Part 3
CHAPTER 13: IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION
13.1 Overview This chapter describes the potential sources of contamination within the Sweetwater Creek watershed. Identifying sources of contamination for the area will facilitate prioritization of water quality improvement alternatives for the Sweetwater Creek watershed.
13.1.1 Dairy Farms Dairy farming is an important part of Florida's agricultural industry. Milk and cattle sales from dairies contributed about $459 million to Florida's economy in 2001, about $45 million more than in 2000 (Geisy et al., 2003). However, some elements of today’s agriculture, such as dairy farms tend to contribute large amounts of nutrients (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) into the environment. According to the US EPA, agriculture was reported to be the most common pollutant of rivers and streams. Nutrients were identified to be among the five leading pollutants causing water quality impairments in lakes, streams, and estuaries of the U.S. (US EPA, 2002). While searching for potential sources of nutrients in the Sweetwater Creek watershed, we analyzed the existence and locations of dairy farms in the watershed. Eight dairy farm related facilities have been identified in the vicinity of Hillsborough County; however, none were located within the proximity to Sweetwater Creek watershed. Figure 13-1 shows a map of the Tampa Bay area designating dairy farms in the area. Table 13-1 shows the corresponding numbers from the map which gives the names and addresses of these dairy farms. While agriculture may still be a major contributor of nutrient pollution in the watershed and will be discussed in more detail in the next section of this chapter, dairy farms were not identified as major sources of pollution in the Sweetwater Creek watershed.
13-1
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION
Figure 13-1
Location Map of Dairy Farms Located in the Tampa Bay Area
Table 13-1
Dairy Farm Name and Address from Location Map
1
Sweetheart Dairy & Foods
5610 North 50th Street Tampa, FL 33610
2
Sunny Florida Dairy Inc
2209 North 40th Street Tampa, FL 33605
3
TG Lee Foods
4219 E 19th Avenue Tampa, FL 33605
4
Tower Dairy No 1
4221 78th Street South Tampa, FL 33619
5
Gustafson Dairy
8601 Harney Road Tampa, FL 33637
6
Sunny Florida Dairy
Adamo Drive and N 28th Street
7
Aprile Farms
11513 Balm Riverview Road
Tampa, FL 33605 Tampa, FL 33602 8
Aprile Farms
9914 Cowley Road Tampa, FL 33602
13-2
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
CHAPTER 13
13.1.2 High Pollutant Contributor Land Use Types Sweetwater Creek watershed exhibits extremely high concentrations of a number of different pollutants, mainly total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids. The highest contributor of total nitrogen appears to be Highway/Utility land use category, following by Agricultural, Commercial, High Density Residential, Institutional, and Light Industrial land use types. The highest contributors of total phosphorus are Agricultural and High Density Residential, while contribution of total suspended solids seems to depend largely on the presence of Highway/Utilities land use category. This information is summarized in Table 13-2. Table 13-2
High Pollutant Contributor Land Use Types per Individual Pollutants Total Nitrogen
Highway/Utility
X
Agricultural
X
Commercial
X
High Den. Residential
X
Institutional
X
Light Industrial
X
Total Phosphorus
Total Suspended Solids X
X
X
Figure 13-2 shows the distribution of high pollutant contributor land use types in the Sweetwater Creek watershed. It is evident from Figure 13-2 that the north of the watershed is dominated by the various developed land use types, such as high density residential and combination of commercial, institutional, and industrial. A consistent strip of commercial land use extends along such major highways as Anderson Road, Gunn Highway, and Dale Mabry Highway. The central part of the watershed is dominated by the high density residential land use, while the south shows existence of water and small areas of undeveloped land use.
13-3
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
Florida Ave
wy
Lake Magdalene Blvd
M ab ry H
Be ar
ss
Av e
Dal e
Ehrlich Rd
Dale Mab
w ry H
SWC
Fletcher Ave
Fletcher Ave
Wilsky Blvd
y n un G
Linebaugh Ave
Linebaugh Ave
Hw
Armenia Ave
d
Dale Mabry Hwy
nR
Veterans Expy
r so de
Sheldon Rd
y
An
Waters Ave
Busch Blvd
Hillsborough Ave
Legend AGRICULTURAL
COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, OR INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL HIGH DENSITY
0
3,000
6,000 Feet
TRANSPORTATION / UTILITIES
I-275 High Pollutant Contributor Land Use Types in the Sweetwater Creek Watershed
Figure 13-2
CHAPTER 13
Total Nitrogen
Total Nitrogen Loading Potential by Land Use and Hydrologic Group
As evident from the bar graph above, which shows the total nitrogen loading potential by various land use types and hydrologic groups, the majority of total nitrogen is contributed by the Highway/Utilities, residential, and other built-up land use categories. Figure 13-3 shows the visual correlation between land use types and high concentrations of total nitrogen. When comparing the TN LOS map with the land use distribution map, it is evident that with exception of the northern portion of the watershed, high concentrations of total nitrogen occur throughout the entire Sweetwater Creek watershed. Not surprisingly, the majority of the watershed is dominated by residential, institutional, commercial, light industrial, and transportation/utilities land uses. Sweetwater Creek watershed is a home to such major residential communities as Avila, Cameo Villas, Carrollwood Village, Greenmoor, Town’n’Country Park; and such corporate centers as Woodland Corporate Park, Tampa West Industrial Park, and Westlake Corporate Park. Some of the major highways passing through the watershed include Veterans Expressway, Anderson Road, Dale Mabry Highway, and Gunn Highway. The map of the LOS scores for total nitrogen correlates with land use distribution within the watershed. The areas dominated by highways/utilities residential, commercial, and institutional land uses are widespread throughout the watershed and correlate with the high levels of TN observed throughout the Sweetwater Creek watershed.
13-5
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION
Figure 13-3
Visual Correlation between Land Use and High Concentrations of TN
13-6
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
CHAPTER 13
Total Phosphorus
Total Phosphorus Loading Potential by Land Use and Hydrologic Group
Concentrations of high total phosphorus is greatly correlated with agricultural and high density residential land uses. While Sweetwater Creek does not contain much agriculture, it is largely dominated by various density residential land use types (Figure 13-2). When comparing the map of the total phosphorus level of service to the land use distribution map, the pattern can be observed (Figure 13-4). While concentrations of total phosphorus are high throughout the entire watershed, they appear to be lower in the northern part of the watershed, as well as individual subbasins occurring in the south and central parts of the watershed. As mentioned earlier, Sweetwater Creek watershed is dominated by residential and other developed land use types, which contribute large quantities of total phosphorus into surface water. On the other hand, this watershed encompasses a number of lakes, such as Lake Carroll, Lake Magdalene, Platt Lake, Chapman Lake, Byrd Lake, and many others. Areas covered by water do not contribute total phosphorus, and therefore subbasins containing lakes show lower contribution of total phosphorus that subbasins dominated by built-up land use types.
13-7
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION
Figure 13-4
Visual Correlation between Land Use and High Concentrations of TP
13-8
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
CHAPTER 13
Total Suspended Solids
Total Suspended Solids Loading Potential by Land Use and Hydrologic Group
Concentrations of total suspended solids are high in the Sweetwater Creek watershed. Not surprisingly, this watershed is dominated by the low/medium and high density residential land use types that contain a dense network of local roads. In addition, this watershed contains a number of major highways, such as Veterans Expressway, Gunn Highway, Dale Mabry Highway, Fletcher Avenue, Florida Avenue, and Nebraska Avenue. These roads bring large amounts of total suspended solids into surface waters. Figure 13-5 displays visual correlation between the TSS LOS scores and land uses that are known to contribute large amounts of contaminants. While concentrations of total suspended solids appear to be high throughout the entire Sweetwater Creek watershed, a number of smaller subbasins exhibit TSS LOS scores higher than F, in some cases, C, B, and even A. This may be explained by existence of water and other natural land use types within those basins, such as wetlands and upland forests. For example, subbasins located to the north of the watershed encompass Chapman Lake, as well as Avila Golf and Country Club community. This property contains areas designated as wetlands, therefore yielding lower TSS scores.
13-9
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION
Figure 13-5
Visual Correlation between Land Use and High Concentrations of TSS
13-10
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
CHAPTER 13
13.1.3 Other Contamination Sources - Brownfield Sites, Superfund sites, Sewage and Solid Waste Treatment Facilities Figure 13-6 shows there is one sewage treatment facility located within the Sweetwater Creek watershed. One solid waste treatment facility and one Superfund site are located within the watershed boundary. The solid waste treatment facility is a Class III landfill located near the Veterans Expressway and Benjamin Road, which has remained inactive since 1993. The Superfund site located within Sweetwater Creek watershed is Southern Solvents, Inc. and is located at 4109 West Linebaugh Avenue in Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida. From 1977 until 1985, Southern Solvents served as a distribution and retail point for tetrachloroethylene. After several leaks and spills of tetrachloroethylene occurred, while the tanks were being filled and emptied in 1989, the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services sampled the facility's drinking water well and several adjacent private drinking water wells. Elevated levels of tetrachloroethylene and the related compounds trichloroethylene and 1,2-dichloroethane were measured in the facility's well and four other wells. The Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services immediately advised people to discontinue using water from these wells and provided bottled water to the property owners and tenants for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Additional investigations in 1989, 1994, and 1998-1999 also detected high levels of tetrachloroethylene in soil and ground water. During the 1998-1999 investigation, EPA detected high concentrations of tetrachloroethylene in the soil (in excess of 10,000 mg/kg) and in ground water samples from both the surficial and Floridan aquifers underlying the facility and adjacent properties. Currently, EPA is considering various alternatives for this site (http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/land/site-desc-long.tcl?epa_id=FL0001209840). Also, a brownfield site is located within the watershed boundary. This brownfield site is located in the southeastern portion of the watershed at the corner of West Waters Avenue and North Himes Avenue (Figure 13-7). This 18-acre area was designated as a brownfield site on request of Honeywell International, Inc in 2006 (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/quick_topics/publications/wc/brownfields/resolutions/BF29060400 0_RES.pdf). See Appendix 13-1 for more detailed location and site information on these areas.
13-11
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
®
# * # *
75 I-2 ROCKY
Be a r ss
Ehrlich Rd
Av e
! .
# * Fletcher Ave Gu
nn
Hw
y
. !! .
" / ! . Benjamin Rd
Hanley Rd or
ia l
Hw
Hillsborough Ave Dale Mabry Hwy
Co u
em
d
M
son R
! .
Waters Ave Ander
Sheldon Rd
Waters Ave
am
pbe
ll C s
wy
Legend
" / Superfund Sites ! . Solid Waste Treatment Facilities Martin Luther King Blvd
y
0 3,0006,000 Feet
rtne yC
Himes Ave
# *
Tampa Bay Blvd
! .
# *
Sewage Treatment Facilities Brownfield Sites
Other Contamination Sources in the Sweetwater Creek Watershed
Figure 13-6
13.1 Overview This chapter describes the potential sources of contamination within the Sweetwater Creek watershed. Identifying sources of contamination for the area will facilitate prioritization of water quality improvement alternatives for the Sweetwater Creek watershed.
13.1.1 Dairy Farms Dairy farming is an important part of Florida's agricultural industry. Milk and cattle sales from dairies contributed about $459 million to Florida's economy in 2001, about $45 million more than in 2000 (Geisy et al., 2003). However, some elements of today’s agriculture, such as dairy farms tend to contribute large amounts of nutrients (primarily nitrogen and phosphorus) into the environment. According to the US EPA, agriculture was reported to be the most common pollutant of rivers and streams. Nutrients were identified to be among the five leading pollutants causing water quality impairments in lakes, streams, and estuaries of the U.S. (US EPA, 2002). While searching for potential sources of nutrients in the Sweetwater Creek watershed, we analyzed the existence and locations of dairy farms in the watershed. Eight dairy farm related facilities have been identified in the vicinity of Hillsborough County; however, none were located within the proximity to Sweetwater Creek watershed. Figure 13-1 shows a map of the Tampa Bay area designating dairy farms in the area. Table 13-1 shows the corresponding numbers from the map which gives the names and addresses of these dairy farms. While agriculture may still be a major contributor of nutrient pollution in the watershed and will be discussed in more detail in the next section of this chapter, dairy farms were not identified as major sources of pollution in the Sweetwater Creek watershed.
13-1
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION
Figure 13-1
Location Map of Dairy Farms Located in the Tampa Bay Area
Table 13-1
Dairy Farm Name and Address from Location Map
1
Sweetheart Dairy & Foods
5610 North 50th Street Tampa, FL 33610
2
Sunny Florida Dairy Inc
2209 North 40th Street Tampa, FL 33605
3
TG Lee Foods
4219 E 19th Avenue Tampa, FL 33605
4
Tower Dairy No 1
4221 78th Street South Tampa, FL 33619
5
Gustafson Dairy
8601 Harney Road Tampa, FL 33637
6
Sunny Florida Dairy
Adamo Drive and N 28th Street
7
Aprile Farms
11513 Balm Riverview Road
Tampa, FL 33605 Tampa, FL 33602 8
Aprile Farms
9914 Cowley Road Tampa, FL 33602
13-2
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
CHAPTER 13
13.1.2 High Pollutant Contributor Land Use Types Sweetwater Creek watershed exhibits extremely high concentrations of a number of different pollutants, mainly total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and total suspended solids. The highest contributor of total nitrogen appears to be Highway/Utility land use category, following by Agricultural, Commercial, High Density Residential, Institutional, and Light Industrial land use types. The highest contributors of total phosphorus are Agricultural and High Density Residential, while contribution of total suspended solids seems to depend largely on the presence of Highway/Utilities land use category. This information is summarized in Table 13-2. Table 13-2
High Pollutant Contributor Land Use Types per Individual Pollutants Total Nitrogen
Highway/Utility
X
Agricultural
X
Commercial
X
High Den. Residential
X
Institutional
X
Light Industrial
X
Total Phosphorus
Total Suspended Solids X
X
X
Figure 13-2 shows the distribution of high pollutant contributor land use types in the Sweetwater Creek watershed. It is evident from Figure 13-2 that the north of the watershed is dominated by the various developed land use types, such as high density residential and combination of commercial, institutional, and industrial. A consistent strip of commercial land use extends along such major highways as Anderson Road, Gunn Highway, and Dale Mabry Highway. The central part of the watershed is dominated by the high density residential land use, while the south shows existence of water and small areas of undeveloped land use.
13-3
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
Florida Ave
wy
Lake Magdalene Blvd
M ab ry H
Be ar
ss
Av e
Dal e
Ehrlich Rd
Dale Mab
w ry H
SWC
Fletcher Ave
Fletcher Ave
Wilsky Blvd
y n un G
Linebaugh Ave
Linebaugh Ave
Hw
Armenia Ave
d
Dale Mabry Hwy
nR
Veterans Expy
r so de
Sheldon Rd
y
An
Waters Ave
Busch Blvd
Hillsborough Ave
Legend AGRICULTURAL
COMMERCIAL, INSTITUTIONAL, OR INDUSTRIAL RESIDENTIAL HIGH DENSITY
0
3,000
6,000 Feet
TRANSPORTATION / UTILITIES
I-275 High Pollutant Contributor Land Use Types in the Sweetwater Creek Watershed
Figure 13-2
CHAPTER 13
Total Nitrogen
Total Nitrogen Loading Potential by Land Use and Hydrologic Group
As evident from the bar graph above, which shows the total nitrogen loading potential by various land use types and hydrologic groups, the majority of total nitrogen is contributed by the Highway/Utilities, residential, and other built-up land use categories. Figure 13-3 shows the visual correlation between land use types and high concentrations of total nitrogen. When comparing the TN LOS map with the land use distribution map, it is evident that with exception of the northern portion of the watershed, high concentrations of total nitrogen occur throughout the entire Sweetwater Creek watershed. Not surprisingly, the majority of the watershed is dominated by residential, institutional, commercial, light industrial, and transportation/utilities land uses. Sweetwater Creek watershed is a home to such major residential communities as Avila, Cameo Villas, Carrollwood Village, Greenmoor, Town’n’Country Park; and such corporate centers as Woodland Corporate Park, Tampa West Industrial Park, and Westlake Corporate Park. Some of the major highways passing through the watershed include Veterans Expressway, Anderson Road, Dale Mabry Highway, and Gunn Highway. The map of the LOS scores for total nitrogen correlates with land use distribution within the watershed. The areas dominated by highways/utilities residential, commercial, and institutional land uses are widespread throughout the watershed and correlate with the high levels of TN observed throughout the Sweetwater Creek watershed.
13-5
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION
Figure 13-3
Visual Correlation between Land Use and High Concentrations of TN
13-6
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
CHAPTER 13
Total Phosphorus
Total Phosphorus Loading Potential by Land Use and Hydrologic Group
Concentrations of high total phosphorus is greatly correlated with agricultural and high density residential land uses. While Sweetwater Creek does not contain much agriculture, it is largely dominated by various density residential land use types (Figure 13-2). When comparing the map of the total phosphorus level of service to the land use distribution map, the pattern can be observed (Figure 13-4). While concentrations of total phosphorus are high throughout the entire watershed, they appear to be lower in the northern part of the watershed, as well as individual subbasins occurring in the south and central parts of the watershed. As mentioned earlier, Sweetwater Creek watershed is dominated by residential and other developed land use types, which contribute large quantities of total phosphorus into surface water. On the other hand, this watershed encompasses a number of lakes, such as Lake Carroll, Lake Magdalene, Platt Lake, Chapman Lake, Byrd Lake, and many others. Areas covered by water do not contribute total phosphorus, and therefore subbasins containing lakes show lower contribution of total phosphorus that subbasins dominated by built-up land use types.
13-7
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION
Figure 13-4
Visual Correlation between Land Use and High Concentrations of TP
13-8
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
CHAPTER 13
Total Suspended Solids
Total Suspended Solids Loading Potential by Land Use and Hydrologic Group
Concentrations of total suspended solids are high in the Sweetwater Creek watershed. Not surprisingly, this watershed is dominated by the low/medium and high density residential land use types that contain a dense network of local roads. In addition, this watershed contains a number of major highways, such as Veterans Expressway, Gunn Highway, Dale Mabry Highway, Fletcher Avenue, Florida Avenue, and Nebraska Avenue. These roads bring large amounts of total suspended solids into surface waters. Figure 13-5 displays visual correlation between the TSS LOS scores and land uses that are known to contribute large amounts of contaminants. While concentrations of total suspended solids appear to be high throughout the entire Sweetwater Creek watershed, a number of smaller subbasins exhibit TSS LOS scores higher than F, in some cases, C, B, and even A. This may be explained by existence of water and other natural land use types within those basins, such as wetlands and upland forests. For example, subbasins located to the north of the watershed encompass Chapman Lake, as well as Avila Golf and Country Club community. This property contains areas designated as wetlands, therefore yielding lower TSS scores.
13-9
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
IDENTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL SOURCES OF CONTAMINATION
Figure 13-5
Visual Correlation between Land Use and High Concentrations of TSS
13-10
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
CHAPTER 13
13.1.3 Other Contamination Sources - Brownfield Sites, Superfund sites, Sewage and Solid Waste Treatment Facilities Figure 13-6 shows there is one sewage treatment facility located within the Sweetwater Creek watershed. One solid waste treatment facility and one Superfund site are located within the watershed boundary. The solid waste treatment facility is a Class III landfill located near the Veterans Expressway and Benjamin Road, which has remained inactive since 1993. The Superfund site located within Sweetwater Creek watershed is Southern Solvents, Inc. and is located at 4109 West Linebaugh Avenue in Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida. From 1977 until 1985, Southern Solvents served as a distribution and retail point for tetrachloroethylene. After several leaks and spills of tetrachloroethylene occurred, while the tanks were being filled and emptied in 1989, the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services sampled the facility's drinking water well and several adjacent private drinking water wells. Elevated levels of tetrachloroethylene and the related compounds trichloroethylene and 1,2-dichloroethane were measured in the facility's well and four other wells. The Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services immediately advised people to discontinue using water from these wells and provided bottled water to the property owners and tenants for drinking, cooking, and bathing. Additional investigations in 1989, 1994, and 1998-1999 also detected high levels of tetrachloroethylene in soil and ground water. During the 1998-1999 investigation, EPA detected high concentrations of tetrachloroethylene in the soil (in excess of 10,000 mg/kg) and in ground water samples from both the surficial and Floridan aquifers underlying the facility and adjacent properties. Currently, EPA is considering various alternatives for this site (http://www.scorecard.org/env-releases/land/site-desc-long.tcl?epa_id=FL0001209840). Also, a brownfield site is located within the watershed boundary. This brownfield site is located in the southeastern portion of the watershed at the corner of West Waters Avenue and North Himes Avenue (Figure 13-7). This 18-acre area was designated as a brownfield site on request of Honeywell International, Inc in 2006 (http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/quick_topics/publications/wc/brownfields/resolutions/BF29060400 0_RES.pdf). See Appendix 13-1 for more detailed location and site information on these areas.
13-11
Sweetwater Creek Watershed Management Plan
®
# * # *
75 I-2 ROCKY
Be a r ss
Ehrlich Rd
Av e
! .
# * Fletcher Ave Gu
nn
Hw
y
. !! .
" / ! . Benjamin Rd
Hanley Rd or
ia l
Hw
Hillsborough Ave Dale Mabry Hwy
Co u
em
d
M
son R
! .
Waters Ave Ander
Sheldon Rd
Waters Ave
am
pbe
ll C s
wy
Legend
" / Superfund Sites ! . Solid Waste Treatment Facilities Martin Luther King Blvd
y
0 3,0006,000 Feet
rtne yC
Himes Ave
# *
Tampa Bay Blvd
! .
# *
Sewage Treatment Facilities Brownfield Sites
Other Contamination Sources in the Sweetwater Creek Watershed
Figure 13-6
