- Home
- Departments
- Departments & Offices F-Z
- Public Works
- Stormwater Division
- Stormwater Quality
- Stormwater Quality Special Projects
- Pollutant Source Tracking Studies
Pollutant Source Tracking Studies
Summary
Pollution in Durham's streams can harm the health of insects and fish that live in the stream. The majority of streams in Durham flow into either Jordan or Falls Lake. The water quality in Durham impacts everyone downstream. The Water Quality group monitors our streams' health with monthly sampling. Sometimes when pollutants are found the pollutant source isn't obvious. In order to prevent these issues in the future, we perform special pollutant source tracking studies to eliminate and prevent future pollution.
Summary
Sandy Creek Tributary A starts at Martin Luther King Jr Pkwy and crosses University Drive. This section of the creek has very low dissolved oxygen. Dissolved oxygen supply is important in a creek because this is what fish and aquatic animals breathe to survive. Waterways with low dissolved oxygen, like Sandy Creek Tributary A, can't support the aquatic life that would normally be found there.
In order to understand why this stream has such low dissolved oxygen we monitored the water quality at a number of different sites, assessed the stream condition, performed a thermal imaging survey, and performed a microbial source tracking study. We found that this section of the creek is impacted by high rates of stormwater runoff, low base flow, sewer leaks, and groundwater with especially low dissolved oxygen entering the stream.
This creek's water quality is impacted by low dissolved oxygen levels. That means that illicit discharges have a greater impact on the water than if the oxygen levels were higher. This creek could benefit from stormwater control measures like stream restoration to widen the floodplain and force riffle enhancement. These measures would increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water, while regular monitoring of the stream for illicit discharges would help protect it from further degradation.
Project Manager
919-560-4326 ext 30311
Relevant Documents
Source Tracking Findings Presentation
Sandy Creek PST Final Report May 2022
Sandy Creek PST Final Report May 2022 - Executive Summary
Status: Completed May 2022
Project Phases:
- Existing data review
- First-round water quality sampling
- Sampling data analysis
- Second-round water quality sampling
- Data analysis
- Final Reporting
Summary
Warren Creek is north of West Carver Street and east of Guess Road. While monitoring this creek we detected metals and hydrocarbons. This kind of pollution can be toxic to aquatic plants and animals. It can also contaminate the soil surrounding the creek and present a human health risk.
In order to find out the source of these metals and hydrocarbons as well as what kind of risk they pose, we assessed the watershed characteristics and environmental aspects of this specific area of Durham. We then monitored the creek at ten different creek and tributary locations. With the data we collected, we assessed both the ecological and human health risks as well as the different concentrations of specific pollutants. What we found was that the surface water quality was still within NC surface water quality standards which means that the pollution entering the stream didn't pose a human health risk nor a significant environmental health risk.
Our study showed that these metals and hydrocarbons are entering the stream from a number of different sources without a specific pattern. This means that there isn't one or two things we can fix to increase the water quality of Warren Creek. Because the water quality doesn't pose a health risk we plan to continue monitoring the creek to keep an eye out for any changes. The Water Quality group also performs public outreach to educate our residents about how to prevent metal pollution, and asks our residents to report water pollution at our pollution prevention hotline: 919-560-7946.
Project Manager
919-560-4326 ext 30311
Relevant Documents
Source Tracking Findings Presentation
Warren Creek Final Report May 2022
Warren Creek Final Report May 2022 - Executive Summary
Status: Completed May 2022
Project Phases
- Existing data review
- First-round water quality sampling
- Sampling data analysis
- Second-round water quality sampling
- Data analysis
- Final Reporting
Service request:
Click or call 919-560-1200