Yuqiao Reservoir and Lake Erie

Excess Nutrients, Watershed Protection,

Collaboration, and Integrated Approaches

John Ungvarsky

Environmental Scientist

USEPA Region 9 photo credit: Peter Husby

Yuqiao Reservoir

NE China, Tianjin Province

Tianjin is 6th largest urban center

in China

Yuqiao Reservoir provides drinking

water for 6 million people

Source water conveyed 100 km

Yuqiao Reservoir

“Safe Drinking Water for Sustainable Cities” grant to the Civil Engineering Research Foundation in 2003

Primary objective of the project was to ensure delivery of safe drinking water to Tianjin

The Yuqiao Reservoir is representative of water quality concerns in China.

Classified as Environmental Quality Standard Grade V because of excess nutrients. Goal is Grade III.

Yuqiao Reservoir Watershed

Yuqiao Reservoir Watershed, Principle Features and Monitoring Stations

Tianjin Province

Hebei Province

Problem Statement & Identification

• Drinking water treatment can be adversely impacted by algal blooms and result in formation of disinfection byproducts

Eutrophication pattern can occur during summer and fall

• The algal blooms in the Yuqiao Reservoir result from excess nutrients in the water

Assessment of Yuqiao

• Objective: Assess the quantity/quality of water and

relative contribution of nutrient sources

• Utilize all available methods

to collect needed data

• Data collection methods used- GIS - Mapping

- Surveys - Water quality sampling

- Water quantity measurement - Meteorological data

- Models - Extrapolation

Primary Sources of Nutrients

Affecting the Yuqiao

Runoff from villages

Runoff from agricultural lands

Wastewater: restaurants and hotels

Sediments in Yuqiao (phosphorus)

Sources in Hebei Province

• sources in neighboring watershed

• stormwater and wastewater from Zunhua

Runoff from Villages and Farms

• 128 villages around Yuqiao

• Roads

• Farmland

• Animal manures

Key Partners …

US Environmental

Protection Agency

Tianjin Environmental

Protection Bureau

Tianjin Environmental

Monitoring Center

Jixian Environmental

Protection Bureau

ESD China

Civil Engineering Research

Foundation

Recommendations

Focus on Sources Around Yuqiao

• Comprehensive and Integrated Approach at a Village Scale

Short-Term

Long-Term

Watershed Management Needed

Provincial and watershed boundaries

Feasibility Study for Demonstration Project

• Comprehensive approach drafted by Tianjin Academy of Environmental Sciences in December 2007

Modify traditional waste management to reduce nutrient and pathogen runoff from village; collect and transport to central location

Treat animal waste and crop residue in a digester to create renewable energy (biogas) and reduce greenhouse gas emissions

Renewable fuel source for cooking and improved air quality

Introduce nutrient management concepts to reduce runoff from farms and protect groundwater while utilizing nutrient-rich digester byproducts for crop production

Additional goals …

• Cost-effective, replicable,

• Village acceptance/ownership and easy management

Centralized Digester Option

Demonstration Project

• Agreements on demonstration project

Centralized Digester

Yaobiazhuang

Leverage EPA grant

• Lessons in Patience and Compromise

Challenge securing local funding

Yoabiazhuang out, Dajugezhuang in

Digester technology: household

Dajugezhuang

• 1150 people, 250+ homes

• swine (600), cattle (200), ducks (10,000)

• corn, wheat, orchards

Monitoring

Water• surface water

• runoff

• groundwater

Air • indoor and ambient

Solids• manure, crop residues

Biogas• volume generated

Runoff sampling sites

Project Status

• Full Implementation (2010)

– Monitoring plan for water quality, biosolids, biogas, air quality

– 200 + household digesters (most 8 m3) in the ground

– Full operation (2010)

• Training and Capacity Building (2009/2010)

– waste management, operation & maintenance of digesters

– nutrient management involving US experts

• Project Evaluation (2010/2011)

– Measuring success : environmental benefits, economics, village acceptance

• Extended Successes to Other Areas

Acknowledgments

• Tianjin Environmental Protection Bureau

• Tianjin Academy of Environmental Sciences

• Tianjin Environmental Monitoring Center

• Jixian Environmental Protection Bureau

• Yaobaizhuang & Dagujezhuang

• US Environmental Protection Agency

• Terry Oda, consultant and formerly with EPA

• Professor Robert Burns, University of Tennessee

• Hailin Zhang, Oklahoma State University

• Forbes Walker, University of Tennessee

Clean Water Act &

Safe Drinking Water Act

The Source Water Protection Team

Standards

Treatment

Monitoring

Beneficial Uses

Water Quality

Standards

Commercial

Fishing

Habitat

Recreation

Supply

Case Study: Lake Erie

• Drinking water source for 11 million people; 26,000 km2

• During the 1960s Lake Erie was perceived to be "dying" as

excessive phosphorus causing eutrophic conditions

• Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement signed by the United States

and Canada in 1972. Coordinated, international approach

• Phosphorus concentrations declined from treatment technologies

implemented (e.g., POTWs), phosphorus banned in laundry

detergents

• Unprecedented success in producing environmental results through

international cooperation

Phosphorus Trends

Lake Erie

Lakewide Management Plan (LaMP)

• Watershed approach

• Federal, state and provincial governments

• Restore and protect the Lake Erie ecosystem

but … algal blooms have returned

Blue-green algae Microcystis

• Can produce toxin microcystin

• Could impact drinking water, recreational use, and aquatic community.

• Nutrient Management

Strategy pending (2010)

• More focus on non-industrial

sources (e.g., agriculture)

– 61% of P load

• Soluble reactive phosphorus

Nutrient Innovations Task Group

“Over 2.5 million acres of lakes,

reservoirs and ponds and 80,000 miles of

rivers and streams across the United

States are not meeting a state’s water

quality goals due to nutrients.”

“All major sources of nutrients must be

held accountable for their contributions

to the problem.”

Water Quality & Nutrients Web Sites

• Water Quality Criteria for Nitrogen and

Phosphorus Pollution

http://www.epa.gov/waterscience/criteria/nutrient/

• Lake Erie Binational Site

http://www.epa.gov/lakeerie

• Nutrient Innovations Task Grouphttp://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/waterquality/standards/

criteria/aqlife/pollutants/nutrient/

Thank You!

谢谢您!

John Ungvarsky

ungvarsky.john@epa.gov

415-972-3963