Session 6 | Tuesday, November 9 | 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM EST 

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ATTN OFFICIAL JUDGES FOR THE STUDENT PRESENTATION COMPETITION: If you were contacted by the Conference Planning Committee Student Activities Chair, Allison Lewis, remember to use the appropriate evaluation form when scoring student participants. The link and QR code to this form was emailed to you along with your student assignments. To make identifying student participants easier, the green graduation cap  next to a session title includes a student who is participating in the PRESENTATION Competition.

Phosphorus Recovery from Wastewater Treatment: Current State of the Practice

Moderator: Erich Marzolf

Presenters:

• Erich Marzolf, St Johns River Water Management District, "The Relationship Between the Land Application of Class B Biosolids and Phosphorus Concentration Increases in Surface Waters in Florida"


• Dean Dobberfuhl, St Johns River Water Management District, "Forging a Path Towards Environmentally Sustainable Biosolids Use in Florida"
The state of Florida is struggling with an unsustainable and environmentally detrimental biosolids disposal problem. Class B biosolids are frequently applied to agricultural pasture lands as an inexpensive method to increase pasture fertility. Application rates are based generally on nitrogen contents and low N:P (~ 2:1) result in an oversupply of P relative to agronomic needs. Years of applications may result in an enduring legacy load of P to receiving waters. In addition, the Upper St. Johns River basin (USJRB) has been receiving nearly 80% of the state’s permitted class B land application following prohibition in South Florida in 2013. Geographically concentrating the disposal has resulted in dramatic increases in P loading to USJRB waterbodies. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has recently revised Class B biosolids rules to address the excess P application issue. The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) expanded data collection to assess the magnitude of biosolids-related P loading in the USJRB. Using a combination of ambient water quality samples, storm-event samples, and soil samples, we have prepared a conceptual P budget for a field receiving typical permitted biosolids quantities . This budget will be used to direct additional monitoring activities and generate hypotheses for additional research. FDEP has provided funding to SJRWMD to conduct research on the sustainable use of biosolids. The district is pursuing four research foci. First, water quality monitoring will be expanded to focus on stormwater discharges from biosolids impacted watersheds. Second, individual application sites will be monitored to understand P fluxes in soils, groundwater, and surface water. Third, remediation techniques will be assessed to reduce current and legacy P export. Finally, wastewater technologies will be evaluated, within a Florida context, for their ability to produce biosolid products that are both economically viable and environmentally sustainable.


• Lucas Botero, Black & Veatch, "Phosphorus recovery from Water Resource Recovery Facilities; Current State of the Practice"
Phosphorus is a fundamental nutrient for any form of life. However, phosphorus is a finite resource that when released improperly can have adverse effects in receiving bodies of water, as it is well documented in the State of Florida. Naturally, Water Resource Recover Facilities (WRRFs - formerly known as Wastewater Treatment Plants) get a significant mass of phosphorus in their influent, from the domestic human waste. To prevent negative effects on the receiving water bodies, many WRRFs are required to remove phosphorus from their liquid stream via either chemical precipitation (to convert soluble P into particulate P) or biological (Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal – EBPR) where P is uptaken into the bacterial mass of the biological reactor to then be removed in the biosolids. While biosolids with available phosphorus are land applied in several areas of the world, certain regulatory drivers are making this practice less common, mostly due to adverse effects of land applied biosolids on adjacent water bodies.Since phosphorus is a limited resource, and the world is depleting the phosphorus reserves at a rapid pace, then in recent years phosphorus sequestration and removal has become more viable for WRRFs as it provides many benefits including: eliminates the production of unwanted struvite in digesters and downstream dewatering equipment; reduces the nutrient recycles within the plant loads from dewatering systems; EBPR sludge has less dewaterability of biosolids which increases end use costs; EBPR also requires higher polymer demands for final dewatering; eliminated higher phosphorus release rates from EBPR biosolids being land applied; Prevents phosphorus-nitrogen imbalance in biosolids being used for fertilizer; and provides a marketable product for the fertilizer market. Targeted recovery of phosphorus from biosolids or filtrate/centrate systems has the potential to mitigate the above issues, while also providing marketable fertilizer products. Various vendor provided solutions are available to remove phosphorus at different locations in the treatment stream by precipitating phosphorus salts. These include Ostara Pearl™, Multiform Harvest™, CNP Aiprex™, Schwing Bioset Nuresys™ and CNP Calprex™. This paper provides a brief summary of the status of phosphorus sequestration and harvesting technologies and their applicability within WRRFs.

Streamflow and Stream Restoration

Moderator: Felix Kristanovich

Presenters:

• Aleksandra Dimova, Shirley Clark, and Jennifer Sliko, Penn State Harrisburg, "Long-Term Effectiveness of Stream Restoration Activities in the Lititz Run Watershed"
This research addresses the question of the long-term effectiveness of stream restoration activities by evaluating water quality and biotic integrity above and below several restorations on Lititz Run and its major tributary Santo Domingo as part of a linear system of stream restoration projects. The restorations are at least 10 years old and have been the subject of several citizen science data collection efforts for the past 20 years. The streams were sampled longitudinally every season during the study period to determine the effectiveness of the various types of stream restoration. The activities for examining the stream restoration were separated into floodplain reconnection or engineered stabilization. In - field data was collected on flow, geomorphology, water quality, and included a riparian assessment. Our results show that the restored vegetation around the floodplain and in the main channel is helpful in reducing the levels of the analyzed chemicals. For instance, at one of the restored locations, at New Street Ecological Park, we observed high concentrations of ammonia and phosphate just below two sewer manholes, indicating that there is a leak in the sewer system. However, 70 feet downstream of the location the levels are significantly lower. In addition, the fall 2019 macroinvertebrate sampling highlights the poorer biotic integrity in urban area restorations where bank armoring was the primary technique. The summer/fall 2020 and spring 2021 results are added to this initial assessment and to the historical data that has been collected on this multi-site restoration of several miles of stream.


• Richard Koehler, Visual Data Analytics LLC, "Using A Grid Correlogram to Display Streamflow Persistence and Temporal Anisotropy"
A challenge for water resources professionals is determining long term variation and short-term alteration of streamflow and how these values change over time. Changes to naturally occurring patterns have ecological effects and may reduce species diversity in an ecosystem. For most rivers systems, the discharge for one day depends on the discharge from the previous day. Analysis of discharge to detect trends is complicated by autocorrelation (also known as serial or lag correlation) of the system. Autocorrelation can be thought of as persistence or system memory of the data. One of the results of autocorrelation is that the accuracy of any statistical estimates will be overstated. However, rather than remove autocorrelation, there is value in examining these calculations. Presented is a graphic technique, the grid correlogram normally used to assess patterns and correlation of a spatial grid. Correlograms indicate how well grid values correlate across the grid. They indicate underlying trends in the grid and give a measure of the anisotropy of the grid. In this case, a temporal, not spatial, grid is used. This is possible when time-series are displayed in the dual timescale raster matrix allowing the examination of autocorrelation across thousands of lags. Besides displaying streamflow persistence, this technique permits a measure of time shifts within the data as directional anisotropy. Constructed datasets are presented to explain the patterns seen in the autocorrelation graphics. After this several real-world datasets are examined, and the graphics described. Among the examples used are ten locations on the Missouri River to show system memory changes over the length of the river. Finally, one non-streamflow example is shown for snowpack and air temperature. One result of this presentation is to show how tools and techniques for other disciplines can be repurposed for use in water resources.


• Richard Koehler, Visual Data Analytics LLC, "Quantifying Streamflow Configuration Using A Time-Based Patch Analysis Approach"
Multiple hydrologic indices exist for determining streamflow attributes. These index values are often statistical metrics such as count, mean, median, standard deviation, and variance. One set of researchers found that 171 different streamflow indices were distributed into the five following general categories: magnitude (55%), duration (26%), frequency (8%), timing (6%) and change in flow (5%). A major weakness, besides the sheer number of choices, is that these indices do not address a basic property of streamflow – the configuration of the data. Needed is a way to examine all flow values for all times of the year, be able to quickly find and quantify patterns across multiple time scales, and to customize associated graphics. An approach labeled “time-based patch analysis” is presented. This method is based on the landscape ecology patch analysis technique used to identify and quantify various habitats from categorical raster maps. The same logic used to find patches (groups of connected raster cells) and describe the related characteristics of number, size, shape, and distribution of these patches can be directly applied to environmental time-series data, specifically streamflow for this presentation. The presentation demonstrates how FRAGSTATS (“fragmentation statistics”), a freely available program common to landscape ecology, is used to quantify streamflow configuration metrics. A case study of the USGS gage for the Colorado River at Lees Ferry, AZ examines two 30-year periods covering pre- and post-dam river patterns. A companion poster, “Time-Based Patch Analysis Workflow”, describes the steps needed for such an analysis. The method described for streamflow can be applied to any environmental time-series. Examples include snowpack, air temperature, water temperature, water quality, fish migration, and probabilistic streamflow forecasts. Such techniques as outlined in this presentation will give researchers, managers, and other natural resources professionals additional tools when analyzing environmental time-series data.


• Felix Kristanovich, Windward Environmental LLC, "Restoration of Loup-Loup Creek"
The primary purpose of restoring part of Loup-Loup Creek in Malott, Washington, is (a) floodplain reactivation (including annual reactivation of the western side channel), (b) increase of sediment transport in the main channel and enhancement of sediment deposition in the overflow channel, and (c) increase of on-site habitat complexity (including gravel sorting, specifically productivity for summer steelhead spawning, incubation, and/or juvenile rearing). Sediment management was especially important because sediment yield from Loup-Loup watershed has significantly increased since 2009 due to several wildfires. The restoration includes hydrologic analysis (utilizing HEC-HMS model), geomorphologic analysis, evaluation of fish and riparian habitat, establishment of ecological function goals, estimates of flooding and sediment transport (utilizing 2-dimensional HEC-RAS model and its sediment transport functions). Comparative evaluation of four different restoration alternatives was conducted and discussed with Okanogan Conservation District, Colville Confederated Indian Tribes and Bonneville Power Administration. Design Plans and Specifications include the Preferred Design alternative that emphasizes low-tech process-based river restoration techniques, such as roughness trees, post-assisted log structures (PALS), and beaver dam analogues (BDAs). The project construction is planned for summer of 2021.

Novel Techniques in Water Resources Modeling

Moderator: A. Michael Sheer

Presenters:

• A. Michael Sheer, Hazen and Sawyer, "From 40,000 Feet to the Neighbor Next Door: The Novel Spatial Resolution of GA EPD’s New Basin Environmental Assessment Model"
When water supply planners explore their systems, they are often bound by the limitations of their models. These models regularly (and usually by necessity) roll up large geographic regions into single points of interest, framing issues solely in the “big picture.” Much of the time this model resolution is appropriate for the needed decision support; but what about when you need both? In 2020, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division and Hazen and Sawyer developed a pilot Basin Environmental Assessment Model (BEAM) of the Oconee, Ocmulgee and Altamaha River Basins that allows for fine spatial resolution over the entire basin. Through BEAM the EPD can explore issues at the full 14,000 square mile basin-view or zoom all the way in to test the effects of a single withdrawal or outfall permit change on its neighbors. Reaching this level of spatial resolution required careful disaggregation of unimpaired inflow hydrology through a combination of USGS gage records, impairment records, and drainage areas. The approximately 850 nodes include each individually permitted withdrawal, outfall, and water supply reservoir on each reach and tributary. Changes to any of these can be quickly evaluated or expanded thanks to a three-minute run-time. In this talk we will discuss the broad development of the tool, demonstrate its capabilities, and explore its decision-support applications in permitting and state-wide planning.


• Rajendra Khanal , University of Utah, "Use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Agricultural Water Resources Management"
Accurate estimation of spatiotemporally varied consumptive water use is important for effective water resource management at both watershed and field scales. Specifically, effective water management can be improved through a better understanding of the consumptive use patterns and trends. Traditionally, evapotranspiration (ET) has been measured using lysimeters, eddy-covariance systems, or fiber optics, providing estimates, which are spatially restricted to a footprint from a few square meters up to several hectares. Recently, the Mapping Evapotranspiration at high Resolution with Internalized Calibration (METRIC) model using a surface energy balance algorithm with satellite imagery has been used for estimation of actual ET over large areas. As data acquired through satellite imagery are relatively coarse in their spatial, temporal or spectral extents, we used images collected by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) for ET estimation. In this study, we present a comparison of drone-based ET assessment versus satellite-based METRIC results using the Wellsville Research Center farm in Utah as the study location. Drone-based ET was calculated using UAV imagery collected by MicaSense Altum sensor with some modifications to METRIC algorithm. Because of the superior ground pixel resolution and ability to fly on cloudy days, we found that UAV-based estimates outperformed satellite estimates in terms of capturing the ET variability thus improving the seasonal consumptive use estimation. This information will be extremely valuable to watershed managers trying to plan future water management, precision agriculture, water storage, and water trading projects. This finding will also further highlight the possibility of the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle in the estimation of consumptive use of water.

Flood Risk, Management, and Model Development

Moderator: Rachelle Sanderson

Presenters:

• Bill Szafranski, Lynker Technologies, "Quantifying Colorado’s Current and Future Flood and Drought Risk: Development of a Climate Change Informed Risk Analysis"
The state of Colorado is bolstering efforts to empower communities to justify adaptation investments using climate and risk-informed metrics. We developed a new statewide damage assessment to quantify each county’s climate change risk from flood, drought, and wildfire to understand the financial cost of inaction. The risk assessment monetized economic impacts resulting from climate change and population growth around the year 2050 by developing models of each sector’s vulnerability to flood, drought, or wildfire. The flood analysis quantified the impacts to buildings and bridges, the drought analysis quantified the impacts on agriculture (crops, cattle) and recreation (ski industry, boating), and the wildfire analysis quantified damages to buildings and the cost of wildfire suppression (firefighting costs). We analyzed two climate change futures and three population growth scenarios for a total of 12 current and future scenarios where expected annual damages can be compared relative to baseline. Here we focus on key elements of the flood and drought analysis. For the flood hazard, we used a statewide FEMA Hazus analysis as the baseline leveraging a modeled 100-year floodplain to quantify current building damages from 1% annual exceedance probability events. We then combined this with coverage of the 500-year floodplain to estimate the total expected annual damages for all recurrence intervals that could be applied statewide, while US Bureau of Reclamation downscaled hydrology model projections were used to estimate the change in frequency of 100-year flood events by mid-century. Results indicate the combined effects of climate change and population growth could increase unmitigated building damages by 2.2 to 4.2 times current costs. For the drought analysis, we calculated the economic impact to boating (commercial rafting) using a threshold of boatable days from American Whitewater for major rivers across Colorado. A linear regression model was developed to relate streamflow to user days, and the economic value for rafting was calculated using Colorado River Outfitters Association user days, including a secondary impact multiplier to estimate the statewide economic impact of rafting. Results indicate the combined effects of climate change and population growth could increase unmitigated rafting damages by 3.3 to 6.0 times current costs.


• Rachelle Sanderson, Capital Region Planning Commission, "What Do We Do When There is too Much Water to Wrap Our Heads Around? Find Another Way to Think About It."
This session will focus on some of the opportunities to rethink our governance structures, guiding frameworks, and programs for watershed management by incorporating procedural and substantive equity. Our current challenges with flood risk and the future challenges that climate change presents provide us with a significant opportunity to rethink how we interact with water and who makes decisions about it. One example is to form more democratic governance structures that are inclusive of frontline communities (i.e., procedural equity) so that our solutions are informed by those who are most impacted by current and future challenges, thus leading to more equitable outcomes. Grounding in the development of a regional watershed management program in southeast Louisiana as an example, this session will try to facilitate a larger discussion around reframing our thinking about water through the intersection of climate change, flood risk, equity, and privilege within decision-making spaces.


• Kaveh Zomorodi, Dewberry, "Conservative Alternatives to 100-year Peak Discharge"
Climate change and urbanization are intensifying flooding in many areas. Consequently, the current levels of the 100-year peak discharge (Q1%) may not be as safe as intended by design. Using more conservative alternatives to Q1% could alleviate the additional risk posed by elevated flood magnitudes. This study considers three alternatives and investigates how they relate to Q1%: 1 ) “1-percent-plus”discharge (Q1%+) which is used by FEMA as a conservative index to account for uncertainties in discharge calculations. Q1%+ represents the 84% upper limit of Q1%; 2) The 200-year peak discharge (Q0.5%) which is used at some localities for floodplain mapping and and/or bridge scour analysis; 3) The probabilistic peak discharge rainfall-runoff simulation to conservatively select Q1% from thousands of possible outcomes. Sample calculations showed that this approach could result in a wide range of results making it difficult to generalize any relationship between the selected conservative value and the established value of Q1%. Therefore, this approach was not further pursued in this study. A formal frequency analysis was performed using Bulletin 17-C procedures applied to 41 reliable peak discharge data sets. The data were recorded at USGS stations located in 25 different states with drainage areas smaller than 20 square miles with a minimum recent record length of 35 years. The results indicated that, on the average, Q1%+ is 26% larger than Q1%. A new equation was derived through residual analysis that predicts Q1%+ based on Q1% and Q0.2% (500-year) values. The results also indicated that, on the average, Q0.5% is 17% larger than Q1%, but smaller than Q1%+. An example calculation was used to establish the future Q1% for the near term and far term climate change scenarios. The Q0.5% underestimated the future climate change Q1%, while the Q1%+ better matched the future values. In conclusion, the “1-percent-plus”discharge as evaluated by frequency analysis exhibits a consistent and predictable relationship with the 100-year peak discharge and would make a reasonable conservative alternative to it. The 200-year peak discharge also has a strong and predictable relationship to the 100-year peak discharge, but would be less conservative than the “1-percent-plus”discharge in most locations.

An Economic Approach to Water Resources

Moderator: Eric Hersh

Presenters:

• Janet Clements, Corona Environmental Consulting, "Economic Framework and Tools for Quantifying and Monetizing the Triple Bottom Line Benefits of Green Stormwater Infrastructure"
In addition to proven effectiveness for stormwater management goals, green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) can yield many important co-benefits, including beautifying neighborhoods, avoiding flood damages, improving air quality, reducing heat-related illnesses, creating “green-collar” jobs, and more. As communities continue to consider how to best integrate GSI into stormwater management planning efforts and/or expand existing GSI programs, stormwater practitioners have expressed a need for information to help them better quantify and monetize these benefits. The Water Research Foundation’s GSI Triple Bottom Line (TBL) Benefit Cost Framework and Tool (Tool) provides a systematic approach that allows stormwater practitioners to quantify and monetize the full suite of TBL benefits (i.e., financial, social, and environmental) applicable to their community and GSI-related goals. It also provides a comprehensive framework for appropriately comparing the benefits and costs of GSI projects or programs over time. The Tool aims to address current research gaps and information needs. Specifically, the Tool incorporates market and nonmarket economic valuation methods that allow users to assess a wide range of TBL benefits, including several harder to quantify benefits that have not been incorporated into existing tools or studies. The Tool also aims to strike an appropriate balance between providing enough information and data to allow practitioners to quantify relevant benefits, while requiring enough user input to ensure the process is transparent and community specific. The Tool requires some level of expertise and familiarity with GSI implementation and planning; however, users do not need to have an advanced knowledge of economics. The Excel-based Tool leads users through each step of TBL-based benefit cost analysis, from establishing a baseline, to applying appropriate economic valuation methods, and comparing benefits and costs over time. The TBL approach provides an organizing framework for comparing benefits and costs. The Tool will be available for use by July 2021. Our presentation will include an overview of the TBL benefit cost framework and a demonstration of the Tool. We will also present results from four case study applications of the Tool, including analysis of GSI programs or projects in Saint Paul, MN; Lancaster, PA; Seattle, WA; and Cleveland, OH.


• Daniel Van Abs, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey, "A New Jersey Affordability Methodology and Assessment for Drinking Water and Sewer Utility Costs"
New Jersey has a higher cost of living than the national average and its municipalities have a wide range of household incomes. As with most of the United States, drinking water and sewer utility costs have been rising for decades, generally faster than median household income. The question of affordability for such services has been a concern, resulting in a series of reports for Jersey Water Works, a collaborative of utilities, governments, non-profit organizations, consultants, academia and others “who embrace the common purpose of transforming New Jersey’s inadequate water infrastructure by investing in sustainable, cost-effective solutions that provide communities with clean water and waterways; healthier, safer neighborhoods; local jobs; flood and climate resilience; and economic growth. In 2018, a report evaluated various existing and proposed methodologies for assessing affordability to the neighborhood level. Further research and discussions resulted in a methodology that is specific to New Jersey and adapted from the Affordability Ratio method of Manuel Teodoro. It uses three affordability thresholds (Baseline, High and Severe). This methodology has been implemented using 2020 utility rate schedules for residential customers, representing roughly 90 percent of all utility customers, who in turn are 90 percent of all New Jersey residents. The results provide a sound assessment of relative affordability concerns to the Census tract level. Statewide results indicate that 20 percent of all assessed households would experience affordability concerns if they paid the full cost of basic services. Some individual utilities and municipalities, however, show evidence of much higher affordability concerns, to more than half of their households. Jersey Water Works intends to use the results to engage governments, utilities, communities and other major stakeholders in addressing the affordability issues identified.


• Eric Hersh, Stantec, "Quantifying the Potential Costs of Water-Related Risks Associated with Climate Change to the Power Industry"
Changing global climate conditions have direct impacts on surface water across the world. As the electric power industry is heavily reliant on sustainable and consistent access to water resources, understanding the risks associated with the changing climate is a priority issue for the industry. The implications of global climate change to the power industry are likely to be significant and wide-ranging, including risks to regulatory compliance, operations, and infrastructure. Such risks from climate change can potentially impact all components of the energy system, from fuel production and distribution to electricity generation, transmission, and demand. In this study, key additional/ enhanced risks (i.e., as compared to a prior baseline) to the power industry associated with changing surface water in select case study basins were identified and quantified. The case studies make use of downscaled GCM data and both the SWAT and WARMF watershed models for the time periods 1981 through 2018 (historical simulation) and 2020 through 2100 (future projections) to project future streamflow and water quality conditions at the HUC10 scale. The case studies include: (1) an assessment of potential diminished hydropower production, lost revenue, and lost power generation replacement cost; (2) an assessment of potential habitat availability and suitability impacts on threatened and endangered freshwater mussel species; and (3) a flood frequency analysis of potential changes to annualized flood risk for river-adjacent facilities. Understanding the potential costs of these additional/ enhanced risks is critical for companies to make informed management decisions related to projected changing surface water conditions. Note that this quantitative risk assessment study featuring select in-depth case studies builds on a prior qualitative risk assessment study that was performed on a regional scale across the entire U.S.; this prior study was presented at AWRA 2020. 

Special Panel: Is Rapid Growth Compatible with Resilience in Southwest Florida?

Moderator: Jen Jones

Presenters:

• Noah Valenstein, former secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Presidential Fellow at The Water School, Nutrient Management, Water Quality, and Wetlands
• Charlette Roman, South Florida Water Management District Governing Board and the Chair of the Big Cypress Basin Board
• Dr. Greg Tolley, Executive Director of The Water School and Professor of Marine Science, Nutrient Management, Water Quality, and Wetlands
• Tony Cameratta, Cameratta Companies, LLC

Southwest Florida is one of the fastest growing regions in the state and the entire country. Situated between the Gulf of Mexico, Lake Okeechobee, and the Everglades, the landscape and economy is dominated by water and dependent on healthy ecosystems. Human population growth and climate change have made issues of harmful algal blooms, sea level rise, and increased storminess all the more salient in Southwest Florida. This panel discussion brings together senior experts, business leaders, and decision-makers representing distinct stakeholder groups who are shaping the future of water in Florida: real estate & development, water management, science & research, and conservation policy. How can Florida continue to grow at this rapid pace while maintaining water quality, human health, and livelihoods? What might resilience look like in Southwest Florida? Panelists will provide brief opening statements, engage in a lively moderated discussion, and respond to audience questions.