To assist the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (Commission) with improving water quality conveyed via its stormwater system, Kleinfelder provided data from a robust stormwater flow and water quality monitoring project, an assessment of the water quality improvements realized from 1998 to present day, and a predictive water quality reporting tool.

Improving Stormwater Quality

Over the years, the Commission has aggressively pursued illicit discharge detection and elimination (IDDE) of unauthorized connections to its stormwater system and instituted green infrastructure (GI) installation requirements through their site plan review process. Both efforts are focused on improving the quality of water discharged to receiving waters from their stormwater system. Water quality data is required to demonstrate water quality improvements and to focus future planning efforts.

Data Used to Evaluate Water Quality Improvements

Kleinfelder developed a comprehensive dry and wet weather sampling program to provide water quality data under various weather conditions and across diverse land uses to determine accuracy of the Commission’s stormwater quality model. The Commission can use the model to present changes and evaluate predictions in water quality. A unique GIS-based reporting tool was developed to demonstrate cumulative stormwater improvements across individual Commission stormwater reporting areas and a summary across the entire stormwater system.

Project Results

Water quality model results indicated significant pollutant load reductions since 2012. The GIS-based Pollutant Load Reduction Reporting Tool includes the stormwater quality improvements from IDDE and over 2,000 GI projects and demonstrates the target load reduction, reduction-to-date, and the load remaining to achieve the target reduction per stormwater reporting area.

Project Details

Location:
Boston, MA
Owner:
Boston Water and Sewer Commission