Importance

Monitoring water quality gives us a picture of catchment health and can assist with the maintenance and rehabilitation of our waterways and catchments.

Why Monitor?

Monitoring can be conducted for many purposes. Major purposes are to:

• Characterize waters and identify changes or trends in water quality over time.
• Identify specific existing or emerging water quality problems and potential sources of pollution.
• Gather information to design specific pollution prevention or remediation programs.
• Determine whether program goals - such as compliance with pollution regulations or implementation of effective pollution control actions are being met.
• Respond to emergencies, such as spills and floods.
• Help prioritize water quality management decisions.
• Serve as a baseline for comparing future date and identifying trends over time.

CONSEQUENCES OF NOT MEASURING

Without proper water management, severe environmental problems may arise. Some of which may be temporary while others may damage the environment permanently. This is true for non-biodegradable products such as plastics. It will take an insurmountable effort to restore the health and beauty of the environment. Therefore, it is necessary that consistent inspections are carried out on river banks, lakes and other water bodies. By applying the theoretical concept of the different parameters, environmental scientists are able to monitor the health of the water body and ensure that it will be able to continue to be an essential part of human and animals.

Generally, monitoring water quality helps to prevent water pollution. Ever since industrial revolution took place, many byproducts have been carelessly thrown to the rivers beside the factories. Many of which are harmful substances which have the potential to harm the health of aquatic life inhabiting the water, wild creatures living near the water, people who drink the water and eat the contaminated fish.

The source in which these harmful substances originated, is categorize to two parts namely non-point source and point source. Non-point source defines the by-products which come naturally from the environment and nature itself is able to treat it through its own purification system. One example of such feature is the wetland. Thus, the non-point source is not the main focus for the cause of water pollution. On the contrary, the point source is our main concern as it disposes industrial wastewater which contains the harmful substances.

Aquatic creatures are dependent on a harmonious balance of many factors in the environment. They include the saltiness of the water, temperature, amount of oxygen available, intensity of light filtering through.

Industrial chemical/metals

In Times Beach, St Louis, dioxin was sprayed for paper bleaching. Gradually, it found its way to the groundwater. At 50ppt, it was considered too dangerous. 0.25L of dioxin has the capability of contaminating a 6km long lake.

Thermal pollution

Heated water from factories also increases the temperature in a river. The hot water makes it hard for fishes to breathe and incubate their eggs. This will affect the reproductive cycle of the fish. In Biscayne Bay, Florida, thousands of fish died due to organic chemical pollutants. The mixture of the chemical pollutants and the dissolved solids in the water result in an exorthermic reaction. The heat effects also speeds up eutrophication.

Real Life Applications

Dissolved Oxygen

A high DO level in a community water supply is good because it makes drinking water taste better. However, high DO levels speed up corrosion in water pipes. For this reason, industries use water with the least possible amount of dissolved oxygen. Water used in very low pressure boilers have no more than 2.0 ppm of DO, but most boiler plant operators try to keep oxygen levels to 0.007 ppm or less

corrosion resistant pipelines

Case Study

The largest kill of fish occurred September 16th in Marley Creek, a tributary of the Patapsco River in Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County. Approximately 101,865 fish, almost exclusively atlantic menhaden, died. A strong bloom of the dinoflagellate, Gryodinium uncatenum, was discoloring the water in the affected area. Low dissolved oxygen associated with nighttime respiration and partial die-off is suspected to be the primary cause of the incident.

TOTAL DISSOLVED SOLIDS

High TDS levels generally indicate hard water which can cause scale buildup in pipes, valves, and filters, reducing performance and adding to system maintenance costs. These effects can be seen in aquariums, spas, swimming pools, and reverse osmosis water treatment systems. Typically, in these applications, total dissolved solids are tested frequently, and filtration membranes are checked in order to prevent adverse effects.

Hydrologic transport models are used to mathematically analyze movement of TDS within river systems. . The most common models address surface runoff, which allows assessment of sediment, fertilizer, pesticide and other chemical contaminants.

Pyramid Lake, Nevada receives TDS from the Truckee River

Case Study

Aquarium at Bristol Zoo, England. Maintenance of filters becomes costly with high TDS

Hardness

-You will have to use twice as much of soap and shampoo, for washing clothes, dishes and yourself as hard water reduces soap's ability to lather and does not rinse well.

"Soap Scum" builds up on bathtubs, sinks, dishes and your skin and hair

Hardness or lime scale builds up on faucets, inside pipes and water heaters, reducing their efficiency and operating life, and in extreme cases even blocking them completely.

Minerals build up on hair and skin, causing dryness and sometimes irritation .

Reduces soap’s ability to lather

Case Study

The following map from the USGS shows how mean water hardness varies in the U.S.

BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND

Many municipalities use BOD values to determine charges and surcharges for industrial users of water treatment facilities. More importantly, BOD strength is a measure of plant losses during handling and processing. Generally, it is desirable to send low level BOD directly to the municipal or plant wastewater system and divert high level of BOD waste to a recovery or field spread holding tank. Wastewater BOD reduction benefits: -increased efficiency -Reduced operating costs -Return on investment in months pH A range of of pH 6.5 to pH 8.2 is optimal for most organisms. Most organisms have adapted to life in water of a specific pH and may die if it changes even slightly. Even moderately acidic waters may reduce the hatching success of fish eggs, irritate fish and aquatic insect gills and damage membranes. Amphibians are particularly vulnerable to low pH, probably because their skin is so sensitive to pollutants. Some scientists believe that the recent drop in amphibian numbers around the world is due to low pH levels caused by acid rain. Heavy metals such as cadmium, lead and chromium dissolve more easily in more acidic water ( lower pH ). This is important because many heavy metals also become much more toxic when dissolved in water. Total suspended solids Turbidity affects fish and aquatic life. It will interfere with the amount of light that penetrates the water. Water plants need light for photosynthesis. If suspended particles block out light, photosynthesis and the production of oxygen will be reduced. If light levels get too low, photosynthesis may stop altogether and algae will die. Large amounts of suspended matter may clog the gills of fish and shellfish and kill them directly. Suspended particles may provide a place for harmful microorganism to lodge and provide a breeding ground for bacteria. Fish can’t see very well in turbid water and so may have difficulty finding food. On the other hand, turbid water may make it easier for fish to hide from predators.

Chemical Oxygen Demand

-Discharge permits: Many governments impose strict regulations regarding the maximum chemical oxygen demand allowed in wastewater before they can be returned to the environment. For example, in Switzerland, a maximum oxygen demand between 200 and 1000 mg/L must be reached before wastewater or industrial water can be returned to the environment

Colour

Stringent colour limits are required for water use in many industries-beverage production, dairy and food processing, paper manufacturing and textiles.