research project details
Project Title: FY 2002-2003 Water resources research institute annual base program
Investigator(s): David DeWalle, Yuefang Xie, Lysle Sherwin, Bill Sharpe, Bryan Swistock, Fred Brenner
Sponsor: United State Geologic Survey
Environmental Problem Addressed:
Protection of water resources
Research Project Objectives:
Maintenance of the USGS-funded state water resources research institute program.
Summary:
In Funding Year 2002-2003, the USGS grant will be used to fund four new research projects related to water resource protection with the remaining portion used to fund existing Institute projects. FY2002-2003 projects are:
- Using Crumb Ruber Filtration for Ballast Water Treatment
- Spruce Creek Watershed Keystone Project
- Water Conservation Training and Public Education
- Development of Passive Treatment System Monitoring and Research Program
Project: Using Crumb Ruber Filtration for Ballast Water Treatment:
Primary Investigator: Yuefang Xie
Background:
Discharging ballast water from ships causes many water resources problems in Pennsylvania, especially in Lake Erie, the Susquehanna River, the Delaware River, and their tributaries. When non-indigenous species are introduced to local water systems there are many known and yet unknown adverse environmental impacts to the aquatic ecosystem.
Currently, ballast water exchange is the only method which is practiced to reduce the risk of ballast-mediated invasion. Ballast water exchange involves replacing coastal water with open-ocean water during sea voyage. This process reduces the the density of coastal organisms in ballast tanks that may be able to invade a recipient port, replacing them with oceanic organisms with a lower probability of survival in near shore waters. However, the ballast water exchange method ranges from 65 to 95 percent effective in exchange of original ballast water.
Conventional sand/anthracite water filtration is an effective process for removing microorganism; but, it is not economically and technologically feasible for ballast water treatment because of its heavy weight, low filtration rate, and large space requirements. Therefore, a cost effective treatment technology is needed to remove or inactivate the invasive species contained in ballast water.
Crumb Rubber Filters:
Researchers at Penn State Harrisburg have developed an innovative crumb rubber filtration technology. Crumb rubber is processed from scrap tires and has been used for playground and athletic track surfaces. As a filter medium, crumb rubber allows the porosity of the filter bed to decrease through the filter, resulting in small pore size on the top, which is ideal for down-flow filtration. The crumb rubber filter allows greater depth in filtration and it allows a greater filtration time. In addition, the relatively low density of crumb rubber allows a lower filter back wash rate and simple back washing procedure. Because of its high water filtration rate and light weight, the crumb rubber filter could be used as an in-vessel treatment facility on cargo or cruise ships. The crumb rubber filters also could be mounted on barges as mobile treatement units. For land based treatment facilities, using crumb rubber filtration could significantly reduce the land requirements and the capital and operational cost of ballast water treatment. This technology also could be developed for storm water and combined sewer effluent treatment. The use of crumb rubber filtration also will minimize waste tire piles and promote green technology concepts.
Methods:
The objective of this research is to investigate the application of crumb rubber filtration for ballast water treatment. The efficiency rate for the removal of invasive species from ballast water will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of this new filtration technology.
The research will conducted in two phases. Phase I consists of laboratory studies to evaluate the effects of size and depth of crumb rubber on filter performance using water samples from the Susquehanna River. Phase II will test filter performance using ballast water obtained from the Baltimore and Philadelphia harbors.
This project is significantly different from the project "Water Reuse: Using Crumb Rubber for Wastewater Filtration," whose objective was to evaluate crumb rubber filtration for the removal of organics and suspended solids in wastewater and to explore a new water resource, reclaimed water. The results from this current project will build on the results obtained from the previous crumb rubber study.
Spruce Creek Watershed Keystone Project
Primary Investigator: Lysle Sherwin
Background:
This project provides support for a graduate assistant working with an interdisciplinary team of graduate students and faculty engaged in a watershed assessment and planning practicum (Keystone Project) in the Spruce Creek watershed of the Little Juniata River, Pennsylvania. Through participation in a watershed case problem, the students develop competence in scientific data collection techniques and problem analysis tools directed at quantifying, analyzing, and ultimately mitigating widespread types of polluted runoff. The Keystone Project also affords the graduate assistant an enhanced education in community-based, team-oriented watershed management and provides outreach to the host watershed community.
The project itself addresses water quality issues in Spruce Creek, a high quality trout stream threatened by land development, agricultural enterprises, and in-stream flow reductions from groundwater withdrawals. The entire Spruce Creek watershed is designated as a High Quality-Cold Water Fishery by the PA Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) Chapter 93 Water Quality Standards. However, a major tributary was recently listed as impaired for suspended solids by the PADEP 303(d) list, attributable to agriculture and land development activities. Watershed stakeholders are concerned that other stream segments may be impaired, and there are emerging problems with inadequate treatment of sewage effluent from on-lot systems. Data on stream flow and water chemistry are insufficient to calculate pollutant loadings as the baseline to determine appropriate reductions needed to achieve water quality standards and protect designated uses.
Project Objectives:
- Conduct an assessment of biophysical and cultural factors in the watershed related to protection and restoration of water quality to support designated uses and progressive land use;
- Analyze assessment data to identify problems and opportunities and engage a broad base of stakeholders in developing shared watershed restoration and protection goals; and
- Produce a watershed stewardship plan responsive to those goals and that incorporates implementable recommendations and strategies for cooperative action. A model Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) would be prepared for the impaired reach of Halfmoon Creek.
Methods:
Water samples will be collected at five stations on Halfmoon Creek - three within the impaired reach, one upstream of the impaired reach, and one reference station in the upper watershed. Samples will also be collected at stations on Spruce Creek above and below the confluence with Halfmoon Creek. Analysis will be done for total suspended solids, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus. Runoff event samples will also be collected randomly through project period. Measurement of stream flow will be done concurrently using portable current meters. Pennsylvania Spatial Data land cover and other data will be retrieved and clipped using Arc-View GIS. The Keystone team and the research assistant will be engaged in organizing a series of community stakeholder input meetings.
A day-long watershed planning workshop of experts will be convened in Spring 2004 to review and critique the proposed pollution abatement recommendations developed by the student team and to develop strategies for implementation of management practices. These recommendations will be presented at a public forum at the completion of the Keystone Project in April 2004. The graduate research assistant funded by this proposed grant would have lead responsibility of communicating the data findings and the analysis to layperson and technical audiences at the various forums and workshop and in direct meetings with private landowners and representatives of collaborating agencies involved in implementation of watershed restoration practices.
Water Conservation Training and Public Education
Co-Investigators: Bill Sharpe and Bryan Swistock
Background:
Serious droughts and increasing competition for water have exacerbated water use disputes in Pennsylvania in recent years. Recently passed water use legislation in the state has focused on water conservation as an important tool for future management of the states water supplies. There is presently little specific information or education available to the public on comprehensive, long-term water conservation measures. The Cooperative Extension system provides an attractive vehicle to disseminate water conservation education throughout Pennsylvania.
Methods:
During 2002, Extension provided water-related educational programs to more than 1000 people in more than 40 counties in Pennsylvania. This project aims to increase public knowledge of water conservation and water use issues through education programs delivered by trained Cooperative Extension Agents with water conservation publications and displays.
A two-day in-service program related to water conservation education will be delivered to approximately 25 Extension agents from Pennsylvania. The program will include presentations and field trips on drought, water use, home water conservation, youth water conservation education, landscape water conservation, water re-use, agricultural water management, river basin water management, and western water conservation experiences. Each attendee will receive a binder with written background materials and a CD with PowerPoint presentations. A home water conservation publication and a water conservation tabletop display will be created to support public programs presented by the agents. A web-based evaluation tool will be used to determine the number of citizens that participated in educational programs delivered by agents and the number that initiate water conservation practices.
Development of Passive Treatment System Monitoring and Research Program
Primary Investigator:
Background:
Through this project, Stream Restoration Inc. and Grove City College will develop a training program to monitor passive treatment systems and receiving streams in the headwaters of Slippery Rock Creek. Since 1995, a public-private partnership effort consisting of non-profit corporations, colleges and universities, private industries, and governmental agencies have cooperated in the restoration of the 27-sq. mi. headwater area of the Slippery Rock Creek Watershed.
The quality of the headwaters was documented in 1970 by Operation Scarlift to be heavily impacted by abandoned mine drainage. To date, 15 passive treatment systems have been constructed within the project area including every major type of component, such as vertical flow ponds, aerobic wetlands, anoxic limestone drains, open limestone channels, and horizontal flow limestone beds. Even though the passive systems are low maintenance, periodic inspection and monitoring will help insure the timely resolution of minor maintenance issues before larger problems develop. In addition, decreasing effectiveness in water treatment will also be documented in order to improve the design of future passive systems. This program will continue the extremely important outreach and educational opportunities to students and interns, vital not only to the professional growth of individual students but also to sustaining the watershed restoration concept.
Objectives:
Since these passive systems include all technologies currently available for the treatment of acid mine drainage, they provide a unique opportunity for the development of educational training programs for undergraduate students. These students will be given “hands-on” experience and training from professionals in the field of passive treatment.
Specifically, students will:
- Conduct monitoring and maintenance of 15 passive treatment systems and their receiving streams in the headwaters of Slippery Rock Creek;
- Conduct field and lab analysis of the passive systems and receiving streams;
- Upload data to a website for investigators and others to view; and
- Evaluate the performance of the passive systems