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From page 55... ... 55 3 Water Quality in the Region Surface water and groundwater in southwestern Pennsylvania often contain many different pollutants from a variety of sources. This chapter provides an overview of the types of water quality problems in the region. Read the entire page →
From page 56... ... 56 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania waters in the United States should be "fishable and swimmable."3 These two broad uses have been significantly elaborated on by the states, such that in Pennsylvania all surface waters have been designated for uses that include warm-water fish and other aquatic life use, recreational use, and drinking water supply. In addition to these uses, some waters are of exceptional quality (designated as high quality or exceptional value waters) Read the entire page →
From page 57... ... Water Quality in the Region 57 FIGURE 3-1 Percentage of southwestern Pennsylvania county populations served by groundwater and surface water. Read the entire page →
From page 58... ... 58 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania TABLE 3-1 Public Water Systems Serving Populations of 100,000 or More in Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Supplier Principal County Served Population Served Pennsylvania-American Water Company- Pittsburgh Allegheny 569,300 Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority Allegheny 250,000 Westview Borough Municipal Authority Allegheny 200,000 Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority Allegheny 120,000 Westmoreland County Municipal Authority, Youghiogheny Plant Fayette 130,000 Westmoreland Municipal Authority, Sweeney Plant Westmoreland 140,000 SOURCE: Derived from EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System Data, available on-line at www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/pa.htm. TABLE 3-2 Community Water Systems in Southwestern Pennsylvania County Number of Active Systems Serving Populations of 10,000 or More Total Number of Active Community Water Systems Allegheny 15 41 Armstrong 0 23 Beaver 5 38 Butler 2 64 Fayette 5 29 Greene 1 7 Indiana 1 32 Lawrence 2 29 Somerset 0 45 Washington 2 15 Westmoreland 3 21 Total 36 344 SOURCE: Derived from EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System Data, available on-line at www.epa.gov/safewater/dwinfo/pa.htm. Read the entire page →
From page 59... ... Water Quality in the Region 59 Wellhead Protection Program5 forms the cornerstone of its SWAP. Similar to a SWAP assessment, wellhead protection involves the delineation of the area contributing water and an inventory of potential contaminant sources in that area with the ultimate goal of developing a voluntary, community-based drinking water protection program. Read the entire page →
From page 60... ... 60 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania BOX 3-1 Case Study: Iowa Private Well Programs Iowa is a rural state with 90 percent of the land under chemically intensive cultivation. The resulting threats to surface and groundwater have become a cause of concern as nitrate levels have risen and pesticides contaminate streams. Read the entire page →
From page 61... ... Water Quality in the Region 61 season (May 1 through September 30) and is based on indicator organisms that suggest pathogenic organisms may be present and present a health risk to individuals during contact recreation. Read the entire page →
From page 62... ... 62 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania TABLE 3-3 Selected National Recommended Water Quality Criteria Priority Pollutant Freshwater CMC (Pg/L) Arsenic 340 Cadmium 2.0 Chromium (III) Read the entire page →
From page 63... ... Water Quality in the Region 63 trout stocking as high quality, or as exceptional value waters, must meet the statewide water quality criteria plus lower permissible temperatures and higher standards for dissolved oxygen. It should be noted that some of the Pennsylvania criteria may be superseded for the Delaware Estuary, Ohio River basin, Lake Erie basin, and Genesee River basin under interstate and international compact agreements with the Delaware River Basin Commission, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) Read the entire page →
From page 64... ... 64 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania Water designated for human contact recreation is considered unimpaired if levels of indicator organisms do not exceed the water quality criteria summarized in Table 3-5. Water containing higher levels of indicator organisms is considered unsafe due to the likely presence of fecal bacteria and other waterborne pathogens, leading to contact recreational risk. Read the entire page →
From page 65... ... Water Quality in the Region 65 The PADEP maintains a system of 120 water quality monitoring stations throughout the commonwealth called "routine stations." At these stations, water quality sampling is conducted bimonthly for streamflow, physical analysis (e.g., temperature) , and chemical analysis (e.g., dissolved oxygen) Read the entire page →
From page 66... ... 66 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania by September 2004 (PADEP, 2004) Read the entire page →
From page 67... ... Water Quality in the Region 67 POLLUTANTS The same broad classes of waterborne contaminants that are of concern in much of the country's water supplies14 are also a concern in southwestern Pennsylvania. These include pathogenic microorganisms, organic carbon compounds, excessive nutrients, sediment, and toxic compounds. Read the entire page →
From page 68... ... 68 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania gastroenteritis in humans. It is frequently detected in livestock, shed in cattle manure, and thus a component of agricultural runoff. Read the entire page →
From page 69... ... Water Quality in the Region 69 Unfortunately, fecal indicator bacteria monitoring is generally considered insufficient to reliably detect viruses and protozoan parasites in drinking water sources or ambient (recreational) waters (NRC, 2004) Read the entire page →
From page 70... ... 70 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania Excessive organic carbon in surface water sources of drinking water can also constitute a public health risk. When certain types of organic carbon react with disinfectants associated with conventional drinking water treatment, potentially carcinogenic disinfectant by-products may result (see EPA, 2003, and NRC, 1987, for further information) Read the entire page →
From page 71... ... Water Quality in the Region 71 Pesticides and Other Chemicals of Concern Pesticide residues reaching surface water systems may harm freshwater and marine organisms and damage recreational and commercial fisheries (Pait et al., 1992) Read the entire page →
From page 72... ... 72 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania BOX 3-2 Health Effects of Chemicals in Fish and in Humans Who Eat Them The health effects caused by ingesting chemically contaminated fish are summarized in fish advisories issued by the EPA, but the text tends to include medical and technical terms that may be unfamiliar to the general public. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Read the entire page →
From page 73... ... Water Quality in the Region 73 determined that 2,3,7,8-TCDD may reasonably be anticipated to cause cancer, and the World Health Organization has determined that 2,3,7,8-TCDD is a human carcinogen. DDT, DDE, and DDD DDT was widely used in the United States for mosquito control and as an agricultural pesticide until its use was banned in 1972 because of harm to wildlife. Read the entire page →
From page 74... ... 74 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania BOX 3-2 CONTINUED environment, and they adhere to soil particles. For these reasons, they are found in the sediments of rivers, streams, and lakes. Read the entire page →
From page 75... ... Water Quality in the Region 75 and were among the highest 25 percent of the most degraded sites nationally (Anderson et al., 2000) Read the entire page →
From page 76... ... 76 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania BOX 3-3 Endocrine Disruptors, Pharmaceuticals, and Personal Care Products In recent years, questions have been raised about the presence of traces of a variety of compounds in natural waters, wastewater, and drinking water. Trace concentrations of endocrine disruptors, pharmaceutical products, and personal care products have been found in the environment. Read the entire page →
From page 77... ... Water Quality in the Region 77 compounds discussed above act as endocrine disruptors is largely unknown at this time. Read the entire page →
From page 78... ... 78 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania TABLE 3-6 Surface Water Quality of Major Rivers in Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area Parameter Median Maximum Minimum Ohio River at Sewickley: 11/14/2000 through 09/08/2001 Turbidity, NTU 11.5 50. 2.5 Dissolved oxygen, mg/L 9.8 14.3 7.2 pH, units 7.6 8.0 6.5 Alkalinity, mg/L as CaCO3 40.5 50 28 Dissolved organic carbon, mg/L 2.2 3.1 1.7 Sulfate, mg/L 66.1 107 44.5 E Read the entire page →
From page 79... ... Water Quality in the Region 79 were found to intermittently contain Cryptosporidium (10 of 36 samples) at concentrations from 5 to 106 oocysts per 100 L, with all but one of the positive values at the PWSA plant. Read the entire page →
From page 80... ... 80 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania FIGURE 3-3 Lock and dam structure of the Three Rivers. SOURCE: http://www.lrp.usace.army.mil/nav/nav.htm. Read the entire page →
From page 81... ... Water Quality in the Region 81 FIGURE 3-4 3 Rivers 2nd Nature integrated water quality testing points, 2000-2004 SOURCE: Adapted and reprinted, with permission, from 3 Rivers 2nd Nature. © 3 Rivers 2nd Nature. Read the entire page →
From page 82... ... 82 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania (2002) , downstream fecal coliform levels are greater than upstream by a factor of 10 for these rivers. Read the entire page →
From page 83... ... Water Quality in the Region 83 Nine Mile Run is a tributary of the Monongahela River in eastern Allegheny County. It enters the Monongahela at river mile 7.6 and encompasses a 7.5 square mile urban watershed with much of the flow through culverts. Read the entire page →
From page 84... ... 84 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania FIGURE 3-5 School testing locations in and around the City of Pittsburgh for the Creek Connections program. SOURCE: Reprinted, with permission, from http://creekconnections.allegheny.edu/ swpamap.html. Read the entire page →
From page 85... ... Water Quality in the Region 85 hundreds of independent organizations (PADEP, 2004) Read the entire page →
From page 86... ... 86 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania However, these wells were distributed throughout the state (but predominantly in southeastern Pennsylvania) and may not be indicative of well water conditions in southwestern Pennsylvania (see Figure 3-6) Read the entire page →
From page 87... ... Water Quality in the Region 87 Monongahela River basins (called the ALMN Study Unit) as a part of its NAWQA program. Read the entire page →
From page 88... ... 88 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Anderson et al. Read the entire page →
From page 89... ... Water Quality in the Region 89 TABLE 3-8 Pennsylvania Waterborne Disease Surveillance Data from CDC for Outbreaks Associated with Drinking Water Use: 1983 to 2000 Year Agent Cases Deficiency Class Type of Location Source 1983 Giardia 366 3 C 16 communities Sewage-contaminated watershed 1983 Giardia 135 3 C Community Stream 1983 AGI 11 2 IND Camp Well 1983 AGI 11,400 3 NC Religious festival Well 1983 AGI 25 2 NC Recreation area Well 1983 AGI 200 2 NC Resort Well 1983 AGI 146 2 NC Recreation area Well, spring 1983 AGI 298 3 C Community River 1984 Giardia 8 2 IND Picnic Well 1984 AGI 34 2 IND Bicycle race Private well 1984 AGI 18 2 IND Industry Well 1984 AGI 98 2 NC Resort Well 1985 AGI 70 3 NC Restaurant Well 1985 AGI 275 2 NC School Well 1985 AGI 11 3 NC Restaurant Well 1985 Shigella 27 1 NC Camp Well 1986 AGI 213 3 NC Restaurant Well 1987 AGI 53 5 NC Resort Well 1987 AGI 22 2 NC Camp Well 1987 AGI ? 2 IND Home Well 1988 Giardia 172 3 C Community Lake 1988 AGI 26 2 NC Camp Well 1989 AGI 50 2 NC Camp Well 1990 Hepatitis A 22 2 IND Homes Well 1990 Hepatitis A 3 3 C Community Well 1990 AGI 63 5 C Inn Lake 1991 AGI 8 3 NC Restaurant Well 1991 AGI 170 3 NC Picnic area Well 1991 Giardia 13 3 NC Park Well 1991 Cryptosporidium 551 3 NC Picnic area Well 1991 AGI 300 3 NC Camp Well 1992 AGI 5 3 NC Restaurant Well 1992 AGI 28 5 C Park River 1992 AGI 38 2 IND Home Well 1992 AGI 42 3 NC Camp Well 1992 AGI 50 3 NC Camp Well 1992 AGI 57 3 NC Camp Well 1992 AGI 80 3 NC Camp Well 1993 Giardia 20 3 NC Trailer park Well 1993 AGI 65 3 NC Ski resort Well 1994 AGI 200 3 NC Resort Well 1995 AGI 19 2 NC Inn Well 1996- 2000 None Reported -- -- -- -- -- NOTE: AGI = acute gastrointestinal illness of unknown etiology; NC = noncommunity, C = community, IND = individual; 1 = untreated surface water, 2 = untreated groundwater, 3 = treatment deficiency, 4 = distribution system deficiency, 5 = unknown or miscellaneous deficiency. Read the entire page →
From page 90... ... 90 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania outbreaks reported to CDC in Pennsylvania due to drinking water sources from 1983 to 2000. Notably, no waterborne disease outbreaks were reported during 1996 to 2000. Read the entire page →
From page 91... ... Water Quality in the Region 91 BOX 3-4 The McKeesport Outbreak The Outbreak During the winter of 1983-1984, more than 340 cases of waterborne giardiasis occurred in McKeesport, Pennsylvania. In late December 1983, water demand in McKeesport was very high, depleting distribution system water storage and preventing effective backwash of the filters (Logsdon et al., 1985) Read the entire page →
From page 92... ... 92 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania BOX 3-4 CONTINUED Water Quality After the McKeesport giardiasis outbreak, a monitoring program for Giardia cysts in surface water was undertaken (Sykora et al., 1986) Read the entire page →
From page 93... ... Water Quality in the Region 93 Engineering investigations after the outbreak revealed a number of problems with the treatment plant (ACHD, 1984) Read the entire page →
From page 94... ... 94 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania Geochemical parameters in waters in southwestern Pennsylvania do not identify significant problems in the rivers. Water in the three main rivers in southwestern Pennsylvania generally shows adequate dissolved oxygen, is at near-neutral pH, and does not exceed water quality standards for inorganic constituents. Read the entire page →
From page 95... ... Water Quality in the Region 95 Azadpour-Keeley, A., B Faulkner, and J Read the entire page →
From page 96... ... 96 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania Frost, F., R Calderon, and G Read the entire page →
From page 97... ... Water Quality in the Region 97 Lippy, E., and S Waltrip. Read the entire page →
From page 98... ... 98 Regional Cooperation for Water Quality Improvement in Southwestern Pennsylvania Osterkamp, W., P Heilman, and L Read the entire page →
From page 99... ... Water Quality in the Region 99 Association Water Quality Technology Conference, Portland, Oregon. Denver, CO: AWWA. Read the entire page →

From page 55...

... 55 3 Water Quality in the Region Surface water and groundwater in southwestern Pennsylvania often contain many different pollutants from a variety of sources. This chapter provides an overview of the types of water quality problems in the region.