Monitoring of Surface and Ground Water

The meaning and importance of monitoring in hydrological studies of an industry are explained, and key objectives of monitoring are listed. A monitoring plan to develop sufficient baseline information is a component of the Terms of References (TOR) for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of an industry. Beginning with a baseline monitoring program (as a reference), updating is required during the construction and operation period and even beyond for the purpose of regulatory audit. Besides, the powers and functions of Water Quality Assessment Authority (WQAA) are explained, and guidelines issued by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) (stepwise procedure, parameters, and frequency of observations for surface and ground water) for water quality monitoring are explained. The design of a water quality monitoring program consists of the duration of sampling (baseline, construction, and operation), frequency, sampling locations, sampling procedure, laboratory testing, analysis of test results, etc. In India, accreditation of water quality and environmental laboratories is carried out by the National Accreditation Board for testing and calibration Laboratories (NABL) ( https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href=" https://nabl-india.org/ "> https://nabl-india.org/ ) and CPCB ( https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href=" https://cpcb.nic.in/list-recognized-laboratories/ "> https://cpcb.nic.in/list-recognized-laboratories/ ). An acceptable quality assurance program consists of both external and internal controls by the laboratory, providing analytical evaluations of samples. Precautions to be taken during external and internal quality control monitoring areas are explained. Questionnaires have been prepared to review water quality analysis during the pre-construction stage, the construction phase, and the operation phase. These questionnaires help in checking the completeness of analysis and uniformity in water quality assessment of various industries in the country Generally, higher proportions of dissolved constituents are found in ground water than in surface water because of greater interaction of ground water with various materials in geological strata. Hence, a comprehensive monitoring program of ground water (GW) quality is necessary. The procedure for and frequency of sampling of ground water is discussed. Along with water quality sampling, ground level observations are also a necessary network of stations, and the frequency for ground water level monitoring is explained. As an example, the GW monitoring plan of Pudimadaka Super Thermal Power Plant is briefly discussed. The procedure for monitoring and annual review of surface water bodies (water availability, water quality) is explained. A detailed example of the monitoring and review plan for the surface water system of the Barethi super thermal power project is provided. The example covers not only the quantity and quality aspects but also includes an annual review of the maintenance of water bodies. A brief discussion on the regulatory audit is provided. This is followed by a case study of water and waste water audit in the Smelter Plant of The National Aluminum Company (NALCO) Limited (Annexure-XVIII.1). The study covered an analysis of water consumption, water conservation, runoff estimation and management, wastewater management, adequacy of existing treatment systems, suggestions for the improvement in environmental performance and preparation of a scheme for zero discharge.