Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
living open the question of how the monitoring data should be interpreted. However, in
the future implementation of regular and continuous monitoring programs, the statistical
methodology for data analysis and assessment should be prepared during the design stage
of the program and should form an integrated part of the data analysis and assessment
process.
2.3
Designing the monitoring program
The design of a sustainable and practically implementable monitoring program for
surface water control, would require a good understanding of local conditions, possible
sources of discrete and diffuse pollution and the expected pollution characteristics. It
should consider the available data and historical information collected. The
implementation of a monitoring program to match the water quality objective approach
could become a serious challenge. In some cases, the program might be oversized, with
the inclusion of numerous sampling points (end of pipe and natural water quality) and too
many parameters tested, which could jeopardize its implementation. In other cases, the
locations and parameters tested could not be enough to provide the necessary
information. In order to design a cost effective monitoring program, there is need to
achieve a correct balance between:
• The size of the monitoring network;
• The number of parameters monitored; and
• The frequency of monitoring.
It would require expert knowledge in the field and should be judged based on the specific
conditions, available resources for the implementation, and the existing regulatory
instruments. Unfortunately, in numerous cases, the monitoring programs are rigid
routines, which have not been changed since the date of their establishment.
The choice of parameters to be monitored should consider the available capacity in
terms of laboratories and human resources. The material presented in previous chapters
show that usually the level of the technical facilities, which are available in the vast
majority of the countries in the region, except for the Republic of South Africa, allow
only for the testing of basic parameters. However, in many cases, the information needs
require the testing of toxic substances or other specific pollutants, by means of more
advanced methods and equipment. Examples of such cases include:
• Point and diffuse discharges from large urban population centers;
• Industrial and mining enterprises, discharging to natural waters, which would be used
downstream for direct domestic and agricultural use by a rural population.
Such conditions require special monitoring attention and the expert knowledge of
specialists during the design and execution stage. An important parameter, which should
not be missed from the monitoring program, is the flow rate at the most important
monitoring stations and corresponding link with rainfall data.
The frequency of sampling is another aspect, which would considerably influence the
reliability of the data obtained and the operational cost of a monitoring program. It has
already been emphasized, that the monitoring of diffuse pollution means the monitoring
of natural water resources and requires an event-orientated approach. Specifically for the
