Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Revisions to MWRA’s Ambient Monitoring Plan: Why Michael J. Hornbrook MWRA Chief Operating Officer Outfall Monitoring Science Advisory Panel June 29, 2009

2 Nine years of discharge ambient monitoring Comprehensive Ambient Monitoring planned for 5 years Has continued an additional 4 years on its expired permit Time frame for new permit still unclear In September will complete 9 years discharge ambient monitoring plus 8 years baseline All >30 monitoring questions posed by the Outfall Monitoring Task Force answered. Water quality standards in Massachusetts Bay are met and generally better than planning predictions

3 MWRA’s purpose today Based on 9 years of monitoring results, scaling back is appropriate, for existing permit Not a template or basis for monitoring requirements in next permit MWRA’s position for next permit is that Ambient Monitoring or Contingency Plan permit requirement is not necessary Extensive effluent sampling will continue Diffuser #2, active Diffuser #44, inactive

4 Bays ecosystem is healthy The bays continue to support a healthy ecosystem in the water and in the sediments with no adverse impacts from the outfall observed over 9 years of intensive monitoring Dolphins playing in the wake of the R/V Aquamonitor, August 2007 photo by Bob Mandeville

5 MWRA committed to performance excellence Pollution prevention through stringent limits on industrial discharges. Investment in maintenance of treatment infrastructure. Treatment process achieves high quality effluent, documented by rigorous effluent testing. MWRA consistently meets or does better than permit limits.

6 Effluent testing will remain intensive 35,000 tests annually, about 95 tests/day includes Conventional pollutants –TSS –BOD –Bacteria Priority pollutants –Metals –Organics Toxicity Nutrients Process Control

solids discharges remained low <20 tons/day

metals discharges about 100 pounds/day

9 Actual pollutant loadings below original planning projections #Conservative value, all samples were non-detect

10 Significant Investment in Ambient Monitoring $53 million in external monitoring, modeling and cooperative research projects for monitoring outfall effects Including MWRA laboratory and technical staff costs brings total to more than $60 million. With changes reviewed today, ambient monitoring expenses remain substantial: >$2 million for FY10.

11 Results are in Investment yielded high- quality science done by acknowledged experts from major universities and research institutions. Hundreds of technical reports, reports at symposia, and peer- reviewed publications in scientific journals. Bottom line: Boston Harbor recovering and no adverse impact on Massachusetts or Cape Cod Bays.