Missouri Water Science Center
By Donald H. Wilkison, Daniel J. Armstrong, and Dale W. Blevins, U.S. Geological Survey
Prepared in cooperation with the City of Kansas City, Missouri, Water Services Department
Samples were collected from 16 base-flow events and a minimum of 10 stormflow events between July 1998 and October 2000 to characterize the effects of wastewater and combined sewer overflows on water quality in the Blue River Basin, Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas. Water-quality effects were determined by analysis of nutrients, chloride, chemical and biochemical oxygen demand, and suspended sediment samples from three streams (Blue River, Brush Creek, and Indian Creek) in the basin as well as the determination of a suite of compounds known to be indicative of wastewater including antioxidants, caffeine, detergent metabolites, antimicrobials, and selected over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals. Constituent loads were determined for both hydrologic regimes and a measure of the relative water-quality impact of selected stream reaches on the Blue River and Brush Creek was developed. Genetic fingerprint patterns of Escherichia coli bacteria from selected stream samples were compared to a data base of known-source patterns to determine possible sources of bacteria.
Water quality in the basin was affected by wastewater during both base flows and stormflows; however, there were two distinct sources that contributed to these effects. In the Blue River and Indian Creek, the nearly continuous discharge of treated wastewater effluent was the primary source of nutrients, wastewater indicator compounds, and pharmaceutical compounds detected in stream samples. Wastewater inputs into Brush Creek were largely the result of intermittent stormflow events that triggered the overflow of combined storm and sanitary sewers, and the subsequent discharge of untreated wastewater into the creek. A portion of the sediment, organic matter, and associated constituents from these events were trapped by a series of impoundments constructed along Brush Creek where they likely continued to affect water quality during base flow.
Concentrations and loads of most wastewater constituents in the Blue River and Indian Creek were significantly greater than in Brush Creek, especially during base flow. However, wastewater indicator compound concentrations were sometimes greater in some Brush Creek stormflow samples. Selected stream reaches along the mid-portion of Brush Creek showed higher effects relative to other sites, primarily because these sites were in impounded reaches with the greatest density of wastewater inputs, or had relatively small drainage areas.
Abstract
Introduction
Purpose and Scope
Acknowledgements
Description of Study Area
Methods
Sampling Protocol
Statistical Analyses
Quality Control and Assurance
Water Quality
Wastewater Indicator Compounds and Wastewater Treatment Removal Efficiencies
Base-Flow Water Quality
Physical Properties
Nutrients
Wastewater Indicator Compounds
Antioxidants
Caffeine and Cotinine
Sterols and Stanols
Phenols and Detergent Metabolites
Antimicrobials
Insect Repellents
Flame Retardants
Insecticides
PAH’s
Additional Wastewater Indicators During Base Flow
Pharmaceutical Compounds
Bacteria and Bacterial Sources
Stormflow Water Quality
Nutrients in Stormflow
Wastewater Indicator Compounds
Antioxidants
Caffeine and Cotinine
Sterols and Stanols
Phenols and Detergent Compounds
Antimicrobials
Insect Repellents
Flame Retardants
Insecticides
PAH’s
Relative Hydrograph Contributions of Constituents
Yields and Relative Water-Quality Impact Rankings
Summary
References
1. Map showing location of study area and sampling sites
2. Graphs showing mean daily discharge for Blue River near Kansas City (site 5) and Brush Creek at Ward Parkway (site 7) from October 1997 through September 2000
3. Graphs showing specific conductance, pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity beginning August 1998 through September 2000
4. Quantile-quantile plots showing quality assurance data
5—7. Boxplots showing:
5. Total nitrogen concentration by site and the percentage of the total nitrogen derived from nitrate by stream (inset) in base-flow samples
6. Total phosphorus concentration by site and the percentage of the total phosphorus that is orthophosphate by stream (inset) in base-flow samples
7. Total nonionic detergent concentration by site and stream (inset) in base-flow samples
8. Graphs showing concentrations and loads of selected pharmaceutical compounds in base-flow samples
9. Trilinear diagrams showing percentage of similarity between ribosomnal patterns of Escherichia coli isolates from water samples at three sites when compared against three possible hosts (dog, goose, or human)
10.—13. Boxplots showing:
10. Number of wastewater indicator compounds detected in base-flow and stormflow samples at each site
11. Sum of loads (A) and sum of concentrations (B) for wastewater indicator compounds in storm hydrograph segments
12. Yield of selected constituents in base-flow samples
13. Yield of selected constituents in stormflow samples
This report is available online in Portable Document Format (PDF). If you do not have the Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader, it is available for free download from Adobe Systems Incorporated..
View entire report in PDF format (11.3 MB)
Document Accessibility: Adobe Systems Incorporated has information about PDFs and the visually impaired. This information provides tools to help make PDF files accessible. These tools and the accessible reader may be obtained free from Adobe at Adobe Access.
For more information about USGS activities in Missouri contact:
Director
U.S. Geological Survey
Missouri Water Science Center
1400 Independence Road
Rolla, Missouri 65401
Telephone: (573) 308-3667
Fax: (573) 308-3645
or access the USGS Missouri Water Science Center home page at: http://mo.water.usgs.gov/.
| AccessibilityFOIAPrivacyPolicies and Notices | |
| U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Persistent URL: https://pubs.water.usgs.gov/wri02-4107 Page Contact Information: Publications Team Page Last Modified: Wednesday, 07-Dec-2016 13:14:53 EST |
  |
