EPA Research Partner Support Story: Monitoring technologies to characterize fecal pollution sources in regulated MS4 discharge
Partner: DC Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
Challenge: Application of advanced monitoring technologies to characterize fecal pollution sources in regulated MS4 dischargers in Washington, DC
Resource: Field research, technical support, and laboratory training
Project Period: 2019 – 2024
More than 80% of the United States population resides in areas with municipal separate storm sewer systems (MS4) resulting in over 7,500 communities with the responsibility to develop, implement and mitigate stormwater management programs. Urban stormwater can contain disease causing pathogens and other pollutants and is a leading cause of surface water impairment in the U.S. Genetic technologies are now available that can help characterize key source(s) of fecal pollution in stormwater discharges helping to provide communities with more cost-effective, focused remediation, and prevention strategies.
“For many years, DOEE has been restoring DC’s streams and major waterways with the goal of achieving fishable and swimmable status. A major hurdle has been high levels of microbial contamination that impair waterways via raw sewage overflows, leaky pipes, illicit discharges, and wildlife/domestic pet excrements. The first step towards controlling and mitigating microbial contamination is to identify the sources. Through a valuable partnership with EPA, DOEE has conducted an extensive field study to track microbial pollution in headwater streams of the Anacostia River. Once field collected samples are analyzed by EPA ORD, results will assist DOEE in developing focused control and mitigation strategies. This will help us get one step closer towards achieving fishable and swimmable status in DC’s waterways.” – DC DOEE Water Quality Division, Environmental Scientist Amir Sharifi, PhD
EPA ORD, in collaboration with EPA Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic) and the Office of Water, partnered with the DC DOEE to conduct a field research study to evaluate the use of genetic fecal source identification technologies for MS4 outfall pollutant characterization in the DC area. In addition, EPA ORD provided technical support and training to DOEE staff to promote the local use of these methods for future stormwater management efforts.
EPA ORD technical support and training helped educate local stormwater managers and facilitate the use of advanced monitoring technologies in the District. Field study results provided DOEE with important information to improve stormwater management. In addition, findings served as a foundation for the development of a strategic MS4 monitoring approach used by DOEE and other stakeholders. to address future stormwater management challenges.
The study is summarized in a presentation titled Fecal Source Characterization of Urban Municipal Stormwater Outfall ‘Wet’ and ‘Dry’ Weather Discharges and resulted in two scientific publications (Diedrich et al. 2023; Shanks et al. 2024).