Water Quality Monitoring Procedure

Water Quality Monitoring Procedure, the vicinity of a project execution site, namely perched water tables, groundwater, surface water dikes, lakes, an

The activities that have the potential to affect water quality of controlled water sources in the vicinity of a project execution site, namely perched water tables, groundwater, surface water dikes, lakes, and rivers must be identified. It is vital that surface water and effluent discharge are properly managed and controlled on site to protect the environment. Any pollutants getting into a surface water dike, surface water drain or groundwater could enter lakes and rivers.

Organization must evaluate legislation for applicability to the site. this activity should be done well in advance of work starting on site. This evaluation should also include project specific requirements such as permit conditions and client specifications. This action will identify any specific requirements that can be incorporated into the design of the facility and the Environmental Management procedure for field execution activities on the site. The possible risks that exist due to the nature of the site and the nature of the construction activities proposed on the site. Risk may include:

Lateral migration of contaminants already in the soil into the nearby sensitive receptors, (e.g., surface water dikes, rivers and lakes.);

Movement and storage of contaminated soil causing contamination;
Contamination of groundwater during earthwork operations;
Migration of leached contaminants arising from the reuse of crushed demolition materials;
Discharge of effluent from wheel washing or other cleaning processes;
Discharge of pumped groundwater from dewatering or excavations;
Incorrect disposal of storm water and other silty waters;
Spillages of pollutants due to bad storage and handling of materials, or inadvertent disposal to surface water drains rather than sewer; and
Washout from concreting operations.
Typical questions that the Project team should consider in developing the potential risks are listed below.
Is the groundwater under the site subject to some tidal influence?
Can contamination of the site potentially cause harm to sensitive receptors in the vicinity?
Does the groundwater and/or the surface water on the site contain levels of some materials in excess of legal standards?

If background data are exists, organization must provide data on existing water quality and levels around the site. organization must provide details of the location of existing local water courses and mark the position of surface water drains and sewers on site, using color-coding or other appropriate measure to distinguish them. Organization are specifically required to implement pollution prevention measures, based on the potential risk identified. Typical mitigation measures based on the potential risks must be identified. Some examples are provided below:

Groundwater

No groundwater will discharge from the site to controlled water unless this has been previously agreed with the relevant authorities and the relevant permissions are in place and the composition of the groundwater can be discharged within the conditions of the permission.
If it is necessary to dewater the site to allow field execution operations to be undertaken, an appropriate approval must be obtained from the local authorities.

Surface Water / Controlled Water Protection

If discharges need to be made from the site, including the storm water runoff, the appropriate permits need to be sought from the local authorities, notifications filed, and the discharges need to be made within the conditions of the permit. Monitoring may be a requirement of the permit conditions.
Management and control of surface waters on the site should eliminate the potential for contaminated run-off to impact local water quality. Water collection systems should be adequately sized to allow for the controlled release of storm flows. Silty water disposal measures should be reviewed and accepted by the local authorities. A Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan may be required prior to commencement of construction activities.
Suitable protective measures must be installed around open sections of surface water to prevent surface water ingress into the construction site.
Collection of any soil arising from the construction site prior to offsite disposal should be remote from any surface water and should be arranged in such a way as to minimize the potential generation of leachate (Water escaping from a landfill site which, if not collected, will contaminate the natural water sources).
Minimize the potential for lateral migrations of contaminants into nearby sensitive receptors, by minimizing the time excavations are open.

Fuel / Chemical Storage

Development of a dedicated fuel / chemical storage area must provide for adequate containment.
Environmental protection measures in relation to any work involving the use, movement, and storage of fuel or chemicals will be fully documented and accepted by organization site management prior the commencement of work.
Fuel storage areas will be surrounded by secure impervious dikes providing a containment capacity of at least 125% of the largest tank or 50% of the total capacity of the tanks, whichever is the larger. All associated valves and pipe work must be contained within the dike. However, local legislation shall be adhered to where applicable.
Fuel storage facility must be inspected on a daily basis by the owner of the facility.
Dike water must be tested prior to pumping and be disposed in agreement with the client and the local authorities.
The design of the fuel storage facility will incorporate a roof structure to prevent rainwater accumulation.
All hazardous materials, including chemicals, paints, cleaning agents, solvents, and solvent-containing products, will be properly sealed in containers at the end of each day by the Partner prior to storage in appropriately protected and dike storage areas.
Appropriate spill containment equipment will be stored on site, local to points of material storage and use as appropriate.

Vehicle Refueling

Organization is responsible for controlling and managing all deliveries and refueling associated with the project.
Refueling and all tanks filling will be carried out in designated protected refueling areas, except where the nature of the machinery makes this impractical.
Double walled self-contained fuel tanks and pumps will be used for refueling of equipment where use of dedicated refueling area is impractical.
During the process of refueling, a fuel spillage kit must be available in order to contain any spillage and prevent contamination.
An emergency spill kit containing sand or suitable absorbent materials must be kept readily available in case of spillage in the main fuel storage area.
Fueling stations must be equipped with an automatic shut-off mechanism.
Trained personnel must supervise all refueling operations.
Valves and taps must not be left open when unattended and must be locked when not in use.
Personnel carrying out refueling are to be made aware of the requirements listed here and be trained in the use of spill kits and emergency procedures.

Equipment and Maintenance

All small items of equipment, such as pumps and generators, must be placed on a suitable ‘drip tray’ in order to contain any spillage and leakage.
Equipment with visible leakage must not be used on site. It must be removed for maintenance or repaired in-situ, if necessary, to prevent pollution caused by removal.
If there is insufficient space on site to provide a dedicated area for the maintenance of equipment, then wherever possible, emergency equipment repair and essential maintenance must be undertaken within a temporarily protected zone constructed, within the immediate area of the equipment to be repaired or maintained.
A temporarily protected zone can be constructed by forming a spillage containment area using sandbags to form a dike wall of sufficient height to contain twice the maximum possible spillage that could occur, with an internal heavy gauge polyethylene liner overlaid with a sand mat or timber grillage onto which the item of equipment can be placed to undertake the maintenance or repair required.
For larger heavy items of equipment, such as crawler cranes and earth moving equipment, repair / maintenance can be undertaken in-situ, provided localized containment of spillage is provided and an adequate number of emergency spill kits are available.
Should any contaminant spillage occur outside of a protected zone, the Partner shall be responsible for containing the spillage and for the disposal of any waste and contaminated soil off site in compliance with the relevant legislation and the project procedures.

Wheel Washing

If required by the local authorities and/or the client, permanent wheel washing facilities will be provided at the construction site, as described below:

Provision of suitably sized settlement tanks to enable settlement of suspended solids from wheel washing activities will be made.
A permanent (for the duration of the works) wheel washing facility shall be installed with water recycling units.
Periodic removal and disposal of contaminated sludge / water shall be arranged to maintain the effectiveness of the units. All materials shall be disposed at a licensed waste disposal facility via a licensed hauler.

Road Sweeping

Sweeping and cleaning of the public and/or client roads immediately adjacent to the site will be undertaken on a regular basis or as deemed necessary to prevent nuisance or hazards to other road users. Collected debris will be disposed at a licensed waste disposal facility.
In dry weather, mud and oils can build up on areas of hard-standing. If these areas are not cleaned frequently, a sudden shower can wash mud and oils into watercourses, giving high pollutant loads; therefore hard-standing and surface roads will be kept swept clean at all times.

Foul Water Discharge

Foul waste will be discharged to the existing foul water drainage system. Site drainage will be coded in accordance with local authorities and/or client requirements for easy identification. Identification may be based on color and to be decided by the Organization.

Environmental Procedures:

Prior to commencement of any work, organization Construction Management and Partners will submit environmental procedures, including the measures that will be taken to protect the environment, for approval by Organization and the client.
Environmental protection measures in relation to any work involving the use movement, and storage of fuel or chemicals will be fully documented and accepted by organization Management team prior the commencement of work.

Monitoring Regular inspections of all discharges, drainage systems, collection ditches, lagoons, interceptors, and watercourses will be undertaken to check that these items are in good order. Documentation & Records will be maintained of all environmental incidents that result in water contamination and remedial action taken in an incident logbook. Records of correspondence with the client and local authorities and copies of discharge consents will be maintained according to the schedule provided in Procedure HSE Records Management & Document Control.