Public Services Committee

TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT, SOUTH CAROLINA PUBLIC SERVICES COMMITTEE Monday, December 4, 2017 Municipal Complex, Committee Meeting Room, 3rd Floor 100 Ann Edwards Lane Mount Pleasant, SC 29464 Minutes Members Present: Jim Owens, Chair; Joe Bustos, Kathy Landing Staff: Jody Peele, Hillary Repik Also Present: Daniel Johnson, Jeff Smith Mr. Owens called the meeting to order at 2:48 p.m. 1. Approval of Minutes from the October 2, 2017 meeting Mr. Owens called for a motion to approve the minutes from the October 2, 2017 meeting. Mr. Bustos so moved; seconded by Ms. Landing; motion carried unanimously. 2. Public Comments Alyssondra Campaigne, 43 Vincent Drive, commended the Town on taking a proactive approach to water quality. Ms. Campaigne stated that she is not only a resident of the town but also serves as the Vice-Chair of Charleston Waterkeeper.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 2 of 38 Ms. Campaigne stated that they are delighted to be working with the Town on the water quality issue and look forward to finding ways to enhance and improve water quality specifically in Shem Creek. Ms. Campaigne stated that they stand ready to help with the next steps of implementation. 3. Employee years of service recognition Jody Peele, Director of Public Services, was to recognize Ms. Catherine Brogdon for fifteen years of service, however she was unable to attend. 4. Presentation of Shem Creek Water Quality Management Plan Mr. Peele stated the water quality of Shem Creek has been the topic of many discussions lately. Mr. Peele further added that Mr. Daniel Johnson, Water Resources Engineer for Wildlands Engineering and Project Manager for the Shem Creek Watershed Assessment Phase 1, will provide the study findings and offer recommendations. Mr. Peele added that accompanying Mr. Johnson is Jeff Smith, AECOM, a sub-consultant on the project. Mr. Peele stated that when Mr. Johnson finishes his presentation, Hillary Repik, Public Services Stormwater Division Chief, will provide additional information concerning the stakeholder’s recommendations, overview of  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 3 of 38 the 9-Element Plan, a status of where we are today and the items that are to be completed. Mr. Peele then turned the presentation over to Mr. Johnson and Mrs. Repik. Mr. Johnson introduced himself and stated that he appreciates the opportunity to present this study on the Shem Creek Basins. Mr. Johnson stated that our local waterways contribute to our way of life; from our shrimping fleet to recreational use for residents and those who visit.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 4 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that maintaining and improving these natural resources are a critical path for our economy and community. Mr. Johnson stated that the Clean Water Act of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System requires that the Town conduct activities to improve water quality.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 5 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that the Town is compliant through the Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP), which guides Town activities to identifying, detecting, and eliminating pollution in our waterways. Mr. Johnson added that typical activities include outfall inspections, public education and outreach, and illicit discharge identification and enforcement.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 6 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) has designated several area water bodies as impaired due to elevated levels of bacteria. These include: The Wando River, Shem Creek, Horlbeck Creek, Rathall Creek, and Boone Hall Creek. Mr. Johnson explained that the bacteria organisms generated by warm- blooded animals have the potential to cause sickness in humans. Mr. Johnson added that, because of this potential, these impaired waterbodies may not always be safe for recreational use.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 7 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that to improve water quality, we must examine and understand how it changes the watershed and how our everyday activities can impact a waterbody. Mr. Johnson added that urban watersheds are challenging due to the point- source discharges as well as distributed discharges that can contribute pollution to our waterways. Mr. Owens asked if Mr. Johnson could explain to the public what point- source discharges are. Mr. Johnson responded that point-source discharges are isolated points that discharge to our waterbodies, whereas non-point sources are our distributed source of loading.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 8 of 38 Mr. Owens thanked Mr. Johnson for explaining in more detail. Mr. Johnson added that our coastal watersheds and tidal hydrology add even more complexity to the problem. Mr. Johnson continued that this complexity necessitates a comprehensive management approach. Mr. Johnson stated that one way we can improve water quality is through a watershed process and planning approach that consists of nine elements. Mr. Johnson explained the nine elements on the above slide. Mr. Johnson also stated that Mrs. Repik would go into greater detail on these nine elements after he is finished with his presentation.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 9 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that based on criteria from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and DHEC, Shem Creek was determined to be a priority for the Town and the Town initiated the 9-element plan earlier this year in that basin. Mr. Johnson explained that element one is a very datacentric scope of work focusing on compiling and collecting data. Mr. Johnson also stated that they collaborated with both Charleston Waterkeeper and Mount Pleasant Waterworks on this element. Mr. Johnson stated that they also utilized an online platform to deliver the results of this assessment.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 10 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that they compiled data from existing resources as well as the organizations listed above. Mr. Johnson also stated that by utilizing available data, they found data gaps which could cause potential hurdles as they move forward with the process. Mr. Johnson stated that storm water can carry pollutants and added that the path storm water takes is a critical step in the process.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 11 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that through this project, his team reviewed and updated the Town’s GIS data sets and verified 140 sub-watersheds within Shem Creek. Mr. Johnson also reported that they evaluated the pipe and channel systems to determine the drainage network into the creek. They also assessed impervious areas and land use to determine storm water runoff around the creek.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 12 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that to better understand water quality and to review historical water quality records they collaborated with Charleston Waterkeeper to sample and collect additional water quality data. They did this from ten distributed sites within the Shem Creek Basin. Mr. Johnson added that they collected instream water samples on a weekly basis for five weeks from late May through June as shown on the slide above. Mr. Johnson added that each sample was tested for enterococci, a bacteria indicator. Tier source tracking was also conducted to determine the presence of human bacteria in Shem Creek.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 13 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that they conducted sampling at five land based sites during one event. He explained that they tested these samples for various sources including pet and human waste. Mr. Johnson stated that they collected samples during three wet weather events and two dry weather events as shown in the above slide. He continued by saying that wet weather events are an opportunity for pollutants to be transported by storm water. Mr. Johnson stated that the results indicated a high level of bacteria at multiple locations in Shem Creek, and added that precipitation 72 hours prior to sampling resulted in higher bacteria concentrations than dry weather events, suggesting that pollutants are being transported by storm water.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 14 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that based on the distribution of the sampling locations within the watershed, bacteria is present in the watershed as opposed to coming from the harbor and that his cerebral source tracking suggests that human bacteria is present in Shem Creek. Mr. Bustos asked for clarification of human bacteria, assuming Mr. Johnson meant human waste. Mr. Johnson answered by saying it is a bacteria indicator. Mr. Bustos asked Mr. Johnson if he could identify where it is coming from. Mr. Johnson replied in the negative, stating that he would discuss that shortly in subsequent slides, but they have not pinpointed any specific location. Mr. Johnson wanted to clarify the slide by saying they had ten sampling sites where samples were collected for enterococci. At three of those sites, they conducted microbial source tracking to identify whether human bacteria were present. He stated that stations one through three correspond with the Waterkeeper’s data or sampling locations. Mr. Johnson stated that the three locations are: the mouth of the creek, upstream at Coleman Boulevard and near the headwaters downstream of Bowman Boulevard. Mr. Owens asked about stations three and five being strictly pet bacteria.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 15 of 38 Mrs. Repik responded by saying that was done by their pilot study project on Shem Creek where they were looking at more of the land based influences. Mrs. Repik added that those two stations were connected to a drainage system that comes down Freelock Drive and reaches into several neighborhoods. Mr. Owens asked if that would be considered the point source. Mrs. Repik replied that it is not the point source but a non-point source component. Mrs. Repik stated that as water falls on the ground, it travels across yards and through the drainage system which makes it a non-point source. Mr. Owens asked, Mrs. Repik to confirm that we have not traced the cause. Mrs. Repik replied that we do not have an exact contributor.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 16 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that study results indicate that bacteria is primarily transported by storm water. Mr. Johnson stated that the slide above shows modeling to prioritize basins for subsequent phases. He said that the basins in dark red are high priority, contributing more load with less treatment whereas the yellow areas contribute a lesser load and has more treatment.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 17 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that retrofitting existing septic systems is a potential management measure as shown in the above slide.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 18 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that the 9-element plan has been implemented as shown in the above slide and to get funding through section 319, the watershed plan would need to be completed. Mr. Johnson added that with the development of this plan, the Town can pursue funding for implementation of prioritized water quality projects. Mr. Johnson stated that the Town could take another approach for alternative water quality programs such as a 5R. Mr. Johnson stated that Greenville, South Carolina, is currently using that approach. Mr. Johnson stated that Mrs. Repik would discuss all of these elements in the next presentation.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 19 of 38 Mr. Johnson added with the above slide that the 5R process allows for calibration with the regulatory agencies such as DHEC and EPA. Mr. Johnson explained that this means we could interact with the agencies during the process rather than at the very end.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 20 of 38 Mr. Johnson stated that after discussion with Town staff, they have identified two paths forward. The first path would be delivering the 9-  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 21 of 38 element plan which would allow the town to request funding to support implementation of prioritized water quality improvement projects. The Second option would be to complete the 5R process which allows more opportunity for collaboration. He further stated that the cost for the 5R is in addition to the 9-element plan. Mr. Johnson stated that he and the Town discussed additional tasks that could benefit the watershed plan, but are not required for the 9-element plan or the 5R process. Mr. Johnson stated that those options include: conducting a storm water asset inventory assessment, sophisticated modeling, and reviewing capital improvement projects. Ms. Landing asked Mr. Johnson if the completion of the 9-element plan and the 5R process was not just paperwork, but if it also took steps to solve the problems. Mr. Johnson stated that it is a collaborative effort for all the stakeholders to identify the solution to address the pollution. Mr. Johnson stated that the intent is to form an actionable plan that the Town can take to implement these projects. Mr. Johnson added that the 9- element plan is required to solicit that federal funding assistance from 319. Mr. Owens asked if the total for this process would be about $692,000. Mr. Johnson stated that would be the cost for the 5R process.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 22 of 38 Mr. Johnson added that the 9-element plan can be conducted independent of the 5R process. Whereas, the 5R process cannot run independent without the 9-element plan. Mr. Johnson stated that we can move forward with the 9-element plan at $278,000 or look at alternative options such as the 5R process. Mr. Johnson turned the presentation over to Mrs. Repik. Mrs. Repik stated that the Town had reviewed the study and presented the information to Mount Pleasant Waterworks and the Charleston Waterkeeper. Mrs. Repik added that after reviewing the efforts as a group, our recommendation to council is the 9-element plan process. Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 23 of 38  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 24 of 38 Mrs. Repik stated that there are nine elements within this process. She added that there are two higher regulatory standards: a TMDL and a 5R. Mrs. Repik stated that if DHEC were to choose either the TMDL or 5R, we would have to choose a path. Ms. Repik added that since we are not at that point, we can do the 9-element plan process. Mrs. Repik stated that she would like to walk us through the 9-element plan. Mrs. Repik stated that elements one and two are considered the issue identification phases of the process.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 25 of 38 Mrs. Repik added that with this process we are able to identify the pollutant of concern and to find its sources. Mrs. Repik stated that they have started to work and identify element two, the reduction goals. Mrs. Repik stated that DHEC sets the bacteria number for Shem Creek which is set at the recreational use standard of 501 not the swimming standard of 104. Mrs. Repik stated that we need to do more work on determining what things could be done to meet these goals.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 26 of 38 Mrs. Repik stated that elements three, four, and five pertain to group solutions and planning. She also stated that this is where we bring in the scientific minds, educators, and other partners to work on identifying these critical measures. Mrs. Repik added that this will be a capital investment whether from the Town or a resident making an investment on their property to help us improve the Creek. Mrs. Repik also stated that funding comes from either 319 which is a grant from DHEC or the State Revolving Funds (SRF), which are all options we could use but they require plans to be in place.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 27 of 38 Mrs. Repik stated that the Town also wants to reach out to the stakeholders and determine what they can bring to the table by helping with projects implemented within the creek that may offset cost to the Town directly. Mrs. Repik stated that stakeholders will play a big part in this project implementation and that information sheets would be available at the end of today’s meeting. Mrs. Repik also stated that the Town wants to know what the community has to share with us and what do they know that we may not. She added that we can better educate residents, so they can be a part of the solution. Mr. Johnson asked Mr. Smith if the 319-fund had any excess funds from this past year. Mr. Smith answered in the affirmative. Mr. Johnson stated that the 319 funds did have excess funds this past year, but to receive the funds you need to have the 9-element plan developed and presented. Mrs. Repik also stated that they accept applications if you have a plan in place for their grant funding.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 28 of 38 Mrs. Repik stated that the last few elements are about getting the plan done. Mrs. Repik added that these elements demonstrate the commitment to move forward as stated in the above slide. Mrs. Repik stated that with these elements they also require continued monitoring of the creek to make sure change is occurring. She emphasized that this would be a long process. Mr. Owens asked Mrs. Repik how often this process would require checking the creek once the plan is in place. Mrs. Repik stated that, luckily, we have the Charleston Waterkeeper which goes out and does sampling during the warm season months. She added that there is not currently any data that comes to us from any of the cold season months.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 29 of 38 Mrs. Repik added that the Charleston Waterkeeper is gathering the data from the three stations in Shem Creek. She added that we have relied on their data in the past as well as DHEC. Mrs. Repik stated that it would be up to the Town if they want to also invest in collecting data. Mrs. Repik added that currently we are getting data once a week from Charleston Waterkeeper, but it is up to us to determine the plan we choose. Ms. Landing commented that during the campaign process for Council, it was brought up in the public that there is a lot of money being spent on studies that can get us to a certain point, but do not solve the actual problem since we must implement those findings. Ms. Landing further added that with the Coleman Boulevard Redevelopment Project and the Waterworks efforts with the septic system, that both projects should help with this current problem. Ms. Landing asked Mrs. Repik if there was a good way to explain to the public why we would not wait until those two major projects are completed before we embark on a large study like this one since those two things will have a large impact on this study. Mrs. Repik responded by saying the Town performs daily efforts to work on water quality and added that there are 140 different places where our water runoff goes into the creek. She also added that with these sub-basins they each have different characteristics such as dogs, cats, sanatory overflow, or even locations with no septic tanks in certain areas, so being able to identify each need is just a piece of the puzzle.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 30 of 38 Mrs. Repik added that while there is a human component in the creek, it isn’t necessarily the highest. She added that we don’t want to waste the tax payors dollars trying to fix the wrong thing in the wrong place, so there is a level of study that is required. Mrs. Repik stated that we go out every day and do public education with residents, we clean the storm drains, we work with construction sites and redevelopment projects. They are all contributing a piece to fixing the problem. Mrs. Repik stated that DHEC told us that Shem Creek is polluted, and we must take a proactive approach to resolving the situation. Mrs. Repik added that the septic tank project and drain cleaning projects are just a piece of the solution. Mrs. Repik stated that the Shem Creek pilot project shows that when it rains we have bacteria colonies of 12,000 to 24,000, which she believes is not coming from the few septic tanks being removed, but coming from a lot of other locations. Mr. Peele added that to have a creek that is safe to swim in, fish in, and support other recreational activities, we will need to take a proactive approach. Mr. Peele stated that this will be an everyday, all day, every year thing. It is an issue that we will have to address constantly with some type of program to monitor and address the issues that appear.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 31 of 38 Mr. Peele continued by saying that this will be an ongoing problem just like the TMDL at the Wando River. It will be an ongoing program. Mr. Peele stated that it may lower the bacteria, but we need to make sure we consistently lower it every year so that it is acceptable. Mr. Peele stated that he thinks we will see more of these studies come up, which allows us to take a proactive approach and continue to address current issues and future issues. Ms. Landing commented that the public should know that this money needs to be spent because we are required to have the studies, so we can show it.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 32 of 38 Mrs. Repik added that they are also required to receive external funding and demonstrate that we are working towards water quality improvements. Mr. Owens commented that this study would be essential because it will better pinpoint where these areas are, and that it may take a while so it could be a lengthy process. Mrs. Repik answered in the affirmative. Mrs. Repik stated that the map in the above slide shows areas that DHEC currently samples for water quality. Mrs. Repik also added a few of the Charleston Waterkeeper’s sites are on this list.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 33 of 38 Mrs. Repik stated that the blue dots are places that DHEC samples that are not on their 303-D list. Mrs. Repik stated that the orange dots are places that are on the 303-D list, but no higher regulatory action has been taken. Mrs. Repik stated that the brown dots represent where the stations within the Wando River that DHEC has added on the town, county, DOT, and a few others, a higher regulatory standard. Ms. Repik stated that the brown dots are the ones that need action to be taken for water quality. Mrs. Repik noted that we expected DHEC to focus on Shem Creek, but they focused on the Wando River instead. She stated that does not change the importance of Shem Creek. Mr. Owens asked Mrs. Repik to explain in more detail the Total Maximum Daily Load, so the public can understand. Mrs. Repik stated that the TMDL is the maximum number of bacteria that can come off your system into a waterbody to maintain standards. Mrs. Repik continued by stating the standard for recreational use at Shem Creek is 501. She also stated that the Wando River is set at 43-bacteria since they allow shellfish harvesting which can be consumed by humans. Mrs. Repik stated that with the Wando River, we have simply been told to find the causes and reduce the number. She also stated that with some of  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 34 of 38 the dots in the above slide, DHEC would like a 70 percent reduction in bacteria. Mrs. Repik stated that she expects the same action with Shem Creek if we do not take our own voluntary actions. Mrs. Repik stated that the areas in red in the above slide are the areas of land that are within the Wando River TMDL. Mrs. Repik stated that these areas are separately funded, and staff is in the process of submitting a monitoring plan and setting up a new monitoring station in Rathall Creek.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 35 of 38 Mrs. Repik stated that this project is very similar to the Shem Creek project except for the stakeholder component requirement. Mr. Johnson stated the TMDL for the Wando River has multiple constituents, whereas with Shem Creek it would be entirely encompassed by the Town. Mrs. Repik stated that the Town has the biggest component in Shem Creek versus the Wando River project since Charleston County and other counties/municipalities must set up monitoring stations as well. Mrs. Repik also stated that we must have a monitoring station in place by May for the Wando River, so we can begin reports and data collection. Mr. Owens asked Mrs. Repik how often the reports are required. Mrs. Repik stated that the reports are due once a year in an annual data report. Mr. Owens asked Mrs. Repik once this plan is enacted and in place, if it would not be beneficial to go in and check it after six months rather than a year. Mrs. Repik stated that we will receive the data as it is collected, and we will keep current assessments with the findings. Mrs. Repik added that the report to DHEC is due at the end of the year, but the data we receive is not. Mrs. Repik also stated that the Shem Creek study would incorporate an online database report that the public can see as well as utilize.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 36 of 38 Mrs. Repik added that with the GIS program it becomes a living example of what we are doing and a way to collaborate with stakeholders who also want to offer their input. Mrs. Repik stated that the database shows the ten sites that we collected data. She also stated that in the past data was only collected at one location near the Shem Creek bridge on Coleman Boulevard. Mrs. Repik stated that Charleston Waterkeeper has been collecting data at a few locations for the last several years which has given us better data. She also stated that DHEC stopped collecting data. Mrs. Repik added that they wanted to go further into Shem Creek near Lucy Beckham near the old Wando High School. Mrs. Repik continued by saying that there is a lot of input in that area and wanted to see if they could narrow it down. Mrs. Repik added that if pollution were to enter the creek up near McDonalds it would take thirty-nine days to flush out of the creek into the harbor. Mrs. Repik also added that it is hard to gage where the pollution is coming from due to the length of the creek and the way it operates. Mrs. Repik stated that this is why the study and data collected is so important, because we want to put the right solutions in the right areas. Mrs. Repik stated that this new system is just one example of the products we are using to try something different for the future. Mrs. Repik added that  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 37 of 38 this is a way we can work to get the message out to the public as well as being able to collaborate with them. Mrs. Repik Stated that she produced information sheets that she will post on the Town website. Mr. Owens thanked Mrs. Repik and Mr. Johnson for their presentations.  Public Services Committee Minutes December 4, 2017 Page 38 of 38 Mr. Owens stated that he looks forward to hearing more positive results. Mr. Owens added that the sooner we get started the sooner we can collect some positive data and be able to clean up our waterways. 5. Adjourn There being no further business, Chairman Owens adjourned the meeting at 3:31 p.m. Respectfully submitted by, Andrew Dolan December 7, 2017