Water Quality and Water Pollution

David OsterbergCollege of Public Health, University of Iowa

Mary SkopecIowa Department of Natural Resources

World Health Organization• Cyanobacterial Toxins• Cyanobacteria or blue-green

algae occur worldwide especially in calm, nutrient-rich waters.

• Some species of cyanobacteria produce toxins that affect animals and humans. People may be exposed to cyanobacterial toxins by drinking, bathing in, or inhaling contaminated water.

Slide by Hans Paerl, UNC – Chapel Hill

Toledo Ohio water intake surrounded by algae Aug 3, 2014

2.5 miles from shore of Lake Erie

Washington PostThe toxin that shut off Toledo’s water? The feds don’t make you test for it.

August 11, 2014

• There are no national standards for algal cyanotoxins in drinking water. U.S. utilities don’t need to test for it. How widespread the toxin is in drinking water is a mystery. Monitoring is voluntary. …The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for years has discussed drafting rules to cover cyanotoxins but hasn’t acted.

• And with these algal blooms predicted to worsen in Lake Erie and other lakes and reservoirs — thanks to a mix of global warming, invasive species and pollution — the issue is expected to pop up more often. Some believe Toledo could be a tipping point.

Iowa Policy Project PaperHeffernan and Galluzzo - 2009

Pond Scum — Looking Beneath the Surface of Iowa WatersDealing with Cyanobacteria (or Blue-Green Algae) and the Impact of Excess NutrientsState policy has left Iowa waterways open to contamination by bacteria resulting from phosphorus and other nutrients in runoff from both farm fields and urban sources.Full Report (PDF, 13 pg) 12/17/09 Executive Summary (PDF, 4 pg)News Release (PDF, 2 pg)

Pond Scum—Looking Beneath the Surface of Iowa Waters

Water Res. 2012 Apr 1;46(5):1372-93. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2011.11.052. Epub 2011 Nov 25.

Effects of rainfall patterns on toxic cyanobacterial blooms in a changing climate: between simplistic scenarios and complex dynamics.

Reichwaldt ES1, Ghadouani A.

This review …identifies mechanisms that influence … toxic cyanobacterial blooms. …

Such changes in the rainfall patterns will lead to favourable conditions for cyanobacterial growth due to a greater nutrient input

into waterbodies during heavy rainfall events, combined with potentially longer periods of high evaporation and stratification.

Year

Number of Microcystin Advisories*

2014 22

2013 24

2012 14

2011 7

2010 2

*Weekly Monitoring of 38 State Owned Beaches

Iowa Department of Natural ResourcesBeach Monitoring Advisories

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 20140%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

One-Time Standard Exceedance2000-2014

Single Year

5-year running average

% E

xcee

danc

e

Exceedances of E. coli Bacteria Standard39 Iowa Public Beaches

What else does heavy rain bring?

Source: Flooding in the Midwest 2008, USGS Professional Paper 1775

Percentage Changes in Median Annual Peak Streamflow: 1958-2007

Advice from the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)

http://www.deq.state.ne.us/Gen.nsf/Pages/Disaster-2

• Avoid any physical contact with the water. Floodwaters can have dangerous currents, and there are also hazards of pathogens in the water. If you have been in contact with floodwaters, avoid touching your mouth or eyes, and try to thoroughly wash off as quickly as possible.

• Also, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services advises that wells owners near flooded areas should take proactive measures to prevent private well contamination, and have their wells tested.

Analysis of Monthly Waste Water ByPass information from Iowa DNR – April 2009 to October 2013

• Heavy rains and saturated conditions overwhelmed collection system and treatment plant

• Summary data being sought

Example – June 2014 Rainfall Related Wastewater By-Passes

Monthly Precipitation Totals June 2014

Field Office #1 (Northeast Iowa)• Marion • Watkins - possible• Sumner • West Union• Denver• Dubuque• Cedar Falls• Belle Plain• Lisbon• Wyoming• La Port City

Field Office 5 (Central Iowa)• Grimes• LeGrand • Montezuma • Montour• Kellogg• McCallsburg • Melcher-Dallas• Melbourne• Newton • Brooklyn • Monroe • Oskaloosa• Tama • Winterset• Bondurant• Pella

Field Office 6 (Southeast Iowa)• City of Riverside• North English• West Liberty• Fairfield• Davenport• Winfield• Ainsworth• Buffalo

Wastewater By-Passes During Period June 17 – 20, 2014

Field Office 2 (North Central Iowa)Fort Dodge (250,000 gallons/day)

• Coulter• Latimer/Coulter*• Britt*• Blairsburg*• Algona• Williams*• Swea City*• Hampton• Rutland*• Eagle Grove• Humboldt• Burt*from lift station and/or manhole

Field Office 3 (Northwest Iowa)• Lake Park*• Sheldon• Iowa Great Lakes*• Melvin *• Cherokee *• Pocahontas• Hartley*• Lytton*• Lester• Sioux Center* • Sutherland*• Aurelia*• Holstein *• Alta *• Lost Island S. Dist. (Ruthven)

*from lift station and/or manhole

• Lake Mills• Wellsburg• Forest City• Dike• Belmond• Dakota City• Eagle Grove• Iowa Falls• Grundy Center• Fertile• Thornton• Meservey

• Albert City • George *• Orange City *• Laurens • Hornick*• Storm Lake*• Emmetsburg• Spencer (CSOs)• Marcus *• Everly*• Correctionville* • Fonda* • Royal * • Archer*• Hull*• Inwood*• Peterson*