Sources of pollutants in Wisconsin stormwater

R.T. Bannerman; David W. Owens; R.B. Dodds; Nancy J. Hornewer

doi:10.2166/wst.1993.0426

Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · 70157531

Sources of pollutants in Wisconsin stormwater

R.T. Bannerman·David W. Owens·R.B. Dodds·Nancy J. Hornewer

View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Rainfall runoff samples were collected from streets, parking lots, roofs, driveways, and lawns. These five source areas are located in residential, commercial, and industrial land uses in Madison, Wisconsin. Solids, phosphorus, and heavy metals loads were determined for all the source areas using measured concentrations and runoff volumes estimated by the Source Load and Management Model. Source areas with relatively large contaminant loads were identified as critical source areas for each land use. Streets are critical source areas for most contaminants in all the land uses. Parking lots are critical in the commercial and industrial land uses. Lawns and driveways contribute large phosphorus loads in the residential land use. Roofs produce significant zinc loads in the commercial and industrial land uses. Identification of critical source areas could reduce the amount of area needing best-management practices in two areas of Madison, Wisconsin. Targeting best-management practices to 14% of the residential area and 40% of the industrial area could significantly reduce contaminant loads by up to 75%.

Explore related subjects

Water Science and Technology Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 43.02974913459804° to 43.11752534252065° latitude; -89.49188232421875° to -89.31541442871094° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

R.T. Bannerman, David W. Owens, R.B. Dodds, Nancy J. Hornewer. 1993. Sources of pollutants in Wisconsin stormwater. https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.1993.0426

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2010

Cladophora in the Great Lakes: Impacts on beach water quality and human health

Cladophora in the Great Lakes grows rapidly during the warm summer months, detaches, and becomes free-floating mats as a result of environmental conditions, eventually becoming stranded on recreational beaches. Cladophora provides protection and nutrients, which allow enteric bacteria such as Escherichia coli , enterococci, Shigella , Campylobacter , and Salmonella to persist and potentially regrow in the presence of the algae. As a result of wind and wave action, these microorganisms can detach and be released to surrounding waters and can influence water quality. Enteric bacterial pathogens have been detected in Cladophora mats; E. coli and enterococci may populate to become part of the naturalized microbiota in Cladophora ; the high densities of these bacteria may affect water quality, resulting in unnecessary beach closures. The continued use of traditional fecal indicators at beaches with Cladophora presence is inadequate at accurately predicting the presence of fecal contamination. This paper offers a substantial review of available literature to improve the knowledge of Cladophora impacts on water quality, recreational water monitoring, fecal indicator bacteria and microorganisms, and public health and policy.

Water Science and Technology↗

USGS2009

Investigation of river eutrophication as part of a low dissolved oxygen total maximum daily load implementation

In the United States, environmentally impaired rivers are subject to regulation under total maximum daily load (TMDL) regulations that specify watershed wide water quality standards. In California, the setting of TMDL standards is accompanied by the development of scientific and management plans directed at achieving specific water quality objectives. The San Joaquin River (SJR) in the Central Valley of California now has a TMDL for dissolved oxygen (DO). Low DO conditions in the SJR are caused in part by excessive phytoplankton growth (eutrophication) in the shallow, upstream portion of the river that create oxygen demand in the deeper estuary. This paper reports on scientific studies that were conducted to develop a mass balance on nutrients and phytoplankton in the SJR. A mass balance model was developed using WARMF, a model specifically designed for use in TMDL management applications. It was demonstrated that phytoplankton biomass accumulates rapidly in a 88 km reach where plankton from small, slow moving tributaries are diluted and combined with fresh nutrient inputs in faster moving water. The SJR-WARMF model was demonstrated to accurately predict phytoplankton growth in the SJR. Model results suggest that modest reductions in nutrients alone will not limit algal biomass accumulation, but that combined strategies of nutrient reduction and algal control in tributaries may have benefit. The SJR-WARMF model provides stakeholders a practical, scientific tool for setting remediation priorities on a watershed scale.

Water Science and Technology↗

USGS2004

Indigenous soil bacteria and low moisture may limit but allow faecal bacteria to multiply and become a minor population in tropical soils

The soil environment in Hawaii is generally characterised as sub-optimal but permissive to support the in situ growth of E. coli and enterococci. However, soil desiccation and competition for nutrients by major indigenous soil microflora have been identified as potential factors that could limit a rapid and continual growth of faecal indicator bacteria in this soil environment. Despite these limitations, the genetic capacities of E. coli and enterococci are robust enough to enable these bacteria to become established as minor populations of Hawaii's soil microflora. Although the concentrations of E. coli and enterococci may have represented a fraction of the total soil microbiota, their presence in this habitat was very significant, for two important reasons: (a) soil was a major environmental source of E. coli and enterococci, and (b) the elevated counts of these bacteria in streams that routinely exceeded the EPA standards were due to run-off from soil. As a result, E. coli and enterococci were inadequate indicators to measure the degree of faecal contamination and potential presence of sewage-borne pathogens in Hawaiian streams.

Hawaii↗