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Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4158

In cooperation with the North Central Texas Council of Governments

Urban Stormwater Quality, Event-Mean Concentrations, and Estimates of Stormwater Pollutant Loads, Dallas-Fort Worth Area, Texas, 1992–93

By Stanley Baldys III, T.H. Raines, B.L. Mansfield, and J.T. Sandlin

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Abstract

The quality of urban stormwater is characterized with respect to 188 properties and constituents. Event-mean concentrations and loads for three land uses (residential, industrial, commercial), and annual loads for 12 selected properties and constituents for 26 gaged basins in the Dallas-Fort Worth study area are presented. During February 1992–June 1993, 182 water samples from the 26 gaged basins (each basin classified as primarily residential, industrial, or commercial) were collected and analyzed. Residential land-use basins had greater median concentrations of bacteria, nutrients, and total arsenic. Industrial land-use basins had greater median concentrations of suspended and dissolved solids, and total recoverable chromium, copper, nickel, and zinc. Diazinon was the most frequently detected pesticide in all three land-use basins. Diazinon was detected in 93 percent of samples from residential land-use basins, 70 percent from commercial land-use basins, and 33 percent from industrial land-use basins. Volatile organic compounds and base/neutral and acid extractable semivolatile organic compounds were detected more frequently in samples from industrial land-use basins than residential or commercial land-use basins.

Event-mean concentrations (EMCs) were computed for each land use for biochemical oxygen demand; chemical oxygen demand; suspended and dissolved solids; total nitrogen and ammonia plus organic nitrogen; total and dissolved phosphorus; total recoverable copper, lead, and zinc; and total diazinon. The EMCs of chemical oxygen demand; total nitrogen and ammonia plus organic nitrogen; total and dissolved phosphorus; and total diazinon were greatest in samples from residential land-use basins. The EMCs of biochemical oxygen demand; suspended and dissolved solids; and total copper, lead, and zinc were greatest in samples from industrial land-use basins.

Loads per square mile for the three land uses were estimated for the same properties and constituents from flow-weighted EMCs and runoff volume on the basis of seven sampled storms at each gaged site. Chemical oxygen demand and dissolved and suspended solids had the greatest mean loads per square mile. Mean loads per square mile were greatest for trace elements in industrial land-use basins and for total diazinon in residential land-use basins. Mean loads per square mile for total nitrogen in the three land-use basins were dissimilar.

Local regression equations were developed to estimate loads produced by individual storms. Mean annual loads were estimated by applying the storm-load equations for all runoff-producing storms in an average climatic year and summing individual storm loads to determine the annual load.


Suggested citation:

Baldys, Stanley, III, Raines, T.H., Mansfield, B.L., and Sandlin, J.T., 1998, Urban stormwater quality, event-mean concentrations, and estimates of stormwater pollutant loads, Dallas-Fort Worth area, Texas, 1992–93: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 98–4158, 51 p.


Contents

Abstract

Introduction

Purpose and Scope

Description of Study Area

Previous Studies

Acknowledgments

Data Collection

Instrumentation

Water-Quality Sampling

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Urban Stormwater Quality

Grab-Sample Properties and Constituents

Bacteria

Volatile Organic Compounds

Flow-Weighted Properties and Constituents

Nutrients

Biochemical and Chemical Oxygen Demand

Inorganic Constituents

Trace Elements

Base/Neutral and Acid-Extractable Semivolatile Organic Compounds

Organochlorine Pesticides, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, and Diazinon

Event-Mean Concentrations

Stormwater Pollutant Loads

Computed Loads for Three Land Uses

Regression Analysis to Estimate Loads for All Gaged Basins in the Study Area

Estimated Storm Loads

Estimated Mean Annual Loads

Summary

Selected References


For additional information contact:
Director, Texas Water Science Center
U.S. Geological Survey
8027 Exchange Drive
Austin, Texas 78754-4733
 
World Wide Web: http://tx.usgs.gov/
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