Development of Effective Procedures for Illicit-Discharge Risk Mapping
Publication: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 143, Issue 5
Abstract
Authorities of municipal separate storm-sewer systems (MS4s) are required to address illicit discharges as part of the United States’ National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System’s (NPDES) stormwater program. Field reconnaissance is an effective measure to detect and identify illicit discharges, but requires substantial staff and financial resources to conduct. While risk-analysis techniques and guidelines have been developed to facilitate MS4 prioritization of field operations, neither a standard set of indicators nor a standard operating procedure has been adopted. This study investigates the relationships among indicators of illicit-discharge potential (IDP) and the locations of illicit discharges in two Virginia MS4s. Results of the study indicate that certain risk factors are statistically more effective at predicting IDP, suggesting that a core set of factors can be used to map illicit-discharge risk. The results also show that risk-mapping tools are significantly impacted by uncertainty in model inputs. Recommendations are provided for MS4s interested in pursuing IDP risk mapping as a tool to improve cost-effectiveness and guide illicit-discharge program implementation.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Aguilar, M. F., and Dymond, R. L. (2015). “Evaluation of variability in response to the NPDES phase II stormwater program in Virginia.” J. Sustainable Water Built Environ., .
ArcGIS for Desktop 10.3.1 [Computer software]. Esri, Redlands, CA.
Banik, B. K., Di Cristo, C., Leopardi, A., and de Marinis, G. (2016). “Illicit intrusion characterization in sewer systems.” Urban Water J., 1–11.
Bender, P. R. (2016). “Development of effective procedures for illicit discharge risk mapping in Roanoke, VA and Fairfax County, VA.” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA.
Brown, E., Caraco, D., Pitt, R., and Rittenhouse, B. (2004). “Illicit discharge detection and elimination: A guidance manual for program development and technical assessments.” ⟨http://www.ncsu.edu/ehs/environ/IDDE Guidance Manual.pdf.⟩ (Nov. 19, 2015).
Center for Watershed Protection and Biohabitats. (2011). “Healthy harbor plan: A plan to make Baltimore Harbor swimmable and fishable by 2020.” Ellicott City, MD.
Chandler, D. M., and Lerner, D. N. (2015). “A low cost method to detect polluted surface water outfalls and misconnected drainage.” Water Environ. J., 29(2), 1–5.
City of Roanoke. (2015). “City of Roanoke IDDE violations log.” ⟨https://www.mypermitrack.com/.../City%20of%20Roanoke%20IDDE%20Log.xls⟩ (May 1, 2015).
Fairfax County. (2015). “Dry weather screening results and ID complaints.” County of Fairfax, Fairfax County, VA.
Fairfax County. (2016). “Fairfax County GIS and mapping.” ⟨http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/maps/⟩ (Dec. 17, 2015).
Fisher, R. A. (1970). “The exact treatment of tables.” Statistical methods for research workers, E. A. Cornish, 14th Ed., Hafner, Darien, CT, 96–97.
Gaffield, S. J., Goo, R. L., Richards, L. A., and Jackson, R. J. (2003). “Public health effects of inadequately managed stormwater runoff.” Am. J. Public Health, 93(9), 1527–1533.
Jin, S., Yang, L., Danielson, P., Homer, C., Fry, J., and Xian, G. (2013). “A comprehensive change detection method for updating the National Land Cover Database to circa 2011.” Remote Sens. Environ., 132, 159–175.
Kaushal, S. S., Groffman, P. M., Band, L. E., Elliott, E. M., Shields, C. A., and Kendall, C. (2011). “Tracking nonpoint source nitrogen pollution in human-impacted watersheds.” Environ. Sci. Technol., 45(19), 8225–8232.
Lilly, L., et al. (2011). Field findings: Pollution detection and elimination in Sligo Creek, Montgomery County Maryland, Ellicott City, MD.
Lilly, L. (2015). “Illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) program assessment (responses). electronic survey.” Lori A Lilly Environmental Solutions, Howard County, MD.
Lilly, L., Stack, B. P., and Caraco, D. (2012). “Pollution loading from illicit sewage discharges in two mid-Atlantic subwatersheds and implications for nutrient and bacterial total maximum daily loads.” Watershed Sci. Bull., 3(1), 7–17.
Lilly, L., and Sturm, P. (2010). “Technical memorandum: Illicit discharge monitoring in Baltimore watersheds.” Center for Watershed Protection, Ellicott City, MD.
Louis Berger Group, Inc. (2015). “Roanoke river bacteria and sediment TMDL implementation plan Part I.” Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality, Richmond, VA.
Perry, W., Broers, A., El-Baz, F., Harris, W., Healy, B., and Hillis, W. D. (2008). “Grand challenges for engineering.” National Academy of Engineering. Washington, DC.
Pitt, R., and Rittenhouse, B. (2001). “Methods for detection of inappropriate discharges to storm drainage systems—Background literature and summary of findings.” USEPA, Washington, DC.
R 3.2.3 [Computer software]. R Core Development Team, Vienna, Austria.
Smith, D. J., and Shilley, H. (2009). “Residential car washwater monitoring study.” Public Works, Surface Water Management. Federal Way, WA.
Swann, C. (2001). “The influence of septic systems at the watershed level.” Watershed Prot. Tech., 3(4), 821–834.
U.S. Census Bureau. (2015). “State and county quickfacts.” ⟨http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/00⟩.(Apr. 26, 2016).
U.S. Census Bureau. (2016). “American fact finder.” ⟨http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml⟩ (Dec. 17, 2015).
USDA–NRCS (U.S. Department of Agriculture—Natural Resources Conservation Service). (2016). “Geospatial data gateway.” ⟨https://gdg.sc.egov.usda.gov/⟩ (Dec. 17, 2015).
USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). (1990). “National pollutant discharge elimination system regulations for storm water discharges, Phase I final rule. 40 CFR 122, 123, 124.” Washington, DC.
USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). (1999). “National Pollutant discharge elimination system—Regulations for revision of the water pollution control program addressing stormwater discharges.” Washington, DC.
USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). (2016). “About NPDES. National pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES).” ⟨http://www.epa.gov/npdes/about-npdes⟩ (Feb. 18, 2016).
USEPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). (2016). “Enforcement and compliance history online.” ⟨https://echo.epa.gov/⟩ (Dec. 17, 2015).
Virginia DEQ (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality). (2013a). “9 VAC 25-890—General permit for discharges of stormwater from small municipal separate storm sewer systems.” Virginia Dept. of Environmental Quality, Richmond, VA.
Virginia DEQ (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality). (2013b). “Permit No. VAR040004—City of Roanoke.” MS4 Discharge Permit, Roanoke, VA.
Virginia DEQ (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality). (2013c). “VA0088579—Arlington county—Authorization to discharge under the Virginia stormwater management program and the Virginia stormwater management Act. NPDES MS4 Permit.” Arlington County, VA.
Virginia DEQ (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality). (2015b). “Municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) permits.” ⟨http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/StormwaterManagement/VSMPPermits/MS4Permits.aspx⟩ (Oct. 16, 2015).
Virginia DEQ (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality). (2015a). “Permit No. VA0088587—Fairfax County—Authorization to discharge under the Virginia stormwater management program and the Virginia stormwater management Act. NPDES MS4 permit.” Fairfax County, VA.
Virginia DEQ (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality). (2016a). “Construction general permits.” ⟨http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/StormwaterManagement/VSMPPermits/ConstructionGeneralPermit.aspx⟩ (Dec. 17, 2015).
Virginia DEQ (Virginia Department of Environmental Quality). (2016b). “Virginia environmental geographic information systems (VEGIS).” ⟨http://www.deq.virginia.gov/ConnectWithDEQ/VEGIS/VEGISDatasets.aspx⟩ (Dec. 17, 2015).
Zielinski, J., and Brown, T. (2003). “Inappropriate discharge detection and elimination: What Phase I communities are doing to address the problem.” Center for Watershed Protection, Ellicott City, MD.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management
Volume 143 • Issue 5 • May 2017
Copyright
©2017 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 27, 2016
Accepted: Oct 15, 2016
Published online: Jan 30, 2017
Published in print: May 1, 2017
Discussion open until: Jun 30, 2017
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.