Water Quality Objectives Attainment Monitoring in Boundary Bay in 2002
This report presents the results of monitoring undertaken in 2002 to check for attainment of water quality objectives set for Boundary Bay in 1988. Fecal coliforms, enterococci, dissolved oxygen, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were monitored over a five-week period at selected locations in Boundary Bay. Objectives for fecal coliform levels, dissolved oxygen, and PCBs have not been formally monitored since 1993, 1992, and 1990 respectively. The CCME Water Quality Index was also determined for Boundary Bay using 2002 results. Additional one-time sampling was carried out in 2001, as part of a separate study, to monitor fecal coliforms and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the water column and sediments in several locations in Boundary Bay.
Objectives were met in 2002 for fecal coliforms and enterococci at all locations in Boundary Bay. Objectives for fecal coliform levels, monitored weekly in the summer by the Fraser Health Authority, were also met at all beach locations tested around Boundary Bay. Bacteriological results from one-time sampling conducted in 2001 revealed low fecal coliform counts (< 1-2 colonies / 100 mL) at several offshore locations in Boundary Bay.
Objectives were also met for one-time sampling of PCBs in sediments at all locations in 2002. Dissolved oxygen objectives were met at all locations, except at bottom depths in the Boundary Bay-Centre location on three occasions (August 28, September 4, and September 11). While there appears to be a general improvement in dissolved oxygen results compared to previous years, it is recognized that the number of measurements taken are somewhat limited. The Water Quality Index rating for Boundary Bay was Excellent in 2002, with the provision that the available data for calculating the index was also limited.
While objectives were not set for PAHs in 1988, sampling in 2002 revealed that while PAH criteria were not exceeded in the water column, the provincial criterion for naphthalene was exceeded in sediment sampled from the Boundary Bay-White Rock location.
The 2-page summary is available here (PDF/215 KB/2 pages).
The complete report is available here (PDF/307 KB/20 pages).
UPDATED: JULY 2004
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