. (Confidential until released by U.S.Engineer Office) PASSAIC IHVER INVESTIGATION ; r Qua lity >ntrol Reservoir U. S. Public Health Service Sanitary Engineering Division Water & Sanitation Investigations Cincinnati, Ohio April,1947 ------- tJ. 8, Pub lie Heel tli Service sanitary 2ogin«©rlii^ Division v/eter A Sanitation investigations Cincinnati, Ohio April,1*47 PASCAIC HI VJSH INVESTIGATJ ON JBffacta on Water duality of Proposed Hood Control reservoir By Richard L. vsoodward, Sanitary Engine «r (R) M. LeBoaquet, Jr., Sanitary Engineer Prepared by tha U. 8. Public Health Service at the request of and In oo-operation with tha District Engineer, 0. s» Engineer Office, K«w York, N.Y. ------- coktbmts Page Introduction 1 Conclusions 1 Description 2 Hater Supply 3 Sources of Pollution 4 Hjrdroaaetrio Data 4 Laboratory Data $ Diaousaloo 6 APPENDIX Cowasnta of April 25» 1?47, of the Stat# of K«w Jersey. ------- 1. Introduction This study of the possible benefits to pollution abatement of low-flow regulation by proposed flood control reservoirs on the Passaic River and its tributaries was authorized by the District Engineer. U. S. Engineer Office, New York, N.Y., on February 18, 1946. The largest and most important of these reservoirs is the one at Two Bridges near the junction of the Pompton River with the Pas3aic. Considerable use has been made of data furnished through the U. S. Engineer Office by the Passaic Valley Water Commission, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, and the U. 3. Geological Survey. Beports of the New Jersey State Health Department on sanitary conditions in the watershed of the Passaic above Little Falls have also been very helpful. Although additional laboratory and sanitary survey data on the Passaic below Little Falls would be de- sirable, the eipenae of obtaining such information was not deemed justified for the purpose of this report. Grateful acknowledgment is made of the assistance of personnel of the Hew York District Engineer Office and of those who furnished information used in connection with this repo rt. Conclusions 1. The Passaic River and its tributaries are sources of public water supply for a major part of the population of the Northeastern New Jersey Metropolitan Area including Newark, Jersey City, Pater son, and many smaller oomaaunities. 2. Although the Passaic Basin is densely populated and highly urbanized, the continued, vigorous efforts of the State Health Department and the various public water supply agenoies using the at reams have maintained the qual- ity of the streams in satisfactory condition fojptose as raw water supplies for municipal water purlftcation plants as far downstream as little Falls. ------- 2. 5. Most of the sewage and industrial wastes from the communities along the Passaic below little Wills Is col- lected and treated by the Passaio Valley Sewerage Comalssion and discharged Into !}ew York Bay. It thus does not affect the passaio River. 4. Residual pollution from this lower sootlon, includ- ing sewage and industrial wastes not collected by the passaio Valley Sewerage Cojaaaission and urban storm drainage, is suf- ficient to caus^feross pollution of the tidal portion of the lower Passaic. 5. In view of the extremely low flows to whioh the Passaio River is subject end the intensive development of its lower reaches, the oost of abating this pollution by collection and treatment will be high. 6. Low-flow regulation by the proposed flood control reservoir on the Passaio at Two Bridges would permit consid- erable savings in the cost of pollution abatement. It would still be necessary to reduce the pollution load, however. 7. It is estimated that suoh flow regulation would have a value of at least $5.00 per c.f.s.-day of reliable increased flow during the season June-September. More in- tensive study of alternative methods of pollution abatement may well indicate that lnoreased flows have even greater value. Description The passaio River drains an area of soae 950 square miles in densely populated northeastern New Jersey and south- eastern New York. It discharges into Newark Bay. Hie main stream and several of its tributaries, notably the Roc ka way, the Wanaq.ue and the Pequannook, supply water to a large pari of the population of northeastern New Jersey including Newark, Jersey City, Pater son and many smaller cities, with a total population of over 1,500,000. The lower 15 miles of the Passaio are tidal and have been Improved for naviga- tion with projeet depths ranging from 10 feet near the upper end to 50 feet near the mouth. The lower 26 miles of the river from Psterson to the mouth is densely urbanized and highly industrialized. ------- 3. The principal tributary of the Passaic, the Pomp toil River, joins tha Passaic at Two Bridges, 33 miles above the mouth of main stream, a flood control reservoir is proposed which would impound the Passaic and the Pompton immedlately above their confluence and would inundate a large amount of marsh and meadow land. Water Supply The Passeio and its tributaries furnish much of the water supply for the metropolitan area of northeastern New Jersey. There are four principal developments, as follows supply 3pu roe Consumption, M.G* D. Newark Jersey City Passaio Valley Water Commission North Jersey Distriot Water supply Commission Pequannock R. Hooka way R. Passaic R. Waneque R. 57 52 10 69 All of these supplies are intorconnected to some extent. All are municipally owned, the Passaic Valley Commission by Peterson, Passaic and Clifton; and the North Jersey Dis- trict supply by these three municipalities plus Newark, Kearny, Montclair, Bloomfield and Glen Ridge. Many other communities are served wholly or in part by these ay stems. The problem of obtaining adequate supplies of water for this metropolitan area is a continuing and oooplex one which has been studied for many years. Many proposals have been advanced and studied, and the controversies over vari- ous plans have been bitter. Tfte area is still in need of additional water. It oould be obtained from the proposed Two Bridges Reservoir if storage for that purpose were pro- vided in the reservoir. ------- 4. Soureea of Pollution Beoause of the extensive use of 1fce Passaic and its tributaries as souro©s of water supply, the attention de- voted to abating and preventing water pollution has been greater than usual and most of the wastes angering the streams above Little Falls (about mile 30) receive a high degree of treatment and disinfection. As a result, although the popu- lation density on the 761-square-mile drainage area above Little Falls is 26J per square mile, the quality of the water as indicated by standard chemioal and bacteriologioal tests is fairly good, industrial wastes entering the Whippany and Petiuannoek Hi vers oause some difficulties, but progress has been made in reducing pollution from these sources. The passaio Talley Sewerage Commission includes most of the coffiaunities along the lower 25 miles of the Passaio. Its facilities intercept all sanitary sewage and most of the industrial wastes from the member municipal!ties and dis- charge the wastes after treatment into Hew York Bay. The population served by the Passaio Talley Sewerage Commission is about 1,055,000. The municipalities, East Peterson, Fairlaw and Hawthorne, with a total population of 26,500, Are located along this same stretch of the river tint are not included in the Passaio Talley Sewerage Commission. The principal tributary of the lower passaio, Saddle River, enters about 15-1/2 miles above the mouth. It drains a largely suburban area which includes sons 40,000 population served by public water supplies but not by public sewer systems. Storm drainage and interceptor overflow from ooirt>lned sewers during storms add a certain amount of putreaeible matter to the passaio, and a limited amount of industrial wastes also finds its way to the stream in the lower 25 miles. It has not been possible during this study to make the detailed studies necessary to arrive at an aoourate figure as to the magnitude of the waste load reaohing the stream. Hydroustrie Data me Passaio River has a comparatively high dry weather flow for a stream of its sise, considering the large amount of water diverted for water supply. An analysis of the pub- lished flow record at Great Falls at Pater son shows the following: ------- 5. h'ihimum Minimum Minimum Frequency Monthly Weekly Daily Flow Flow Slow 2 year 130 80 40 10 » 60 23 10 20 » 38 18 3 These figures indicate the small amount of dilution water available in the lower Passaic. Laboratory Data A limited amount of laboratory data is available on the upper Passaic and its tributaries as a result of sur- v«Qrs in 1?42 and 194-3 by the New Jersey State Health Depart- ment and in 19+4 by Morris K^owles, Ino., consulting engi- neers to the Passaic Valley water Commission. These data are primarily of value in connection with this report as an lndlc at ion of the quality of the water which would be available at the Two Bridges Reservoir. Long-time records of water quality are available from the Little Falls plant of the Passaic Valley Water Commission. The only available data on the lower Passaic are routine dissolved oxygen determinations made by the Passftio Valley Sewerage Commission at nine points on the river from Paterson to Newark Bay for the oelandar year 1943 and the first four months of 1946. These data are presented la Table 1 and indicate that as far downstream as the head of navigation at the 8th Street Bridge in Passaio the river was In relatively good condition as regards dissolved oxygen during the above period. Between Station 1 above Great Falls and Station 2 at 33rd street in Pateraon the dissolved oxygen ccu- te nt increased. From there to Station 3 at Market Street in Paterson, there was a marked decline in D, 0., presumably due to wastes not discharged to the system of the Passaio Valley Sewerage Commission. This was followed by a short stretch In which the dissolved oxygen again increased. In this stretch the water passed over the Dundee Dam where some oxygen was added and saddle River entered, bringing some wastes and some added flow. No dete are available on the quality of this stream. At Station 4, the 8th Street Bridge in Passtlo, the stream entered a zone of degradation uhioh mrled in length depending upon temperature and stream flow conditions. Dur- ing periods of low temperature, when stream flows were oo»- ------- paratively high, the greatest oxygen deficiency was found at Station 8, Jackson St*, Newark. During warner weather, when biochemical oxidation was more rapid and stream flow generally lower, the warst conditions were found at Station 7, Clay St., Newark. This zone of degradation coincides with the navigable section of the stream. In this Motion, due to the much larger cross-seotion&l area, the velocity of flow is muoh lower than in the reaches above the head of navigation. The reaeration capacity of the stream is closely related to its velocity and consequently is much lower in the navigable section than it is upstream. Therefore the dissolved oxy- gen content falls upon reaching the navigable portion of the stream. The reduction in velocity has an additional detri- mental effect by increasing the deposition of organic matter previously held in suspension. Decomposition of this mater- ial makes an additional demand on the oxygen resources of the stream. During the period for *&ich laboratory data are avail- able on the lower Passaic, the stream flow was unusually high. The minimum monthly average flow at Pater son was 6l8 c.f.s., and during the summer months the lowest monthly ®ean flow at Pateraon was 956 c.f.s. (June), Even with these comparatively high flows the dissolved oxygen fell as low as 2.0 p.p.m., less than 25 per oent ofsaturation. Present and prospective use of the lower Passaic doe* not demand a high standard of water quality. The standards adopted by the Interstate Sanitation Co^usission for Class *B" waters; that is, waters which are not expected to be used primarily for recreation, shellfiah culture or developaeat of fish life, appear to be desirable and practicable ones for the tidal portion of the Passaic. Although the river itself is outside the jurisdiction of the Interstate Sanita- tion Commission, Hewark Bay into «hioh the river d is charges is within the area covered by the oonpaot and its waters are classified as Class HB." The quality standards for such waters require a minimum dissolved oxygen oantent of 30 per cent of saturation. It is desirable that the Paesaio Elver toe of no worse quality than that required of Newark Bay. ------- 7. From the laboratory data it is apparent that even with tha abnormally high flows that prevailed during the summer of 1945, such a dissolved oxygen content cannot be main- tained with the present westt load on the stream. On the other hand, the maintenance of the desired water quality with the low flows likely to occur during dry years would probably require not only the removal of all sewage and in- dustrial wastes but also treatment of much of the urban storm drainage prior to its entrance into the river. Under auoh conditions the most economical method of attaining the required water quality is piobebly by a com- bination of waste collection and treatment and low-flow control. Dote mine t ion of precisely which combi nation of treatment and flow control would result in the lowest over- all cost, would require the collection and analysis of much aore data then are available at present. The amount of flow regulation that would be of value Is not leas than 1000 c.f.s. If such a flow could be Bain Gained during the summer months, satisfactory stream condi- tions could be maintained. However the cost of maintaining such a flow on so small a river would be too great to be practicable. The most economical range of regulated suanier flows will probably be from 300 to 500 c.f.s. Suoh flows could be maintained by storing spring runoff for later release with little or no carry-over storage from one year to the next. In considering flow regulation for pollution abate- ment, it is not neoessary that the flow be absolutely de- pendable as would be required for a public water supply development. It is not usually economical to design pollu- tion abatement works against minimum flows likely to occur less often than once in ten years. Storage regulation which would provide flows of equal dependability is suffi- cient for pollution abatement. Flows approximately 70 to So per cent of the flow of 10-year frequency should be provided during ell years, however. Tlie problem of further reducing the pollution load in the lower Passaic is a oomplex and continuing one. Major sources of pollution have been eliminated and it is prob- able that further corrective measures will involve locating and eliminating individual residual pollution sources wtoioh are of minor consequence except in the aggregate. Such cdnor sources may be created from time to time and a oontlnu- ------- 8. ing corrective efftort ia required, itie cost of correct- ing pollution from urban storm drainage, presumably with storm water holding tastes, can be quite high. Because of the above oonaiderationa, the estimates of benefits to be derived from flow regulation, based on the coat of accomplishing similar results by alternative meth- ods, have been based on cost experience elsewhere. Studies made in connection with theQhio River Pollution Survey have provided muoh of the cost data used in making these esti- mates. These data ren.ected costs as of 1939. A £0 per cent increase in cost has been allowed to oonform more nearly to present oost levels. On this basis, regulated summer flows of the order J00 to £00 c.f4S. will have a value of approximately $3.00 per o.f.s.-day increase over the unregulated minimum monthly flow of 60 c.f.a. These flows should b© provided during the months June to Septem- ber inclusive. Thus a reliable flow of JOQ c.f»s. would have a value of $87,000 per year, and 400 o.f.a. would have an annual value of $122,000. It is believed that these benefit estimates are con- servatively low. It is not unlikely that a more detailed study of the problem would show that the costs of pollution abatement by collection and treatment of the wastesvould be higher in this area than in those from which the basic data used were obtained, on account of the greater density of population and greater coaqp laxity of the problem generally. If and when it is determined that inclusion of provision of storage for low-flow regulation in the Two Bridges Reser- voir is Justified, it is recommended that the problem be re- viewed in detail and that additional laboratory data be collected in order to determine more exaotly the moat desir- able regulated flow and possible monthly variations that may be justified in this regulated flow. ------- ?&Me 1 - Pnsa«le Kiver - Dissolved Ox" |5tg .l.T.llc 25- IKcT-ride Ave. Eats iPaterson as .Cxy Tista.2,r.ile 20.9|ita.J,m! le 1H.9 |3tSTI+,r.llc .0 i-ti,. 5 .rrile 11. 6 ! 31n . t ,r.ile I.esults, Fitters on to Mouth, Jan ., 191+5 - April,19. TT i T°F| ppm 1?£t f Jen. |32 11; .U- Feb. j 32 I St. P&terson TiTlas.Oxjr. •jr- m0p March April Mhj June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec« Jan. Ket. March April 1+5 III 73-2 75-2 75-2 70.7 ?5-2 C9.0 JJ.2 34-2 Jfc-7 1+9-2 :55-0 11.0 2-7 fi-3 7-1+ V5 6.5 7-35 9.0 9-1+5 15.05 91.6 50.6 85-7 83. 1+ M 84-3 82.6 94-3 12 •? 10. t 32 32-7 60.6 73.7 76.2 73.0 71.0 1+9.6 ppn 13. 12 :l 111: !.'*.rket f^t. P&terson |Dis3.0xy. | 7_°F1 ppm 1 '¦ > 7132 jSth Lt. jprassic Ihutherford /¦> T°F I 91.3 79-3 __L 10.35 qo.5 5-1 IS5.7 i 9.25 8.95 6.2 7-75 1:1 9.6 10.3 33.5 12.1+5 34.1+ 35-7 19.2 55-7 15.7 12.1+5 10.7 11.1 33.6 52 — 91.9 89.8 I+5.6 59-5 60.6 10.5 2-9 8.5 35:t 91+-7 91.6 33.7 93-2 72-5 76.0 73.2 71.2 7.0 in 7.3 m iu 92.1+ 90.I 56.7 1+9.6 3.9 9.8 85.2 85.7 87.2 33-2 13.05 91+-5 96.9 90.0 3U-1+ 36.0 13.1+ 12.0 m 94-0 1+9-2 55-7 l I:!5 95.3 92.2 Diss ."Cxy. pp~' i f> r -- 115.0 ;38.9 '•.utherford TM ss.Cxv, T°F vc . R'jtger. leville 32 32.5 13.I+ 92.2 32-5 45-1+ 59-7 &0.6 11.7 9.6 9.2 97-1 95-1+ 92.1 1+4.6 tq.O 61.0 72.7 76-5 73.2 74-0 If If 87.5 Bi 96.5 72.0 76.0 73-7 71.7 58.0 50.2 9-7 10.4 91+.6 91-7 57-7 50.2 33.5 13.9 97-3 33-5 34-U 36.2 13.8 12.85 97-8 93-s 31+.1+ 35-7 56.2 11.0 10.2 96.9 97-1 1+9-0 55-2 i fr T t-'Pl ppn 12.9 I88.3I32 !12.8 12.} I8i4.9lj2.5lll.2 S-.vXT. r 10.8 3.25 8.1 »8 ^ 8i!i 81.5 59'0 61.2 10 .8 t> ¦ 95 7.25 t.l 48.9 53-5 57.0 70.1 72.0 76 .0 73-5 70.7 3.05 2.65 I'M l'° 3.85 63.1 73.1 c 7.0 50.0 •; .0 7.95 13-3 93-2 33-5 13-3 13.3 11-7 91+-5 Sl-9 34-7 36.2 12.8 11.5 lo.i+5 8.15 91-3 76.6 i+7.6 5I+.0 10.2 7.0 3"tTT?;Hrre3rr CIsy i t. :op 37-5132 77-2|32-1 3c.R £3.5 73-5 34-8 IS:§ 52.0 70.2 93-1 51.u B* c 87.1 64.9 59-2 61.8 71.7 76.5 73-5 71.0 ^8.7 50.2 55- = 3^ -7 50.0 53-7 ijj S3. Oxv . PPm | 3 IO.95175.O 9-75167.4 $ta.b,rr, lie 4.2 I Sts ,9 ,~;ile Jackson it. i^outr. et ?,"e*ark ;Nev.ark Pay 'Siss.Cxy'. 1 T°F ?F° 10. ^ 5-7 7.05 2.0 2-3 4-35 3-55 12. 1+5 11.S5 10.1 9-45 6.1+5 85-3 56.1 71.9 22.8 27.0 50.1 1+0.1 39.1 59.8 57.3 31+. 9 73-1 63.4 59-6 ¦f4 0F 32 iio-55 T2"?,- ?J•5! -.-5 j 61.S j 53.5 15.2 110.1 iS =¦.611+6.<=¦ 59.51 5-2 151-6157.1+ 61.Bj 6.7 163.3153.0 T^TS PPm 12.75iS7.3 11.3 179-1 i 9.-1. "7Q.ii Lb 164.1 7.15169.9 Flow at Paterson c.f,0 . I 76.5 72.7 72.0 60.0 50.8 Jl+.O 35 -4 *7.0 +fO >14.-2 c .4. 5.. 2 *¦. £ s ' / 3.9 6.1 12.3 ii.S 9-2 8.9^ 6-75 22.4j7J.5 2e.2 j7&.2 59-3I75.2 44-3172.7 2-3 3-15 2.9 3-9 27.0 37-1+ ^¦s1 m+. & 956 3121+ 1617 1362 j£.6 54.3 60.0 1+7.5 5-7 7.9 56.9 67.7 61+1 1395 80.9 32.0 13.5 ' 92.3 2506 l:o 5?-° 3H.0 13.1 10.55 9?-9 7^-3 2107 6l6 Hi 46.0 51+.6 kV 75-7 76.1+ 1663 773 1005 882 3057 1299 21+74 ~ Laboratory data furnished by Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission. Flow data from U. S. Oeological Survey. ------- 0taU of Npvm SprBpy DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH J. LYNN MKHAFFEY. M.D.. DiHICTOR TRENTON 7 April 25, 19^7 IN RfPLY RtPEH TO 6F.Jt.siA Mr. H. W. Streeter Sanitary Engineer Director Officer in Charge U. S. Public Health Service Water and Sanitation Investigations East Third and Kilgour Streets Cincinnati 2, Ohio Dear Sir: This is to acknowledge the receipt of and to thank you for your letter dated April 7» 19^7* together with a copy of a draft of a report recently completed by your office on the Passaic River. The aforesaid report has been examined by the interested engineers •£ this Department, and based upon that examination, the following comments are offered. The comments are numbered to correspond with your enumera- tion of "Conclusions". 1. We concur 2. We concur • We concur (See also comment below) . See comnent below 5. See comment below o. It is assumed that this conclusion relates to the area controlled by the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission; therefore, see comment below 7. No comnent With reference to conclusions Nos, 5 t* 6 Inclusive, please be advised that the Passaic River, from the Great Palls at Paterson to the mouth °f the river is controlled, in so far as pollution is concerned, by the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission. The State Department of Health has no Jurisdiction over stream pollution, the construction of sewer lines, °r the construction of sewage treatment plants along the aforesaid lower Part of the Passaic River and the tributaries entering in that district, deluding the Saddle River, to which you refer on page 1+ of your report. It la appreciated, in consideration of the last paragraph of your report ------- Mr. H. W. Streeter -2- April 25, 19^7 that the proposed Two Bridges reservoir has not been planned in sufficient detail to supply all the information desired before a final report can be compiled. When this information is available, this Department will be interested in knowing the extent of the areas to be flooded, including existing sewage and industrial waste treatment plants which may be affected. I trust that these comments are in accord with your request. Your coopera- tion in submitting the report for study and comment is appreciated. Very truly yours, J. Lynn Mahaffey, M. D, Director of Health ¦7 ¦ * By: H. P. Croft Chief Engineer 6eJ+si ------- |