Contaminated water sources are strictly prohibited from direct utilization or discharge. Water Quality Monitoring serves as a pivotal step in the process of water quality management and control, as it directly determines whether all water quality indicators meet the required standards.
The primary objective of water Quality Monitoring is to ensure that sewage and wastewater meet the quality criteria for recharge into aquifers or discharge into natural water bodies (e.g., rivers, oceans). It is widely recognized that naturally occurring pure and harmless water is nearly non-existent in the natural environment; water quality is fundamentally determined by the type, concentration, and characteristics of impurities present in the water. In essence, different water uses mandate distinct quality standards. Water containing excessive impurities that renders it unsuitable for specific purposes—such as drinking water or industrial process water—qualifies as contaminated and cannot be used for intended applications. While water quality is influenced by both anthropogenic activities and natural factors, the term “pollution” typically refers to anthropogenically induced contamination, which primarily stems from the discharge of sewage into surface water or groundwater. Thus, the implementation of Online Water Quality Monitoring is of paramount importance.
Sewage monitoring is categorized by source, with each category corresponding to specific monitoring indicators. Key categories include domestic sewage monitoring, online industrial wastewater monitoring, and stormwater runoff monitoring. Domestic sewage refers to wastewater generated from daily activities such as handwashing, dishwashing, and laundry. Industrial wastewater is produced by manufacturing processes, chemical production, and related industrial activities. Stormwater runoff, by contrast, refers to precipitation-derived flow collected through pipeline systems or open channels.
The selection of core Water Pollution Monitoring parameters depends on the applicable discharge standards, which dictate the target pollutants for monitoring and treatment. Common indicators for sewage and wastewater monitoring include: Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), ammonia nitrogen, total phosphorus, total nitrogen, heavy metals (e.g., chromium, cadmium, lead, silver, copper), coliform bacteria, total bacterial count, biological toxicity, total residual chlorine, and various special pollution indicators tailored to specific scenarios.
