SUSTAIN Modeling for Controlling Toxic Chemicals in Small Streams

The Department of Ecology and its partners are currently conducting several projects under Phase 3 of the larger project Controlling Toxic Chemicals in Puget Sound funded by EPA’s National Estuary Program. Under Sub-Task 3B, Herrera Environmental Consultants will evaluate the System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis INtegration (SUSTAIN) model as a potential tool that could be used by local jurisdictions to manage stormwater. SUSTAIN was developed by EPA as a decision support system to facilitate the selection and placement of Best Management Practices (BMPs) and Low Impact Development (LID) techniques at strategic locations in urban watersheds. It can be used by stormwater management professionals to develop implementation plans for flow and pollution control to protect source waters and meet water quality goals by answering the following questions:

How effective are BMPs in reducing runoff and pollutant loadings?
What are the most cost-effective solutions for meeting water quality and quantity objectives?
Where, what type of, and how big should BMPs be?

Project Objectives

Evaluate a real-world example of how to maximize water quality benefits and minimize stormwater management costs in subbasins with established water quality problems. The resulting flow control improvements will also be assessed.
Determine whether SUSTAIN can be used locally to evaluate toxics controls (most SUSTAIN examples focus on flow and solids, and less is known regarding how well SUSTAIN can handle metals and other toxic chemicals).
Develop an application outside of specific regulatory-based requirements to explore how it may or may not be used in future stormwater permits.

Project Tasks

The project includes four components:

Quality Assurance Project Plan (due fall 2011) – Identifies the specific subbasin(s) to be modeled as well as the overall technical approach.
Modified SUSTAIN BMP Database (due fall 2011) – Updates BMP cost and efficiency database with Puget Sound information.
Pilot model application on specific subbasin(s) (due spring 2012) – Test case(s) to explore the capabilities and limitations of SUSTAIN, working closely with local jurisdictions.
Model calibration and application report plus workshop (due June 2012) – Present model results but also an assessment of the tool’s strengths, weaknesses, and key data requirements.

Request for BMP Information

Herrera is currently gathering Puget Sound regional BMP and LID cost and effectiveness information. Please contact Rebecca Dugopolski (rdugopolski@herrerainc.com) for additional information.

Project Advisory Committee

The Project Advisory Committee includes representatives from federal, state, and local agencies who are experts in stormwater management and modeling. The committee will review draft products and will meet as needed to discuss the approach and outcome.

July 28, 2011 kickoff meeting agenda
July 28, 2011 presentation

Technical Information

Draft Quality Assurance Project Plan available for review. Please send comments to Mindy Roberts (Mindy.Roberts@ecy.wa.gov) with a cc to John Lenth (jlenth@herrerainc.com) by Tuesday, January 31, 2012.

Draft Quality Assurance Project Plan (Word document)

Draft Quality Assurance Project Plan (pdf document)

Initial Cost BMP Database has been compiled. As described in the QAPP, this represents an initial subset of BMPs for the purpose of this project. We are exploring mechanisms to keep this a live document that can be added to over time. Please send questions to Rebecca Dugopolski (rdugopolski@herrerainc.com).

Cost BMP Database (Word document)

For more information contact:
Mindy Roberts
Environmental Assessment Program
P.O. Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Phone: 360-407-6804
Email: Mindy.Roberts@ecy.wa.gov