Next Gen Water Quality Monitoring: Can Sensor Technology Replace Conventional Sampling and Analysis in a Stream Environment?

摘要

The Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati (MSDGC) is conducting a Watershed Study in the Muddy Creek/Rapid Run watershed area that is loosely based on the principles of USEPA's integrated and watershed-based planning guidance. Water quality sampling to inform the study was conducted in 2018, including use of water quality sensors. MSDGC has used sensor technology for years to monitor water quality conditions in its wastewater treatment processes and the sensors have performed well in this controlled environment. However, when deployed in the streams and combined sewer collection system, the dynamic nature of these systems presented several challenges to the use of this technology. While water quality sensor technology shows great promise for generating dense data in real time and saving sampling labor costs, deploying them in uncontrolled environments, like streams and rivers, suggests it will not be cheaper or able to completely replace conventional sampling and analysis.