Continuous Surrogate Monitoring for Pollutant Load Estimation in Urban Water Systems
Location
USU Eccles Conference Center
Event Website
http://water.usu.edu
Start Date
4-5-2016 4:36 PM
End Date
4-5-2016 4:39 PM
Description
Water quality in urban streams and stormwater systems is highly dynamic. In-stream concentrations of common pollutants, such as total suspended solids (TSS) and total phosphorus (TP), can change drastically during storm events. Continuous and unbiased pollutant load estimates require water quality and quantity measurements at a frequency less than or equal to the watershed’s response time, which may be on the order of minutes. Thus, infrequent water quality grab samples, commonly collected for making pollutant load estimates, are insufficient in many urban water systems subject to dynamic stormwater inputs. Additionally, laboratory costs and logistic constraints make the collection of grab samples for continuous load estimates during intense and flashy storm events nearly impossible. For this reason, the number of studies using in-situ water quality measurements as surrogate indicators for pollutant concentrations (e.g., using turbidity as a surrogate for TSS and TP concentrations) has been on the rise. However, relatively few of these studies have tested the utility of surrogate indicators in water systems impacted by urban stormwater runoff. In addition to the temporal variability, the spatial variability in nonpoint source pollutant loads must be considered for accurate pollutant load estimates, especially in the case of land use change and future development scenarios. In this presentation we will describe a new continuous monitoring effort and urban water observatory aimed at addressing these challenges and testing the use of surrogate monitoring techniques in urban water systems. We will describe the installation and instrumentation of multiple autonomous water quality and quantity monitoring sites within the urban observatory. Instrumented stormwater outfalls monitoring at the subcatchment scale allow for event detection, quantification, and monitoring the temporal variability of pollutant loads. Upstream and downstream ends of a combined agricultural/stormwater conveyance have been monitored to observe changes to flows and pollutant concentrations during storm event conditions. We will also describe smart and adaptive sampling procedures that we have implemented to improve surrogate relationships and the development of continuous estimates of pollutant loads in urban watersheds.
Continuous Surrogate Monitoring for Pollutant Load Estimation in Urban Water Systems
USU Eccles Conference Center
Water quality in urban streams and stormwater systems is highly dynamic. In-stream concentrations of common pollutants, such as total suspended solids (TSS) and total phosphorus (TP), can change drastically during storm events. Continuous and unbiased pollutant load estimates require water quality and quantity measurements at a frequency less than or equal to the watershed’s response time, which may be on the order of minutes. Thus, infrequent water quality grab samples, commonly collected for making pollutant load estimates, are insufficient in many urban water systems subject to dynamic stormwater inputs. Additionally, laboratory costs and logistic constraints make the collection of grab samples for continuous load estimates during intense and flashy storm events nearly impossible. For this reason, the number of studies using in-situ water quality measurements as surrogate indicators for pollutant concentrations (e.g., using turbidity as a surrogate for TSS and TP concentrations) has been on the rise. However, relatively few of these studies have tested the utility of surrogate indicators in water systems impacted by urban stormwater runoff. In addition to the temporal variability, the spatial variability in nonpoint source pollutant loads must be considered for accurate pollutant load estimates, especially in the case of land use change and future development scenarios. In this presentation we will describe a new continuous monitoring effort and urban water observatory aimed at addressing these challenges and testing the use of surrogate monitoring techniques in urban water systems. We will describe the installation and instrumentation of multiple autonomous water quality and quantity monitoring sites within the urban observatory. Instrumented stormwater outfalls monitoring at the subcatchment scale allow for event detection, quantification, and monitoring the temporal variability of pollutant loads. Upstream and downstream ends of a combined agricultural/stormwater conveyance have been monitored to observe changes to flows and pollutant concentrations during storm event conditions. We will also describe smart and adaptive sampling procedures that we have implemented to improve surrogate relationships and the development of continuous estimates of pollutant loads in urban watersheds.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/runoff/2016/2016Posters/3
Comments
A poster by Anthony Melcher, who is with Utah State University, UWRL, Civil and Environmental Engineering