Real-Time Water Quality Information

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) established six (6) real-time water quality monitoring stations through-out the Menomonee River Watershed (see table). Over the past two years using remote sensor technology, MMSD and USGS have measured real-time water quality and flow, and developed estimates of other selected in-stream water quality constituents using data collected at these locations.

Real-time in-stream continuous-sensor measurements in the Menomonee River included: Dissolved Oxygen, Water Temperature, Specific Conductance, Turbidity, Flow (Discharge) and Stage.

Data were linked to laboratory-analyzed samples collected over the hydrograph at these locations to establish statistical (regression model) relationships to estimate real-time concentrations under different seasonal, temporal, and flow conditions for: Chloride, Total Phosphorus, Suspended Solids, Fecal Coliform, and E. coli.

It is now possible to get estimated real-time concentrations of chlorides, total phosphorus, suspended solids, fecal coliforms and E. coli with associated confidence intervals at these locations. Data collected at the MMSD/USGS Menomonee River Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring Stations can be seen at the USGS public website for National Real-Time Water Quality (NRTWQ) data: http://nrtwq.usgs.gov/wi/. For an example, to see data from Honey Creek follow the link:  http://nrtwq.usgs.gov/explore/plot?site_no=04087119&pcode=31616&period=31d_all&timestep=uv. 

The dropdown menus provide many options: locations, multiple time periods, constituent variables, concentration or load, etc.