Nancy Vuong Water Quality of Strawberry Creek May 9, 2005p. 1Monitoring the water quality of Strawberry Creek, CA.:comparative study on different sites to address health issuesNancy VuongAbstract Strawberry Creek runs through the University of California, Berkeley and in the past,it was degraded due to urban and campus development. This project looked at changes in waterquality starting from the upper North Fork, through the Berkeley campus, and into westernBerkeley. From November 2004 to February 2005, measurements of pH, conductivity, turbidity,dissolved oxygen, water temperature, nitrate, chlorine, and E. coli were taken at four locationalong Strawberry Creek to determine the effects of precipitation and location of each site. In thisresearch, parameter such as nitrate, turbidity, and E. coli were also used to address human healthconcerns. The pH was unaffected by precipitation and sites. Turbidity levels at all sitesexceeded the EPA standard on both rainy and non-rainy days. On non-rainy days Nitrate levelsat most sites were below the EPA standard. The data showed that there were a correlationbetween turbidity and nitrate. Nitrate levels were highly correlated with dissolved oxygen.There were higher levels of E. coli on rainy days than on non-rainy days. E. coli levels startingat Site 2 showed an increasing trend downstream on non-rainy days. Chlorine Total remained ina steady range on both rainy and non-rainy days, but higher levels at Site 3 due to pipe leakage ofdrinking water. Most parameters were affected by precipitation and significantly differ in mostsites, which resulted in certain areas being more polluted and more unsafe for human usage.Nancy Vuong Water Quality of Strawberry Creek May 9, 2005p. 2IntroductionStreams are common in most urban communities in the United States. Most streams areoccupied by a variety of human activities and interactions (SWRCB 2000). These interactionsaffect the chemical and biological characteristics of the stream, such as pH, phosphate, nitrate,chlorine, and E. coli (Water Quality Associates 1992). Contaminated water may contain harmfulchemicals or pathogens, which may affect people who drink, wash, or play in the pollutedstreams. Polluted substances include toxic chemical released from automobiles, inorganicnutrients from fertilizers, and other various human activities that may negatively affect waterquality in Strawberry Creek, which may become hazardous to human health (EPA 2005).Strawberry Creek runs through the campus of University of California and the city ofBerkeley. In the past, this creek was degraded due to urban and campus development such asimproper disposal of oil and other materials deposited into the storm drainage system. Highbacteria counts from animal feces, sewage, and chemical contamination led to poor waterquality, decreased aquatic and terrestrial organisms, and the destruction of stream banks(Charbonneau and Resh 1992). In 1987, UC Berkeley developed the Environmental, Health, andSafety program (EH&S) and the EH&S developed a management plan to restore the creek,which upgraded the sewage system and installed new pipes (Charbonneau 1987). The EH&Sobjectives are to identify both point and non-point sources, develop creek and watershedmitigation strategies, and monitor the water quality that runs through the campus to comply withthe Clean Water Act (Charbonneau 1987). The law states that recreational water must meetstandard state water quality criteria (EPA 2005). The improvements decreased the majorpollutant, faecal coliform bacteria, in the South Fork, but the North Fork remained unimprovedbecause of its urban location upstream (Charbonneau 1987).Several past studies by Carlson, Frazier, Cheung, and Charbonneau focused on the portion ofStrawberry Creek that runs through campus measuring pH, dissolved oxygen, and coliformbacteria. Carlson (1971) concluded that the pH of the creek was high. Frazier (1983) noted thatthe dissolved oxygen levels were within the limits set by the Regional Water Quality ControlBoard (RWQCB). Cheung (1986) found that levels of pH and dissolved oxygen met theRWQCB standards, but there were high levels of coliform concentration. Charbonneau (1987)showed that coliform bacteria remained high in the North Fork compared to the South Fork inthe Berkeley campus. Chemical monitoring of Strawberry Creek would provide information onNancy Vuong Water Quality of Strawberry Creek May 9, 2005p. 3pollutants that are entering from non-point sources, such as storm sewers (Riley 1998). Not onlycan creek monitoring help determine if the water quality standards are being violated, but it canalso help identify the source of the pollution (Riley 1998). There were many water qualityresearch done on the campus portion of Strawberry Creek, but fewer has been done off campus(personal comment from Prof. Berry). Factors that may affect the water quality are precipitationand location. Precipitation increases flow rate, which carries more contaminants in the water asit flows downstream. The downstream water is affected by the accumulation of upstreampollutants. Since the City of Berkeley lack a water management plan, I hypothesize that thewater quality of Strawberry Creek’s North Fork located on campus is different compared to thesection that runs off campus on both rainy and non-rainy days (no precipitation). In addition, thecreek water located off and on campus may not be suitable for human contact and consumption.The purpose of this research is to assess water quality at different locations along the NorthFork of Strawberry Creek. In this study, the following eight parameters will be measured: pH,conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, water temperature, nitrate, chlorine total, andEscherichia coli (E. coli). Levels of turbidity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, chlorine total and E.coli are the main parameters that will be used to test the water suitability for human contact.High levels of nitrate and E. coli are indicative of urban run-off, irrigation, or sewage pipeleakage. The results of all parameters are observed to determine the effectiveness of the campuswater quality management compare to off campus. This study reveals the effects of location andprecipitation, along with human health concerns.MethodsThe headwaters of Strawberry Creek are located in Strawberry Canyon, on the east side ofthe Berkeley campus (37°52’ N; 122°15’W)
View Full Document
Unlocking...