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USCB lab expands citizen water-quality monitoring; county explores grant options for stormwater monitoring
Summary
Dr. Petty reported that the USCB water-quality lab and Port Royal Sound Foundation added 24 citizen-monitoring sites around the county, bringing the program to roughly 27 sites now and expected to exceed 30; the data are tier-2 quality the state can use for decisions but not for regulatory bed closures.
The University of South Carolina Beaufort's water-quality laboratory told the stormwater board on Friday that a citizen-monitoring program in partnership with the Port Royal Sound Foundation has added 24 new sites and is expanding monitoring parameters.
"We have 24 new sites that we're monitoring around the county and the watershed, and that's growing," said Dr. Petty, the USCB lab representative. He said the lab and students currently operate three sites and that anticipated additions from Hilton Head will push the program to "a little over 30."
Dr. Petty described the program as "tier 2" quality: higher than casual observation and suitable for state decision-making but not currently configured to open or close shellfish beds. He said bacteriological monitoring is costlier and not yet included at scale, but future targeted sites may be added where historical data indicate potential problems.
Staff said they are also writing NSF and NASA grant applications to expand stormwater monitoring, including potential use of satellites and higher-frequency sampling. The county is developing a QR-enabled feedback page for the AllJoy drainage study to gather resident photos and historical flooding information for contractors.
Next steps: the citizen-monitoring program will continue and staff will pursue grant opportunities to increase monitoring parameters and coverage; selected sites may be upgraded to include bacteria monitoring if funding is secured.
