GOAL: Monitor and assess Collier County’s water quality through the collection and analysis of surface and ground water samples. Samples are collected using standard operating procedures that are scientifically reproducible and legally defensible.
MANDATES: Comply with Collier County’s Water Pollution Control Program Ordinance 89-20, the Growth Management Plan’s (GMP) Conservation and Coastal Management Element (CCME), and the Natural Groundwater Aquifer Recharge Sub-Element (NGAR).
This program identifies water quality degradation in both surface and ground water. Early detection allows the County to take the necessary steps to identify and eliminate pollutant sources, eliminating long term effects on the environment and the community’s health.
Collier County Watershed Management Plans were developed to ensure future growth has minimal impact on the surrounding environment. Data from these monitoring programs were used to formulate portions of these management plans and will be used to track effectiveness of the plans.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) has identified impaired water bodies in Collier County using data collected under these monitoring programs. Through the Total Maximum Daily Load program, State and Federal legislation has been executed to ensure corrective management plans are implemented.
Trend Monitoring Network: Project monitors the ambient conditions of canals and provides data for long-term trend analysis. Current surface water quality monitoring is done at fifty-four (54) fixed locations. Samples are analyzed monthly for general water quality parameters, bacteriological, nutrients and metals. For a list of parameters, click here.
SFWMD Agreement 4500096686: Agreement with South Florida Water Management District to monitor 22 sites monthly for general water quality parameters and nutrients. Program provides data for the development of water management strategies within the Big Cypress Basin watershed and adjacent estuarine/coastal waters of Collier County. For a list of parameters, click here.
Lake Trafford: Project is used to monitor long term trends and effectiveness of ongoing restoration activities. Three fixed sites are currently sampled monthly and analyzed for general water quality parameters and nutrients. For a list of parameters, click here.
LASIP (Lely Area Stormwater Improvement Project): Monitoring is done to satisfy the construction permit requirements. Eleven fixed sites are sampled monthly for general water quality parameters, bacteriological, nutrients and metals. For a list of parameters, click here.
Trend Monitoring Network: Trend ground water quality monitoring is done in cooperation with the South Florida Water Management District's Big Cypress Basin Office under South Florida Water Management Agreement #4500096684. Under this Agreement, 51 ground water sites are monitored semiannually for general water quality parameters, nutrients, and metals. Pesticides are monitored every five years as funding allows. For a list of parameters, click here.
Status/Background Monitoring: A private potable well survey is conducted every five years to determine if there is any degradation of ground water quality in the rural residential areas in the County. Most, if not all, of the residents are serviced by septic tank systems and rely on private potable water wells as their primary drinking water source. The last large survey was done in FY12 at 22 private potable wells throughout the County. Samples were analyzed for all the Primary and Secondary Drinking Water Standards (Florida_Administrative_Code_62-550).
We also monitor 3 randomly selected private potable wells every year for the same parameters we monitor in our Trend Monitoring Network. This gives us another snapshot of water quality in our shallow drinking water aquifers. Participants must have a spigot located directly on their wellhead (like in the picture above) so samples can be collected before going through any type of treatment systems that can filter out some constituents. For a list of parameters, click here.
A sediment study is conducted once every five years to determine the chronic anthropogenic impacts of urban and agricultural landuses on the canals, and flow ways that discharge into the estuaries or percolate into the County’s ground water. Sampling for this project last occurred in 2014. For a list of parameters, click here.
Surface and ground water data (with the exception of LASIP data) are uploaded to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection STORET (STOrage and RETreval) database annually. Data can be accessed through FDEP’s STORET at http://prodenv.dep.state.fl.us/DearSpa/public/welcome. For all other data inquiries, please contact Rhonda Watkins at (239) 252-2502 or at firstname.lastname@example.org.
For maps and reports, click here.
Click the following link to watch the groundwater and surface water sampling in Collier County video: https://youtu.be/ED_nzPeGFFE
Updated March 7, 2017