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Introduction
 Just about any pollutant generated within an urban subwatershed is likely to be washed off in storm water runoff. Consequently, urban storm water runoff contains a wide range of pollutants that can degrade local or downstream water quality. Pollutant concentrations tend to vary with each storm event, and may also vary based on the prevailing land use, type of precipitation. In general, however, the unit area pollutant load delivered to a stream always increases in direct proportion to urban subwatershed impervious cover (IC).
One basic strategy is to determine which pollutants are causing the water quality problems of greatest concern, isolate their major sources in an urban subwatershed, and then apply a combination of storm water practices to minimize these pollutant levels.
Storm Water Quality Branch staff conduct storm water illicit discharge and elimination investigations, construction Best Management Practices (BMP) inspections, and monitor impacts on receiving waters and water quality in areas under the jurisdiction of the City and County of Honolulu.
From the perspective of urban subwatershed IC, developing partnerships and practical approaches are critical to meet shared pollution reduction goals and address common water quality problems such as excessive overgrowth of invasive species in streams, loading of sediment, nutrients (including fertilizers/herbicides/pesticides), trash and debris.
World Water Monitoring Day™ (WWMD) is a global education and outreach program, hosted by the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the International Water Association (IWA), which aims to increase public involvement, awareness, action, and stewardship in protecting water resources around the world by empowering citizens to carry out basic monitoring of their local water bodies. Results are then shared with participating communities around the globe through the WWMD website.
The City and County of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services, Division of Environmental Quality, Storm Water Quality Branch (SWQ) is sponsoring two big WWMD field events in September.
 Working with SWQ has been the US Army Corps of Engineers, Civil Works Technical Branch at Makiki Stream since 2004 and the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife/Wetland Restoration at Pouhala Marsh since 2005.
Other watershed education and outreach partners include AECOM, CH2M HILL, Honolulu Board of Water Supply (Makiki Pump Station), Punahou School Science Center, State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources – Division of Forestry and Wildlife and Wetland Restoration, and Bishop Museum.
Schedule
Sep 13 & 15, 2011, 8am-Noon: Waipahu High School at Kapakahi Stream and Pouhala Marsh Field Day, meet at the Pouhala Marsh cattle gate
Sep 20 & 22, 2011, 8am-Noon: Washington Middle School at Makiki Stream Field Day; meet at Makiki Stream at South King and Kalakaua
Safety and Liability
All permissions to access the public portions of these streams have been coordinated with the appropriate government agencies.
All participants must wear covered shoes and sign a City Release Form. Click to download the form.
All participants will follow recommend safety rules and be familiar with monitoring equipment and supplies.
Storm Water Quality staff are trainied in First Aid and CPR and keep a first aid kit available.
Making Water Quality Education Relevant For Youth
Students, grades 8 and up, work in an outdoor water quality lab, to learn about:
- Stream monitoring as part of an interdisciplinary school curriculum in environmental science, biology, water chemistry, or social studies and the
- Impacts of storm water runoff from their neighborhood, as part of education and outreach, participation and involvement requirements under the Federal Clean Water Act National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit.
- Simple physical, chemical and biological parameters that provide general information about the health of their streams.
Observing the physical characteristics of a riparian or wetland habitat can help document subtle changes in the stream and wetland over time.
Chemical measurements will provide a snapshot of their streams; they tell the students what the water is like on a given day, and can allow students to track changes over time.
 Chemical sampling is more straight forward than other monitoring, providing direct measures of water quality that can be compared with upper and lower sites and other streams. Measuring chemical parameters means using test kits, meters and multi-parameter probes and protocols. Also includes using global position system (GPS) receiver to record accurate coordinates for monitoring sites.
Student field work involves taking grab samples at Kapakahi and Makiki streams for a set of water quality parameters including temperature, acidity (pH), clarity (turbidity), dissolved oxygen (DO), nitrate, phosphate, and salinity.
Click here for more information on the City’s World Water Monitoring Field Day Project, including water quality parameters.
Visit our calendar of events for upcoming Make a Difference Day events.
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