Presentation given at China and US Clean Water Action Plan Technical Workshop in Huzhou, China, Oct 2010

1. Yuqiao Reservoir and Lake Erie
Excess Nutrients, Watershed Protection,
Collaboration, and Integrated Approaches
John Ungvarsky
Environmental Scientist
USEPA Region 9 photo credit: Peter Husby

2. 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

3. 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.

4. Yuqiao Reservoir Watershed
Hebei Province
Tianjin Province
Yuqiao Reservoir Watershed, Principle Features and Monitoring Stations

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. Runoff from Villages and Farms
• 128 villages around Yuqiao
• Roads
• Farmland
• Animal manures

9. Key Partners …
 US Environmental
Protection Agency
 Tianjin Environmental
Protection Bureau
 Tianjin Environmental
Monitoring Center
 Jixian Environmental
Protection Bureau
 ESD China
 Civil Engineering Research
Foundation

10. Recommendations
Short-Term
Focus on Sources Around Yuqiao
• Comprehensive and Integrated Approach at a Village Scale
Long-Term
Watershed Management Needed
Provincial and watershed boundaries

11. 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

13. Centralized Digester Option

14. 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

15. Dajugezhuang
• 1150 people, 250+ homes
• swine (600), cattle (200), ducks (10,000)
• corn, wheat, orchards

17. Monitoring
 Water
• surface water
• runoff
• groundwater
 Air
• indoor and ambient
 Solids
• manure, crop residues
 Biogas
Runoff sampling sites
• volume generated

18. 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

19. 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

20. Clean Water Act &
Safe Drinking Water Act
The Source Water Protection Team
Beneficial Uses Standards
Water Quality
Standards
Commercial Treatment
Fishing
Habitat
Recreation Monitoring
Supply

21. 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

22. Phosphorus Trends

23. 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.

25. • Nutrient Management
Strategy pending (2010)
• More focus on non-industrial
sources (e.g., agriculture)
– 61% of P load
• Soluble reactive phosphorus

26. 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.”

27. 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 Group
http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/waterquality/standards/
criteria/aqlife/pollutants/nutrient/

28. Thank You!
谢谢您!
John Ungvarsky
ungvarsky.john@epa.gov
415-972-3963