It is an interesting topic, but it is hard to convince my bosses to start a serious monitoring project.

At the moment we are conducting monitoring of runoff water, but quality of data obtained is questionable because the only legal obligation is to sample water twice a year. No additional obligations on how and when to obtain samples. Reports from sampling don't contain vital data of what was sampled (first flush or something else) so EMC and max. concentration can't be determined. Only really valuable data is analysis of sludge from oil and grit separators. My idea is to first use that data for estimation of EMC of some heavy metals (Pb, Ni, Cd, Cr, Cu) and chemistry of runoff. That way I would determine a level of possible pollution and influence our road could have on drinking water reserves.

I have read a lot of material about sampling methods and data quality assurance and now I am trying to convince my bosses to apply for EU funds for financing our monitoring program.

If You can recommend some on-line available literature it would be a big help.

Yes, if You check google earth you can see that there is a lake and many rivers and rivers next to highway Rijeka - Zagreb. My interest is focused on a part of highway from Vrbovsko to Vrata. This section of highway passes thru karst area in which strategic reserves of drinking water (karst aquifers) is located. What I am trying to do is to apply a betterment of water quality protection measures.

Legal obligations don't give me the space do it, but since we are entering EU I am trying to use EU regulative for standards of surface and underground water quality standards to enforce a serious monitoring program in my company.

Thanks

It is very interesting topic and with pleasure I check a new reply. I'm going to start an investigation on hydrobionts development in a new pools constructed near highways.

Piotr, did you have seen in reviewed papers on highway lagoons the informations on hydrobionts - algae, insects larvae or neuston plants ( lemna etc) or other plants role in strom water purefication in this type or waters? I"m interested in it.

Thanks for interest yhis paper in quite prespective for a future

Lorraine Maltby research group is (at least it was) very active in this area, take a look at her works.

The effects of motorway runoff on freshwater ecosystems: 1. Field study

I think some experience from Austria and degradation of freshwater lakes due to road deicing salts runoff might be helpful in at least discussion part of your Ph.D.

Check it out for example:

http://www.eawag.ch/forschung/surf/publikationen/2011/2011_mueller.pdf

Thanks, but area of interest is in Rijeka, coastal town on Adriatic. No salt is applied there.

Highway storm water may be channeled to a reservoir and supplied to industries as water for cooling machinery in steel industries or metal works industries. In such industries cooling water contains a lot of metal residues and as such by regulation is not allowed to be released into the environment. Thus a supply of highway storm water to such industries should not be a problem to them.