BNA Daily Environment Report

MILWAUKEE—The U.S. Geological Survey and the National Association of Clean Water Agencies July 15 signed a five-year memorandum of understanding to exchange and accelerate scientific knowledge on water quality, water availability, and aquatic ecological issues.

Donna Myers, chief of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program, and Kevin Shafer, NACWA president, signed the memorandum, and Myers outlined Geological Survey programs and national water quality challenges at NACWA's annual summer conference and meeting.

According to the memorandum, the Geological Survey and NACWA will both benefit from closer communications to identify hydrologic and environmental issues of national importance where Geological Survey science can be applied to meet public need and to develop cooperatively funded projects to address these issues. It says NACWA and its member organizations will benefit from access to the extensive research experience of Geological Survey staff.

Under the memorandum, the Geological Survey, NACWA, and its members agree to explore opportunities to develop cooperative hydrologic data collection and investigations through the U.S. Geological Survey Cooperative Water Program to support hydrologic data networks and to address water management issues of national importance.

In addition to fostering communication, other cited goals of the memorandum are to assess the suitability of Geological Survey surface-water, groundwater, and water-quality data collection networks for meeting water supply and wastewater discharge information needs; to develop and fund joint cooperative watershed scale projects; to cooperate in monitoring water use, quality, and aquatic hydrology; and to develop computer-based tools to evaluate the relative importance of point and nonpoint sources of contaminants to the environment.
Myers said the USGS Cooperative Water Program works with more than 1,500 state, local, and tribal governments to collect water data and to conduct water assessments for Geological Survey national water data bases and meet local water information needs.

Water Census Cited as Priority
Within the next two years, Myers told conference participants, the Geological Survey hopes to begin conducting a water census of the United States—a new program priority.

The purpose of the water census would be to provide information on the quantity and quality of surface water and groundwater and changes over time; to provide a more precise determination of water use; to identify potential new water sources, such as brackish groundwater; and to provide water information needed for forecasts of water quantity, water quality, and ecosystem health, Myers said.

Many USGS investigations on nutrients, mercury, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products help to shape knowledge about the relative importance of nonpoint versus point sources and about the occurrence, sources, transport, fate, and effects of contaminants in the water environment, Myers said.

Nutrients Called Big Concern
She said nutrients and sediment are a big water quality concern, saying delivery of excessive nitrogen and phosphorus to sensitive waters such as the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes, Puget Sound, and the Gulf of Mexico is causing seasonal hypoxia, or dead zones, a recurring and worsening problem in the United States and other countries.

According to Myers, the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program is making a major contribution of information on the issue. Data show that nonpoint sources, particularly from agriculture, transportation, and power sources, are the leading sources of nutrients to inland and coastal waters. Wastewater typically appears third or fourth on the list and often less than about 25 percent of the total load in watersheds, she said.

In the Mississippi River Basin, she said, it appears that wastewater contributes less than 12 percent of nitrogen and phosphorus delivered to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Environmental Protection Agency is moving the states toward adopting nutrient criteria for inland waters, and it is clear that one size or number will not fit all, Myers said. USGS regional and national assessments have shown that nutrients have recognizable geographic patterns and natural background concentrations vary and should be considered.

In another area, Myers said the USGS has obtained new information about urban runoff and stormwater. She said some studies have shown that the use of coal-tar sealants on parking lots and driveways is causing elevated levels of polycyclic aromoatic hyrocarbons in nearby stream sediments. As a result, she said, coal-tar seal coat has been banned in several cities and counties, including Austin, Texas, and Washington, D.C. (126 DEN A-12, 7/6/09).

By Linda Roeder