NEW ENGLAND COASTAL BASINS NAWQA PROGRAM: PUBLICATIONS

INTEGRATING AMBIENT AND COMPLIANCE MONITORING IN THE KENNEBEC RIVER BASIN, MAINE

Keith Robinson, Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey,
361 Commerce Way, Pembroke, NH 03275
Phone: 603-226-7809

David Courtemanch, Bureau Chief Maine Department of Environmental Protection,
State House Station #17, Augusta, ME 04333
Phone: 207-287-7789

Abstract

One of the recommendations of the national Interagency Task Force on Water-Quality Monitoring (ITFM) is to better integrate ambient (stream monitoring to assess general water-quality conditions) and compliance (effluent-quality monitoring for regulatory purposes) monitoring. An integrated monitoring program can improve the understanding of stream-water-quality conditions, while still tracking effluent as required by discharge-permit limitations. Over the past 2 years, the U.S. Geological Survey, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, New England Interstate Water Pollution Control Commission, and a number of permitted wastewater dischargers in the Kennebec River Basin have been developing an integrated monitoring strategy for the Basin. Participating wastewater dischargers include a number of pulp and paper mills, municipal wastewater treatment facilities, and hydropower facilities.

Activities included an inventory of current and past ambient and discharge-permit related water-quality monitoring in the Basin, a survey of resources and expenditures for current ambient and compliance-monitoring activities, and identification of the important water-quality issues in the Basin. During the summer of 1997, the first coordinated water-quality sampling of the Kennebec River took place. A long-term, integrated ambient-compliance monitoring plan is under development with the goal of redirecting monitoring activities to areas where gaps in knowledge exist, without increasing the resources spent on monitoring. A creative working environment has developed between the participants so that resources are shared among the Federal and State agencies and dischargers to accomplish mutual goals of the plan. Overall, participants are genuinely interested in improving the understanding of river-water quality and its management.

Integrating Ambient and Compliance Monitoring in the Kennebec River Basin, Maine (PDF file, 1.35 MB)

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