFHxS, PFBS, and “GenX Chemicals.”

EPA is issuing this rule after reviewing extensive research and science on how PFAS affects public health, while engaging with the water sector and with state regulators to ensure effective implementation. EPA also considered 120,000 comments on the proposed rule from a wide variety of stakeholders.

Background:

PFAS, also known as ‘forever chemicals,’ are prevalent in the environment. PFAS are a category of chemicals used since the 1940s to repel oil and water and resist heat, which makes them useful in everyday products such as nonstick cookware, stain resistant clothing, and firefighting foam. The science is clear that exposure to certain PFAS over a long period of time can cause cancer and other illnesses. In addition, PFAS exposure during critical life stages such as pregnancy or early childhood can also result in adverse health impacts.

Across the country, PFAS contamination is impacting millions of people’s health and wellbeing. People can be exposed to PFAS through drinking water or food contaminated with PFAS, by coming into contact with products that contain PFAS, or through workplace exposures in certain industries.

TRWA Submits Comments in Support of New CWA Permit for Fall River

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On March 4th TRWA submitted comments in support of EPA’s new draft Clean Water Act (CWA) permit for Fall River, MA. TRWA noted that the last time this permit was reissued was December 7, 2000 making this action overdue. The permit is important because it contains effluent limitations and a schedule for removing nitrogen a potent pollutant driving algae blooms and low dissolved oxygen levels in the Taunton River estuary and Mount Hope Bay.

Middleborough, Mansfield, and Brockton currently have upgraded wastewater treatment facilities which remove nitrogen. Bridgewater and Taunton have upgraded facilities for nitrogen removal under construction which are scheduled for completion the end of 2024. Bridgewater is scheduled for phosphorus removal in 2027.

This leaves Somerset and Fall River as the only two major wastewater treatment facilities in the Taunton River watershed without new permits requiring nitrogen removal. The public comment period on the Fall River permit closes on April 1, 2024.

A copy of TRWA’s comments on the Fall River draft permit may be found at this link.

This permit also has conditions concerning Fall River’s 18 combined sewer overflows (CSOs) which adversely impact water quality. These conditions include monitoring, effluent limitations and dye studies for the city’s two CSO treatment facilities. In the permit fact sheet EPA states that it intends to issue an updated CSO Administrative Order by the end of 2024 with a schedule for additional CSO abatement projects to be completed in the next five years. TRWA noted in it’s comments that the city first received a CSO court order 32 years ago but still has major overflow events. TRWA asked for an aggressive order and program which takes advantage of all available funding.

TRWA Submits Comments in Support of a New CWA Permit for Somerset

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On January 30th TRWA submitted comments in support of EPA’s new draft Clean Water Act (CWA) permit for Somerset, MA. TRWA noted that the last time this permit was reissued was May 14, 2004 making this action overdue. The permit is important because it contains effluent limitations and a schedule for removing nitrogen a potent pollutant driving algae blooms and low dissolved oxygen levels in the Taunton River estuary and Mount Hope Bay.

Middleborough, Mansfield, and Brockton currently have upgraded wastewater treatment facilities which remove nitrogen. Bridgewater and Taunton have upgraded facilities for nitrogen removal under construction which are scheduled for completion the end of 2024.

This leaves Somerset and Fall River as the only two major wastewater treatment facilities in the Taunton River watershed without new permits requiring nitrogen removal. The public comment period on the Somerset permit closed on February 5, 2024.

A copy of TRWA’s comments on the Somerset draft permit my be found at this link.

Recently, EPA put a draft CWA permit for Fall River on public notice with a close of the public comment period on April 1, 2024. TRWA will be submitting comments on the draft Fall River Permit soon.