Integrating a Continuous Water Quality Monitoring Network into Texas’ Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program Jill D. Csekitz, Aquatic Scientist Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Austin Texas Austin Texas

Disclaimer The use of firm, trade, or brand names is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the TCEQ. The use of firm, trade, or brand names is for identification purposes only and does not constitute endorsement by the TCEQ.

What is Continuous Monitoring? A device that makes repeated measurements over time A device that makes repeated measurements over time Deployed over an extended length of time Deployed over an extended length of time Samples at high frequencies to identify trends or events Samples at high frequencies to identify trends or events Data is usually available in real-time over the internet Data is usually available in real-time over the internet

Total Area: 268, 581 sq. miles Water Area: 6, 784 sq. miles France: 211, 209 sq. miles 1754 Active Routine Surface Water Quality Monitoring Stations 23 Continuous Water Quality Monitoring Stations © Texas and The Territories, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The TCEQ Continuous Water Quality Initiative Upstream Dairies -Erath County -Cow Population: 50,000 -North Bosque River impaired -phosphorus -excessive algae Downstream drinking water -Lake Waco -Taste and odor -City of Waco -People Population: 117,464 TCEQ adds continuous monitoring in Bosque watershed to track improvements in water quality

TCEQ’s Existing Program 23 stations in TX 23 stations in TX 2 stations deployed in stations deployed in stations each year since stations each year since 2001 Partnerships with local, state and federal entities Partnerships with local, state and federal entities Parameters monitored Parameters monitored Physical parameters Physical parameters Nutrients – nitrate, ammonia, and total reactive phosphorus Nutrients – nitrate, ammonia, and total reactive phosphorus Depth profiling in reservoirs Depth profiling in reservoirs

Deployed Stations

Equipment

Costs of Establishing and Maintaining a Monitoring Site

How Does TCEQ Mitigate Cost of Network? Form partnerships with local, state, and federal entities Form partnerships with local, state, and federal entities 12 participating entities 12 participating entities Share resource burden Share resource burden Use existing infrastructure (USGS) Use existing infrastructure (USGS) Host data Host data

Data Record Produced Wow… 525, 600 data points! What do we do with them? Grab vs. Continuous: Why Compare? -Different monitoring objectives -Based on different scale of sampling

Uses of Continuous Monitoring Yield high resolution data Yield high resolution data Public display of data Public display of data Identify seasonal trends and daily variation Identify seasonal trends and daily variation Assess point and non-point impacts Assess point and non-point impacts Assess improvement after BMPs are in place Assess improvement after BMPs are in place

General Quality Assurance Continuous monitoring network - specific QAPP Continuous monitoring network - specific QAPP SOPs written for site deployment, equipment operation and maintenance, and data validation SOPs written for site deployment, equipment operation and maintenance, and data validation Technical Systems Audits Technical Systems Audits Pre-processed automatic validation Pre-processed automatic validation Suspicious values Suspicious values Instrument limits Instrument limits Database automatically “grades” multiprobe data according to calibration verification results Database automatically “grades” multiprobe data according to calibration verification results Data Validator manually validates all data Data Validator manually validates all data Only data that passes validation is publicly displayed Only data that passes validation is publicly displayed

How Do We Get the Most Out of Our Continuous Data? Variety of Data Users Variety of Data Users Identify data quality – let users decide what they need Identify data quality – let users decide what they need

Multiprobe Calibration Verification

Aqualab QC Daily calibration of Physicals and TRP Daily calibration of Physicals and TRP On-board laboratory control standards (ammonia, nitrate, and TRP) On-board laboratory control standards (ammonia, nitrate, and TRP) Dynamic calibration of ammonia and nitrate (every measurement) Dynamic calibration of ammonia and nitrate (every measurement) On-board standards are made and certified by a contract lab On-board standards are made and certified by a contract lab Output of all calibration data Output of all calibration data

Aqualab Conductivity QC

Aqualab NO 3 and NH 3 Diagnostics Shows sensor response to on-board standards

Aqualab Automated QC Actual LCS Concentrations -155 ppb - 40 ppb Instrument blanks

TCEQ’s Uses of Continuous Monitoring Data Water diversion from drinking water supplies Water diversion from drinking water supplies Characterizing golden algae blooms Characterizing golden algae blooms Targeting field investigations Targeting field investigations BMP effectiveness BMP effectiveness Effectiveness of salt cedar eradication Effectiveness of salt cedar eradication Trend analysis of specific conductance, pH and DO Trend analysis of specific conductance, pH and DO 305b reporting 305b reporting

Available Data Parameters Parameters DO* DO* pH* pH* Temp* Temp* Conductivity* Conductivity* Turbidity Turbidity Chlorophyll Chlorophyll Nitrate Nitrate Ammonia Ammonia Total Reactive Phosphorus Total Reactive Phosphorus Flow Flow Not all parameters available at every station Not all parameters available at every station Most Stations: only field parameters are measured Most Stations: only field parameters are measured

Data on the Web Or… Search “continuous water data” on TCEQ home Page:

Questions? Jill Texas Commission on Environmental Quality MC – 165 PO Box Austin, TX –