A data-driven analysis of trace contaminants in wet-weather discharges

Urban wet-weather discharges (combined sewer overflows, CSO and stormwater outlets from separate sewers, SWO) contain various trace contaminants which can pose a threat to receiving waters (Launay et al., 2016; Mutzner et al., 2020; Wicke et al., 2021). Hence, there is a need to identify critical contaminants and to quantify pollutant concentrations in wet-weather discharges to assess effective control strategies.

Efforts have been made in the last decade to increase our understanding of the presence, magnitude, and diversity of contaminants in wet-weather discharges (e.g. Gasperi et al., 2014; Launay et al., 2016; Masoner et al., 2019; Mutzner et al., 2020; Rippy et al., 2017). Despite these efforts, the information gained with these monitoring campaigns is still limited, as most contain small, local datasets both in terms of sampled discharge events and spatial coverage.

In this study, we use a data-driven statistical analysis of existing measurements collected at more than 60 wet-weather discharge sites to gain insight on the frequency of detection and relative abundance of trace contaminants. This information can be used to inform future monitoring efforts as utilities and regulators work towards building effective management strategies.