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Nutrient Loadings to Streams of the Continental United States from Municipal and Industrial Effluent†
Article first published online: 22 AUG 2011
DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00576.x
© 2011 American Water Resources Association. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA
Issue
JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association
Volume 47, Issue 5, pages 950–964, October 2011
Additional Information
How to Cite
Maupin, M. A. and Ivahnenko, T. (2011), Nutrient Loadings to Streams of the Continental United States from Municipal and Industrial Effluent. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 47: 950–964. doi: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00576.x
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Publication History
- Issue published online: 10 OCT 2011
- Article first published online: 22 AUG 2011
- Received October 6, 2010; accepted March 17, 2011.
Keywords:
- point source;
- nutrients;
- loads;
- major river basins;
- water quality;
- wastewater
Maupin, Molly A. and Tamara Ivahnenko, 2011. Nutrient Loadings to Streams of the Continental United States From Municipal and Industrial Effluent. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(5):950-964. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00576.x
Abstract: Data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Permit Compliance System national database were used to calculate annual total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads to surface waters from municipal and industrial facilities in six major regions of the United States for 1992, 1997, and 2002. Concentration and effluent flow data were examined for approximately 118,250 facilities in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Inconsistent and incomplete discharge locations, effluent flows, and effluent nutrient concentrations limited the use of these data for calculating nutrient loads. More concentrations were reported for major facilities, those discharging more than 1 million gallons per day, than for minor facilities, and more concentrations were reported for TP than for TN. Analytical methods to check and improve the quality of the Permit Compliance System data were used. Annual loads were calculated using “typical pollutant concentrations” to supplement missing concentrations based on the type and size of facilities. Annual nutrient loads for over 26,600 facilities were calculated for at least one of the three years. Sewage systems represented 74% of all TN loads and 58% of all TP loads. This work represents an initial set of data to develop a comprehensive and consistent national database of point-source nutrient loads. These loads can be used to inform a wide range of water-quality management, watershed modeling, and research efforts at multiple scales.