Variation in urban snow quality indicated by three seasonal sampling surveys conducted in Luleå (Sweden) within a span of 27 years.

Concentrations of total suspended solids (TSS), trace metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Zn, Cd, Pb), Na and 16 US EPA priority PAHs in urban snow were studied in the City of Luleå in Northern Sweden. Snow was sampled at six central urban and suburban sites with various traffic intensities, in three sampling surveys (1994-95, 2002-03, 2020-21), repeated for three ages of the urban snow cover of 40, 80, and 120 days, respectively. The older data, from the 1994-95 and 2002-03 surveys, were obtained from the existing literature. The concentrations and mass loads of TSS and most trace metals studied (Zn, Cu, Pb, and Cd) varied with time. TSS, Zn, and Cu showed slightly higher concentrations and mass loads in the 2003 (TSS avg = 2300 µg/L, Zn avg = 620 µg/L and Cu avg = 250 µg/L) and 2021 (TSS avg = 1500 µg/L, Zn avg = 530 µg/L and Cu avg = 220 µg/L) sampling surveys, compared to the 1995 survey (TSS avg = 620 µg/L, Zn avg = 240 µg/L and Cu avg = 97 µg/L). However, no evident trend was observed between the 2003 and 2021 sampling surveys. The highest concentrations of Pb and Cd were observed in snow samples from the 1994-95 sampling survey (Pb max = 570 µg/L, Cd max = 4.6 µg/L). Results indicated higher concentrations of the pollutants studied in the city centre, compared to the residential suburbs, and in areas with heavier traffic, where concentrations of metals correlated well with traffic intensity. Fractionation analysis of trace metals indicated that Zn, Cu and Pb occurred mostly in the particulate-bound phase (>0.45 µm) containing the most of Zn, Cu, and Pb mass, at 80, 84 and 94% of the total, respectively. Over 50% of the dissolved phase of Zn and Cu was in the truly dissolved fraction (<3000 MWCO). Concentrations of PAHs also increased with traffic intensity, with pyrene being the most frequently detected PAH, likely because of the strength of sources and various physical processes influencing the snowbanks development and causing spatial and temporal variations in pollutant concentrations.

Mineral and Anthropogenic Indicator Inorganics in Urban Stormwater and Snowmelt Runoff: Sources and Mobility Patterns.

Inorganic chemicals in urban stormwater and snowmelt runoff originate from catchment geology and anthropogenic activities. The occurrence, partitioning and mobility of six minerals and six trace metal (TM) indicators of anthropogenic activities were studied in stormwater, snowmelt and baseflow in four urban catchments, and the sampling of inorganics was supplemented by measurements of electrical conductivity (EC), pH and total suspended solids (TSSs). Minerals occurred at concentrations several orders of magnitude higher (1-102 mg/L) than those of TMs (10-2-102 µg/L) and reflected the composition of local groundwater seeping into sewers. Concentrations of Ca, K, Mg and Na were enhanced by baseflow contributions and followed closely the electrical conductivity. Al and Fe minerals occurred in insoluble forms, and their pollutographs were similar to those of TMs, whose concentrations mimicked, to some extent, the flux of TSS. The TMs with the highest and lowest particulate fractions were Cr&Pb and Cu&Zn, respectively. The concentrations of total TMs in snowmelt were two to four times higher than those in stormwater, and both sources likely exceeded some of the stormwater effluent limits (for Cd, Cu and Zn) proposed in Sweden. Where such concentrations depended on water hardness, the risk of toxicity might be reduced by elevated hardness of the monitored snowmelt and stormwater. Recognizing the good ecological status of the study area receiving water, Lake Storsjön, some protection against polluted runoff and snowmelt may be needed and could be achieved by implementing stormwater management measures controlling TSS and TMs.

Causes of toxicity to Hyalella azteca in a stormwater management facility receiving highway runoff and snowmelt. Part I: polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and metals.

The Terraview-Willowfield Stormwater Management Facility (TWSMF) receives inputs of multiple contaminants, including metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), road salt, and nutrients, via highway and residential runoff. Contaminant concentrations in runoff are seasonally dependent, and are typically high in early spring, coinciding with the snowmelt. In order to investigate the seasonal fluctuations of contaminant loading and related changes in toxicity to benthic invertebrates, overlying water and sediment samples were collected in the fall and spring, reflecting low and high contaminant loading, respectively, and four-week sediment toxicity tests were conducted with Hyalella azteca. The effects of metals and PAHs are discussed here; the effects of salts, nutrients, and water quality are discussed in a companion paper. Survival and growth of Hyalella after exposure to fall samples were variable: survival was significantly reduced (64-74% of controls) at three out of four sites, but there were no significant growth effects. More dramatic effects were observed after Hyalella were exposed to spring samples: survival was significantly reduced at the two sites furthest downstream (0-75% of controls), and growth was significantly lower in four out of five sites when comparing Hyalella exposed to site sediment with overlying site water versus site sediment with overlying control water. These seasonal changes in toxicity were not related to metals or PAHs: 1. levels of bioavailable metals were below those expected to cause toxicity, and 2. levels of PAHs in sediment were lowest at sites with the greatest toxicity and highest in water and sediment at sites with no toxicity. Although not associated with toxicity, some metals and PAHs exceeded probable and severe effect levels, and could be a cause for concern if contaminant bioavailability changes. Toxicity in the TWSMF appeared to be primarily associated with water-borne contaminants. The cause(s) of these effects are discussed in our companion manuscript.

Causes of toxicity to Hyalella azteca in a stormwater management facility receiving highway runoff and snowmelt. Part II: salts, nutrients, and water quality.

The Terraview-Willowfield Stormwater Management Facility (TWSMF) features a tandem of stormwater management ponds, which receive inputs of multiple contaminants from highway and residential runoff. Previous research determined that benthic communities in the ponds were impacted by poor habitat quality, due to elevated sediment concentrations of metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS), and salinity in the overlying water, but did not address seasonal changes, including those caused by the influx of contaminants with the snowmelt. In order to address this issue, water and sediment samples were collected from the TWSMF during the fall and spring, and four-week sediment toxicity tests were conducted with Hyalella azteca. The effects of metals and PAHs are discussed in a companion paper; the effects of road salt, nutrients, and water quality are discussed here. After exposure to fall samples, survival of Hyalella was reduced (64-74% of controls) at three out of four sites, but growth was not negatively affected. After exposure to spring samples, survival was 0-75% of controls at the two sites furthest downstream, and growth was significantly lower in four out of five sites when comparing Hyalella exposed to site water overlying site sediment versus control water overlying site sediment. Toxicity appeared to be related to chloride concentrations: little or no toxicity occurred in fall samples (200 mg Cl(-)/L), and significant effects on survival and growth occurred in spring samples above 1550 mg Cl(-)/L and 380 mg Cl(-)/L, respectively. Sodium chloride toxicity tests showed similar results: four-week LC50s and EC25s (growth) were 1200 and 420 mg Cl(-)/L, respectively. Although water quality and nutrients were associated with effects observed in the TWSMF, chloride from road salt was the primary cause of toxicity in this study. Chloride persists during much of the year at concentrations representing a significant threat to benthic communities in the TWSMF.

In search of effective bioassessment of urban stormwater pond sediments: enhancing the 'sediment quality triad' approach with oligochaete metrics.

Stormwater ponds have been widely used to control increased volumes and rates of surface runoff resulting from urbanization. As receiving waters, they are under the influence of intermittent pollution from urban wet-weather discharges. Meanwhile they offer new aquatic habitats balancing the transformation of initial ecosystems and their associated biodiversity. Bioassessment of stormwater facilities is therefore crucial to insure the preservation and rehabilitation of biodiversity in urban areas. Nonetheless, the application of traditional bioassessment methodologies such as the sediment quality triad (SQT), based on the comparisons with reference sites, is challenged by the artificial and atypical features of urban stormwater ponds. Our concern in finding a more specific and effective bioassessment methodology led us to consider associating the Oligochaete Index Methodology (OIM) with the SQT. This study shows that although some adjustments were needed, the OIM brought new and complementary information to the SQT assessment on the effects of contaminants and on the biological quality status of the sediment in a test urban stormwater pond.

Characterization of the settling process for wastewater from a combined sewer system.

Among the methods used for determining the parameters necessary for design of wastewater settling tanks, settling column tests are used most commonly, because of their simplicity and low costs. These tests partly mimic the actual settling processes and allow the evaluation of total suspended solids (TSS) removal by settling. Wastewater samples collected from the Liguori Channel (LC) catchment in Cosenza (Italy) were subject to settling column tests, which yielded iso-removal curves for both dry and wet-weather flow conditions. Such curves were approximated well by the newly proposed power law function containing two empirical parameters, a and b, the first of which is the particle settling velocity and the second one is a flocculation factor accounting for deviations from discrete particle settling. This power law function was tested for both the LC catchment and literature data and yielded a very good fit, with correlation coefficient values (R(2)) ranging from 0.93 to 0.99. Finally, variations in the settling tank TSS removal efficiencies with parameters a and b were also analyzed and provided insight for settling tank design.

Library-dependent and library-independent microbial source tracking to identify spatial variation in faecal contamination sources along a Lake Ontario beach (Ontario, Canada).

Multiple microbial source tracking methods were applied to investigate spatial variation in faecal pollution sources impacting a 1.7 km freshwater beach on Lake Ontario (Canada). The highest E. coli concentrations measured in the study area were from interstitial sand pore water at Sunnyside Beach, reaching 2.6 x 10(6) CFU/100 ml. These E. coli concentrations exceeded those in the nearby Humber River and Black Creek, which are impacted by combined sewer overflows containing municipal wastewater and by stormwater conveying washoff from the urban area. Library-independent Bacteroidales HF183 analyses identified the more frequent occurrence of municipal wastewater contamination in the Humber River and at a Sunnyside Beach location closest to the mouth of the river. Library-dependent E. coli antibiotic resistance and rep-PCR DNA fingerprinting analyses identified the more frequent occurrence of bird faecal contamination at Sunnyside Beach locations away from the river mouth. These microbial source tracking results raise caution about managing beaches with multiple sources of contamination as a single entity without considering spatial variability in faecal pollution sources and the need for more localized beach management practices.

Hydraulic fractionation of conventional water quality constituents in municipal dry- and wet-weather flow samples.

The effective design of treatment processes for combined sewer overflows (CSOs) requires understanding of the CSO characteristics and treatability. Environment Canada partnered with four municipalities to evaluate water quality and treatability of wet- and dry-weather flows at local sewage or CSO treatment facilities. Chemical characterization of the samples indicates that the municipal sewage at all of the sites is of relatively weak strength, with several differences between the water quality data for dry-weather and wet-weather flows (assumed to represent CSOs). Hydraulic separation of constituents with an elutriation apparatus illustrated the removals that can be expected with conventional settling techniques and differences in settling of various constituents.

Experience with the antibiotic resistance analysis and DNA fingerprinting in tracking faecal pollution at two lake beaches.

Posting or closing of swimming beaches because of faecal contamination is a widespread problem reported in many locations. In a risk-based approach to this problem, the risk to swimmers' health is assessed by field monitoring of indicator bacteria and the associated risks are managed by source controls and other remedial measures. In risk assessment, great advances have been made in recent years with the introduction of microbial source tracking (MST) techniques. Two such techniques, antibiotic resistance analysis and DNA fingerprinting, were applied in a study of causes of faecal contamination at two lake beaches in Toronto, Ontario. Both methods identified bird faeces as the dominant sources of E. coli. Coping with this type of pollution presents a major environmental challenge.

Bioassessment of wet-weather pollution impacts on fine sediments in urban waters by benthic indices and the sediment quality triad.

Benthic invertebrate assessments can be used to gauge the impact of urban wet-weather flows in receiving waters. Experiences from Cemagref in France have shown that standardized benthic indices (e.g. Oligochaete Index of Sediment Bioindication - IOBS) can be used to reliably determine the ecological status of urban streams and can be incorporated into the new European Water Framework Directive. The Canadian studies on streams and stormwater ponds using chemical analyses, benthic toxicity testing and benthic invertebrate community structure (i.e. the sediment quality triad) comparisons have shown that toxicity was more likely to occur in ponds at sites with higher concentrations of heavy metals and heavier polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and at greater water depths, where fine sediments from urban runoff accumulated. A more comprehensive evaluation of wet-weather flow impacts could be obtained by combining approaches from both countries.

An elutriation apparatus for assessing settleability of combined sewer overflows (CSOs).

An elutriation apparatus was proposed for testing the settleability of combined sewer outflows (CSOs) and applied to 12 CSO samples. In this apparatus, solids settling is measured under dynamic conditions created by flow through a series of settling chambers of varying diameters and upward flow velocities. Such a procedure reproduces better turbulent settling in CSO tanks than the conventional settling columns, and facilitates testing coagulant additions under dynamic conditions. Among the limitations, one could name the relatively large size of the apparatus and samples (60 L), and inadequate handling of floatables. Settleability results obtained for the elutriation apparatus and a conventional settling column indicate large inter-event variation in CSO settleability. Under such circumstances, settling tanks need to be designed for "average" conditions and, within some limits, the differences in test results produced by various settleability testing apparatuses and procedures may be acceptable. Further development of the elutriation apparatus is under way, focusing on reducing flow velocities in the tubing connecting settling chambers and reducing the number of settling chambers employed. The first measure would reduce the risk of floc breakage in the connecting tubing and the second one would reduce the required sample size.

Trace metal levels in sediments deposited in urban stormwater management facilities.

Characteristics of solids recovered from stormwater best management practice (BMP) facilities, including stormwater ponds, constructed wetlands, an infiltration basin, a biofilter, a stormwater treatment clarifier, and three-chamber oil and grit separators were described with respect to their metal chemistry. The reported trace metal concentrations in BMP sediments were assessed against the Ontario Sediment Quality Guidelines. Between 80 to 100% of all samples were marginally-to-intermediately polluted by Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni and Zn. Severe pollution of sediments was noted for Cr (122 microg/g), Cu (151 and 196 microg/g), Mn (1,259 and 1,433 microg/g), and Zn (1,116 microg/g), at several facilities studied, and even higher levels of metals were reported in the literature for certain oil and grit separators. With respect to individual BMPs, the severe pollution was found in sediments from oil and grit separators (for Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn), the stormwater clarifier sludge (Cu, Mn and Zn), a biofilter (Cu and Mn), an industrial area stormwater pond (Cu only), and a commercial/residential pond (Cr only). Finally, the chemical pollution of pond sediment triggered toxicity testing at some of the facilities studied, and sediment toxicity was confirmed at several sites.

High-rate stormwater clarification with polymeric flocculant addition.

Treatment of urban stormwater by clarification, with flocculant addition, was studied in Toronto, Canada using a pilot-scale clarifier with removable lamellar plates. Almost 90 stormwater runoff events were characterised at the study site and found fairly polluted. The previous research phase indicated good treatability of this stormwater by lamellar clarification with flocculant addition (total suspended solids, TSS, removal of 84%, at a surface load of 15 m/h), but there were concerns about cleaning plates after storm events. With the aid of numerical modelling, hydraulic improvements to the clarifier inlet zone were retrofitted in 2004 and permitted the removal of the lamellar pack without a loss in treatment efficiency. In the modified clarifier, a cationic polymeric flocculant dosage of 4 mg/L with conventional clarification provided a TSS removal of 77%, at surface loads up to 43 m/h. The use of the polymer did not increase the acute toxicity of the treated effluent. The clarifier sludge was severely polluted by several heavy metals and would require special disposal. The treatment process tested could be well applied in projects requiring intensive stormwater treatment at compact sites.

Urban drainage and highway runoff in cold climates: conference overview.

This overview of research findings presented at the conference on urban drainage and highway runoff in cold climates starts with generation of urban runoff and snowmelt, followed by snowmelt and winter runoff quality, best management practices for urban snowmelt and winter runoff, and snow management in urban areas. Research on the urban hydrological cycle is lagging behind the needs in this field, particularly in terms of data availability. The current studies of winter urban runoff quality focus on road salts in the urban environment and their environmental effects. The needs for better source controls in salt applications, improved management of chloride-laden runoff, and selective adoption of environmentally safer alternative de-icers were reported. Adaptation of the conventional stormwater best management practices (BMPs) for winter operation remains a challenge. The first step in refining the existing BMPs for winter operation is to advance the understanding of their operation, as reported for some cases at the conference. Finally, snow management in urban areas may require local storage of fresh (unpolluted) snow and disposal of more polluted snow at central snow disposal sites.

Review of operation of urban drainage systems in cold weather: water quality considerations.

Cold climate imposes special requirements on urban drainage systems, arising from extended storage of precipitation and pollutants in the catchment snowpack, processes occurring in the snowpack, and changes in catchment surface and transport network by snow and ice. Consequently, the resulting catchment response and runoff quantity differ from those experienced in snow- and ice-free seasons. Sources of pollutants entering urban snowpacks include airborne fallout, pavement and roadside deposits, and applications of de-icing and anti-skid agents. In the snowpack, snow, water and chemicals are subject to various processes, which affect their movement through the pack and eventual release during the melting process. Soluble constituents are flushed from the snowpack early during the melt; hydrophobic substances generally stay in the pack until the very end of melt and coarse solids with adsorbed pollutants stay on the ground after the melt is finished. The impacts of snowmelt on receiving waters have been measured mostly by the snowmelt chemical composition and inferences about its environmental significance. Recently, snowmelt has been tested by standard bioassays and often found toxic. Toxicity was attributed mostly to chloride and trace metals, and contributed to reduced diversity of benthic and plant communities. Thus, snowmelt and winter runoff discharged from urban drainage threaten aquatic ecosystems in many locations and require further studies with respect to advancing their understanding and development of best management practices.

Road salts in urban stormwater: an emerging issue in stormwater management in cold climates.

Potential impacts of road salting on the environment have increased by the introduction of certain stormwater management practices. Specific impacts are discussed for four such practices, infiltration facilities, oil and grit separators, stormwater ponds and constructed wetlands. The main concerns about the hazards of chloride-laden stormwater discharges include contamination of groundwater, leaching out of trace metals, densimetric stratification and poor vertical mixing in ponds, direct and indirect toxic effects, benthic drift and reduced biodiversity. The associated environmental risks need to be reduced by chloride source controls, and prevention of excessive chloride accumulations by appropriate design and operation of stormwater facilities in winter months.

Winter operation of an on-stream stormwater management pond.

The winter operation of an on-stream stormwater management pond in Kingston, Canada is characterised. The pond froze over in late November. Ice thickness varied from 0.2 to 0.5 m, and initially, was well described by Stefan's formula. The measured and modelled velocity field indicated a fast flow region, a small dead zone and a large recirculating zone. During a snowmelt event, near-bottom velocities reached 0.05 m x s(-1), but were not sufficient to scour the bottom sediment. Pond water temperature increased with depth, from 0.5 degrees C to 3.5 degrees C. The dissolved oxygen (DO) levels observed in the pond (6-13 mg x L(-1)) indicated stable aerobic conditions at the sediment-water interface. In one brief episode, DO fell to zero after a long cold spell. Reduction in DO readings from inlet to outlet indicated an oxygen consumption of about 1.7 kg x day(-1). pH ranged from 7.1 to 8.9. Conductivity readings indicated large quantities of total dissolved solids, representing mostly chloride from de-icing agents. During baseflow, conductivity increased with depth (total dissolved solids concentrations up to 1,200 mg x L(-1) near the bottom), indicating density stratification. Average trace metal concentrations were mostly below detection limits.

International report: Stormwater management.

An international survey of urban stormwater management (SWM) practice was conducted for IWA and produced contributions from 18 countries. The survey information was further expanded by a review of recent literature and summarised in this international report on SWM. The main findings of the survey include clear indications of a widespread interest in stormwater management and of the acceptance of a holistic approach to SWM promoting sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS). Specific implications of this philosophy include emphasis on source controls in SWM, transition from traditional "hard" infrastructures (drain pipes) to green infrastructures, needs for infrastructure maintenance and rehabilitation, formation of stormwater agencies (within larger integrated water agencies) with participation of both public and private sectors, and sustainable funding through drainage fees rather than general taxes. Further progress in this field requires targeted research and development, knowledge sharing, and above all, a high level of public participation in planning, implementing and operating stormwater management systems.

Critical issues for stormwater ponds: learning from a decade of research.

The Queen's University/National Water Research Institute Stormwater Quality Enhancement Group has been actively researching stormwater ponds for the past decade, using a fully instrumented on-line system in Kingston, Ontario, Canada as a representative field installation of this group of stormwater best management practices, along with comprehensive surveys of other facilities as well. From this body of research, the Group has concluded that there are a number of identifiable factors, termed critical issues, which will significantly influence the success, failure and sustainability of these BMPs. Such factors will be important to a very diverse group of stakeholders in stormwater management, including designers, owners/operators, regulatory authorities and the general public. These factors can be grouped within the categories of initial design, operation and maintenance, performance and adaptive design. From this work, it is concluded that the so-called first generation quantity-control ponds may be outdated today, compared with the modern focus on quantity and quality issues in the second generation systems; nonetheless, without consideration of these critical issues and flexible design practices which can account for emerging or future issues, the current systems also run the risk of becoming outdated before the end of their design lives.