Below are data collected by MyRWA’s baseline monitoring program.
Volunteers collect water samples every month at ten sites throughout the watershed
(see table below for sampling locations). Data are compiled in Excel spreadsheets and
summarized by year. Only data that has passed quality assurance requirements appears here.
Each file contains multiple worksheets, one for each parameter: fecal coliform or E. coli., total
suspended solids, nitrate + nitrite, total phosphorus, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen, pH, water temperature, water color, and water odor. Please
contact marybeth@mysticriver.org with any questions or comments.
Massachusetts Class B Surface Water
Quality Standards (314 CMR 4.05).
Please use this as a reference to the MMN water quality data.
Parameter
Criteria
Dissolved Oxygen
Shall not
be less than 5.0 mg/l unless background conditions are lower,
levels shall not be lowered below 60% saturation due to discharge
Temperature
Shall not
exceed 28.30C and the rise due to discharge shall not exceed
2.80C
pH
Shall be
in the range of 6.5 through 8.3 standard units and not more
than 0.5 standard units outside the background range.
Fecal Coliform
Bacteria
Shall not
exceed a geometric mean of 200 organisms per 100 ml, nor shall
10% of the samples exceed 400 per 100 ml. Please note that as of January 1 2007, these standards have been replaced by the standards for E. coli and Enteroccocus listed below.
E. coli
Shall not exceed a geometric mean
of 126 organisms per 100 ml.
Enteroccocus
Shall not exceed a geometric mean of 33 organisms per 100 ml.
Solids
These waters
shall be free from floating, suspended and settlable solids
in concentrations and combinations that would impair any use
assigned with this Class, that would cause aesthetically objectionable
conditions, or that would impair the benthic biota or degrade
the chemical composition of the bottom.
Color and Turbidity
These waters
shall be free from color and turbidity in concentrations or
combinations that are aesthetically objectionable or would
impair any use assigned to this class.
Oil and Grease
These waters
shall be free from oil, grease, and petrochemicals that produce
a visible film on the surface of the water, impart an oily
taste to the water or an oily or other undesirable taste to
the other portions of aquatic life, coat the banks or bottom
of the water course, or are deleterious or become toxic to
aquatic life.
Taste and Odor
None in such
concentrations or combinations that are aesthetically objectionable,
that would impair any use assigned to this Class, or that
would cause tainting or undesirable flavors in the edible
portions of aquatic life.