Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
monitoring functions and to educate the community could be a suitable option. For a
successful volunteer program to be implemented the following factors are important:
• A good formulation of the tasks to be performed and instructions on how to perform
them;
• A formal assessment of achievements and acknowledgement of the volunteers'
contribution and work done;
• Provision of opportunities for personal development and education of volunteers;
• Creation of sense of common goals and shared values between the volunteers and the
professionals in the field could help significantly for the implementation of the target.
5.3
Urban planning solutions and diffuse pollution
The link between urban planning and diffuse pollution has been emphasized in terms of
the different types of land use patterns and corresponding impacts on natural water
quality. Appropriate urban development methods could be regarded as a source control of
diffuse pollution. In the case of low-income areas, some specific measures could be
undertaken during the planning and design stage, which could help alleviate future
problems and reduce the cost of pollution abatement measures. These could be:
• Provision of larger buffer zones and environmental corridors surrounding low-income
urban developments (such an arrangement is viable in numerous cases in the region, as
land is usually available);
• Provision of a larger percentage of impervious covers, specifically at open spaces and
commercial areas, in order to reduce the runoff volume;
• Provision for erosion-protective measures and the preservation of natural vegetation
during the designstage;
• The plots designated for home industries should be located away from natural water
bodies and should be supplied with basic water and sanitation facilities;
• A possible solution of the solid waste management problem could be the provision of
protected local decentralized disposal sites, which could be operated and maintained
by the communities with support from local authorities.
6 CONCLUSIONS
The study shows a considerable increase of pollutant constituents in a natural perennial
stream draining a low-income residential area with respect to all tested parameters,
compared to a control point reflecting background water quality. The main pollutant
constituents identified were ammonia, TKN, TP, Fe and Pb. At point F, reflecting the
impact of informal agriculture practice and illegal dumping of solid wastes and at point
C, reflecting storm water quality from a drainage channel, the TP, ammonia and Fe
concentrations were similar and exceeded the control point concentrations more than 10
times. The recommended safe environmental limits were also exceeded considerably. The
Pb concentration at point C was similar to the control point concentration, but at point F
it was exceeded more than 7 times. The pollutant constituents at point F were associated
mainly with dumped solid waste along the stream banks.
