BMP Monitoring: Methods and Evaluations

Stormwater management for water quality control is a relatively recent technology. Initially urban stormwater was considered a water quantity problem solved by rapidly draining runoff into sewers, ditches or directly into lakes and rivers. By the mid-1970s studies showed over half the pollutant loads entering Florida waters came from non-point sources (stormwater) caused in part by paving, ditching and draining – techniques that increased storm runoff volume and pollutant loads. Regulations were written and by 1984 all new developments in Florida were required to install systems for the management and storage of surface waters. More recently local governments have initiated projects to retrofit existing urban areas. In response to these challenges, engineers have developed a wide variety of methods and devices for treating stormwater. In our studies we have identified over 70 methods and new ones are being marketed all the time. These methods demonstrate various levels of success and data are needed to quantify their pollution removal capabilities. Accurate data are also needed to meet the needs of watershed models, to obtain permits through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program, and to help establish Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs). Increasingly, uniform and reliable measurements are needed to quantify the efforts being made to protect our water resources.