Statistical Analyses and Modeling

• San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Oceanside WWTP

Discharge of wastewater from treatment plants to the open ocean is a common practice in coastal zones. The Oceanside WWTP discharges effluent 4.5 miles offshore through the Southwest Ocean Outfall. As a requirement of their discharge permit, the SFPUC is required to sample sediment, fish, and benthic macroinvertebrates in the vicinity of the outfall and at other locations along the coast. The fish and macroinvertebrate communities in the vicinity of the outfall are compared to communities from reference sites to determine if the outfall is impacting the biota.

MLJ-LLC is contracted to analyze the sediment physical characteristics, sediment chemistry, and the fish and invertebrate community data to assist SFPUC in developing the documentation necessary to comply with their NPDES discharge permit. The analyses involve a range of tests including sophisticated statistical techniques that integrate multiple types of data to evaluate potential impacts.