Compare nutrient inputs with critical freshwater eutrophication levels and drinking water quality standards. Estimate the reduction in nutrient loading with implementation of stormwater and wastewater management practices. Increase public awareness of nonpoint pollution sources and management solutions through use of model output products. Field monitoring data is not required to conduct the nutrient loading analysis. Like other mass balance models that are not calibrated with watershed-specific data, the nutrient concentrations calculated for the groundwater recharge percolate and the inland surface waters should not be expected to correspond directly with groundwater or surface water quality samples.
Water reaching municipal wells represents a mix of various travel times and sources.
Rather, the nutrient concentrations calculated by the model should be viewed as one of many indicators of watershed health. They are most useful in determining relative pollutant loadings under various land uses and management options. It addition, it factors in the effect of stormwater and wastewater management improvements and takes advantage of GIS to spatially identify and illustrate pollution problem areas. Surface runoff and groundwater infiltration rates are calculated based on both land use and hydrologic soil group. The hydrologic soil group is an indicator of the potential for rainwater to infiltrate the soil surface rather than generating surface runoff.