Onondaga County Save the Rain: Monitoring and Adaptive ... · Onondaga County Executive Joanne M. Mahoney Onondaga County Save the Rain: Monitoring and Adaptive Management Madison

Onondaga County Executive Joanne M. MahoneyOnondaga County Executive Joanne M. Mahoney

Onondaga County Save the Rain: Monitoring and Adaptive

Management

Madison Quinn & Adam WoodburnOnondaga County Dept. of Water

Environment ProtectionNYSDEC Green Infrastructure Workshop

March 17, 2016

Onondaga County Executive Joanne M. Mahoney

Presentation Overview

• Background

• Save the Rain Program Overview

o Gray & Green Infrastructure

• Harbor Brook Wetland

• Stormwater Management Model as a strategic planning tool

• Beyond projects – program management, public outreach, & multiple community benefits


America’s First Green Infrastructure Consent Order

• 7,660 acres

• 6.1 Billion Gallons Total Annual

Combined Sewage Generated by

the Metro Combined Sewer

Service Area

City of Syracuse

Onondaga CreekHarbor Brook

Onondaga Lake

Onondaga County, New York


Save the Rain Program Overview

• County Executive Joanie Mahoney wanted a better way to meet environmental goals without building more Regional Treatment Facilities (RTFs)

• Combined approach –gray and green infrastructure


Green GraySTR


Managing Storage and Treatment


Green Infrastructure Technologies



Harbor Brook Constructed WetlandsPilot Treatment System

• 3 types of wetland cells capture & treat flow from CSO018

Floating Island System

Vertical Downflow System

Surface Flow System


Harbor Brook Constructed WetlandsPilot Treatment System

• Partnership with SUNY-ESF for wet weather monitoring

• Preliminary sampling results from 2015:

o Fecal coliform: 98.9%

o Biological Oxygen Demand (5 day): 81.9%

o Ammonia: 53.3%

o Total Phosphorus: 80.4%

o Total Suspended Solids: 35.1%


University Research Partnerships

• SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry

• Syracuse University L. C. Smith College of Engineering & Computer Science


Beyond Projects

• Unit Price - Quantity Based Construction Procurementso Civil Site Work Contract

o Landscape Installation and Maintenance Contract

o Post-Warranty Maintenance Contracts(Green Roofs, Porous Pavement Vacuuming, Landscaping)

• Asset Management and Maintenanceo Maximo for Work Order and Cost tracking

(integrating with Community Workforce)

• Legislative Agenda: City Stormwater, Tree Ordinances


Net Environmental Benefit Analysis

• 169 green infrastructure projects 2010-2014• Approximately $225,000 quantifiable economic

benefits for 169 projectso Total value of $9 million after 40 years

• Highest average annual economic benefit from Connective Corridor Phase 1, Contract 1 with an annual value of over $8,730

• The largest beneficial category is carbon dioxide equivalents reduction at an average of greater than $54,000 per year.




Multiple Community Benefits

• CSO Reductions

• Water Quality Improvements

• Regulatory Compliance

• Sewer Infrastructure Rehabilitation

• Civic Infrastructure Rehabilitation

• Community Interest and Support

• Voluntary Community Infrastructure Contributions (Rain Barrels, Rain Gardens, Tree Planting)

• Saving Money

• Integrated planning process consistent with EPA vision


Stormwater Management Model (SWMM)

• USEPA developed publicly available software that estimates stormwater runoff within sewersheds

o Tracks individual CSO’s and drainage areas

• Evaluation method for measuring ACJ compliance

• Onondaga County Model significantly updated in 2012

o Upgrade to software version 5.0.022

o Incorporation of the Low Impact Development (LID) module

o LIDAR topology, an aerial survey of imperviousness, USDA soil survey parameters, ArcHydro sub‐catchment delineation and intra‐sub‐catchment routing, real time control (RTC) programming, and more

• Models all system components in one model, including the benefits of storage systems


SWMM Evolution – 2013

• Onondaga County Model updated again in 2013

o Incorporated 2012-13 weir survey elevation data

o Incorporated 2010-2013 green infrastructure projects

o Calibrated model using 2012 -13 flow monitoring data

o Minor Combined Sewer Catchment Boundary Adjustments Based On Field Data

o Added: Clinton Storage Facility (6.5 MG), Lower Harbor Brook Storage (4.9 MG), Metro New Screen and Grit flow control improvement project

o Trees were added as Green Infrastructure

o Coordinated 3rd party review and incorporated comments

o Identified priority GI project areas for 2013 focus


SWMM Evolution – Annual Revisions

• Incorporate green infrastructure projects from previous year

• Calibrate model using flow monitoring data from previous year

• Minor combined sewer catchment boundary adjustments based on field data

• Identified priority GI project areas for the coming year


SWMM as a Toolfor Strategic Planning

• A better understanding of runoff and CSO volumes translates to a more strategic abatement approach

o Public Projects and GIF grant incentives are more strategically located

Some CSO-sheds are abated and thus restrict future projects

For CSO’s that remain active, funding incentives are prioritized (High, Medium, Low) based on CSO volume, event frequency, and GI efficiency


Water Quality Improvements

• Remarkable recovery, greatly improved water quality in Onondaga Lake



Onondaga Lake as an Asset

• Remarkable recovery of the ecosystem

• Recreational and environmental resource

– Fishing tournaments

– Rowing/boating

– Trails at Onondaga Lake Park, Creekwalk, & West Shore Trail

• Lakeview Amphitheater


[email protected]

[email protected]

Please visit our website: www.SaveTheRain.usFollow @SaveTheRainUS on Twitter

“Like” Onondaga County Save the Rain on Facebook: facebook.com/savetherainus

Documents

Onondaga County Save the Rain: Monitoring and Adaptive ... · Onondaga County Executive Joanne M. Mahoney Onondaga County Save the Rain: Monitoring and Adaptive Management Madison