Organics Monitoring as Simple Method to Monitor, Track, and Assess Stormwater Runoff

Description

A premium provider of plastics and chemicals with manufacturing globally needed a reliable method to detect, assess, and monitor stormwater. A site in northwest Florida produces chemicals like nylon and hosts guest companies’ operations with commitment to eliminating environmental releases. Industrial stormwater must be collected, tested, and, if necessary, treated before discharge. If upon testing, the contamination is higher than allowable limits, the stormwater must be sent to the industrial wastewater treatment facility or nearby municipal wastewater treatment. Of common stormwater contaminant classes, organic discharge levels are often the hardest to meet due to challenges and untimely methods of BOD and COD. This facility instead adopted Total Organic Carbon (TOC) as a rapid and comprehensive way to assess stormwater pollution with limits guiding organic loading. Given the size of the site, increased focus on sustainability, and a variable discharge/storm combination, they have grown their monitoring capabilities and advanced controls to not only evaluate the stormwater at different discharge points but also ensure the analytical performance with the use of check standards.