Agricultural Pollution Control Project Water quality monitoring Melian Ruslan, PhD, project expert Why we need water quality monitoring regarding nutrients Best Management Practices ? • Document improvements in water quality related to the nutrient reduction measures after implementation of agricultural, livestock and household waste BMPs • Confirm nutrient reduction to the Lapusna pilot area and respectively to the Prut, Danube and Black Sea water Why we need adequate monitoring for APCP project ? • The specific objectives are to provide the quantitative understanding about: · Role of the implemented BMPs in reducing the nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) flows to the surface and ground water. · Setting up and validation of hydrologic, hydrogeologic and water quality models, which can help to extend findings to the other watersheds. · Demonstrate the tool for other scientists, students and local population regarding the environmental benefits of proper and prosperous land and household management practices. What steps should be done ? • Recognizing monitoring goals, objectives and outcomes • Selection of appropriated monitoring strategy. • Preparation of monitoring program: – designing of monitoring network, – establishing of monitoring time-schedule, – determining the sampling frequency, – selection of monitoring indicators, – identification of sampling and laboratory analytical methods. • Identification of a reliable laboratory and capacity. • Data collection, interpretation and reporting. • Revision and modification of any of the monitoring elements. Selection of monitoring strategy (methodology) [1] • “Sequential (before and after BMP implementation” (trend monitoring, time series) - changes of water quality in time • lack of control in climatic and hydrologic 3,5 variables 3 2,5 • difficult to evaluate the 2 BMP impacts 1,5 • required long-time series величина 1 before BMP 0,5 • depends on data 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 fluctuation время • hardly applied for statistical analysis Selection of monitoring strategy (methodology) [2] • “Upstream-Downstream” (impact monitoring) - changes of water quality upstream and downstream of pollution sources

4,5 • hardly applicable for 4 small section of rivers 3,5 3 • depends on data 2,5 fluctuation 2

величина 1,5 • less sensitive to BMP 1 0,5 • not required long-time 0 series before BMP 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 время • less costly Selection of monitoring strategy (methodology) [3] • “Paired Watershed”- changes in correlation of water quality in the control and treatment areas

35 • required two paired 30 watersheds with similar 25 characteristics 20 • required calibration 15 period before BMP

эксперимент 10 • less costly 5 • sensitive to BMP 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 • statistically validated контроль How we set up monitoring program ? Network • Background area D Scale 1:130000 s. Corne[ti s. Pereni

r. Lapusna • Control area s. Mire[ti s. Pa[cani s. Stolniceni s. Chetro[eni

s. Drojdieni r. Lapusna Treatment area s. • s. Bujor s. Nem\eni s. C=\=leni

– upstream -downstream s. Frasin s. s. Ivanovca s. One[ti s. Pervomaiscoe sampling s. Coste[ti s. Cotul-Morii s. Sofia r. L=pu[na s. Sobileni s. s. B=lceana

– paired watersheds (Balceana, R O M ~ N I A Neus Old Negrea Negrea) sampling s. Leu[eni s. Negrea r. Prut s. Cioara s. S=rata-Mare – shallow drinking wells s. C=rpineni

sampling r. Prut s. Bratianovca s. Horje[tir. L=pu[ni\a s. Sarata Galben= • Extension to reference area s. Pog=ne[ti s.

r. L=pu[ni\a r. L=pu[na r. LEGEND (river spring) and wetland River s. Lake s. Voinescu Existent forests Village zone (river discharge) PROJECTED Background river quality section s. S=rata-Reze[i Control sub-basin "Balceana"

Treated sub-basin "Old Negrea" r. Prut

Control river catchment section r. L=pu[na Treated river catchment section s. Tochile-R=ducani Monitoring project area How we set up monitoring program ? Sampling sites • 3 sampling locations on the main river stream Background • 2 sampling locations on zone the paired watersheds • 17 shallow wells on control and treatment Control zone area • + 2 additional sampling locations on river spring and wetland area Treated zone

How we set up monitoring program ? Sampling sites How we set up monitoring program ? Sampling frequency

• Scheduled – surface water (initially - 1 time per month) extended to 2 times per month – groundwater (4 times per year) • Seasonal (more samples during wet period - fall/winter) • By event (heavy precipitation, snow melting) How we set up monitoring program ? Parameters • Surface water

– Primary variables (N-NH4, N-NO2, N-NO3, P-PO4, TKN, and TP) – Secondary variables (Coliform bacteria, Total Number of

Microbes, TSS, and BOD5) • Ground water

– Nitrogen compounds (N-NH4, N-NO2, N-NO3 and TKN)

– Phosphorus compounds (P-PO4 and TP) – Bacteriology (Coliform bacteria, Total Number of Microbes) • Hydrology – water flow, water level, water velocity • Meteorology – temperature, precipitation rate, winds, heavy rainfalls How we set up monitoring program ? HMS Laboratory • Highly qualified, trained and experienced staff. • Authorized and participated in many of international lab calibration programs. • Equipped by modern and up-dated equipment. • Maintained specialized for field sampling, sample pre-treatment and storage mobile van. • Performed Quality Assurance and Quality Control at the international level • Maintained computer data-base. • Serve as a national environmental reference laboratory. How we set up monitoring program ? Data collection [1]

• Temperature 25 20 • Precipitation 15 10

• Hydrology 5

0 River Location of Water flow Flow I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII section measuremen m3/sec velocity -5 ts , m/sec

Village 100 m in the 0,218 0,21 Lapusna upstream of 80 the bridge 70 Village 70 m in the 0,176 0,26 60 Boltan downstream 50 of the bridge 40 Village 20 m in the 0,439 0,49 30 Negrea downstream 20 of the bridge 10 Village 100 m in the 0,049 0,03 0 Voinescu upstream of I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII the bridge How we set up monitoring program ? Data collection [2] • Surface water Nitrogen content: background as reference quality 2,50 2,00 background – Nitrogen 1,50 control treated 1,00 downstream – Phosphorous Линейный (background) – Other parameters background the to rate 0,50 0,00 N_NH4 N_NO2 N_NO3 N_org N_total nitrogen forms

SS, BOD & microbiology: background as reference Phosphorus content: background as reference

2,00 2,00 1,80 1,80 1,60 1,60 1,40 1,40 background background 1,20 control 1,20 control 1,00 treated 1,00 treated 0,80 downstream 0,80 downstream Линейный (background) 0,60 Линейный (background) 0,60 rate to the background the to rate rate to the background the to rate 0,40 0,40 0,20 0,20 0,00 0,00 SS BOD5 COLI_total BACT_total P_PO4 P_total parameters phosphorus forms How we set up monitoring program ? Data interpretation • Dry/wet period

Nitrogen content in surface water: dry period Phosphorus content in surface water: dry period

6,00 0,18 0,16 5,00 0,14 4,00 background 0,12 background control 0,10 control 3,00 treated 0,08 treated downstream 2,00 0,06 downstream concentration, mg/l concentration, concentration, mg/l 0,04 1,00 0,02 0,00 0,00 N_NH4 N_NO2 N_NO3 N_org N_total P_PO4 P_total nitrogen forms phosphorus forms

Nitrogen content in surface water: wet period Phosphorus content in surface water: wet period

5,00 0,25 4,50 4,00 0,20 3,50 background background 3,00 0,15 control control 2,50 treated treated 2,00 0,10 downstream downstream 1,50 concentration, mg/l concentration, concentration, mg/l concentration, 1,00 0,05 0,50

0,00 0,00 N_NH4 N_NO2 N_NO3 N_org N_total P_PO4 P_total nitrogen forms phosphorus forms Major features of Lapusnita monitoring program ? Integration • Surface water quality Meteorology • Groundwater Surface water Ground water quality quality quality • Hydrology Hydrology • Meteorology • BMPs and BMPs implementation and measures for reduction of measures for nutrients pollution nutrients reduction Data base and modeling • Data base and modeling Major features of Lapusnita monitoring program ? Meteorology Meteorological monitoring • Temperature • Wind • Precipitation á O Ø Ü rate

• Heavy Model of Signal for Calculation of hydrological sampling nutrient flow and rainfall situations in run-off rivers contribution : æ Ë Major features of Lapusnita monitoring program ? Hydrology • Field Hydrological monitoring hydrological survey • Water level €  in river and

tributaries Hydrological Signal for model and water sampling • Water quality links velocity • Discharge : æ Major features of Lapusnita monitoring program ? Groundwater Groundwater quality • Sampling

Background Control zone Treatment Localities • Analysis zone zone • Landscape survey • Vulnerability

map Data Effect of BMPs on water quality analysis • Groundwater Link between surface and groundwater table Landscapes and groundwater aquifer vulnerability Precipitation and groundwater quality Major features of Lapusnita monitoring program ? Surface water Surface water quality • Sampling Background Control Treatment Wetland zone zone zone and river • Analysis spring • Landscape survey • Background, control and Tributary, Tributary, treatment zones control zone treatment zone

• Paired Effect of BMPs on water quality watersheds Data analysis Paired watershed correlation • Nutrient buffer Nutrient balance model and nutrients flow zones (wetlands) Water quality to the river longitudinal profile Few key factors for monitoring performance in BMPs projects • Define clear water quality monitoring goals and targets • Take time for adequate and appropriate design of the monitoring scheme • Start water quality monitoring before BMPs implementation and continuously revise performance • Select appropriate sampling and analytical methods and laboratory • Consult potential data-users • Make data available for decision making and public