Collecting water quality data on streams located near highways can be challenging in remote and difficult-to-reach locations. Obtaining and transporting water samples is time-consuming, expensive, and sometimes dangerous. Another key challenge is that transportation agencies can miss the release of toxins and pollutants that occur in a short time period or the first flush of stormwater runoff from highways. Collecting water quality data is crucial, however, to State departments of transportation in their effort to meet U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit requirements, particularly during the first flushes of spring stormwater runoff. Placing sensors directly in the water to collect data is an appealing solution, but these in situ sensors typically rely on batteries that have to be replaced as often as every 3 weeks. Designing a renewable and self-sustaining onsite system is the goal of the Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program project “A Remote, Self-Sustained System for Monitoring Water Quality Near Highways.” Montana State University conducted this research, which was funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
The hypotheses of the study were that PAHs washing off roads would retard the growth of aquatic life-supporting algae and promote the growth of harmfu...
This paper is Volume Three of a three volume series. The titles of these volumes are: FHWA-EP-03-054 Volume I--Technical Issues for Monitoring Highway...
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