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ACKNOWLEDGMENT
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The Federal Water Pollution Control Administration, Middle
B Atlantic Region, gratefully acknowledges the assistance of
Messrs. Leon and Edward Zuraw, Tidewater Yacht Marina, who
| graciously supplied space and utilities for the mobile laboratory
_ used in this survey.
™ Sincere thanks are extended to the National Field Investigations
B Center, Cincinnati, who provided technical support and the mobile
laboratory.
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I U.S. r;v •
•*->•-' •, . f- V , -
|l650ArcliS,retU."f'M52)
Philadelphia,!5/*. 19103
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INTRODUCTION
In September the City of Richmond announced a proposal to discharge
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approximately 30 mgd of raw sewage to the James River for a period of
• 110 days beginning about November 1. The purpose of the discharge was
to permit connecting a new grit chamber to the main sewage pumping
I station which discharges to an existing primary sewage treatment plant
• and to clean a sewage force main which had partially clogged with
sediment during the August flood.
• In order to evaluate any water quality degradation which might
occur as the result of a raw sewage discharge, an intensive water
• quality survey of the James River Estuary between Richmond and Hopewell
m was conducted from October 1*4- through 30 by the Federal Water Pollution
Control Administration, Middle Atlantic Region. Study objectives were
• to define water quality prior to the proposed raw sewage discharge. A
similar study would be undertaken should the proposal become fact and
| the difference in quality evaluated to determine actual effects. Ten
• campling stations were selected at critical points in the estuary in
the 32 mile stream reach between Richmond and Hopewell. Another station
• was established at Boulevard Bridge to determine the quality of water
entering the estuary above Richmond (See Map).
| Samples were collected each day at slack low tide and analyses
_ were run for total coliform, fecal coliform. dissolved oxygen, tempera-
™ ture, biochemical oxygen demand, nutrients, chemical oxygen demand, total
I organic carbon, and metals.
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SURVEY RESULTS
Although other laboratory analyses were made, this report contains
only an evaluation of total coliform, fecal coliform, and dissolved
oxygen levels which are the most significant in terms of the proposed
• raw sewage discharge. A detailed technical report will be prepared
following an evaluation of all the laboratory results.
| The sanitary significance of total coliform and fecal coliform is
M dependent upon the source of pollution, level of treatment provided, and
environmental effects of the receiving water. The fecal coliform group
I of organisms is an indicator of recent fecal pollution and is used to
distinguish between bacteriological pollution contributed by warm
| blooded animals and that contributed by other sources. The fecal group
_ is considered to be the best indicator of the possible presence of
pathogenic organisms. The absence of coliforms and fecal coliform
I alone does not indicate safe sanitary quality, and before approval
for water supply and recreational uses, a sanitary survey must be made.
| The Virginia Water Control Board recommends a bacterial density
_ of 2UOO total coliforms/100 ml as the limit for primary contact
™ recreation, secondary contact recreation, and public water supplies.
• The National Technical Advisory Committee's Report on Water Quality
Criteria indicates a preference for fecal coliforms as an indicator,
• and recommends 200 fecal/100 ml as the limit for primary contact
recreation, 1000 fecal/100 ml for secondary contact recreation, and
• 2000 fecal/100 ml for public water supplies.
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3
A graph showing the bacterial density of fecal coliforms at each
station is shown on Figure 1. Also shown are the acceptable fecal
I coliform limits for primary contact recreation, secondary contact
recreation, and public water supplies. These data indicate that
• coliform levels in the James River are acceptable for all water uses
at Boulevard Bridge and Mayos Island. However, immediately downstream
• from the Richmond and Henrico County sewage treatment plants the
• recommended limit for primary contact recreation is exceeded.
Data obtained below the Richmond discharge during the first 3
• cJays of the survey indicated a fecal coliform density of 212/100 ml
while the last 7 days showed less than 1/100 ml. Although free and
• combined chlorine residuals were not found in the river samples, the
• change in coliform concentrations could be attributed to high dosage
rates of chlorine at the treatment plant and/or the presence of other
• toxic substances in the treated effluent. A sample of this water is
currently undergoing a toxilogical analysis,
• The City of Richmond discharges an unknown quantity of raw wastes
• to Goode Creek where the fecal coliform density reached 115,000/100 ml.
At station 168, approximately one half mile downstream from Goode Creek,
• the coliform density increased in the estuary to 3,150/1°0 ml? which
exceeded the limit for secondary contact recreation. This was probably
• due to a combination of the raw discharge from Goode Creek and the
• regrowth of the coliforms from Richmond and Henrico County's Gillies
Creek sewage treatment plants.
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Further downstream near the Richmond Deepwater Terminal (station 166),
• the number of organisms increased to a maximum of 28,000/100 ml. From
this point downstream to Hopewell, concentrations decreased due to
• natural mortality, greater dilution, and the absence of unchlorinated
• domestic waste discharges. Samples taken two miles upstream from
Hopewell contained fecal coliform densities which were within the
• permissible limits for all water uses. It should be noted that the die-
off rate of coliforms during the first part of the study was more rapid
• because of warm temperatures. As the study progressed and the water
• temperature became colder, coliform densities increased at downstream
stations extending the zone of poor water quality. It would be expected
• that an water temperaturescontinue to fall with the onset of winter, the
zone will gradually be extended.
I The significance of dissolved oxygen in water is primarily related
• to fish propagation and survival. The Virginia Water Control Board
recommends a minimum dissolved oxygen of h mg/1. This level is generally
• compatible with the National Technical Advisory Committee's recommendations
of a minimum of U mg/1 with a daily average of 5 mg/1. The amount of
| initial dissolved oxygen available in a stream to assimilate organic
_ waste varies with the temperature of the water. Warm waters contain
less oxygen than cold water, and as a result critical conditions normally
• occur during the summer period.
As organic wastes are biologically degraded, oxygen is removed
| from the water and replenished from the atmosphere. Below Richmond,
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_ oxygen is utilized at a faster rate than it can be replaced by the
' atmosphere and results in a lowering of the concentrations (Figure 2).
• The concentrations begin an upward trend when biological activity slows
because of decreasing food supply as the wastes are assimilated and
• atmospheric reoxygenation exceeds the biological demand. The decrease
in dissolved oxygen concentration from Richmond to Proctor's Creek
• (station 155) reflects the degradation of water quality resulting from
• the discharge of oxygen demanding wastes from Henrico County, Richmond,
DuPont and Chesterfield County.
• The dissolved oxygen levels in the estuary dropped below 5 mg/1
at station 162 and did not recover until station 135? resulting in a
B degradation of 25 miles. At the beginning of the survey, the dissolved
• oxygen near Proctor's Creek was 0.2 mg/1, and fish in the vicinity
were observed to be in distress. By the end of the study the dissolved
• oxygen at this station increased to 3 rag/1, and during this period the
water temperature dropped 11°C. This improvement in dissolved oxygen
I doec not necessarily indicate a reduction of organic loads since the
• 11 C drop in temperature would result in an increase in available
dissolved oxygen and a slowing of biological activity.
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NUMMARY
The evaluation of fecal coliform and dissolved oxygen in the
JameD River Estuary indicates that the waste discharges in the 32
mile reach downstream from Richmond degrade water quality to levelf
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below that which is recommended for recreation, water supply, and
• finh propagation. Maximum fecal coliform concentrations occur four
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and one half miles downstream from Richmond, and the lowest dissolved
oxygen levels occur about 11 miles downstream. During the survey
approximately 25 miles of stream were degraded to levels below the
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recommended water quality standards. However, before reaching Hopewell
• the James River Estuary recovered to satisfactory levels . .
If the Richmond proposal to discharge raw waste was carried out
• during the winter period when water temperatures were at their lowest ,
• it would be expected that the zone exceeding recommended fecal coliform
concentrations would be extended. However, dissolved oxygen levels
• would not be expected to change significantly because of the greater
availability of dissolved oxygen at lower temperatures.
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FECAL COL i FORM
VS
RIVER MILE
DENSITIES
10,000
1000
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N.T.A.C. RECOMMENDED LIMIT FOR
PUBLIC SUPPLIES
N.T.A.C. RECOMMENDED LIMIT FOR
SECONDARY CONTACT RECREATION
BOULEVARD
BRIDGE
IZ6
N.T.A.C. RECOMMENDED LIMIT FOR
PRIMARY CONTACT RECREATION
if 00
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110
IOC 90
RIVER MILE
80
70
— SAMPLE STATION
FIG. I
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FIG. 2
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RICHMOND
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HENRICO COUNTY DISCHARGES TO GILLIE CREEK
RAW DISCHARGE FROM RICHMOND
CHESTERFIELI
SEWAGE
TREATMENT
PLANT
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POCAHONTAS
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JAMES RIVER STUDY
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