Samantha, CUR- Industrial Stormwater Monitoring

        Greetings, since my last blog, I have been looking deeper into Aleeica's question, Have you ever thought about taking some water samples somewhere within the watershed, to see what's in it before it gets to the canal?  Fortunately, I recently stumbled upon an article from Washington State's, Department of Ecology, focusing on monitoring the water quality (WQ) from a pipe (or culvert system) discharging stormwater offsite, as well as monitoring WQ within ditches and man holes, carrying stormwater.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) suggests; "when taking a sample within a storm drain or man hole, to use a pole with a sampling container attatched at the end to collet the sample."

Attach a bottle for sampling
in manholes or storm drains. A
boathook is used in this example with
a bottle attached using a filament string
from Washington's Ecology Dept.

This concoction can easily be made in the field !   It is not always possible to sample stormwater runoff in locations such as ditches or pipes where the flow is concentrated, thus sampling a sheet flow allows you to gather stormwater runoff before being concentrated.  A sheet flow sample must be taken during or immediately after a storm, choosing significant, downhill areas where urban stormwater runoff is collecting, allowing an accumulation of runoff.   Monitoring the WQ specifically within storm drains, if possible, will allow quantitive data to determine pollutant concentrations associated with runoff before the stormwater reaches the receiving water.  Canal Street Canal (CSC) consists of an array of interconnected swales and ditches as well as direct piping that feed into the Canal.

Field Scientist performing sheet flow sampling.

When going out in the field this upcoming weekend, not only will I be monitoring the water quality, I will take initiative in setting up methods for collecting this storm water from a site other than the Canal Street Canal drainage basin, the only thought/problem that comes to mind is, "Will my Nalgene bottles be able to fit through the small opening within the storm drains?"  Stay tuned !




Bibliography:

• Jenkins, D., C. Cairns, and N. Barber. "How Do Ward Pharmacists Spend Their Time?: An Activity Sampling Study." International Journal of Pharmacy Practice 1.3 (1992): 148-51. How to Do Stormwater Sampling. Department of Ecology, Mar. 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. <https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/publications/0210071.pdf>.
• Us Epa, Ow, Owm, Water Permits Division, Municipal Branch. Industrial Stormwater Monitoring and Sampling Guide (n.d.): n. pag. Industrial Stormwater Monitoring. Environmental Protection Agency, Apr. 2009. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. <https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/msgp_monitoring_guide.pdf>.