Application Note: Employing Best Water Quality Monitoring Practices To Reduce Runoff During Construction

Real-time Continuous Monitoring Captures Episodic Events and Reduces Project Downtime

Under proposed EPA stormwater runoff guidelines, construction site operators will be required to actively monitor or sample stormwater discharges daily. The enhanced effluent rules take effect in August 2011 for construction sites that disturb 20 or more acres and February 2014 for sites that disturb 10 or more acres, and they may stipulate a strict numerical limit of less than 280 NTU for average turbidity (sediment in water) on any day.

As site managers know, capturing runoff events with traditional water sampling methods can be challenging. Real-time continuous monitoring provides a great solution for capturing episodic runoff events that sampling might miss. Additional benefits of real-time continuous monitoring can include reduced project downtime, prevention of fines, and project incentives.