• •• **"
ter quali
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lake erie area
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE COMPREHENSIVE WATER
QUALITY MANAGEMENT STUDY OF THE PENNSYLVANIA PORTION OF
THE ERIE BASIN AND THE REMAINING PORTION OF ERIE COUNTY
Study Sponsored By:
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
BUREAU OF WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
In Cooperation With:
U. S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
ERIE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
November, 1976
Prepared By:
COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES
BUREAU OF WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT
Publication No. 49
ENGINEERING-SCIENCE, INC.
Arcadia - 150 North Santa Anita Avenue, Arcadia, California 91006
Berkeley - 600 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, California 94710
Cleveland - 19101 Villaview Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44119
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LAKE ERIE BASIN STUDY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Table of Contents
I. Introduction
A. Authorization, Organization and Purpose 1
B. Study Objectives and Scope 2
II. Findings
A. Population, Land Use and Economy 4
B. Water Use, Waste Loads and Water Quality 6
C. Existing Wastewater Treatment Facilities 8
III. Conclusions
IV. Recommendations
A, Land Use Planning/Water Quality Management Relationships 11
B. Sewage Management in Rural or Unsewered Areas 11
C. Management of Industrial Wastes 11
D. Inland Lakes Management 12
E. Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Program 12
F. Control of Non-Point Source Pollution 12
G. Municipal Facilities Construction Program 13
H. Up-Date and Future Plan Revisions 16
V. PostScript
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LAKE ERIE BASIN STUDY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
Authorization, Organization and Purpose
The gigantic task of managing water quality in Pennsylvania has emphasized
the need for careful state-wide planning. Pennsylvania must budget billions of
dollars for wastewater treatment and pollution prevention. How to use that
money in an environmentally sound manner and to get the most for your tax dol-
lar while responding to the desires of Pennsylvania citizens is the primary aim of
water quality management planning.
In 1971, the Environmental Amendment to the Pennsylvania Constitution was
passed. The Amendment states that:
"The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the
preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the
environment. Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the common
property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee
of these resources the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain
them for the benefit of all the people."
The Department of Environmental Resources shares much of the responsibil-
ity for meeting the objectives of the Environmental Amendment. Responding to it
and to the requirements of the Pennsylvania Clean Streams Law and the Federal
Water Pollution Control Act (prior to the Amendments of 1972), the Department
of Environmental Resources initiated a state-wide Comprehensive Water Quality
Management Planning Program (COWAMP). The program is being administered
through the Bureau of Water Quality Management.
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The State has been divided into 9 Study Areas, each the focus of detailed
environmental and engineering studies by contracted study consultants. The
Pennsylvania portion of the Lake Erie watershed as well as the remainder of Erie
County was selected as one of these study areas.
The Lake Erie Basin Study, the first of the 9 studies to be conducted, was be-
gun in February, 1972. Under a federal planning grant from the U. S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency, DER contracted with a consultant, Engineering Sci-
ence, Inc. to carry out the study. The Erie County Department of Health was also
contracted with to provide technical coordination and public participation co-
ordination.
The basic intent of the Lake Erie Basin Study was to determine the combina-
tion of actions and policies that are required to achieve and maintain the quality
of our surface and ground waters in a manner that is both economical and con-
sistent with environmental objectives and desires of the local citizens, federal,
state and local governments. The Study, therefore, required a high level of local
participation. In order to maximize public participation during the study, DER
established Study, Technical and Policy Advisory Committees. Through the com-
mittees, local government, industry, civic associations, sportsmen, conservation
groups and citizens-at-large were provided with information about the Study and
given the opportunity to make their views known in a constructive and organized
manner.
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Study Ob/ecf/Ves and Scope
General objectives of the study were:
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There are several major phases which led to the final 13 chapter report. To
begin with, basic background data and information about the Study Area, the
present quality of streams and lakes and sources of pollution causing wastes was
gathered and evaluated. On the basis of this background information, future con-
ditions were projected. These projections included future populations and wastes
to be generated and the level of treatment necessary to maintain the quality of
the streams. Alternative means of handling municipal wastewaters were put
together and evaluated with respect to cost, environmental factors, feasibility,
performance and overall effectiveness. Finally, with the assistance of the Ad-
visory Committees, a recommended plan was tentatively selected.
A public hearing was held in Erie, Pennsylvania on July 21, 1976 to obtain
comments from area residents on the proposed recommended plan before it be-
came final. Some of the major questions raised at the public hearing dealt with
costs to users of the necessary wastewater facilities. The final report has been re-
vised to define more clearly how the costs were determined and to indicate that
there are many alternatives to finance the construction of wastewater facilities.
Final costs and alternative financing arrangements can only be developed during
the preparation by the municipalities involved of detailed facilities planning
studies for individual projects.
The final revised plan has been reviewed by the Pennsylvania Environmental
Quality Board and submitted to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
as a Water Quality Management Plan for the area. DER and EPA will use this plan
as a management guide for development of wastewater management facilities in
the area.
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FINDINGS
Population, Land Use and Economy
The Study Area is located in Northwestern Pennsylvania and includes all of
Erie County and a portion of Crawford County which lies within the watershed
which drains to Lake Erie. This area includes approximately 574,000 acres of land
and contains 47 municipalities. The Study Area grew rapidly during 1940-1960 but
the overall growth has now slowed to less than one-half of one percent per year.
In 1970 the population of the Study Area was 268,184, with two-thirds of that
number living within the City of Erie or one of the adjacent townships. The
population is expected to grow slowly to the year 2020 when about 334,000 will
live in the area.
Land use within the Study Area can be broken down as follows:
Erie County:
Forests/agriculture 47.3%
Open space/water 38.1%
Residential 5.6%
Highway/railroad/airports 4.2%
Public/recreational 3.8%
Commercial/industrial 1.0%
The Crawford County portion of
the Study Area is primarily forest and
agricultural land.
Future use of the land will be influenced by four factors:
Population growth
Availability of community facilities
Physical constraints
Economic development
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Although community water supply and sewer service are among those com-
munity facilities which tend to encourage development, more often than not it is
roads which influence development patterns. Frequently, development takes
place in strips along major roads and at cross-roads even when public water and
sewer service is absent.
This type of corridor development and suburban sprawl are taking place in
the Lake Erie Basin Study Area. Farm and vacant land within and close to existing
population centers and along major highways are being converted to residential,
commercial and industrial use.
Other restrictions to development are related to soil conditions and
topography of the area. Large scale development based on the use of conven-
tional on-lot sewage disposal is physically constrained by unsuitable soil and
ground-water conditions in the Study Area except for areas along U. S. Route 20
west of the City of Erie. Along the Lake Erie-Allegheny River Divide development
is further constrained by steep slopes.
The economy of the Study Area is generally stable and is expected to remain
so for the foreseeable future. Manufacturing industries, which comprise the
major wealth and income generating segment of the economy, employ over 40%
of the work force of the Study Area. Tourism and the associated services and re-
tail trade activities are the fastest growing element of the area's economy. One
of the major tourist attractions, Presque Isle State Park, draws between 3 and 4
million visitors annually.
Wafer Use, Waste Loads and Water Quality
Of the more than 216 million gallons per day of water used in the Study Area,
96.5% comes from streams and lakes while the remaining 3.5% is obtained from
wells and springs. Erie City Municipal Waterworks is the largest supplier and pro-
vides service to over one-half of the Study Area population, including many
industrial and commercial users. Most of the water used is obtained from Lake
Erie; however, those who do not live in areas close to Lake Erie or to Erie City ob-
tain their supplies from public or private ground-water wells.
About 75% of all residential wastewater in the Study Area is collected and
treated in municipal waste treatment plants. The remainder of the residential
wastewaters are disposed of by private "package" type sewage treatment plants
or by on-lot subsurface facilities. The "package" plants are so named because
they are small, wholly contained, pre-manufactured units which are designed to
treat only a few thousand gallons of wastewater per day.
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PRESQUE ISLE
ERIE, PA.
Water quality in Presque Isle Bay, the outer Erie Harbor and the near shore
zone of Lake Erie, without question, has been degraded. However, recent trends
point to some improvement in water quality in these areas. Along the north shore
of Presque Isle, where the area is used for swimming at Presque Isle State Park,
the water quality is generally good. Presque Isle Bay itself suffers from sig-
nificant bacteria contamination. Combined sewer overflows (combination of san-
itary and storm sewers) and urban runoff in the Erie City area are major sources
of this contamination.
Major natural inland lakes in the Study Area are Lake Edinboro, Lake Le-
Boeuf and Lake Pleasant. All show signs of eutrophication (changing toward a
marsh-like environment which is characteristic of all lakes but which is speeded
up by pollutants introduced by man's activities). Lake Edinboro and Lake LeBoeuf
both contain high concentrations of nutrients and have a history of algae growth
and massive weed growth. Lake Pleasant is presently not as severely degraded
but is very responsive to pollution by discharges in the drainage basin because of
a low fresh water inflow. Bacteria concentrations in all three lakes are increas-
ing. Beach areas and the near shore zone of both Lake Edinboro and Lake Le-
Boeuf periodically have been found to be unfit for swimming and other water
contact sports.
A significant portion of the ground water in the Study Area does not meet
recommended United States Public Health Service Drinking Water Standards
without some form of treatment. The quality problems are primarily due to
natural underground conditions which cause high concentrations of iron,
manganese, hardness and salinity. However, high concentrations of bacteria also
are a problem in some areas mainly because of malfunctioning septic tanks and
improper well construction.
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Not all pollution enters streams and lakes through identifiable pipes or out-
lets; some of it takes an overland route. Such contamination is referred to as non-
point source pollution. It is extremely difficult to obtain the large amount of data
necessary to measure the impact of non-point sources of pollution. All of this
data is not yet available in the Lake Erie Basin Study Area, but based on informa-
tion that is available, the major non-point sources of pollution which reach the
streams and lakes include:
Combined sewer overflows (Cities of Erie and Corry)
Urban and rural stormwater runoff
Landfill leachate
Agricultural wastes
Runoff from deicing compounds
Oil and hazardous chemical spills
Dredged material disposal
NON-POINT SOURCES OF POLLUTION
SOURCE CONTROL MEASURES
• COMBINED sewee
OVERFLOWS
• URBAN RUNOFF
STORAGE •*• TREATMENT
EROSION
• SEPTIC TANKS
• LANDFILLS
• AGRICULTURAL RUNOFF
* HI6HWAY DE-ICING AND
NON-SKID COMPOUNDS
• OIL AND HAZARDOUS
CHEMICAL SPILLS
• DREDGING
TREATMENT
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Existing Wastewater Treatment Facilities
There are 13 municipally owned and operated sewage treatment plants in
the Study Area. These facilities serve over 205,000 persons and discharge more
than 50 million gallons of treated sewage per day. All sewage receives secondary
(minimum of 85% of pollutants removed) or higher treatment. The City of Erie
Treatment Plant is the largest of these facilities and serves over 173,000 people
and also treats a portion of Hammermill Paper Company's wastewater. The City
of Erie plant discharges secondary treated effluent to Lake Erie.
There are 24 separate industrial and cooling water dischargers in the Study
Area. The four largest industrial dischargers are Pennsylvania Electric Corpora-
tion, Hammermill Paper Company, General Electric Corporation and Interlake
Iron Corporation.
Fifty-seven small package
type sewage treatment plants dot
the Study Area. They serve isolat-
ed residential areas and commer-
cial establishments which lie out-
side municipal sewer service
areas. Almost all of these plants
are privately owned and oper-
ated. Localized pollution and
health hazards sometimes occur
as a result of improper operation
and maintenance of these pack-
age facilities.
CONCLUSIONS
One of the most important conclusions reached from the study findings deals
with the use of the land. Local municipalities have granted a large number of zon-
ing variances which, in turn, have contributed to the present trend toward sub-
urban sprawl. Therefore, those who are responsible for identifying future sewer
service needs in the Study Area can no longer rely on the existing land use plans.
Unless steps are taken soon to bring land use decisions and official land use plans
into better conformance with one another, it may someday be necessary to in-
stall sewers along virtually every major road in the Study Area. This would cost
the taxpayer at least 35% more than if the land use plans were followed.
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Local citizens who participated in the study through the Advisory Committees
and the public meetings indicated that they wanted to retain the rural character
of most undeveloped areas. They felt that future growth should be directed wher-
ever possible toward already developed and developing areas around existing
population centers and to other areas designated by the official land use plan as
growth areas. There are not enough people in rural areas to support the
construction and operation of municipal systems, but there is enough land avail-
able which is suitable for on-lot sewage disposal systems identified in the current
land use plan.
In order to meet existing water quality standards for streams in the Study
Area as well as to meet projected demands of new growth, most existing munic-
ipal and industrial treatment facilities needed to be renovated, upgraded or ex-
panded. Abandonment and replacement of some facilities appears to be war-
ranted.
Present water quality standards in the Study Area are generally adequate to
protect existing and potential water uses. One exception is the standards for
Presque Isle Bay which do not provide for protection of swimming uses. Current
monitoring and surveillance programs do not provide sufficient information to
fully evaluate the impact of all known pollution sources.
Although adequate, many of the existing institutional arrangements for
construction, operation and maintenance of municipal facilities are cumbersome,
unwieldy and often duplicate services within an area where consolidation of such
services would be desirable, possible and certainly more efficient.
The lack of proper operation and maintenance of some of the small package
sewage treatment plants has resulted in pollution problems within the Study
Area. Additional qualified operators as well as more attention on the part of pri-
vate owners of package plants, who often consider treatment of sewage an in-
cidental activity, will be necessary to reduce the problem.
A priority for the Study Area is the control of combined sewer overflows and
urban runoff. Control of these sources is required to meet the terms of the Inter-
national Joint Commission Agreement (a United States-Canada agreement) for
the Great Lakes as well as State water quality standards.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the findings and conclusions and with the assistance of the Ad-
visory Committees, alternative plans and programs were developed to manage
water quality in the Study Area. From these alternative plans a recommended
plan, which consists of a number of recommended policies, actions and projects,
was selected. General recommendations of the plan follow.
Land Use Planning/Wafer Qualify Management Relationships
The Department of Environmental Resources should use the County Land Use
Plans as the basis for guiding development of sewage facilities and for reviewing
municipal sewer plan revisions and permits until local governments bring munic-
ipal zoning and building permit decisions into better conformance with County
Land Use Planning.
Sewage Management in Rural or Unsewered Areas
The Department of Environmental Resources should encourage the use of
conventional and alternative on-lot sewage systems where suitable and dis-
courage the use of small package plants. However, package treatment facilities
should be permitted in designated growth areas as a temporary measure until
municipal facilities become available. The Department of Environmental Re-
sources should encourage municipal operation and maintenance of these interim
treatment facilities.
In accordance with the Clean Streams Law, the Department of Environmental
Resources should require the construction of municipal sewer systems in areas
which have already developed without sewers but where public health and pol-
lution hazards exist.
Management of Industrial Wastes
Consideration should be given to the abandonment of existing small indus-
trial waste treatment facilities as municipal facilities become available. By doing
so, 20 of the 24 industrial discharges to Lake Erie and other streams in the Study
Area could be eliminated.
All municipalities or municipal authorities who operate sewer systems
should develop and enforce ordinances to ensure that any industrial wastes
which enter the sewer systems will not cause detrimental effects.
Management of Inland Lakes
A detailed study of Lake Edinboro should be undertaken by the Department
of Environmental Resources in cooperation with the Federal Environmental Pro-
tection Agency and local interests to develop ways to stop the rapid aging proc-
ess which is presently occurring and to restore the lake to a cleaner condition.
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Wafer Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Program
A primary surface water monitoring network of 14 stations should be estab-
lished. Many of these stations are to be located downstream or near existing and
new municipal treatment plant discharges, on the 3 major inland lakes and
Presque Isle Bay.
Also, a ground-water quality network is proposed to determine water qual-
ity trends and to monitor effects of existing or potential sources of ground-water
pollution.
Control of Non-Point Source Pollution
Steps should be taken to improve the management and control of non-point
pollution sources within the limits of available technology and funding. DER
studies of rural runoff and agricultural waste management should be closely co-
ordinated with the Department of Agriculture, the Soil Conservation Service, the
Cooperative Extension Service and other related farm organizations in the Study
Area.
In areas where combined sewer overflow and urban stormwater problems
have been identified, studies should be initiated, through the Federal Construc-
tion Grants Program, for development of abatement and control programs.
Municipal Facilities Construction Program
As was pointed out earlier, the overall objective of this study was to develop
a program which would protect beneficial uses of all waters in the Study Area
and do this in a manner which is both economical and consistent with other local
and state objectives. The study determined that control of point sources of sew-
age and industrial waste, together with specific facilities for combined sewer
overflow and practical measures for control of other non-point sources, will sig-
nificantly improve the waters in the Study Area. The plan recommends that exist-
ing and future sewerage needs can best be met through the establishment of 11
municipal and inter-municipal sewer service areas, each with a single municipal
sewage treatment plant.
Wherever possible, the program should be completed through the use of
existing municipal sewer authorities, or where none exist, new authorities
should be established. Where a regional service area is expected to be made up
of several municipalities, the new authorities should also be composed of mem-
bers from each of the municipalities.
The recommended construction program would:
1. Extend existing sewers and construct new collection systems in desig-
nated growth areas.
2. Upgrade and expand 6 existing municipal sewage treatment plants and
abandon the rest.
3. Construct 5 new municipal treatment facilities.
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RECOMMENDED WASTEWATER
MANAGEMENT PLAN
Recommended Wastewater Management Plan
A two-stage construction plan is recommended to provide for immediate
needs (1975-1980) as well as needs of the future (1980-1990). A summary of the
specific municipal facilities for the 1975-1980 phase of the plan follows and in-
dicates total project costs as estimated in 1974 dollars.
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Albion Area - The plan
recommends first the reduction
of extraneous ground and
storm water in the existing
sewer system followed by ex-
pansion and upgrade of the Al-
bion sewage treatment plant.
Sewer service is to be extended
to Cranesville Borough, Elk
Creek Township and Conneaut
Township. Total project cost
would be $2,323,100 with an-
nual operation and mainte-
nance costs of $53,800. Annual
costs to individual customers
would be $131 to$146.
Albion Area
Lake City - G/rard Area - The Northwest Erie County Sewer Authority is to
construct a new regional treatment plant and sewer system to serve Lake City
and Girard Boroughs, Girard Township, Fairview Borough and portions of
Fairview Township. Total cost would be $16,196,400 with operation and main-
tenance costs of $367,200 annually. Annual user costs would be $128 to $149.
McKean Borough/Township Area - A new treatment plant and sewer system
for the Borough and a portion of the surrounding township is recommended for
construction. A new Joint Authority is to be formed to own and operate the facil-
ities. Total cost would be $2,100,000. Annual operation and maintenance costs
are estimated at $41,200 with cost to customers approximately $150 per year.
Lake City - Girard
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McKean Borough/Township
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North East Borough - A new treat-
ment plant costing $5,857,200 is recom-
mended to replace the existing facility.
Operation and maintenance costs are
expected to be $195,200 annually. Cost
per year to customers will be $74.
North East Borough
Edinboro Borough/Washington Township Area - The plan recommends that
the Edinboro Sewer Authority expand and upgrade its treatment plant and ex-
tend and reinforce major sewers to serve Washington Township. The temporary
wastewater treatment plant in Washington Township should then be phased out,
thus eliminating its discharge from a tributary of Lake Edinboro. Total cost of this
project would be $2,872,500; annual operation and maintenance costs would
approximately be $65,100 and customer costs would be from $68 to $103 per year.
Edinboro Borough/Washington Township
ConneaufviHe, Spr/ngboro, Sum-
merhi/l and Spring Townships - A new
regional joint authority is to construct
and operate a new collection and treat-
ment system to serve all or portions of
each of these municipalities. Estimated
project costs are $5,178,000 with opera-
tion and maintenance costs of $25,100
annually. Costs to customers would run
close to $149 per year. Conneautville, Springboro,
Summerhill and Spring Township
In each of the systems described above, where sewer service is extended to
include new customers, there may be additional one-time fees for connection or
assessments based on front-footage of properties served.
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Also during this first phase of the plan, it is recommended that the Cities of
Erie and Corry eliminate their combined sewer overflow problems and that Union
City Borough reduce infiltration/inflow (extraneous water) in the existing sewer
system.
Total costs of the recommended plan is estimated to be $104 million if the
two phase construction program is followed. If the present Federal and State
Construction Programs remain stable, all of recommended projects will be
financially feasible. Assuming reasonable cost sharing among participating
municipalities and industries, annual costs to any family will not exceed $150
(1974 dollars). Some elements of the plan are presently being implemented.
Up-date and Future Plan Revisions
This plan has been designed as an integral part of DER's "Continuing Plan-
ning Process". The process calls for the plan to be up-dated and revised when-
ever necessary to meet the changing needs of a growing area as well as to meet
the latest requirements for Comprehensive Area-wide Water Quality Manage-
ment Planning as required by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, 1972
Amendments.
POST SCRIPT
This study has relied heavily on the
people who live in the Study Area for
direction. This public support and
involvement has been and will continue
to be one of the unique and most im-
portant facets of this planning effort.
Good water quality management
means good water for you and your
community. The door will continue to be
open for your involvement in shaping
the future. The rest is up to you.
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This summary is based upon the final report entitled "Water Quality Manage-
ment Plan for the Pennsylvania Portion of the Lake Erie Drainage Basin and the
Remaining Portion of Erie County" prepared for the Department of Environmental
Resources, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by Engineering-Science, Inc. A copy
of the final report is available for review on a loan basis by writing to:
Regional Sanitary Engineer
Meadville Regional Office
Bureau of Water Quality Management
1012 Water Street
Meadville, Pennsylvania 16335
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