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Regional Water Quality NEWSLETTER

DATE: Report for October 2017

A Tempe, Glendale, Peoria, Chandler, Phoenix, ADEQ, CAP, SRP, Epcor

NSF Central Arizona-Phoenix Long-Term Ecological Research

ASU Regional Water Quality Partnership

http://faculty.engineering.asu.edu/pwesterhoff/research/regional-water-quality-issues/

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SUMMARY

1. Taste and Odor compound data collection focused on the Arizona Canal where there appears to

significant production of MIB. Both Saguaro and Bartlett had levels below the threshold detection levels

of 10 ng/l. Sampling on the Arizona Canal was done from Mesa Drive to Central Avenue. MIB levels

were 100 ng/l at Mesa Drive and they decreased to 77 ng/l at 68th Street but the MIB levels increased to

135 ng/l at Central Avenue. The data suggest more than one hot spot for MIB production which

hopefully can be identified with the help of SRP. Many thanks to the City of Mesa for their assistance in

Taste and Odor analysis!

2. DOC values for Saguaro Lake and Bartlett Lake were decreased to 4 mg/l which was lower than August.

DOC concentrations ranged from 2.3-4.0 mg/l at the inlets of water treatment plants which was also

about 1 mg/l lower than August.

3. Reservoir released from Bartlett and Saguaro are about equal creating a blend of Salt and Verde River

water. CAP water and groundwater use has decreased to approximately 15% of the water supply. Lake

Pleasant releases have stopped so the CAP water is river water

4. Microbial concentrations for coliforms decreased as compared to August when the highest values ever

observed were present. Many samples still exceeded 1,000 cfu/100ml which is well above historic norms.

A combination of rain, high temperatures and high nutrient levels are likely factors. Mycobacterium

concentrations were low and did not correlate with the higher coliform concentrations.

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Topics Du Jour

Microbial Water Quality Data

Over the years the regional water quality center has collected data on numerous different topics but very

little data has been collected on basic microbial water quality. Therefore, we have initiated microbial

sampling for E. Coli, total coliforms and mycobacterium in the canal system to determine potential

impacts on both water quality and sources of possible contamination. Note that Mycobacterium

samples require one month to process so they are from the previous month

All Values are cfu per 100 ml - October 2nd-3rd

Sample E. coli Coliform

Blank Average 0 0

AZ Canal at Highway 87 average 25 1384

South Canal below CAP Cross- connect average 30 1016

Cap Canal at Cross-connect average 13 912

AZ Canal at 56th St. average 27 1168

AZ Canal- Central Avenue average 21 2536

Pima Average 14 1552

AZ Canal above CAP Cross-connect average 4 912

Waddell Canal average 7 1528

Verde River @ Beeline average 30 1088

AZ Canal below CAP Cross-connect average 33 888

head of the Consolidated Canal average 36 1224

Middle of Consolidated Canal average 49 1656

Head of Tempe Canal average 27 1432

Mycobacterium (September) colonies

0

AZ Canal at Highway 87 3

South Canal below CAP Cross- connect 7

Cap Canal at Cross-connect 0

AZ Canal at 56th St. 4

AZ Canal- Central Avenue 3

AZ Canal at Pima 6

AZ Canal above CAP Cross-connect 2

Waddell Canal 0

Verde River @ Beeline 6

AZ Canal below CAP Cross-connect CONT

head of the Consolidated Canal 6

Middle of Consolidated Canal 5

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Head of Tempe Canal 5

CONT – Contaminated with other bacteria

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Quick Update of Water Supplies for October 3rd, 2017

(during day of canal/WTP sampling – October 3rd, 2017)

Source Trend in supply Discharge to

water supply system

Flow into SRP Canal System

Dissolved organic carbon Concentration (mg/L) **

Salt River Reservoirs at 66% full

340 cfs 563 cfs into Arizona Canal

451 cfs into South Canal

93 cfs of CAP water into Arizona Canal

79 cfs Groundwater

Pumping into SRP Canals

4.0 mg/L

Verde River Reservoirs At 59% full

455 cfs 4.0 mg/L

Colorado River

Lake Pleasant is 56.5% full (Lake Powell is

60.2% full)

Lake Pleasant is* releasing 0 cfs

2.5 mg/L

Groundwater Pumping *** 79 cfs pumping by SRP

0.5 to 1 mg/L

*CAP is not releasing from Lake Pleasant **Concentration of DOC in the terminal reservoir ***CAP water is being delivered to the Arizona Canal. Data from the following websites:

http://www.srpwater.com/dwr/ http://www.cap-az.com/departments/water-operations/lake-pleasant http://lakepowell.water-data.com/

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The following views are from SRP website, and show which wells are operating along the

various canals.

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Dissolved Organic Carbon In Reservoirs and Treatment Plants DOC = Dissolved organic carbon

UV254 = ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (an indicator of aromatic carbon content)

SUVA = UV254/DOC

TDN = Total dissolved nitrogen (mostly nitrate from groundwater)

Reservoir Samples - October 2nd-3rd, 2017

Sample Description Location DOC (mg/L) UV254 (l/cm)

SUVA (L/mg-

m)

TDN (mg/L

Havasu (March) 2.3 0.048 2.1 0.398

Lake Pleasant (March) Epilimnion 2.6 0.059 2.2 0.362

Hypolimnion 3.7 0.062 1.7 0.329

Verde River at Tangle N/A N/A #VALUE! N/A

Verde River at Beeline Highway 4 0.111 2.8 0.505

Bartlett Reservoir Epilmnion N/A N/A #VALUE! N/A

Hypolimnion N/A N/A #VALUE! N/A

Saguaro Lake

Epilimnion N/A N/A #VALUE! N/A

Epi - Duplicate N/A N/A #VALUE! N/A

Hypolimnion N/A N/A #VALUE! N/A

Salt River at Blue Point Bridge 4.3 0.085 2.0 0.399

Salt River above Roosevelt 3.7 0.168 4.6 0.399

Roosevelt Reservoir Point 1 Epilmnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Hypolimnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Roosevelt Reservoir Point 2 Epilmnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Hypolimnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Apache Reservoir Point 1 Epilmnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Hypolimnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Apache Reservoir Point 2 Epilmnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Hypolimnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Canyon Reservoir Point 1 Epilmnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Hypolimnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Canyon Reservoir Point 2 Epilmnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

Hypolimnion N/A N/A N/A N/A

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Water Treatment Plants- October 2nd-3rd, 2017

Sample Description DOC (mg/L) UV254 (l/cm)

SUVA (L/mg-m)

TDN (mg/L

Union Hills Inlet 2.3 0.045 1.9 0.390

Union Hills Treated 2.0 0.025 1.3 0.337

Tempe North Inlet 3.2 0.080 2.5 0.317

Tempe North Plant Treated 1.9 0.024 1.3 0.728

Tempe South Inlet 3.4 0.084 2.5 0.382

Tempe South Plant Treated 2.9 0.039 1.4 0.358

Greenway WTP Inlet 4.0 0.077 1.9 0.377

Greenway WTP Treated 2.8 0.027 1.0 0.321

Glendale WTP Inlet 3.9 0.071 1.8 0.351

Glendale WTP Treated 2.4 0.024 1.0 0.238

Anthem WTP Inlet 2.2 0.043 2.0 0.382

Anthem WTP Treated 2.3 0.041 1.8 0.350

24th Street WTP Inlet 3.2 0.073 2.3 0.311

24th Street WTP Treated 1.9 0.026 1.4 0.211

Chandler WTP Inlet 3.4 0.089 2.6 0.354

Chandler WTP Treated 2.2 0.032 1.5 0.247

Rivers and Canals- October 2nd-3rd, 2017

Sample Description DOC (mg/L) UV254 (l/cm)

SUVA (L/mg-m)

TDN (mg/L

Waddell Canal 2.5 0.048 1.9 0.392

Anthem WTP Inlet 2.2 0.043 2.0 0.382

Union Hills Inlet 2.3 0.045 1.9 0.390

CAP Salt-Gila Pumping Station (June) 2.7 0.051 1.9 0.400

CAP Mesa Turnout (June) 2.5 0.050 2.0 0.350

CAP Canal at Cross-connect 3.1 0.046 1.5 0.370

Salt River @ Blue pt. Bridge 4.3 0.085 2.0 0.399

Verde River @ Beeline 4.0 0.111 2.8 0.505

AZ Canal above CAP Cross-connect 2.4 0.045 1.9 0.361

AZ Canal below CAP Cross-connect 3.1 0.061 1.9 0.373

AZ Canal at Highway 87 3.8 0.073 1.9 0.364

AZ Canal at Pima Rd. 3.2 0.073 2.3 0.280

AZ Canal at 56th St. 3.1 0.072 2.3 0.323

AZ Canal - Central Avenue 3.2 0.072 2.3 0.306

AZ Canal - Inlet to Glendale WTP 3.9 0.071 1.8 0.351

AZ Canal - Inlet to Greenway WTP 4.0 0.077 1.9 0.377

South Canal below CAP Cross-connect 3.7 0.088 2.4 0.370

Head of Tempe Canal 3.5 0.089 2.6 0.374

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Tempe Canal - Inlet to Tempe's South Plant 3.4 0.084 2.5 0.382

Head of the Consolidated Canal 3.7 0.089 2.4 0.395

Middle of Consolidated Canal 3.4 0.090 2.6 0.355

Chandler WTP - Inlet 3.4 0.089 2.6 0.354

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Taste and Odor

MIB, Geosmin and Cyclocitral are compounds naturally produced by algae in our reservoirs and canals, usually

when the water is warmer and algae are growing/decaying more rapidly. They are non toxic, but detectable to

consumers of water because of their earthy-musty-moldy odor. The human nose can detect these in drinking

water because the compounds are semi-volatile. Since compounds are more volatile from warmer water, these

tend to be more noticable in the summer and fall. The human nose can detect roughly 10 ng/L of these

compounds. Our team collects samples from the water sources and raw/treated WTP samples.

System Sample Description MIB

(ng/L)

Geosmin

(ng/L)

CAP Waddell Canal ns ns

Union Hills Inlet ns ns

CAP Canal at Cross-connect ns ns

Salt River @ Blue Pt Bridge ns ns

Verde River @ Beeline 6.9 13.3

AZ AZ Canal at Mesa Drive

(Evergreen) 108 6.2

Canal AZ Canal at Mesa Drive

(Evergreen – Side Channel) 101 5.9

AZ Canal at Alma School 97.3 76.6

AZ Canal at Indian Bend

Siphon 94.4 7.9

AZ Canal at 68th Street 77.3 7.9

AZ Canal - Central Avenue 135 6.0

AZ Canal - Inlet to Glendale

WTP ns ns

Head of the Consolidated Canal ns ns

Middle of the Consolidated

Canal ns ns

South South Canal below CAP Cross-

connect ns ns

Tempe Head of the Tempe Canal ns ns

Canals Tempe Canal - Inlet to Tempe's

South Plant ns ns

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Salt-Gila (June) <2.0 <2.0

Mesa Turnout (June) <2.0 <2.0

Table 3 - Reservoir Samples – September 4-

5, 2017

Sample

Description

Location MIB

(ng/L)

Geosmin

(ng/L)

Lake Pleasant

(June)

Eplimnion ns ns

Lake Pleasant

(June)

Hypolimnion ns ns

Verde River @

Beeline

ns ns

Bartlett Reservoir Epilimnion ns ns

Bartlett Reservoir Epi-near dock ns ns

Bartlett Reservoir Hypolimnion ns ns

Salt River @ BluePt

Bridge

ns ns

Saguaro Lake Epilimnion 7.3 5.3

Saguaro Lake Epi - Duplicate ns ns

Saguaro Lake Epi-near dock ns ns

Saguaro Lake Hypolimnion ns ns

Lake Havasu

(June)

<2.0 <2.0

Verde River at

Tangle Creek

(June) ns ns

Roosevelt at Salt

River Inlet

ns ns

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