Water Quality Monitoring System Design

The document outlines the design and operation of Hydrologic Information Systems (HIS), which integrate the measurement, processing, and dissemination of water quantity and quality data. It provides detailed guidelines for surface water and groundwater monitoring, including site selection, instrumentation (such as pressure transducers and ADCPs), and measurement frequencies. A significant portion of the guide is dedicated to monitoring metal mining activities, highlighting the risks of acid rock drainage (ARD) and heavy metal pollution, and provides a case study for the Maripaston gold mining area in Suriname to illustrate the practical application of these monitoring networks.

• A Hydrologic Information System (HIS) is defined as a comprehensive system for measuring, processing, storing, and disseminating data on climate, surface water, and groundwater, requiring both physical infrastructure (observation networks, laboratories, and data management systems) and trained human resources.
• Monitoring networks are categorized into three types based on their objectives: baseline networks provide long-term synoptic data with low station density; management networks supplement baseline data to address specific resource issues; and project networks are installed for short-term planning and monitoring of specific developments, such as mines.
• Surface water monitoring relies on establishing stage-discharge rating curves through concurrent water level (stage) and current meter readings, which can be supported by natural controls (e.g., rock outcrops) or artificial controls (e.g., weirs).
• Groundwater monitoring requires a combination of periodic manual measurements (using water level tapes) and continuous monitoring via digital water level recorders (DWLRs) to capture both static water table maps and long-term responses to climate or management stresses.
• Water quality monitoring involves measuring field parameters (pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and turbidity) and collecting samples for laboratory analysis of constituents of concern (CoCs), such as nutrients, trace metals, and bacteria.
• Metal mining activities can severely degrade water quality through the release of acid rock drainage (ARD), which is characterized by low pH and high metal concentrations, and the introduction of processing chemicals like mercury and cyanide.
• For mining projects, monitoring networks must include upstream/upgradient stations to establish baseline conditions, on-site stations to identify pollution sources, and downstream/downgradient stations to evaluate the quality of water leaving the site.
• In the Maripaston gold mining area of Suriname, the guide proposes a network of seven certain and two potential surface water monitoring sites using pressure transducers and water quality sondes to monitor pH, turbidity, and metals to ensure compliance with ISO 14001 standards.

APA

Borden, C., & Roy, D. (2015). Water Quality Monitoring System Design. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/water-quality-monitoring-system-design.pdf

Chicago

Borden, Carter, and Dimple Roy. Water Quality Monitoring System Design. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2015. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/water-quality-monitoring-system-design.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Borden |first1=Carter |last2=Roy |first2=Dimple |title=Water Quality Monitoring System Design |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=September 2015 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/water-quality-monitoring-system-design.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{borden2015water, author = {Borden, Carter and Roy, Dimple}, title = {{Water Quality Monitoring System Design}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/water-quality-monitoring-system-design.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }