Environmental Monitoring and Reporting

The IWS Eco-monitoring team has expertise in the following areas:

• Stormwater monitoring.
• Stormwater sampling.
• Trade waste monitoring.
• Trade waste sampling.
• Wastewater sampling.
• pH probe servicing and maintenance.
• Grease trap and grease convertor monitoring.
• Groundwater monitoring.
• Wastewater plant and receiving environment compliance monitoring.
• Landfill Leachate Monitoring.
• Resource consent administration and management.

Stormwater Monitoring and Sampling

Introduction

Contaminants such as heavy metals (Zinc, Copper and Lead) and synthetic organics (oil and other petrochemical derivatives) and suspended solids are common in industrial stormwater runoff throughout the country. In addition, there are many other environmentally hazardous substances and chemicals associated with different commercial and industrial activities. IWS Group have long been concerned about the potential and actual losses from industrial sites where stormwater run-off is not being effectively managed and about the effects that contaminated stormwater has on receiving waterways.

To mitigate against contaminated stormwater discharges from higher-risk industrial sites, most Regional Councils have included objectives and rules in their ‘land and water’ natural resources consents. For example, the Auckland Council requires that all industrial sites either meet permitted activity and discharge rules or hold an Industrial Trade Activity (ITA) consent. An ITA Consent allows Council to have oversight of environmental management and controls on an industrial site to ensure compliance with the consent requirements.

Other regions have similar rules and consenting frameworks in place.

Rather than addressing stormwater contamination as it leaves the site, we believe in a preventative, source-control approach to limit contaminants entering the stormwater system in the first place. We inform change through site audits, stormwater monitoring and data collection.

Our Professional Service to You

IWS Group can assist with meeting the stormwater management and monitoring requirements of a Consent through pH logging, level logging and composite water sample collection and analysis to monitor various parameters. Rain proportional composite sampling, interpretation of results and reporting allows us insight into how stormwater characteristics trend during a rainfall event and how the resulting data compares to the specified standard and to consent requirements.

A wide range of analytes can be monitored with results being available on an urgent basis if required. These include:

• Heavy metals (Copper, Iron, Lead, Zinc Aluminium, Chromium, Cadmium and Arsenic).
• Total Suspended Solids.
• Oil & Grease.
• pH.
• Sulphate.
• Electroconductivity.
• Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD).
• Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD).
• Nutrients (Phosphorus, Nitrogen),
• Organic Compounds (Pesticides, VOCs, SVOCs, PAHs, BTEX).
• Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons.

Trade Waste Monitoring and Sampling

Wastewater discharges from industrial and commercial sites may contain contaminants at concentrations that can affect the quality of receiving waters or interfere with publicly owned treatment systems that receive those discharges. To mitigate against this, Trade Waste Agreements (TWA's) have been introduced in conjunction with the Auckland Trade Waste Bylaw 2013, the region-wide standard for the management, regulation and risk classification of trade waste.

Trade waste sampling or trade waste monitoring is required under some TWAs or consents. IWS can undertake the sampling, interpret the resulting data and report on compliance with the specified standard. IWS has a range of sampling, logging and analysis equipment, which can be used to monitor various parameters. Examples are pH, temperature, conductivity and flow logging, grab and composite sample collection. A wide range of chemical and biological analyses can be arranged for the client, with results being available on an urgent basis if required.

pH Probe Servicing and Calibration

Trade waste pH monitoring ensures waste water discharges to the network are not too excessively acidic or alkaline. Prolonged high or low pH can deteriorate publicly-owned underground infrastructure including pumps, concrete pump chambers and pipe linings. pH compliance is therefore an important parameter to meet, and often requires advanced understanding of pH equipment to ensure accuracy and consistent data. Being specialists at installing pH correction equipment, we offer regular calibration and maintenance of equipment such as pH probes, sondes, dosing pumps and control systems.

Grease Trap and Grease Convertor Monitoring

Under the Trade Waste Bylaw restaurants, cafes, fast-food premises and takeaways outlets are required to maintain their grease/fat traps or grease convertors and ensure their discharge is under certain limits. IWS Group can advise on this and collect samples to ensure you are compliant with the requirements of the relevant Trade Waste Bylaw.

Wastewater Plant and Receiving Environment Compliance Monitoring

When a site has a wastewater discharge consent to land there is often a requirement for ongoing compliance monitoring of the discharge. IWS Group has expertise in monitoring programme design, sample collection, laboratory results interpretation and then producing reports to meet council requirements.

Landfill Leachate Monitoring

A large number of capped landfills existing around New Zealand which require a resource consent for the discharge of leachate. IWS Group can assist with the monitoring requirements of these resource consents. This can involve:

• Collection and testing of water samples from bores, discharge points and/or the receiving environment.
• Observations and reports on the ground conditions, vegetation state and landfill cap condition.
• Reporting to meet council requirements.

Resource Consent Applications, Management and Compliance

Whether your site is in the planning and design phase of a new build or upgrade, or you have been approached by Council to retrospectively apply for a Consent, IWS Group is here to help. We work across a number of city and regional councils and can assist with the application for, interpretation of, and compliance with, a resource consent.