Our waterways are important for so many reasons. We rely on them as sources of drinking water, for recreation and agriculture, and they are an essential ecosystem supporting countless organisms from plants to fish to large mammals.

Water pollution has long been a serious issue, and all kinds of contaminants can find their way into our streams, rivers and lakes. Among these sources, construction and the effects of stormwater run-off from operating sites are of significant concern. Read More...

Tags: EPA, stormwater, sediment, pollution, Clean Water Act

For a quick introduction to our SedEvent turn-key turbidity threshold sampling (TTS) system for accurately calculating suspended sediment loads, check out this short video.

While suspended sediment concentration (SSC) cannot be directly measured accurately or reliably, turbidity has been shown to be an excellent surrogate for SSC. Turbidity is caused by suspended particulate matter such as clay, silt, algae, organic and inorganic chemicals and acids like fertilizers, and microscopic organisms like harmful bacteria. These contents give water its cloudy or turbid appearance, and turbidity in natural waters is recognized as an important indicator of natural health.

Measuring suspended sediment concentrations used to be labor-intensive, costly, inaccurate and impractical. SedEvent not only makes it possible and practical, it makes it simple.

Tags: SedEvent, sediment, turbidity, video, water quality

In many US states and Canadian provinces the value of commercial logging cannot be understated. It provides the essential raw materials for a host of uses, and of course thousands of people are employed in the forestry and timber industries.

But as the saying goes, you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, and logging companies’ activities can have serious impacts on other elements of the environment. And one aspect of the environment that can be hugely affected by intensive logging is water quality. For example, tree shade helps maintain water temperatures; vital for the well being of economically important trout and salmon. As a result several states, including California and Washington, impose strict laws defining the requirement to leave specific volumes of uncut trees by rivers and streams.
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Tags: water quality, SedEvent, sediment, turbidity, EPA

The EPA has long been battling the issue of stormwater discharge from construction sites, and on April 25 a public comment was released on the development of the Construction General Permit (CGP). The Agency plans to publish the new CGP in early January 2012, and the new permit will see much stricter regulations on sediment and erosion control, inspection and monitoring. The EPA prohibits anyone from disposing of pollutants into public waters without a permit, heavily effecting construction companies. The EPA established regulations under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) to administer permits for stormwater discharges resulting from construction activity. Read More...

Tags: monitoring, sediment, SedEvent, turbidity, EPA, stormwater, construction, dts-12

Last year, federal appeals to court in the U.S. ruled that mud washing off logging roads is now pollution. As a result, the court instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to formulate regulations that would reduce the impact on surrounding ecology. If the ruling stands, the EPA would have to face the monumental task of preventing the mud from reaching rivers, reservoirs, and lakes, as well as ensuring that logging roads meet Clean Water Act standards. Read More...

Tags: logging, logging roads, EPA, pollution, turbidity, sediment, SedEvent

Construction companies and land development organizations must closely monitor erosion as a result of rainwater runoff from new construction sites. Federal, provincial/state, and municipal laws in both Canada and the U.S. have a direct impact on many construction activities, and non-compliance is often met with strict fines and penalties. Fines can range from thousands of dollars to, in some extreme cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars. This was the case for a large U.S. homebuilder that was fined over half a million dollars in 2009 for illegal storm water discharges in direct violation of the Clean Water Act. Read More...

Tags: land development, construction, sediment, SedEvent, Clean Water Act, stormwater, pollution