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After reclamation has taken place, monitoring for water quality
is the primary way to determine if project construction efforts
were successful in eliminating acid producing sources. The following
questions may be asked by a reclamationist during the monitoring
phase of a project. Is AMD forming due to unsuccessful removal and
disposal of contaminated waste? Are containment structures leaching
AMD into the groundwater? Are water treatment systems effectively
treating the contaminated water? Is contamination leaving the site
either as surface water or groundwater flow? Monitoring can not
only help determine when and where AMD is forming, it is also the
most efficient way to proactively provide an early warning of the
onset of AMD production.
A sampling and analysis plan (SAP) should be developed to identify
locations on a reclaimed site where AMD could either be formed or
treated unsatisfactorily. Samples should be taken from the effluent
of water treatment systems to ensure adequate treatment. Surface
water samples should be taken from water bodies flowing off-site
(i.e. streams, rivers). Groundwater samples should be taken from
monitoring wells downgradient of containment structures and downgradient
of the site before groundwater flows off-site. The sampling and
analysis plan should specify the number of samples that should be
taken to adequately determine water quality at the site. It should
also specify the frequency of sampling events (i.e. once a month,
biannually) and the parameters the samples should be analyzed for
(i.e. sulfate, pH, metals). Once a sampling and analysis event has
been completed, the data should be reviewed and assessed. If it
is determined that AMD is being produced or inadequately treated,
appropriate measures should be taken to solve the problem.
For more information on water quality monitoring, see the following
websites:
Problem | Compliance
| Health & Safety | Sampling
| Analytical | Data
Quality
Site Assessment | Prediction
| Construction | GIS
| Monitoring & Assessment
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