Integrated water resources management in North Georgia implications of wastewater management policy

Water management in the southeast, and particularly in Georgia, has become increasingly more complex due to rapid population growth, dwindling water supplies, water quality and instream flow concerns, and allocation disputes with neighboring states. The Georgia state legislature responded with two key initiatives: SB 130, passed in 2001, which formed the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (MNGWPD), and HB 237, passed in 2004, which requires the development of a Comprehensive Statewide Water Plan (CSWP). In 2003, the MNGWPD adopted wastewater management, watershed protection, and water supply and conservation plans that will guide water resources in metropolitan Atlanta for the next 30 years. Implementation costs of the MNGWPD water and wastewater plans through 2030 has been estimated to total $60B. To conserve financial resources and encourage a sustainable development pattern, it is necessary to prioritize these investments, i.e., focus investments upon areas have the ability to increase population density due to the proximity of existing services. Currently, growth management policies in some jurisdictions encourage septic system development, increasing overall wastewater treatment costs and interfering with water management goals.Sponsored by: Georgia Environmental Protection Division U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Water Resources Institute The University of Georgia, Water Resources Facult

Implementing a cost effective inflow and infiltration program and the benefits on watershed management

This paper considers an approach to inflow and infiltration (I/I) correction, as currently adopted by Gwinnett County. Through a project implemented in the Jack’s Creek area of Gwinnett County, the paper examines the costs of an I/I program focused on correcting manhole defects and its corresponding impact on the reduction in inflow. The benefits of this more pragmatic approach are compared to the more comprehensive methods involving CCTV, dye testing and smoke testing.Sponsored by: Georgia Environmental Protection Division U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Water Resources Institute The University of Georgia, Water Resources Facult

Evaluation of Sanitary Sewer Collection System Management Approaches and Impact on Water Resources Management

Proceedings of the 2007 Georgia Water Resources Conference, March 27-29, 2007, Athens, Georgia.Management of sanitary sewer collection systems is a complex, multifaceted undertaking. Major and even smaller utilities can be responsible for the operation and maintenance of hundreds of miles of sanitary sewers, manholes and pump stations. Because of potential pollutant loading to receiving waters during wet weather events from Sanitary Sewer Overflows (SSOs), many utilities are now focusing on the management of their collection system in a comprehensive manner under so-called Capacity, Management, Operations, and Maintenance (CMOM) type programs. The primary goal of CMOM is to minimize SSOs. This is accomplished by a comprehensive management program, which includes an inventory and sewer system evaluation survey program for establishing the location and condition of the sewer, development of hydraulic models for determination of system capacity, development of Standard Operating Guidelines for better operation of the system, and ongoing repairs and maintenance. This paper describes experience of various programs undertaken within Fulton County, Georgia. A number of programs are evaluated in terms of the key elements and costs of the programs and reduction in impacts on the water resource system.Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Natural Resources Conservation Service, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyThis book was published by the Institute of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2202. The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of The University of Georgia, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Georgia Water Research Institute as authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-397) or the other conference sponsors

Development of an S.S.O. Mitigation Plan: what we can learn from the field

Wastewater collection and conveyance systems have long been a neglected component of many municipal wastewater systems, due to a lack of funding and management focus. Increased population growth has resulted in increased wastewater flows. Aging systems may not have hydraulic capacity to receive the increased flows due to a large volume of Infiltration and Inflow (I/I) and lack of periodic maintenance. This may result in a Sanitary Sewer Overflow (SSO) to receiving waters. With the implementation of the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program and watershed protection programs, SSO events have received increased attention from regulatory agencies. Utilities are required to record the events and estimate the volume of the spills as they occur. The purpose of the evolving Capacity, Management, Operations, and Maintenance (CMOM) program is to minimize SSO events by requiring that each wastewater utility develop a comprehensive program. A response plan is still needed, however, a response plan to address the negative impacts of SSO events to receiving waters. Fulton County, Georgia (the county in which the bulk of the City of Atlanta is located), operates a 45-million gallons per day (MGD) wastewater system consisting of 16 sewersheds, 5 treatment plants, 45 pump stations, over 300 miles of pipelines, and over 42,000 manholes. The system primarily serves residents in the unincorporated portions of the County in areas to the north and south, effectively bisected by the city limits of Atlanta, which operates a separate system. The County is currently developing several action plans in response to CMOM requirements. These include development of a comprehensive sewer system collection system model and master plan, implementation of a comprehensive maintenance program, replacement or rehab of key conduits, and upgrades at pump stations. It is the goal of the County to become more proactive in terms of its activities instead of reactive; however, again a response plan was needed, and in fact required for SSOs. MACTEC assisted Fulton County in developing a procedure for responding to SSO events in isolated water bodies such as lakes and wetlands. This methodology uses a simple series of charts to simplify the calculation of carbonaceous and nitrogenous Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD). The process takes as an input the volume of the water body and the volume of the spill, and estimates the size and schedule of run times for aeration equipment deployed in response to the SSO event. Several iterations of this procedure were developed to simplify the method in application in the field. MACTEC developed and conducted a series of training classes with Fulton County’s sewer collection system personnel. Despite technological and learning differences, the sewer collection system personnel provided valuable feedback on the method and on the state of the system. As the CMOM program evolves, it will be important to consider some of the lessons learned from operational personnel to ensure effective implementation.Sponsored by: Georgia Environmental Protection Division U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Water Science Center U.S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia Water Resources Institute The University of Georgia, Water Resources Facult

Evaluation of retrofitting existing stormwater detention facilities for water quality

Proceedings of the 2003 Georgia Water Resources Conference, held April 23-24, 2003, at the University of Georgia.As part of the implementation of watershed protection strategies associated with the renewal of surface water discharge permits, municipal and county governments are increasingly addressing water quality in receiving waters downstream from development. Goals have been established that may require some portion of existing stormwater management systems to be retrofitted to address water quality. Fulton County, Georgia is in the process of developing a Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to address these and other concerns. The CIP is an attempt to meet the approximately $265 M in identified needs. A portion of these needs is dedicated towards retrofitting existing stormwater detention facilities. A screening procedure has been developed to broadly evaluate retrofit criteria