Defending a Beach from Bacteria
Stormwater Treatment at Venice Beach
2016 Florida Stormwater Association Annual Conference
Presented by
James Clinch, P. E., City of Venice
Gary Serviss, VHB
June 15, 2016
PROJECT
LOCATION
PROJECT
LOCATION
BEACH STORMWATER OUTFALLS




Safety
Maintenance
Public Perception
Stormwater Discharges
VENICE BEACH
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
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
Popular Public Recreational Beach
Directly adjacent to Stormwater Outfall 1
Recurring Bacteria Issues
Dry Season (Dec. – May)
VENICE BEACH




Numerous “No Swim” Advisories Issued
2011 – 34 days of “No Swim”
Spring Break
Media Blitz, Tourism, Property Values, Political
BACTERIA SOURCE TRACKING
 Upstream Pipe & Manhole Inspections
 Abandoned Pipe Removal
 Sanitary Sewer Inspections
 Bacteria & DNA Sampling
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
 Minimize the Bacteria
Loads to the Gulf
 Reduce Nutrient &
Sediment Loads
 Integrate into Existing
Stormwater System &
Surrounding
Neighborhood
#1
#2
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS
 Traditional Treatment
– Limited Space
 Deep Water Discharge
#1
– Hard Bottom, $$$
 Ultra-Violet Treatment
– Expensive O&M
 Sanitary Sewer Diversion
– Low Flows, Sewer Fees
#2
ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS
 Traditional Treatment
– Limited Space
 Deep Water Discharge
#1
– Hard Bottom, $$$
 Ultra-Violet Treatment
– Expensive O&M
 Sanitary Sewer Diversion
– Low Flows, Sewer Fees
 In Dune Treatment
#2
DESIGN – DUNE TREATMENT
 City Owned Right-of-Way
 Project Budget of $500,000
DESIGN – DUNE TREATMENT
 Diversion Pump at Outfall #1 into Treatment System
DESIGN – DUNE TREATMENT
 Exfiltration Trench – 500 LF
DESIGN – DUNE TREATMENT
 Planted Bio-Swale – 500 LF
 Diversion Pump at Outfall #2
PROJECT GRANTS
 SWFWMD COOPERATIVE FUNDING GRANT
 EPA SECTION 319 GRANT
PROJECT CHALLENGES
 Permitting
– FDEP Coastal Construction Control Line
– SWFWMD ERP
 Intense Public Opposition
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Aesthetics – Ugly Stormwater Ponds
Beach View Obstructions
Beach Access Obstructions
Pump Noise
Odor from Standing Water
Mosquitos
Environmental Impacts
PROJECT CHALLENGES
 Media Opposition
– SWFWMD Permit Legally Challenged
– City Ownership Legally Challenged
PR STRATEGY
 Minor Adjustments to Design
 Numerous Community Workshops
 One-on-One Meetings
 Successful: 8 Month Project Delay
– Attorney Fees & Staff Time
CONSTRUCTION!
 Broke Ground December 2014
CONSTRUCTION!
 Bio-swale Installation
CONSTRUCTION!
 Exfiltration Trench Installation
CONSTRUCTION!
 Exfiltration Trench Installation
CONSTRUCTION!
 Pump Station #1 Installation
CONSTRUCTION!
 Pump Station #1 Installation
CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES
 PEAK TOURIST SEASON
 BEACH NOURISHMENT & UTILITY PROJECTS
 ABANDONED SEWER LIFT STATION
PROJECT COMPLETION
 Lift Station #1
PROJECT COMPLETION
 Completed Lift Station #1
PROJECT COMPLETION
 Completed Lift Station #2
PROJECT COMPLETION
 Completed Bio-Swale w/Plantings
PROJECT COMPLETION
 Completed Exfiltration Trench
SYSTEM OPERATION
 Placed into Operation May 2015
SYSTEM OPERATION
 Bio-Swales in Action
SYSTEM OPERATION
 Bio-Swales in Action
Monitoring Program
 Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)
 Storm Event Monitoring (10)
 Rainfall Threshold (0.2”)
 Sample Inflow and Outflow
 EMC and Volume
Monitoring
Station
Locations
Inflow
Station
Outflow
Station
Technical Challenges
 Small Watershed
 Short Sampling
Window
 Enclosed System
 Limited
Stage/discharge
relationship
 Duals pumps
Solution
 Pace based on pump
duration
 Tie into electric panel
 Program Volume
Equipment
Design
Equipment Design
Equipment Design
Outflow
Design
Remote Communication
 Web access
 Real time data - Rainfall, pump activation, ISCO
subsamples
 Manipulate programming
Rainfall
Figure 3-1. Average Total Daily Rainfall
3.00
Site Rainfall
Local Weather*
2.50
Precipitation (in)
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00
Discharge
Figure 3-3. Daily Discharge from Station 1
30.0
Volume (thousands of cubic feet)
25.0
20.0
15.0
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
10.0
5.0
0.0
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE] [CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
[CELLRANGE]
Water Quality Results
Parameter
Total Nitrogen
Total Phosphorus
Total Suspended Solids
Fecal Coliform
Enterococci
Average EMC
Inflow Outflow Change
0.778
0.150
21.8
3,430
30
0.496
0.561
1.2
2,145
<10
36%
-274%
94%
37%
83%
Loads and Load Removal
Parameter
Total Nitrogen (kg)
Total Phosphorus (kg)
Total Suspended Solids (kg)
Fecal Coliform (Mcol)
Enterococci (Mcol)
Inflow
5.79
1.12
162.1
2,556
1,598
Total Load
Outflow Removed
0.091
0.10
0.221
6
0.9
5.70
1.02
161.9
2,551
1597.1
Removal Efficiency
Parameter
Total Nitrogen
Total Phosphorus
Total Suspended Solids
Fecal Coliform
Enterococci
Removal Efficiency
98%
91%
100%
100%
100%
Recommendations
 Evaluate the potential sources of
secondary pollutant loading.
 Evaluate the potential to increase
the volume of water reaching the
BMP and/or the bioretention
swale.
OPERATION & MAINTENANCE
 Over 1 Year of
Successful Operation
 Maintenance Occurring
– Quarterly on Pump
Stations
– Bi-Annually on
Cleanout Manholes
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
 Minimize the Bacteria Loads to the Gulf
– Achieved: High efficiency removal of
Enterococci Indicator Bacteria
– Bacteria diverted to treatment system,
reducing occurrence of “No Swim”
Advisory and Protecting Public Health
 Reduce Nutrients & Sediment Loads
– Partially Achieved: High efficiency
removal, however diversion volume could
be increased to provide higher removal
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
 Integrate into Existing Stormwater System
& Surrounding Neighborhood
– Achieved: Angry Mob has Dispersed!
– Final product very well received by local
community.
CONCLUSION
 In-Dune Stormwater Treatment very successful
for Venice Beach
 We have not had a Beach Advisory since the
system has been operational
 Never too early to get ahead of Public Opinion!
• PROJECT Q & A
James R. Clinch | jclinch@venicegov.com | 941.284.6990
www.vhb.com
Gary Serviss | gserviss@vhb.com | 941.256.7151
Offices located throughout the east coast