I-3_Ambient Monitoring Plans 2018-2022

2022 Ambient Monitoring Plan
Introduction
The Ambient Monitoring Program was created to fulfill requirements of the City of Durham's National
Pollution Discharge Elimination System permit (NCS000249). This Program characterizes watersheds
located in the City of Durham (COD) and tracks changes or trends in water quality by monitoring the
water chemistry, stream biology, and stream hydrology of selected streams. Streams selected for
monitoring are fixed locations strategically located inside orjust outside the City limits. Sites are
monitored by COD Water Quality Unit (WQU) staff once per month and are on an even and odd year
sampling rotation for particular watersheds. Therefore, the majority of sites are sampled every other
year. Targeted watersheds for 2022 are Northeast Creek and Third Fork Creek in the Cape Fear River
Basin and Little River, Eno River, Lick Creek, and Little Lick Creek in the Neuse River Basin. In addition to
the alternating yearly sites, select sites are chosen for consistent monthly monitoring based on their
potential to contribute nutrients downstream and their proximity to USGS stream gages. These
"nutrient loading sites" are sampled every year and include sites located on Ellerbe Creek (EL7.1EC at
Club Blvd and EL1.9EC at Glenn Rd), New Hope Creek (NH3.3SC at Cornwallis Rd), Eno River (EN8.9ER at
West Point on the Eno), Little Lick Creek (LL3.4LLC at Mineral Springs Rd), and Third Fork Creek (TF3.4TC
at MLK and TFI.OTC at Woodcroft Pkwy).
For the 2022 sampling year, there were no updates to key project staff or staff titles for the City of
Durham from the previous year. Environmental Conservation Laboratories (ENCO), will continue to be
the contracted lab for the 2022 ambient sampling season.
Summary of the 2022 Planning Meeting
Below is a summary of the notable changes that resulted from discussions at the 2022 Ambient Planning
Meeting held on November 9, 2021. For more details and a complete list of topics discussed in this
meeting, please see Appendix A. 2022 Ambient Planning Meeting Document with Notes.
Sampling Parameters
The core parameters collected at every sampling site will remain the same as they were in 2021. These
core parameters include: 5-day biological oxygen demand (5-day BOD), total suspended solids (TSS),
ammonia (NH3 as N), nitrate -nitrite (NO,,as N), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP),
hardness, total calcium (Ca), total magnesium (Mg), total and dissolved copper (Cu), total and dissolved
zinc (Zn), and fecal coliform. The core parameters will continue to be analyzed by the South Durham
Water Reclamation Facility (SDWRF) laboratory per the Ambient Monitoring Program QAPP. Total
antimony (Sb), will also be collected at sites in the Northeast Creek watershed (NE2.2NP, NEO.ONE, and
NE1.2NE). Total Sb will also be analyzed by the SDWRF lab.
Total Organic Carbon (TOC) samples will be collected at the following nutrient loading sites: EL1.9EC
(Ellerbe Creek at Glenn Rd), EL7.1EC (Ellerbe Creek at Club Blvd and Acadia St), EN8.9ER (Eno River at
West Point on the Eno), TFI.OTC (Third Fork Creek at Woodcroft Pkwy), and NH3.3SC (Sandy Creek at
Cornwallis Rd). TOC samples will be analyzed by ENCO.
Physical parameters will also be collected at all ambient sites and will include: water temperature,
dissolved oxygen saturation and concentration, pH, specific conductivity, and turbidity. For a detailed list
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of parameters collected at each site please see Appendix B. Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Sampling
Tables.
Sampling Sites
All sites will remain the same from sampling in 2020. For the complete list of sites, their locations, and
associated lab numbers along with the duplicate and field blank schedule please see Appendix C. 2022
Ambient Site List.
Benthic Monitoring
The benthic monitoring sites will remain the same as in 2020. A separate 2022 Benthic Monitoring Plan
will be prepared prior to benthic sampling in the spring of 2022.
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Appendix A. 2022 Ambient Planning Meeting Document with Notes
2022 Ambient Planning Meeting
November 9, 2021
Attendees: Michelle Woolfolk, JV Loperfido, Jon Baker, Jim Azarelo, Joey Smith, Anna Smith, Dave
Milkereit, and Blaine Lary.
2020 Monitoring Information
• Focus watersheds for even years: Eno, Little River, Little Lick, Lick, Northeast, and Third Fork
• Total sites sampled in 2020: 23 (12 Neuse, 11 Cape Fear) - No change for 2022
o 12 in the Neuse Basin
■ 4 in Eno (1 nutrient loading site)
■ 1 in Little River
■ 2 in Little Lick (1 nutrient loading site)
■ 2 in Lick
■ 3 in Ellerbe (2 nutrient loading sites & central park site)
0 11 in the Cape Fear Basin
■ 7 in Third Fork (2 nutrient loading sites)
■ 3 in Northeast
■ 1 in New Hope (nutrient loading site)
o NOTE: No samples were collected in April and only nutrient loading sites were sampled
in May and June due to COVID safety concerns. The remaining months were sampled as
normal.
Questions/Discussion Topics
Staff gages
• First up for debate — is it spelled 'gage' or 'gauge'?
➢ For water quality purposes use 'gage'.
• The majority of the "original" gages were deployed in 2012 and 2013. Most have been removed
or are in need of maintenance.
➢ Keep the gage at NHI.OSC (Garett Rd) as is.
➢ Attempt some recon (removing debris) from the gage at NH2.3MC (Pickett Rd).
➢ Move the staff gage at EL8.5SEC to the downstream side of the culvert near where
samples are collected.
• What is this data used for?
➢ Part of the stormwater management plan is to measure stream flow, also used in
loading calculations and models.
• Is there a better way to organize and utilize these data?
➢ How we are using the data is sufficient, continue to enter staff gage measurements into
the web portal.
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Parameters
TOC
• TOC was not sampled in 2020 due to COVID and contract lab issues.
• This year TOC samples were collected at EL7.1EC, EL1.9EC, EN8.9ER, TFI.OTC, and NH3.3SC
(TFI.OTC and NH3.3SC were just added in 2021).
• Keep this the same?
• Analyzed by ENCO. Any issues?
➢ Keep same TOC sites as in 2021. ENCO to analyze samples, no issues there.
Total Antimony
• All results have been J qualified since we started sampling in 2019.
• Continue to sample for this?
• Are these data being used for anything?
➢ It was requested for total Sb to be continued to be collected as there have been ongoing
issues during inspections at SCM Metals.
➢ It was also noted that SCM metals plans to begin construction work which includes
surfacing and grading in 2022.
Trash
• Do we want to implement any trash scores into our field sheets?
➢ No. Trash surveying will be part of a separate study plan. The separate study should be
completed first before we begin to think about the possibility of adding it to ambient
sampling.
Ambient Investigation Triggers
• Trigger levels were last updated in 2017 do we want to revisit them?
INVESTIGATION TRIGGER LEVELS
AMBIENT MONITORING
Temperature
Investigation• Precipitation within 24 hours)
}32° C
Field
pH
r5 or >9
Parameters
Specific Conductivity
'730 µS
Turbidity
>_163 NTU
Fecal Coliform
�!60,000 cfu/1D0mL
Laboratory
5-Day Biochemical Oxygen Demand
8 mg/L or Overdepletion
Parameters
Copper (Total or Dissolved)
>-18 µg/L
Zinc (Total or Dissolved)
� 5 5 µg/L
➢ Leave investigation triggers as is for now. Use these numbers as a guide along with your best
professional judgement and knowledge of specific sampling locations.
➢ During the discussion it was determined that our group may want to look into changing some of
the field parameters numbers namely, moving to season -specific conductivity numbers similar
to outfall screening. It was also discussed if we want to recalculate the turbidity number or get
rid of the turbidity value altogether and go with simply a best professional judgement since
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certain sampling locations are naturally more turbid than others. There was also some
discussion of computing watershed specific trigger levels, but there was some concern that this
could result in a long list of trigger values that would be cumbersome to apply. Updating the
investigation triggers should be discussed further in the coming year.
Master Site List
• There is a master site list that is contained within the Water Quality Database. Where is this
table located outside of the database?
• There is also a site list on the server. Do we need both?
• What is the best place to keep this master list?
➢ Dave Milkereit (DM) and Joey Smith (JS) will work together on making a single master
list that contains site ID, lab numbers, coordinates, and a brief location description for
all sites. All other lists will be archived or removed. Once a master list is created a
storage location will be finalized. DM and JS will speak with GIs to see if they can offer
some assistance for storage location, but being able to easily update the list is a top
requirement for storage location.
Sampling Sites add/drop
• From 2020 meeting notes:
o TF2.5TCTC (Dover/Golf Course) is this site giving us useful data? We normally observe
poor water quality indicators due to the buffer issues/no canopy cover on the golf
course.
o Sample for herbicides/pesticides?
➢ Keep this site. It is reflective of the watershed land use. This location covers a large
drainage area and fecal numbers have been high. Third Fork Creek is a TMDL watershed
so continuing to sample here is important, but the group will revisit sampling here in
2022.
➢ The Warren Creek site EN10.3WC is part of the pollution source tracking project. Do we need to
add any extra parameters or take additional photos?
➢ Contractors already completed initial sampling at this location and found no issues. No
extra parameters or photos are needed.
➢ Any requests from other groups or municipalities?
➢ None.
Additional Topics Discussed at the 2022 Planning Meeting
➢ There was a discussion on TF6.5RCUT (Sima Ave at Burton Park) and if continuing ambient
sampling at this site was the best approach to resolve ongoing water quality issues that have
been observed there. It was decided to continue to sample at this location. It was also stated
that additional sampling and inspections would be taking place at industrial sites and other
locations upstream of the ambient monitoring site in the upcoming year. Continued sampling of
TF6.5RCUT provides baseline data for this subwatershed.
➢ Michelle Woolfolk also brought up the discussion topic of getting rid of the even/odd year site
rotation and retuning to sampling all sites every year. This would be a big change to the
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sampling program and will take thought and preparation to complete. The Monitoring and
Assessment group stated they supported making this change and would investigate feasibility
and logistics to potentially begin sampling in this fashion starting in CY 2023.
Benthic Sampling
• Any changes to the benthic sampling sites?
➢ No changes
• 2020 benthic sites:
Lat/Long
Drainage
River
Site
Sampling
Watershed
Stream
Location
(dec.
Ecoregion
area
basin
code
method
deg.)
(mi.Z)
35.91102
Triassic
Third Fork
TFO.OTC
Third Fork Cr.
NC 751
16.1
Qual4
a M
-78.96051
Basins
u LL
355 .886 8
Triassic
Northeast
NEO.ONE
Northeast Cr.
Sedwick Rd.
12.9
Qual4
_ 8 8
Basins
Johnson Mill
36.1416
Little
LR9.6LR
Little R.
Slate Belt
78.2
Full Scale
Rd.
-78.9208
West Point on
36.0716
EN8.9ER
Eno R.
Slate Belt
141.1
Full Scale
the Eno park
-78.9100
a,
3
Eno
Penny's Bend
36.0731
EN4.9ER
Eno R.
Slate Belt
149.3
Full Scale
Z
access
-78.8635
Mineral
35.9850
Triassic
L. Lick
LL3.4LLC
Little Lick Cr.
6.0
Qual4
Springs Rd.
-78.8198
Basins
35.9777
Triassic
Lick
LC1.11-C
Lick Cr.
Southview Rd.
10.8
Qual4
-78.7496
Basins
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Appendix B. Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Sampling Tables
Samples/Day
2022 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
EL8.6SECUT
LL4.6LLT2
TF6.5RCUT
1 EL7.1EC
LL3.4LLC
TFSARC
1 EL1.9EC
LCIALC
TF4.4TC
EN4.9ER
LC2.ORBC
TFSATC
LR9.6LR
2NE2.2NP
1 NH3.3SC
1 EN8.9ER
2NEO.ONE
TF3.4TC
EN10.3WC
2NE1.2NE
TF2.5TCTC
EN13.3ER
Field Blank
1TFI.OTC
Field Blank
Duplicate
Field Blank
Duplicate
Duplicate
10
9
10
1TOC analyzed by ENCO
2 Total Antimony
Tentative Sampling Dates
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
January
4
11
18
February
1
8
15
March
1
8
15
April
5
12
19
May
3
10
17
June
7
14
21
July
5
12
19
August
2
9
16
September
6
13
20
October
4
11
18
*November
1
2
15
*December
6
7
13
*Sampling days for November and December were
adjusted to accommodate the holidays.
Ambient Parameters
Fecal Coliform
Nutrients:
Nitrate + Nitrite N
Total Kjeldahl N
Total Ammonia N
Total Phosphorus
Total Suspended Solids
5-day BOD
Total Metals:
Calcium
Magnesium
Zinc
Copper
2 Total Antimony (at all
NE sites)
Dissolved Metals (Field -
Filtered):
Copper
Zinc
Ha rdness (ca Icu Iated)
Document prepared 11/30/2021, CC
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Appendix C. 2022 Ambient Site List
LAB#
SITENAME
SAMPLING
..
WATERSHED
ORDERDAY
BOD, Fecal, MTe.55Is, Nutrients,
193
EL8.6SECUT
1
Jan, Sep
Jan, Sep
Foster St & Hunt St
Ellerbe
Neuse
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
230
*EL7.1EC
2
Feb, Oct
Feb, Oct
Club Blvd & Acadia St
Ellerbe
Neuse
TSS, TOC
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
41
*EL1.9EC
3
Mar, Nov
Mar, Nov
Glenn Rd
Ellerbe
Neuse
TSS, TOC
BOD, Fecal, MetSals, Nutrients,
78
EN4.9ER
4
Apr, Dec
Apr, Dec
Penny's Bend (Snow Hill Rd)
Eno
Neuse
180
LR9.6LR
5
May
May
Patrick Rd &Johnson Mill Rd
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
Little River
Neuse
TSS
79
*EN8.9ER
6
Jun
Jun
West Point on the Eno
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
Eno
Neuse
TSS, TOC
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
196
FN10.3WC
7
Jul
Jul
Horton Rd, East of Guess Rd
Eno
Neuse
BOD, Metals, Nutrients, Fecal,
77
EN13.3ER
8
Aug
Aug
Cole Mill Rd
Eno
Neuse
TSS
30
Duplicate
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
223
Field Blank
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
BOD, Fecal, M etsals, Nutrients,
82
LL4.6LLT2
1
Jan, Aug
Jan, Aug
Lynn Rd, South of Hwy 98
Little Lick
Neuse
TS
BOD, Metals, Nutrients, Fecal,
81
*LL3.4LLC
2
Feb, Sep
Feb, Sep
Mineral Springs Rd, North of 98
Little Lick
Neuse
TSS
BOD, Fecal, Mesta Is, Nutrients,
169
LC1.1LC
3
Mar, Oct
Mar, Oct
Southview Rd, South of 98
Lick Creek
Neuse
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
169
LC2.ORBC
4
Apr, Nov
Apr, Nov
Kemp Rd & Southview Rd
Lick Creek
Neuse
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
2
17
NE2.2NP
5
May, Dec
May, Dec
Meridian Pkwy
TSS, Total Sib
Northeast
Cape Fear
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
19
NEO.ONE
6
Jun
Jun
Sedwick Rd
TSS, Total Sb
Northeast
Cape Fear
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
11
NE1.2NE
7
Jul
Jul
Hwy54, West of Hwy 55
TSS, Total Sb
Northeast
Cape Fear
31
Duplicate
-
224
Field Blank
-
BOD, Fecal, MetSals, Nutrients,
142
TF6.5RCUT
1
Jan, Sep
Jan, Sep
Sima Ave, at Burton Park
Third Fork
Cape Fear
130
TF5.1RC
2
Feb, Oct
Feb, Oct
Elmira Ave
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
Third Fork
Cape Fear
127
TF4.4TC
3
Mar, Nov
Mar, Nov
Weaver St
BOD, Fecal, MISS Is, Nutrients,
Third Fork
Cape Fear
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
232
TF5.4TC
4
Apr, Dec
Apr, Dec
Forestwood Dr (Forest Hills Park)
Third Fork
Cape Fear
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
100
*NH3.35C
5
May
May
Cornwallis Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
TSS, TOC
3
BOD, Fecal, M etSals, Nutrients,
198
*TF3.4TC
6
Jun
Jun
MLK near PWOC
Third Fork
Cape Fear
120
TF2.5TCTC
7
Jul
Jul
Dover Rd
BOD, Fecal, MetSals, Nutrients,
Third Fork
Cape Fear
231
*TFI.OTC
8
Aug
Aug
Woodcroft Pkwy
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
Third Fork
Cape Fear
TSS, TOC
32
Duplicate
-
225
Field Blank
-
-
- -
-
-
-
* Nutrient Loading Site
TOC Field Blank and Duplicate Schedule
DAY
LAB#
SITE NAIVIE
Dupficate Collected
Field Blank Collected
230
EL7.1EC
Jan, Jun, Nov
Jan, Jun, Nov
1
41
EL1.9EC
Feb, Jul, Dec
Feb, Jul, Dec
79
FN8.9FR
Mar, Aug,
Mar, Aug,
100
NH3.3SC
Apr, Sep
Apr, Sep
3
231
TFI.OTC
May, Oct
May, Oct
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2021 Ambient Monitoring Plan
Introduction
The Ambient Monitoring Program was created to fulfill the requirements of the City of Durham's
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit (NCS000249). This Program
characterizes watersheds located in the City of Durham (COD) and tracks changes or trends in water
quality by monitoring the water chemistry, stream biology, and stream hydrology of selected streams.
Streams selected for monitoring are fixed locations strategically located inside or just outside the City
limits. Sites are monitored by COD Water Quality Unit (WQU) staff once per month and are on an even
and odd year sampling rotation for particular watersheds. Therefore, the majority of sites are sampled
every other year. Targeted watersheds for 2021 are New Hope Creek, Panther Creek, and Crooked Creek
in the Cape Fear River Basin and Ellerbe Creek and Stirrup Iron Creek in the Neuse River Basin. In
addition to the alternating yearly sites, select sites are chosen for consistent monthly monitoring based
on their potential to contribute nutrients downstream and their proximity to USGS stream gages. These
"nutrient loading sites" are sampled every year and include sites located on Ellerbe Creek (EL7.1EC at
Club Blvd and EL1.9EC at Glenn Rd), New Hope Creek (NH3.3SC at Cornwallis Rd), Eno River (EN8.9ER at
West Point on the Eno), Little Lick Creek (LL3.4LLC at Mineral Springs Rd), and Third Fork Creek (TF3.4TC
at MLK and TFI.OTC at Woodcroft Pkwy).
For the 2021 sampling year, there were no updates to key project staff or staff titles for the City of
Durham from the previous year. Environmental Conservation Laboratories (ENCO), will be the
contracted lab for the 2021 ambient sampling season.
Summary of the 2021 Planning Meeting
Below is a summary of the notable changes that resulted from discussions at the 2021 Ambient Planning
Meeting held on November 2, 2020. For more details and a complete list of topics discussed in this
meeting, please see Appendix A. 2021 Ambient Planning Meeting — with Notes.
Sampling Parameters
The core parameters collected at every sampling site will remain the same as they were in 2020. These
core parameters include: BOD-5 Day, total suspended solids (TSS), ammonia (NH3), nitrate -nitrite (NOx),
total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), hardness, total Calcium (Ca), total Magnesium (Mg),
total and dissolved Copper (Cu), total and dissolved Zinc (Zn), and Fecal Coliform. The core parameters
will continue to be analyzed by the South Durham Water Reclamation Facility (SDWRF) laboratory per
the Ambient Monitoring Program QAPP. Total antimony (Sb), will also be collected only at S11.6SIC
(Stirrup Iron Creek at Chin Page Rd) and be analyzed by the SDWRF lab.
Collection of Total Organic Carbon (TOC) samples at selected sites will be resumed in 2021 and will be
analyzed by ENCO. TOC samples will be collected at the following nutrient loading sites: E11.9EC (Ellerbe
Creek at Glenn Rd), EL7.1EC (Ellerbe Creek at Club Blvd and Acadia St), EN8.9ER (Eno River at West Point
on the Eno), TFI.OTC (Third Fork Creek at Woodcroft Pkwy), and NH3.3SC (Sandy Creek at Cornwallis
Rd).
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Physical parameters will also be collected at all ambient sites and include: water temperature, dissolved
oxygen saturation and concentration, pH, specific conductivity, and turbidity. For a detailed list of
parameters collected at each site please see Appendix B. 2021 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring
Sampling Tables.
Sampling Sites
Site TF3.4TC (Third Fork Creek at MLK) was designated as a nutrient loading site in 2018 due to the
installation of a new USGS rain and stream gage that year. However, due to sampling conflicts, this site
was not sampled in 2019. Starting in 2021, this site will be classified as a nutrient loading site and will be
sampled yearly.
PN2.4PN (Panther Creek at Burton Rd) is currently the only COD sampling site located in the Panther
Creek watershed, however, localized sediment infill at this site has limited sample collection during
periods of low stream flow. A new site located at the end of Cooksbury Rd was scouted and determined
to be both accessible and an improvement to the previous location. Therefore, the old sampling site
(PN2.4PN) will be dropped in 2021 and the new site (PN1.9PN) will be added.
For the 2021 sampling season, an additional site in the Ellerbe Creek watershed was requested to
provide supporting data for a future Watershed Improvement Plan. Previously, EL10.7EC (Ellerbe Creek
at Bellevue Ave) was sampled as a routine odd -year site. However, due to accessibility issues it was
decided that a new location should be scouted. After ambient site recon on 11/23/2020, it was
determined that a new site located where Albany Street crosses Ellerbe Creek was a better candidate.
Therefore, EL10.7EC will not be sampled in 2021 and will be replaced by the new site at Albany Street
(EL9.9EC).
The sample site located at Midland Terrace (EL5.6SC) was deemed unsafe to sample due to an eroding
bank with steep, slick slopes. This site was scouted in 2019 to identify a safer way to access the sample
site however, none was found. It was decided to drop EL5.6EC in 2021 due to the increasing safety
issues.
In 2019 NE1.2NE (New Hope Creek at Hwy 54/Hwy55) was sampled only for total Antimony. It was
decided that this site will not be sampled in 2021 as NE1.2NE is not a routinely -scheduled odd -year site.
All other sites will remain the same from 2019. For the complete 2021 list of sites, their locations, and
associated lab numbers along with the duplicate and field blank schedule please see Appendix C. 2021
Ambient Site List.
Benthic Monitoring
The benthic monitoring sites will primarily remain the same as in 2019 with consideration into possibly
changing the site located in the Panther Creek watershed from PN2.4PN (Panther Creek at Burton Rd) to
the new site PN1.9PN (Panther Creek at Cooksbury Rd). Additional discussions on changes to the 2021
benthic sampling plan will be held in the future and all possible changes will be summarized in a
separate benthic monitoring plan.
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Appendix A. 2021 Ambient Planning Meeting — with Notes
Ambient 2021 Planning Meeting
Monday November 2, 2020
Virtual Attendees: Michelle Woolfolk, JV Loperfido, Jon Baker, Jim Azarelo, Joey Smith, Dave Milkereit,
Blaine Lary, and Christine Cailleret
2019 Monitoring Information
• Focus watersheds for odd years: Ellerbe, New Hope, Panther, Stirrup Iron, Crooked Creek
• Total Sites sampled in 2019: 22 Total sites for 2021: 22
0 11 in the Neuse watershed
■ 8 in Ellerbe Creek — same (1 site dropped and 1 added)
■ 1 in Eno River (Nutrient Loading Site) - some
■ 1 in Little Lick Creek (Nutrient Loading Site) - same
■ 1 in Stirrup Iron Creek - same
0 11 in the Cape Fear watershed
■ 7 in New Hope Creek - same
■ 1 in Panther Creek - same
■ 1 in Crooked Creek - same
■ -12 in Third Fork (Nutrient Loading Sites)
;n NeFtheast Free. (T6A4.1 Q S;+ en,) ' - site dropped
Questions/Discussion Topics
Parameters
• Sampling for TOO
o This year (2020) we did not sample for TOC, but in previous years TOC samples were
collected at Nutrient Loading sites in the Neuse watershed. TOC was collected at
EL1.9EC, EL7.1EC, and EN8.9ER in 2019 (TOC was not collected at LL3.4LLC due to
continuous poor data and to save some money).
o TOC would have to be analyzed by ENCO.
➢ Sample for TOC this year, keep LL3.4LLC dropped, but add TOC at TFI.OTC and NH3.3SC.
ENCO should be contacted to set up a work order. Also there will be 1 Field Blank and 1
Duplicate TOC sample per sampling month.
• Continue to sample only Total Sb at S11.6SIC and NE1.2NE?
o In 2019 Total Sb was collected at S11.6SIC (Stirrup Iron at Chin Page Rd) and at NE1.2NE
(Northeast Creek at Hwy 54/55) due to the fact that SCM metals began processing Sb on
their property which drain to both Northeast Creek and Stirrup Iron Creek.
o S11.6SIC is normally sampled in the odd years, and Sb was simply added on to the
requested analyses. NE1.2NE is normally an even year site, therefore the only
parameter collected here in 2019 was Total Sb.
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➢ Drop NE1.2NE for 2021, but continue to collect Total Sb (in addition to all other
standard parameters) at S11.6SIC.
• Anions bottles — only taking NOx from this bottle. What method are the using? Can we change
the label?
o Currently NOx is the only anion being taken as part of the standard ambient parameters.
This is taken out of a separate bottle (50 mL non -preserved plastic bottle).
➢ Check with SDWRF to confirm which method is being used. Also check with SDWRF if it
is ok to stop using the current anions bottle and instead take what is needed for NOx
from the current Nutrients bottle.
• Do we want to consider collecting orthophosphate?
o Would have to check with SDWRF first.
➢ Orthophosphate was previously collected, however, there were issues with QA/QC of
the data therefore the parameter was dropped. It was also mentioned that
orthophosphate is normally only present in surface water in very low levels and the
samples would be processed by SDWRF which also processes waste water samples
where orthophosphate levels are usually higher. Therefore, it was decided that the
concern for possible machine contamination in the lab would result in unusable data
and that collecting orthophosphate may be more work that would yield data that was
not useful.
➢ There was also a discussion for our reasoning for collecting Hardness as well as Mg & Ca and
whether or not the hardness results we received from SDWRF were calculated or lab analyzed.
MW and JB remember this conservation occurring in the past, but could not recall the specifics.
There was some discussion on if collecting these parameters were in relation to the Biotic
Ligand Model.
➢ JB offered to look further into old notes to determine the reasoning for collecting both hardness
and Mg/Cu. A possibility could be for us to only collect Mg & Cu and we calculate hardness
ourselves, but we will wait to see what JB finds before we drop the hardness analysis.
Proposed Add/Drop Sites Questions
• TF3.4TC (MILK at PWOQ — Currently a nutrient loading site, and supposed to be sampled every
year. It was not sampled in 2019 due to the high number of sites on day 2. Do we sample this
site this year?
o If added, it would have to be sampled on Day 2 with the other TF Loading site.
➢ Add back to Day 2.
➢ It was noted that loading calculations cannot be made for a site until there are 5 years
of continuous data and trend analysis cannot be made until there has been a complete
El Nino La Nina cycle (about 7 —10 Years).
• EL7.6SECT (Knox St) — It was discussed in the Ambient Meeting 2019 to consider monitoring the
old Knox location (EL7.6SECT) in 2020 to catch any changes due to the South Ellerbe Creek
Wetland Project (Located on Trinity St). There was some discussion about adding Knox in 2019
as a baseline or pre data for the South Ellerbe Creek Wetland Project, but since construction of
the wetland has already begun and limited historical data from this site exists, it was decided
that it would not be the best use of resources to sample this site at this time. Notes from the
2019 meeting asked for this to be revisited in 2020. What is the status of the project?
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Document prepared 12/9/2020, CC

o If added, it would have to be sampled on Day 1 with the other Ellerbe sites.
➢ The construction is currently on pause until more input from surrounding communities
is gathered. For now, the old building is gone and underground storage tanks have been
removed. The impervious surface from the old structure is still in place and no new
construction has been built.
➢ Do not add this year. There will likely be a study done of the effectiveness of the BMP
once it is built rather than looking and pre and post ambient data at one location.
❖ NH1.7SCTA (Ivy Creek Blvd) —Keep sampling now that it is part of JV's contract?
➢ Continue to sample as normal. The contractor for JV's contract has collected one-time
sampling data for this site which included physical and sediment parameters with a
focus on DO. A second round of sampling is possible later on. Since this only a small
amount of sampling, this site should continue to be treated as a normal ambient site.
➢ Continue to take photos of the site every sampling day. Take both upstream and
downstream photos and save in the ambient folder. Revisit in 2023 if pictures need to
continue to be taken every time.
• PN2.4PN (Burton Rd) —This site was dry for 5 months (July -November) in 2019 and for 4 months
(June — October) in 2015. This is the only site in PC (also a benthic site). Can we move it to a
better location?
o This is also a Benthic site, so would possibly have to move benthic location as well.
o Next possible upstream access is at the end of Cooksbury Rd (2504 Cooksbury Rd).
➢ Recon the Cooksbury Rd location to determine if this would be a better location that
would dry out less. If moved this location would need a new Site ID and lab #.
➢ UNRBA is using our data for this site, but moving the location should not affect their use
of the data.
• EL10.7EC (Bellevue — Golf Course) — This site was sampled for 3 months in 2017 as request from
ECWA. It was not sampled in 2019, but notes from the 2019 meeting asked to revisit adding this
site for 2021.
o If added, it would have to be sampled on Day 1 with the other Ellerbe sites.
➢ There was a concern that if EL10.7EC was not added back, it could affect decisions made
for the upcoming watershed modeling project for Ellerbe Creek as this location in the
furthest upstream. If this site was not sampled, then water quality data collected at
EL7.1EC (Northgate Park) would represent a lot of subwatersheads that are not nearby
that sampling location.
➢ It was requested that either E110.7EC or a new site at a nearby location be added to the
sampling rotation this year.
➢ As there are some access issues with EL10.7EC involving the golf course it is located on,
it was suggested to recon the area where Ellerbe Creek Crosses Albany St. on the Ellerbe
Creek walking trail.
■ If this new location is added, it would need a new site ID and Lab #.
• EL5.6EC (Midland Terrace) —There is an ongoing safety/accessibility issue at this site. We
reconned this site in 2019 and found no better access or sampling location. Do we need to keep
sampling here?
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o Closest accessible downstream location is at Club Blvd near NDWRF.
➢ Drop this site.
➢ There were no issues with dropping this location as Ellerbe Creek is already well
represented. MW remembers this location originally being added as it was the first
accessible location downstream of the convergence of Ellerbe Creek and South Ellerbe
Creek.
• UNRBA or other association requests?
➢ None at the time of this meeting.
Benthic Sampling
Any changes to benthic sampling locations or procedures?
➢ No expected changes to the benthic sampling locations or procedures. There is a
possibility, depending on the recon of the Panther Creek location, the Panther Creek site
may move, but that will be determined at a later time.
Odd year sites:
River
Site code
Location
Lat/Long (dd.ddd)
Drainage area (mi.')
Sampling method
basin
35.9753
NH2.3MC
Pickett Rd
5.4
Qual4
Q fu
-78.9844
u LL
35.9571
NHI.OSC
Garrett Rd
6.9
Qual4
-78.9738
36.0596
EL1.9EC
Glenn Rd
21.9
Full Scale
-78.8327
366 .0248
a,
EL5.5GC
Camden Ave
6.4
Qual4
8609
z
EL7.1EC
Acadia St
36.0200
5.7
Qual4
-78.8952
36.0338
PN2.4PN
Burton Rd
2.6
Qual4
-78.8124
Page 6 of 8
Document prepared 12/9/2020, CC

Appendix B. 2021 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Sampling Tables
001
Samples/Day
2021 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring
Day I
Day 2
Day
EL8.6SECUT
1EN8.9ER
NH4.4SCT❑
EL8.1GC
PN1.9PN
1NH3.3SC
EL5.5GC
LL3.4LLC
NH3.ONHC
1EL1.9EC
2S11.6SIC
NH2.3MC
1EL7.1EC
TF3.4TC
NH1.OSC
EL7.ISEC
1TFI.OTC
NH1.7SCTA
EL8.5SEC
CC2.5CC
NHO.ONHC
EL9.9EC
224
225
223
31
32
30
10
9
9
1TOC analyzed by ENCO
2Total Antimony
Tentative Sampling Dates
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
January
5
12
19
February
2
9
16
March
2
9
16
April
6
13
20
May
4
11
18
June
8
15
22
July
6
13
20
August
3
10
17
September
7
14
21
October
5
12
19
*November
2
3
16
*December
7
8
14
*Sampling days for November and December were
adjusted to accommodate the holidays.
Ambient Parameters
Fecal Coliform
Nutrients:
Nitrate + Nitrite N
Total Kjeldahl N
Total Ammonia N
Total Phosphorus
Total Suspended Solids
5-day BO ❑
Tota I Metals:
Calcium
Magnesium
Zinc
Copper
ZAntimony (at S11.6SIC
only)
Dissolved Metals (Field -
Filtered):
Copper
Zinc
Hardness {calculatedy
Document prepared 12/9/2020, CC
Page 7 of 8

Appendix C. 2021 Ambient Site List
SAMPLING
Duplicate
Field Blank
.D
LAB#
SITE NAME
LOCATION
PARAMETERS
WATERSHED
ORDERDAY
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
193
EL8.65ECLJT
1
Jan, Sep
Jan, Sep
Foster St and Hunt St
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, SOD, TSS,
68
EL8.1GC
2
Feb, Oct
Feb, Oct
Holloway St
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
47
EL5.5GC
3
Mar, Nov
Mar, Nov
Camden Ave
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
41
EL1.9EC*
4
Apr, Dec
Apr, Dec
Glenn Rd
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, T55,
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals TOC
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
230
EL7.1EC*
5
May
May
Club Blvd and Acadia St
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals TOC
1
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
57
EL7.ISEC
6
Jun
Jun
Glendale Ave
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, SOD, TSS,
72
EL8.5SEC
7
July
July
Club Blvd
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
76
EL9.9EC
8
Aug
Aug
Albany St
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
30
Duplicate
rotates
223
Field Blank
rotates
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
79
EN8.9ER*
1
Jan, Aug
Jan, Aug
West Point - Roxoboro Rd
Eno
Neuse
Metals TOC
Fecal, Nutrients, SOD, T55,
234
PN1.9PN
2
Feb, Sep
Feb, Sep
Cooksbury Rd
Panther Creek
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, SOD, TSS,
81
LL3.4LLC*
3
Mar, Oct
Mar, Oct
Mineral Springs Rd
Little Lick
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
117
S11.6SIC
4
Apr, Nov
Apr, Nov
Chin Page Rd
Stirrup Iron
Neuse
Metals Total Antimony
198
TF3.4TC*
5
May, Dec
MLK near PWOC
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, T55,
Third Fork
Cape Fear
2
May, Dec
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, SOD, TSS,
231
TF1.0TC*
6
Jun
Jul
Woodcraft Pkwy
Third Fork
Cape Fear
Metals TOC
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
205
CC2.5CC
7
July
August
Scott King Rd
Crooked Creek
Cape Fear
Metals
31
Duplicate
rotates
224
Field Blank
rotates
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
104
NH4.4SCTD
1
Jan, Aug
Jan, Aug
Academy Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
100
NH3.3SC*
2
Feb, Sep
Feb, Sep
Cornwallis Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals, TOC
Fecal, Nutrients, SOD, TSS,
98
NH3.ONHC
3
Mar, Oct
Mar, Oct
Erwin Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
96
NH2.3MC
4
Apr, Nov
Apr, Nov
Pickett Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, T55,
3
94
NH1.05C
5
May, Dec
May, Dec
Garrett Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, 80D, TSS,
214
NH1.7SCTA
6
Jun
Jun
Ivy Creek
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
91
NHO.ONHC
7
July
July
Old Chapel Hill Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
32
Duplicate
rotates
225
1 Field Blank
I rotates
* Nutrient Loading Site
TOC Field Blank and Duplicate Schedule
LAB4
SITE NAME
DAY
Duplicate Collected
Field Blank Collected
41
EL1.9EC
1
Jan, Jun, Nov
Jan, Jun, Nov
230
EL7.1EC
1
Feb, Jul, Dec
Feb, Jul, Dec
79
EN8.9ER
2
Mar, Aug
Mar, Aug
231
TF1.0TC
2
Apr, Sep
Apr, Sep
100
NH3.3SC
3
May, Oct
May, Oct
Page 8 of 8
Document prepared 12/9/2020, CC

2020 Ambient Monitoring Plan
1. Introduction
The Ambient Monitoring Program was created to fulfill requirements of the City of Durham's National
Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit (NCS000249). This Program characterizes
watersheds located in the City of Durham (COD) and tracks changes or trends in water quality by
monitoring the water chemistry, stream biology, and stream hydrology of selected streams. Streams
selected for monitoring are fixed locations strategically located inside or just outside the City limits. Sites
are monitored by COD Water Quality Unit (WQU) staff once per month and are on an even and odd year
sampling rotation for particular watersheds. Therefore, the majority of sites are sampled every other
year. Targeted watersheds for 2020 are Northeast Creek and Third Fork Creek in the Cape Fear River
Basin and Little River, Eno River, Lick Creek, and Little Lick Creek in the Neuse River Basin. In addition to
the alternating yearly sites, select sites are chosen for consistent monthly monitoring based on their
potential to contribute nutrients downstream and their proximity to USGS stream gages. These
"nutrient loading sites" are sampled every year and include sites located on Ellerbe Creek (EL7.1EC at
Club Blvd and EL1.9EC at Glenn Rd), New Hope Creek (NH3.3SC at Cornwallis Rd), Eno River (EN8.9ER at
West Point on the Eno), Little Lick Creek (LL3.4LLC at Mineral Springs Rd), and Third Fork Creek (TF3.4TC
at MLK and TFI.OTC at Woodcroft Pkwy).
For the 2020 sampling year, there were some updates to key project staff and staff titles. Shannon
Hauschild and Susan Gale are no longer with the City of Durham. Joey Smith is the new Environmental
Planning and Compliance Analyst and Blaine Lary is the new Environmental Planning and Compliance
Specialist. As part of a City-wide Compensation and Classification Study, staff titles were changed for all
positions in the WQU as seen in Table 1.
Table 1 Water Quality Unit Job Titles
Old Job Title
New Job Title
Water Quality Specialist
Environmental Planning and Compliance Analyst
Senior Water Quality Technician
Environmental Planning and Compliance Coordinator
Water Quality Technician
Environmental Planning and Compliance Specialist
At the time this report was written there is no contract lab in place however, the WQU is in the process
of completing the contract process. The new contracted lab will likely start sometime in the first half of
2020. The contracted lab will run all Total Organic Carbon (TOC) samples for the Ambient Program. All
other analyses (BOD-5 Day, Total Suspended Solids, Ammonia, Nitrate -Nitrite, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen,
Total Phosphorus, Hardness, Total Calcium, Total Magnesium, Total Copper, Dissolved Copper, Total
Zinc, Dissolved Zinc, Total Antimony, and Fecal Coliform) will continue to be run by the South Durham
Water Reclamation Facility (SDWRF) laboratory per the Ambient Monitoring Program QAPP.
Page 1 of 8
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2. Summary of the 2020 Planning Meeting
Below is a summary of the notable changes that resulted from discussions at the 2020 Ambient Planning
meeting held on October 31, 2019. For more details and a complete list of topics discussed in this
meeting, please see Appendix 1. 2020 Ambient Planning Meeting - With Notes.
Sampling Parameters
The core parameters collected at every sampling site will remain the same as they were in 2019,
including TOC (Total Organic Carbon) samples. For a full list of parameters collected at each site please
see Appendix 2.2020 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Sampling Tables.
Continuing from last year, total antimony will be collected only at NE1.2NE (Northeast Creek at NC Hwy
54) due to a metal company located upstream of the sampling location processing antimony on site.
Sampling Sites
EN4.9ER (Eno River at Penny's Bend) has not been sampled since 2014 because samples were being
collected at that site by the Upper Neuse River Basin Association (UNRBA) for a study that ran from
2014-2018. Since the UNRBA study is now complete EN4.9ER will be added back as a regular even year
site sampled for all parameters. Due to a large amount of distance covered and driving time on Day 1,
EN9.6CRC (Crooked Creek at Latta Road) was dropped. This sample site captures only a small portion of
the watershed which can be represented in other ambient sites further down in the watershed.
Site EL8.6SECUT (Unnamed Tributary of South Ellerbe Creek at Foster St and Hunt St) is normally an odd
year site. However, due to ongoing issues with multiple parameters, most recently is very high levels of
Zinc, this site will be monitored on Day 1 in 2020. There was a concern that the accelerated
development rate in the downtown area could give rise to an increase in pollution sources and
continued sampling of this site might help to capture some of these possible issues.
In 2018 a large tree fell at sample site TF5.6TC (Third Fork Creek at Forest Hills Park). This fallen tree
caused significant change to the channel due to high levels of sedimentation and also caused the site to
be difficult to access. Therefore, a new sampling location, TF5.4TC (Third Fork Creek at Forestwood Dr.)
was identified further downstream and it will replace TF5.6TC.
The sampling location of NE1.2NE (Northeast Creek at NC Hwy 54) was determined to have shifted
slightly upstream from the original sampling location. The original location was intended to be just
downstream of the NC Hwy 54 bridge to capture the input of a large wetland/marsh area just upstream
of the bridge. For 2020, the sampling location of NE1.2NE will be moved back downstream of the Hwy
54 bridge to the original location. The upstream location that has been sampled for the previous handful
of years will be given a new site ID (NE1.3NE) and data collected at this location will be retroactively
changed to this new ID.
All other sites remained the same from 2018. For the complete 2020 list of sites, their locations, and
associated lab numbers along with the duplicate and field blank schedule please see Appendix 3. 2020
Ambient Site List.
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Benthic Monitoring
The benthic monitoring sites will primarily remain the same as in 2018. However, there will be some
later consideration into possibly changing the location of TFO.OTC this year. Additional discussions on
changes to the 2020 benthic sampling plan will be held in the future and all possible changes will be
summarized in a separate benthic monitoring plan.
Page 3 of 8
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Appendix 1. 2020 Ambient Planning Meeting - with Notes
2020 Ambient Planning Meeting
with Notes
Attendees: Michelle Woolfolk, JV Loperfido, John Baker, Jim Azarelo, Joey Smith,
Dave Milkereit, Blaine Lary, and Christine Cailleret
2020 Monitoring Information
❖ Total proposed sites: -14 23 (12 Neuse, 11 Cape Fear)
❖ Target watersheds on the same day - Yes
❖ One team of two people per sampling day - Yes
❖ Sampling will occur on the first, second, and third Tuesday of every month and prep and meter
maintenance will occur on the last Tuesday of every month - Yes
❖ QA/QC samples will be as follows:
o One field blank per sampling day -Yes
o One duplicate per sampling day - Yes
o One TOC field blank per month -Yes
o One TOC duplicate per month - Yes
■ Is there a need for equipment blanks quarterly?
- It is written in the Draft QAPP that we will perform equipment blanks. This was
referencing when a sampling cup was used to collect samples that were then
poured into sample bottles. As we no longer use this type of pole sampler and
all sample bottles are directly dipped, there is no need for equipment blanks.
Additionally, the field blanks have not shown any concern for contaminated
equipment.
❖ Contract lab: by May? RFP for Lab contracts closed on 10/31/2019.
Questions/Discussion Topics:
❖ Make TF3.4TC (MILK at PWOC) a nutrient loading site?
o It was supposed to be a nutrient loading site starting in 2018, but it was not sampled in
2019 due to too many sample sites for Day 2. Notes from 2019 state that it will become
a nutrient loading site in 2020.
-Yes. Make TF3.4TC a nutrient loading site, to be sampled every year from here on out.
❖ Add EN4.9ER (Penny's Bend) back? It was sampled by UNRBA from 2014 — 2018 and a note from
2018 say to sample it in 2020.
o It would have to be sampled on Day 1 with the rest of the Eno Sites.
- Yes, add it back to Day 1.
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- Due to a large amount of driving required for Day 1, EN9.6CRC (Latta Road) will be
dropped. The Latta Road site covers a small drainage area and does not provide any
information that cannot be determined from other sites on the Eno.
❖ EL8.6SECUT (Foster and Hunt) was sampled for Zinc only in 2018; do we continue to do this or
make it a site sampled every year due to ongoing issues and high visibility? Or make it part of a
special study?
o If it is sampled every year it would have to be sampled on Day 1 with other Ellerbe sites.
- Add it to Day 1 and sample all parameters due to the high visibility and the high
number of investigations initiated at this site from ambient data. It was also discussed if
this site should be part of a special study in the future. Ellerbe Creek watershed with be
up for a watershed study plan in the coming years and it was requested for this site to
be kept in mind for extra analysis as part of that study.
- It was also mentioned that maybe our group should request the drainage group to TV
the Stormwater pipes around this site in an attempt to identify problem areas or
potential pollution sources.
❖ Continue to test for total Antimony at NE1.2NE (Chick-fil-A) and S11.6SIC (Chin Page Rd)?
o 511.6SIC is an odd year site and would have to be added to Day 2.
- Test all Northeast Creek sites (NE2.2NP, NEO.ONE, and NE1.2NE) for total Antimony,
but do not add 511.6SIC to Day 2. Keep 511.6SIC as an odd year site and test Sb there in
2021.
❖ NE1.2NE (Chick-fil-A) Can we move this site? Not a great sampling location, it is often very deep
and we cannot reach the thalweg and are likely not getting very representative samples. We
would need to recon.
- After a review of the current location for this site, it was determined that the current
location had drifted upstream from the original location. The current location for this
site is about 0.1 mile further upstream than the original location. The current location is
upstream of a large marsh area that was originally intended to be captured in ambient
data. It was decided that NE1.2NE will move back downstream to the original location
on the downstream side of the Hwy 54 bridge. This original location will keep the site ID
of NE1.2NE and the current location that is further upstream will be given a new ID and
data for the past 5 years or so will retroactively be changed to this new site ID.
- The new site ID for the upstream location is NE1.3NE.
❖ TF6.5RCUT (Sima Ave) do we need to move this site down to catch McDougal Terrace issues?
- No, this is not the purpose of the Ambient Program. Keep this location where it is.
Sampling for McDougal Terrace will occur separately as part of the IDDE program.
❖ TF5.6TC (Forest Hills Park) has an access issue. Since the tree fell on this site it is hard to access
and the staff gage was damaged and completely buried in sediment. Move the site further U/S?
Move staff gage or remove it?
- Move the site further downstream to below the confluence and give this location a
new site ID and lab number.
- After recon on 11/25/2019, a new location was identified and was given the new site
ID of TF5.4TC and a lab number of 132.
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❖ 2019 Meeting notes mentioned consider adding the old Knox location (EL7.6SECT) to catch any
changes due to the South Ellerbe Creek Wetland Project... what is the status of the construction
of the project?
- The project is projected to be completed in 2 years. As of this meeting date, the old
building has been demolished and 2 underground storage tanks have been removed. As
of now, EL7.6SECT will not be added to the ambient sampling rotation, but we will
discuss adding it for 2021.
❖ TF2.5TCTC (Dover/Golf Course) is this site giving us useful data? We normally get not great
results due to the buffer issues/no canopy cover on the golf course.
o Sample for herbicides/pesticides?
- Keep this site for 2020. This location covers a large drainage area and fecal numbers
have been high. Discuss in 2022 if we want to continue sampling here.
❖ Add EL8.5SEC (Club at Walltown Park Rec Center) to be sampled every year due to the high
amount of WQ Investigations that have been initiated due to ambient field or lab results?
o Would have to go on Day 1 with other Ellerbe sites
- No, keep this site as an odd year site.
❖ Any changes to the Benthic sites or the Benthic program in general?
o Maybe try using benthic data to determine issue areas and/or assist with whether or
not we add or drop a site in the ambient planning meetings. Select benthic sites further
downstream in watersheds and move upstream if issues are found.
o Benthic Sites for this year:
River
Lat/Long
Drainage area
Sampling
basin
Site code
Location
(dec. deg.)
(mi.')
method
35.9226
TFO.OTC
NC 751
16.1
Qual4
a M
-78.9524
(0 )
U
NEO.ONE
Sedwick Rd.
78 8998
12.9
Qual4
35.1416
LR9.6LR
Johnson Mill Rd.
78.2
Full Scale
-78.9208
36.0716
EN8.9ER
West Point on the Eno park
141.1
Full Scale
-78.9100
36.0731
EN4.9ER
Penny's Bend access
149.3
Full Scale
z
-78.8635
35.9850
1-1-3.41-1-C
Mineral Springs Rd.
6.0
Qual4
-78.8198
35.9777
LC1.1LC
Southview Rd.
10.8
Qual4
-78.7496
- There was some discussion to move sites further up in the watersheds. However, there was a
lot of interest to keep sites where there are currently located to keep the historical data.
LL3.41-1-C and LL1.ILLC were requested to keep their locations, but one of the other sites could
be moved to a new location. There was some discussion of moving TFO.OTC to the old S.
Roxboro St site (was previous a bug only site), however, some recon will take place before a
decision is made.
Page 6 of 8
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Appendix 2.2020 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Sampling Tables
Samples/Day
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
EL8.6SECUT
LL4.6LLT2
TF6.5RCUT
1 EL7.1EC
LL3.4LLC
TF5.1RC
1 EL1.9EC
LC1.11-C
TF4.4TC
EN4.9ER
LC2.ORBC
TF5.4TC
LR9.6LR
2NE2.2NP
NH3.3SC
1 EN8.9ER
2NEO.ONE
TF3.4TC
EN10.3WC
2NE1.2NE
TF2.5TCTC
EN13.3ER
224
TFI.OTC
223
31
225
30
32
10
9
10
1TOC analyzed by Contract Lab
2Total Antimony
Tentative Sampling Dates
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
January
7
14
21
February
4
11
18
March
3
10
17
April
7
14
21
May
5
12
19
June
2
9
16
July
7
14
21
August
4
11
18
September
1
8
15
October
6
13
20
*November
3
4
17
*December
1
8
9
*Sampling days for November and December were
adjusted to accommodate the holidays.
Ambient Parameters
Fecal Coliform
Nutrients:
Nitrate + Nitrite N
Total Kjeldahl N
Total Ammonia N
Total Phosphorus
Total Suspended Solids
5-day BOD
Total Metals:
Calcium
Magnesium
Zinc
Copper
2Total Antimony (at all
NE sites)
Dissolved Metals (Field -
Filtered):
Copper
Zinc
Hardness (calculated)
Document Prepared 12/13/2019 - CC
Page 7 of 8

Appendix 3.2020 Ambient Site List
SITENAME
DAY
SAMPLIN
..
WATERSHED
ORDERLAB
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
193
EL8.6SECUT
1
1
Jan, Sep
Jan, Sep
Foster St & Hunt St
Ellerbe
Neuse
SS
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
230
*EL7.1EC
1
2
Feb, Oct
Feb, Oct
Club Blvd & Acadia St
Ellerbe
Neuse
TSS, TOC
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
41
*EL1.9EC
1
3
Mar, Nov
Mar, Nov
Glenn Rd
Ellerbe
Neuse
TSS, TOC
78
EN4.9ER
1
4
Apr, Dec
Apr, Dec
Penny's Bend (Snow Hill Rd)
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
Eno
Neuse
SS
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
180
LR9.6LR
1
5
May
May
Patrick Rd & Johnson Mill Rd
Little River
Neuse
SS
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
79
*EN8.9ER
1
6
Jun
Jun
West Point on the Eno
TSS, TOC
Eno
Neuse
196
EN10.3WC
1
7
Jul
Jul
Horton Rd, East of Guess Rd
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
Eno
Neuse
SS
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
77
EN13.3ER
1
8
Aug
Aug
Cole Mill Rd
Eno
Neuse
30
Duplicate
1
-
223
Field Blank
1
-
-
-
-
-
-
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
82
LL4.6LLT2
2
1
Jan, Aug
Jan, Aug
Lynn Rd, South of Hwy 98
Little Lick
Neuse
TSS
BOD, Fecal, McStals, Nutrients,
81
*LL3.4LLC
2
2
Feb, Sep
Feb, Sep
Mineral Springs Rd, North of 98
Little Lick
Neuse
BOD, Fecal, McStals, Nutrients,
168
LC1.1LC
2
3
Mar, Oct
Mar, Oct
Southview Rd, South of 98
Lick Creek
Neuse
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
169
LC2.ORBC
2
4
Apr, Nov
Apr, Nov
Kemp Rd & Southview Rd
Lick Creek
Neuse
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
17
NE2.2NP
2
5
May, Dec
May, Dec
Meridian Pkwy
Northeast
Cape Fear
TSS, Total Sb
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
19
NEO.ONE
2
6
Jun
Jun
Sedwick Rd
Northeast
Cape Fear
TSS, Total Sb
11
NE1.2NE
2
7
Jul
Jul
Hwy54, West of Hwy 55
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
Northeast
Cape Fear
TSS, Total Sb
31
Duplicate
2
-
224
Field Blank
2
-
BOD, Fecal, McStals, Nutrients,
142
TF6.5RCUT
3
1
lan, Sep
Jan, Sep
Sima Ave, at Burton Park
Third Fork
Cape Fear
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
130
TF5.1RC
3
2
Feb, Oct
Feb, Oct
Elmira St
Third Fork
Cape Fear
BOD, Fecal, McStals, Nutrients,
127
TF4.4TC
3
3
Mar, Nov
Mar, Nov
Weaver St
Third Fork
Cape Fear
BOD, Fecal, McStals, Nutrients,
132
TF5.4TC
3
4
Apr, Dec
Apr, Dec
Forestwood Dr (Forest Hills Park)
Third Fork
Cape Fear
100
*NH3.3SC
3
5
May
May
Cornwallis Rd
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
New Hope
Cape Fear
198
*TF3.4TC
3
6
Jun
Jun
MLK near PWOC
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
Third Fork
Cape Fear
BOD, Fecal, Metals, Nutrients,
120
TF2.5TCTC
3
7
Jul
Jul
Dover Rd
Third Fork
Cape Fear
TSS
BOD, Fecal, McStals, Nutrients,
231
*TFI.OTC
3
8
Aug
Aug
Woodcraft Pkwy
Third Fork
Cape Fear
32
Duplicate
3
-
225
Field Blank
3
* Nutrient Loading Site
TOC Field Blank and Duplicate Schedule
230 1 EL7.1EC 1 1 1 Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct I Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct
1 41 1 EL1.9EC 1 1 1 Feb, May, Aug, Nov I Feb, May, Aug, Nov
1 79 1 EN8.9ER 1 1 1 Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec I Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec I
Page 8 of 8
Document Prepared 12/13/2019 - CC

2019 Ambient Monitoring Plan
1. Introduction
The Ambient Monitoring Program was created to fulfill requirements of the City of Durham's National
Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). This Program characterizes City of Durham (COD)
waters and tracks changes or trends in water quality by monitoring the water chemistry, stream biology,
and stream hydrology of selected City of Durham streams. Streams selected for monitoring are fixed
locations strategically located inside or just outside the City limits. Sites are monitored by COD Water
Quality Unit (WQU) staff once per month and are on an even and odd year sampling rotation for
particular watersheds. Therefore, the majority of sites are sampled every other year. Targeted
watersheds for 2019 are New Hope Creek, Panther Creek and Crooked Creek in the Cape Fear River
Basin and Ellerbe Creek and Stirrup Iron Creek in the Neuse River Basin. Additional sites on Eno River
(EN8.9ER at West Point on the Eno) Little Lick Creek (LL3.4LLC at Mineral Springs Rd) and Third Fork
Creek (TFI.OTC at Woodcroft Pkwy) are nutrient loading sites and are sampled every year. There are
three additional nutrient loading sites, EL1.9EC (Ellerbe Creek at Glenn Rd), EL7.1EC (Ellerbe Creek at
Club Blvd and Acadia St), and NH3.3SC (Sandy Creek at Cornwallis Rd) within the 2019 Targeted
watersheds that are also sampled every year.
For the 2019 sampling year there were some updates to key project staff. Shannon Hauschild is now a
Water Quality Technician and Thomas Chapman is no longer with the City of Durham.
Meritech will continue as the contracted laboratory that will run all Total Organic Carbon (TOC) samples.
All other analyses (BOD-5 Day, Total Suspended Solids, Ammonia, Nitrate -Nitrite, Total Kjeldahl
Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus, Hardness, Total Calcium, Total Magnesium, Total Copper, Dissolved Copper,
Total Zinc, Dissolved Zinc, and Fecal Coliform) will continue to be run by the South Durham Water
Reclamation Facility (SDWRF) in accordance with the Ambient Monitoring Program QAPP.
2. Summary of the 2019 Planning Meeting
Below is a summary of the notable changes that resulted from discussions at the 2019 Ambient Planning
meeting held on October 30, 2018. For more details and a complete list of topics discussed in this
meeting, please see Appendix 1. 2019 Ambient Planning Meeting - With Notes.
Sampling Parameters
The core parameters collected at every sampling site will remain the same as they were in 2018. For a
full list of parameters collected at each site please see Appendix 2. 2019 Ambient Water
Quality Monitoring Sampling Tables.
Starting in 2019 TOC will no longer be collected at LL3.4LLC, in efforts to save money. LL3.4LLC has had
continuously poor results for TOC will little to no change over the recent sampling years. In addition,
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only one TOC field blank will be collected per month. In previous years one TOC field blank was collected
per day. For a full list of what sites will have TOC collected see Appendix 2. 2019 Ambient
Water Quality Monitoring Sampling Tables
Sampling Sites
PN2.4PN (Panther Creek at Burton Rd) was added back as an ambient sampling site for 2019. In 2017
PN2.4PN was dropped because samples were being collected at this site by UNRBA. However, UNRBA
has completed their study therefore; COD WQU will collect samples at this site in 2019.
In 2019 NH4.4SCTD (Sandy Creek Tributary D at Academy Rd) will replace NH4.8SCTDT (Unnamed
Tributary of Tributary D of Sandy Creek at Duke University Rd). There were safety issues for sampling at
NH4.8SCTDT that involved a technician stopping traffic in order to back out onto a busy road.
Additionally, NH4.8SCTDT has a very small drainage area when NH4.4SCTD is a better representation of
the surrounding area.
In 2017 EL10.7EC (Ellerbe Creek at Bellevue Ave) was an ambient site for 3 months as part of a contract
with the Ellerbe Creek Watershed Association (ECWA). In the 2019 Ambient Planning Meeting it was
decided that COD WQU will not sample EL10.7EC in 2019. The WQU already samples other sites on
Ellerbe Creek and there were no major issues found at EL10.7EC in the most recent sampling years.
EL8.6SECUT (Unnamed Tributary of South Ellerbe Creek at Foster St and Hunt St) is normally a site that is
sampled on odd years. However, due to an ongoing investigation involving high Zinc amounts, this site
was sampled for Field parameters and total and dissolved Zinc in 2018. At the 2019 Ambient Planning
Meeting it was discussed if this site should be incorporated into an alternative sampling project since
efforts through the Ambient Program have not resulted in a solution to the issue. It was decided that
due to the high visibility of the sampling site (in Durham Central Park) and the high number of issues
found at this site in past sampling years, that EL8.6SECUT would remain a regular odd -year sampling
site.
NH1.7SCTA (Sandy Creek Tributary A at Ivy Creek Blvd) is an ambient site normally sampled in the odd
years. However, due to an ongoing issue with low DO, this site was sampled quarterly for field
parameters in 2018. This sample site is also a site that is part of a separate COD WQU contract with the
purpose of resolving the issues involving low DO. During the 2019 Ambient Planning Meeting it was
discussed if this site should be dropped as an Ambient site in 2019 because it will monitored as part of
the separate contract. It was decided that NH1.7SCTA will be sampled as an Ambient site in 2019 to
prevent the site from going too long without any monitoring, as the contract work with start on another
location first before the moving on to NH1.7SCTA.
All other sites remained the same from 2017. For the complete 2019 list of sites, their locations, and
associated lab numbers along with the duplicate and field blank schedule please see Appendix 3. 2019
Ambient Site List.
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Benthic Monitoring
The Benthic Monitoring sites will primarily remain the same as in 2017. However, there were some
changes that were made at the separate Benthic Monitoring meeting held on 12/4/2018.
Starting in 2019, Benthic samples will not be collected at EL5.6EC (Ellerbe Creek at Midland Terrace).
This location was determined to not be necessary for benthic sampling as it has been consistently rated
"poor" in previous sampling years and there are two other benthic sites located on Ellerbe Creek.
Starting in 2019 Benthic samples will be collected at EL7.1EC (Ellerbe Creek at Club Blvd and Acadia St)
instead of EL7.9EC (Ellerbe Creek at Murray Ave). EL7.9EC is no longer a regularly sampled Ambient site
since the nutrient loading location was moved to EL7.1EC. It was decided that benthic samples should be
collected at the new nutrient loading site.
Benthic macroinvertebrate sampling for 2019 will be summarized in a separate monitoring plan.
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Appendix 1.2019 Ambient Planning Meeting - with Notes
2019 Ambient Planning Meeting
Attendees: Michelle Woolfolk, JV Loperfido, Jon Baker, Jim Azarelo, Susan Gale, Dave Milkereit,
Shannon Hauschild, Blaine Lary, and Christine Cailleret
2019 Monitoring Information
❖ Total pFepesed-sites: 21 (11 Neuse and 10 Cape Fear)
o Focus on Ellerbe and New Hope
❖ Target watersheds sampled on the same day - Yes
❖ One team (two people) per sampling day unless there is a special circumstance (training, audit,
interns, etc.) - Okay
❖ Continue with the schedule that was established this calendar year: Sampling will occur on the
1st, 2nd, and 3rd Tuesday of every month - Okay
❖ QA/QC samples will remain the same:
o One field blank per sample day
o One duplicate per sample day
o One TOC field blank peF day per month
o One TOC duplicate per month
❖ EL7.9EC (Murray Ave) — no longer the nutrient loading site, moved to EL7.1EC Acadia and Club.
❖ TFO.OTC (Hwy 751) —no longer the nutrient loading site, moved to TFI.OTC Woodcroft Pkwy.
❖ TF3.4TC (MLK at PWOC) —now a nutrient loading site, sampled every year. —Hold off on this, it
will become a nutrient loading site in 2020. See notes about PN2.4PN for more info.
Questions/Discussion
Possible sites to drop/add
❖ EL7.9EC (Murray Ave) add to gather more data points to compare to EL7.1EC?
o Would have to be sampled on Day 1
Do not add EL7.9EC back, but move benthic location from here to EL7.1EC.
❖ EL8.6SECUT (Foster St and Hunt St) very small trib, but high visibility in central park.
o Suggest drop and add to JV's contract due to ongoing investigation (17WQ040)?
Keep for continued monitoring due to the high visibility of the area. There have been
too many recent investigations at this sight to stop monitoring. May add to JV's
contract, but due to limited budget not sure how much could be determined from this
contract.
❖ EL8.5SEC (Club Blvd @ Walltown Park) was a fecal only site in 2008, upgraded to a full
comprehensive for Rain Catchers.
o Suggest drop, small trib of SEC, we have other sites on SEC do we need this one too?
Keep. Too many investigations have been initiated at this sight to stop monitoring it.
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*Also discussed in the Ambient Meeting: Consider monitoring the old Knox St location
(EL7.6SECT) in 2020 to catch any changes due to the construction of the South Ellerbe
Creek Wetland Project (Located on Trinity St). There was some discussion about adding
Knox in 2019 as a baseline or pre data for the South Ellerbe Creek Wetland Project, but
since construction of the wetland has already begun and limited historical data from this
site exists, it was decided that it would not be the best use of resources to sample this
site in 2019.
**During recon it was determined that sampling U/S of the Club Blvd culvert would be
unsafe due to a large standing dead tree leaning directly over the sampling site and a
non -COD job box that was also leaning and appeared to be unstable. Sampling will now
occur D/S of the culvert which can be easily and safely accessed from the Walltown Park
Rec Center parking lot.
❖ NH1.7SCTA (Ivy Creek Blvd) ongoing issues with DO
o Drop as an ambient site now that it is a part of JV's contract?
Keep and sample in 2019. JV's contract will begin with work on Warren Creek.
Therefore, Ivy Cr. Blvd should be included in ambient monitoring to prevent this site
from going too long without any data being collected.
❖ PN2.4PN (Burton Rd) dropped in 2017, UNRBA was sampling it, they have now stopped and they
mentioned it was a very minor trib. It often is dry and not sampled for 2-3 months a year.
o If added it would have to be sampled on Day 2
Add back and sample on Day 2 to keep track of Panther Creek. In order to not make Day
2 too long (lots of driving), TF3.4TC will not be sampled this year and will be established
as a nutrient loading site starting in 2020 (sampled every year from then on).
❖ EL10.7EC (Bellevue — Golf Course) sampled for 3 months in 2017 as a request from ECWA. Do we
need to sample it this year?
o If added it would have to be sampled on Day 1
Do not add it back this year, there are already enough sites on Ellerbe, and there were
no major issues found at this location in previous years. Revisit in 2021.
❖ NHS.OSCTD (Anderson St) started as fecal only site in 2006 — moved to a complete site in 2011
due to ongoing SSO issues in the Maplewood cemetery. Was completely dropped in 2015, but
we had a note to reevaluate in 2019. Do we need to add it back?
o If added it would have to be sampled on Day 3
Do not add back, keep dropped. After a review of SSOs in the area it was decided that it
was not a high priority to keep monitoring this location.
❖ LITCI.SLITC (Farrington Rd — on top of the spillway bridge) dropped in 2017 mainly due to safety
concerns — stay dropped?
Stay dropped too many safety and access concerns.
❖ UNRBA Requests
We will sample PN2.4PN, but we will not sample any of the other sites they requested
to sample this year. They also asked for us to coordinate our schedules with DWR. In
order to keep our schedule of sampling the 15Y, 2nd and 3rd Tuesday every month, we will
not adjust our schedule. We will notify UNRBA/DWR of our schedule.
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Discussion topics
Parameters
❖ Are we happy with the parameters sampled?
o Add fluoride? — it was asked to be revisited as a possibility for 2019 as it may be a useful
parameter for Ellerbe sites (issues involving water line leaks/breaks)
Fluoride is sampled when there is an Outfall Screening trigger. It was decided it was best
to keep fluoride sampling with the Outfall Project. There were doubts that a water line
leak/break could be detected during ambient monitoring due to dilution.
o Trash? Anything else in relation to WQI 2.0 Project?
We will wait until decisions are made in the WQI 2.0 Project. These changes will be
reflected in future sampling years.
o Alkalinity?
Alkalinity is only needed for specific special projects; it does not need to be part of the
main sampling parameters.
❖ Do we want to continue sampling for TOC?
o Would save money from not needing glass DI and samples cost $28 each.
TOC monitoring was originally initiated to support the UNRBA monitoring effort for Falls
Lake, but UNRBA completed their monitoring in October 2018. However, the City of
Raleigh has noted issues with high TOC levels in the past at their intake on Falls Lake.
Continued monitoring of TOC will provide data to determine if Durham is a potential
source in the case of any high concentrations noted in the future. Therefore, TOC will
continue to be sampled at EL1.9EC, EL7.1EC, and EN8.9ER. In order to save some money
LL3.4LLC will be dropped as it has had consistently poor results. Also, only one Field
Blank sample will be taken every month in order to help reduce costs.
❖ Change Investigation triggers for Zn and Cu based on current hardness levels of our streams?
*To be discussed in a separate meeting*
❖ Annual 5-in-30 sampling for Fecal in Northeast Creek?
To be done as a special project separate from Ambient sampling (2020).
Safety concerns
❖ Move NH4.8SCTDT (Duke University)? We currently have to stop traffic to back out.
NH4.8SCTDT will be dropped and NH4.4SCTD (Academy Rd) will be added in its place.
❖ Sampling from culvert at S11.6SIC (Chin Page Rd) we have to use pole sampler.
Samples will be collected from the side of bank using the pole sampler instead of from
the top of the culvert.
❖ Access issues for EL5.6EC (Midland Terrace).
This site will be reconned to determine a better way to access it.
❖ Parking issues for CC2.5CC (Scott King Road).
Technicians will park on easement instead of the side of the road.
❖ Construction issues NHO.ONHC (Old Chapel Hill Rd).
This site will be reconned to determine if a new sampling location is needed due to the
ongoing construction project in this area.
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❖ Performing Field Blanks at the tail gate on busy roads.
This will be discussed within the M&A group to determine a solution to this issue.
Benthic Monitoring
*To be discussed at a separate meeting*
❖ Drop Panther creek (PN2.4PN, Burton Rd)?
❖ Drop EL 5.5GC (Camden Ave) —continuously scores poor?
❖ Any changes to frequency of sampling or overall project structure?
Page 7 of 9
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Appendix 2.2019 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Sampling Tables
2019 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring
Scheduled Sampling Dates
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
*January
8
15
22
February
5
12
19
March
5
12
19
April
2
9
16
May
7
14
21
June
4
11
18
*July
9
16
23
August
6
13
20
September
3
10
17
October
1
8
15
November
5
12
19
*December
3
4
10
*Sampling days for January, July, and December were adjusted to accommodate the
holidays.
10
Sample
Sets/Day
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
EL8.6SECUT
*EN8.9ER
NH4.4SCTD
EL8.1GC
PN2.4PN
NH3.3SC
*EL1.9EC
LL3.4LLC
NH3.ONHC
EL5.5GC
511.6SIC
NH2.3MC
EL5.6EC
CC2.5CC
NHI.OSC
*EL7.1EC
TFI.OTC
NH1.7SCTA
EL7.ISEC
Field Blank
NHO.ONHC
EL8.5SEC
Duplicate
Field Blank
Field Blank
Duplicate
Duplicate
10
8
9
* TOC analyzed by
Meritech
Ambient Parameters
Fecal Coliform
Nutrients
Nitrate + Nitrite N
Total Kjeldahl N
Total Ammonia N
Total Phosphorus
Total Suspended
Solids
5-day BOD
Total Metals
Calcium
Magnesium
Zinc
Copper
Field -Filtered Metals
Copper
Zinc
Hardness
(calculated)
Page 8 of 9
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Appendix 3.2019 Ambient Site List
SITE NAME
DAY
SAMPLING
Duplicate
Field Blank
..
WATERSHED
ORDERLAB#
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
193
EL8.6SECUT
1
1
Jan, Sep
Jan, Sep
Foster and Hunt Street
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
68
EL8.1GC
1
2
Feb, Oct
Feb, Oct
Holloway Street
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
41
EL1.9EC*
1
3
Mar, Nov
Mar, Nov
Glenn Road
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals, TOC
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
47
EL5.5GC
1
4
Apr, Dec
Apr, Dec
Camden Ave
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
48
EL5.6EC
1
5
May
May
Midland Terrace
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
230
EL7.1EC*
1
6
Jun
Jun
Club and Acadia St
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals, TOC
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
57
EL7.ISEC
1
7
July
July
Glendale Ave
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
72
EL8.5SEC
1
8
Aug
Aug
Club Blvd
Ellerbe
Neuse
Metals
30
Duplicate
1
rotates
223
Field Blank
1
rotates
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
79
EN8.9ER*
2
1
Jan, Jul
Jan, Jul
West Point - Roxoboro Rd
Eno
Neuse
Metals, TOC
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
198
PN2.4PN
2
2
Feb, Aug
Feb, Aug
Burton Rd
panther Creek
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
81
LL3.4LLC*
2
3
Mar, Sep
Mar, Sep
Mineral Springs Rd
Little Lick
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
117
511.6SIC
2
4
Apr, Oct
Apr, Oct
Chin Page Rd
Stirrup Iron
Neuse
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
205
CC2.5CC
2
5
May, Nov
May, Nov
Scott King Rd
Crooked Creek
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
231
TFI.OTC*
2
6
Jun, Dec
Jun, Dec
Woodcroft Pkwy
Third Fork
Cape Fear
Metals
31
Duplicate
2
rotates
224
Field Blank
2
rotates
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
108
NH4.4SCTD
3
1
Jan, Aug
Jan, Aug
Academy Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
100
NH3.3SC*
3
2
Feb, Sep
Feb, Sep
Cornwallis Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
98
NH3.ONHC
3
3
Mar, Oct
Mar, Oct
Erwin Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
96
NH2.3MC
3
4
Apr, Nov
Apr, Nov
Pickett Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
94
NHI.OSC
3
5
May, Dec
May, Dec
Garrett Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
214
NH1.7SCTA
3
6
Jun
Jun
Ivy Creek
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
Fecal, Nutrients, BOD, TSS,
91
NHO.ONHC
3
7
July
July
Old Chapel Hill Rd
New Hope
Cape Fear
Metals
32
Duplicate
3
rotates
225
Field Blank
1 3
rotates
* Nutrient Loading Site
TOC/DOC Field Blank and Duplicate Schedule
Page 9 of 9
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2018 Ambient Monitoring Plan
1. Introduction
The Ambient Monitoring Program was created to fulfill requirements of the City of Durham's National
Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). This Program characterizes City of Durham (COD)
waters and tracks changes or trends in water quality by monitoring the water chemistry, stream biology,
and stream hydrology of selected City of Durham streams. Streams selected for monitoring are fixed
locations strategically located inside or just outside the City limits. Sites are monitored once per month
and are on an even and odd year sampling rotation for particular watersheds. Therefore, the majority of
sites are sampled every other year. Targeted watersheds for 2018 are Northeast Creek and Third Fork
Creek in the Cape Fear River Basin and Eno River, Lick Creek, Little Lick Creek and Little River in the
Neuse River Basin. Additional sites on Ellerbe Creek (EL7.1EC at Club Blvd. and Acadia St. and EL1.9EC at
Glenn Rd.) and New Hope Creek (NH3.3SC at Cornwallis Rd.) are nutrient loading sites and are sampled
every year. There are four additional nutrient loading sites, EN8.9ER (West Point on the Eno), LL3.4LLC
(Little Lick Cr. at Mineral Springs), TF3.4TC (Third Fork Cr. at PWOC), and TFI.OTC (Third Fork Cr. at
Woodcroft Rd.) within the 2018 Targeted watersheds that are also sampled every year.
For the 2018 sampling year there were some updates to key project staff. Christine Cailleret (previously
Christine Smith) and Dave Milkereit are currently both Sr. Water Quality Technicians and Thomas
Chapman is currently a Water Quality Technician. Additionally, Danielle Mir is no longer with the City of
Durham.
Meritech will continue as the contracted laboratory that will run all Total Organic Carbon (TOC) samples
and provide deionized (DI) water used for field blanks. All other analyses (BOD-5 Day, Total Suspended
Solids, Ammonia, Nitrate -Nitrite, Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen, Total Phosphorus, Hardness, Total Calcium,
Total Magnesium, Total Copper, Dissolved Copper, Total Zinc, Dissolved Zinc, and Fecal Coliform) will
continue to be run by South Durham Water Reclamation Facility (SDWRF) in accordance with the
Ambient Monitoring Program QAPP.
2. Summary of the 2018 Planning Meeting
Below is a summary of the notable changes that resulted from the discussions at the 2018 Ambient
Planning meeting held on November 20, 2017. For more details and a complete list of topics discussed
in this meeting please see Appendix 1.
Sampling Schedule
During the planning meeting for the 2018 sampling year a new schedule was proposed and accepted.
Previously, samples were collected on Tuesday and Wednesday of the second full week and Wednesday
of the third full week of every month. On the new schedule sampling will take place on the first, second
and third Tuesday of every month. Any variations to the scheduling will be due to holidays and staff
availability. The scheduled sampling dates for the 2018 calendar year are in Appendix 2.
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Sampling Parameters
Starting in 2018 all sample sites will be analyzed for both total and dissolved Zinc. In previous years only
Dissolved Zinc was analyzed. All other parameters will remain the same.
There will be additional parameters analyzed at NH3.3SC (Sandy Cr. at Cornwallis) as part of the Sandy
Creek Watershed Characterization (project #16-001). These additional parameters will be collected
quarterly in February, May, August, and November and will be analyzed by Meritech.
For a complete list of what parameters will be collect at each site please refer to Appendix 2.
Sampling Sites
This year EL8.6SECUT (Ellerbe at Foster St. and Hunt St.) was added as a Zinc only site because of the
ongoing investigation (17WQ040) involving continuous amounts of high zinc. Only total and dissolved
Zinc and field parameters (collected from YSI meter) will be collected at this site.
Site NH1.7SCTA (Sandy Cr. Tributary at IvyCreek Blvd.), which was also sampled in 2017, has also been
the subject of an extensive investigation (17WQ105) based on ambient monitoring results. This site will
be monitored quarterly for field parameters (DO, pH, SC, temperature, turbidity), but this sampling will
be completed during site visits for another study (Sandy Creek Watershed Characterization) and results
will be warehoused with ambient monitoring results.
In 2018 EL7.1EC (Ellerbe Cr. at Club Blvd. and Acadia St.) will replace EL7.9EC (Ellerbe Cr. at Murray Ave.)
as a nutrient loading site. Analysis on data collected from both sites in the previous year (2017) will be
run to retroactively determine comparability of nutrient concentrations between the two sites.
TF3.4TC (Third Fork Cr. at PWOC) will be added as a nutrient loading site due to the recent installation of
new USGS rain and stream gages (Site ID: 0209725960) at this site. Starting in 2018 this site will be
sampled every year.
The Nutrient Loading site at TFO.OTC (Third Fork Cr. at Hwy 751) will be moved closer to the actual
location of the USGS gage (Site ID: 02097280). The site is now located on Woodcroft Rd. and has been
renamed TFI.OTC. This new location will be sampled every year.
All other sites remained the same from 2016. For the complete 2018 list of sites, their locations, and
associated lab numbers along with the duplicate and field blank schedule please see Appendix 3.
Benthic Monitoring
The benthic monitoring sites will primarily remain the same as in 2016. However, there will be some
later consideration into not sampling at NEO.ONE this year. Additional discussions on changes to the
benthic sampling plan will be held in the future and a separate benthic monitoring sampling plan will be
prepared in late winter.
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Appendix 1. 2018 Ambient Planning Meeting — with Notes
2018 Ambient Planning Meeting - with
Notes
Attendees: Michelle Woolfolk, Jon Baker, Jim Azarelo, Susan Gale, Dave Milkereit, Tom Chapman,
Christine Cailleret.
Occurred on 11/20/2017
2018 Monitoring Information - All good, no changes
❖ Total proposed sites: 23 (12 Neuse and 11 Cape Fear)
❖ One team (two people) per sampling day unless there is a special circumstance (training, audit,
interns, etc.)
❖ Target watersheds sampled on the same day
❖ DOC will not be sampled, TOC only as per memo prepared by Danielle Mir
❖ TOC will be collected for nutrient loading sites in the Neuse watershed (EL7.9EC, EL1.9EC,
EN8.9ER, and LL3.4LLC)
❖ Rain catcher's site EL8.5SEC will not be sampled as Rain Catchers sampling has finished.
❖ Rain catcher's site TF5.6TC will be sampled as it is a regularly sampled even year site.
❖ QA/QC samples will remain the same:
o One field blank per sample day
o One duplicate per sample day
o One TOC field blank per day
o One TOC duplicate per month
Questions/Discussion:
❖ New proposed schedule: 3 sampling days per month on the 15Y, 2"d, and 3rd Tuesday of every
month.
o Need approval from SDWRF
■ SDWRF Staff schedules their vacations around our sampling schedule.
o Be cautious of TOC hold times — 28 days
o Move what was normally Day 3 to Day 2 and vice versa
o Prep days may be shifted to the end of the month
- Get confirmation from James Blake that this is okay with the lab and its employees. If
not okay with them go back to "standard" scheduling.
-UPDATE as of 11/25/2017 James Blake and Lab staff have approved the new schedule -
new schedule will begin in January 2018.
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❖ Any changes to the parameters we sample?
o Why do we analyze total and dissolved copper? Can we drop total copper? Lots of
reasons, keep
o Add something else? Lead, magnesium, manganese, fluoride?
- Michelle asked for total Zinc to be added to the Cape Fear sites. We decided to add
total Zinc to ALL sites to keep everything consistent as it does not call for any extra
bottles or time spent at each site (we already collect a total metals bottle).
-No other parameters will be added this year, but MW asked for fluoride to be revisited
in 2019 as that may be a useful parameter for the Ellerbe sites (higher number of issues
with water lines leaking/breaking).
❖ This sampling year (2017) we added EL7.1EC (closer to the USGS gage on Club and Acadia) to
compare it to EL7.9EC (Murry Ave). Do we start sampling EL7.9EC and switch after analysis? Or
do we start with both and drop one after analysis?
- Switch to EL7.1EC (do not sample EL7.9EC in 2018). Run the analysis and use to retroactively
determine what type of data we were possibly getting.
- Consider sampling both EL7.1EC and EL7.9EC in 2019 in order to give us more than 12 data
points of the two sites together.
❖ Notes from 2016 say to re-evaluate sampling at EN4.9ER (Penny's Bend) in 2018. UNRBA is
sampling there 2014-2018. Do we add it back this year? Was last sampled in 2014.
o It would have to go on Day 1 if added.
- Do not sample in 2018, pick back up in 2020 when the UNRBA study has finished.
❖ LL2.3LLUT was previously a fecal only site dropped in 2016; any need to add it back?
o If added back would have to go on Day 2
- Do not add it back for 2018, but revisit for 2020 looking at IDDE in that area.
❖ Should we add a Flat River site (FR13.OFR or FR5.2FR); they were last sampled in 2010 and 2007?
o Makes the most sense to sample Flat River on Day 1 if added. May have to drop a site in
order to add it due to travel time.
- Do not add any FR sites, UNRBA samples it
❖ Add EL8.6SECUT (Foster & Hunt) for ongoing Zinc issue?
o Would have to go on Day 1
- Yes, but only sample field parameters (meter readings) and Zinc (total and dissolved). Consider
sampling it every year as it has constant issues and is a very public location.
❖ Do we need to continue sampling at LC2.ORBC (Kemp Rd)? Are there still ongoing issues with
the cattle research farm?
- Keep this site, it was added for other issues. It was added to get ambient data in the area
before the area was developed to protect the city from getting blamed for issues that were
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already there. Also there are still persistent issues at the farm and the State will occasionally ask
us for data at this site.
❖ Do we need to continue to sample NE1.2NE (Chick fil-A site)? Was it added for another reason
besides the Mr. Bender issues?
- Yes keep it, it was added for additional issues in the area.
❖ Benthic Monitoring questions and suggestions? Same sites as in 2016?
o LR9.61-R, EN8.9ER, EN4.9ER, 1-1-3.41-1-C, TFO.OTC, LC1.11-C, NEO.ONE
- Consider not sampling bugs at NEO.ONE this year, but keep everything else the same.
- Additional discussions should be held to determine if the current procedure is the most useful.
Consider sampling certain sites every 4 years instead of every two years. Also look at what
other Triassic basin areas are using for methods. Also looks for other was this data can be used.
❖ Other topics discussed in the meeting:
o Michelle requested for TFO.OTC to be moved closer to where the USGS gage is on
Woodcroft Pkwy. Change the station name and lab ID. The new site will be the Nutrient
loading site.
o TF3.4TC is requested to become a nutrient loading site as the new USGS gages were
installed there this year (2017). This site will now be sampled every year.
o NH3.3SC will also have extra quarterly parameters for the Sandy Creek Watershed Study
o It was discussed if TPH should be added as a parameter. The group determined TPH
would be added to the Sandy Creek Watershed site for the base flow measurements
(not storm sampling).
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Appendix 2. 2018 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Sampling Tables
2018 Ambient Water Quality Monitoring
This year a new sampling schedule will be implemented. Sampling will occur on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Tuesday of each
month. Any variations to the schedule will be due to holidays and/or staff availability.
Scheduled Sampling Dates
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
January
2
9
16
February
6
13
20
March
6
13
20
April
3
10
17
May
1
8
15
June
5
12
19
*July
10
17
24
August
7
14
21
September
4
11
18
October
2
9
16
*November
6
7
13
*December
4
5
11
*Sampling days for July, November, and December were adjusted to accommodate the holidays.
10
Sample Sets/Day
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
EL8.6SECUT
**LC2.ORBC
***NH3.3SC
*EL7.1EC
LC1.1LC
TF5.6TC
*EL1.9EC
*LL3.4LLC
TF6.5RCUT
LR9.6LR
LL4.6LLT2
TF5.1RC
*EN8.9ER
NE2.2NP
TF4.4TC
EN9.6CRC
NE1.2NE
TF3.4TC
EN10.3WC
NEO.ONE
TF2.5TCTC
EN13.3ER
Field Blank
TF1.0TC
Field Blank
Duplicate
Field Blank
Duplicate
Duplicate
10
9
10
* TOC analyzed by Meritech ** Zinc ONLY (Total and Dissolved)
Ambient Parameters
***Sandy Creek Additional Parameters (Quarterly:
February/May/August/November)
Fecal Coliform
Metals (Total & Dissolved)
Aluminum
Nutrients
Nitrate + Nitrite N
Arsenic
Total Kjeldahl N
Cadmium
Total Ammonia N
Chromium
Total Phosphorus
Iron
Lead
Manganese
Nickel
Total Suspended Solids
5-day BOD
Total Metals
Cations:
Calcium
Magnesium
Sodium
Zinc
Potassium
Copper
Anions:
Sulfate
Field -Filtered Metals
Copper
Chloride
Alkalinity
Zinc
Hardness (calculated)
I DOC
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Appendix 3. 2018 Ambient Site List
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