The Stormwater Quality Program, Water Quality and Environmental Services, City of Boulder, conducts water quality monitoring to assess the impacts of point and non-point sources of pollutants to Boulder Creek and to help develop mitigation measures to reduce these impacts. To understand the threats which Boulder's surface waters are facing, it is necessary to examine how the resources are changing over time. Accurate information on the status and trends of the environment can help identify source controls. The Stormwater Quality Program collects monthly water quality samples from the North Boulder Creek Falls to the confluence of Boulder Creek with Coal Creek. The remaining bottles are cleaned in a dishwasher, which involves a hot water and detergent wash, steam cycle, and deionized water rinse.
Bottles are then air-dried.
Various types of sample bottles are used depending on constituent being tested for and method of analysis being used. Samples are taken from mid-channel or the area in the channel which best represents the flow. The sample is capped and shaken. Sample preservative is added after sample collection as prescribed by each analytical method. Metals samples are filtered in the laboratory before being acidified.