The effects of construction on water quality: a case study of the culverting of Abram Creek

While sediment is a leading cause of impaired water, studies have shown that construction activities incorporating best management practices (BMPs) can be conducted without lasting detrimental effects on water quality. This paper examines the water quality impacts of a construction project involving the culverting of a creek to allow for the construction of a runway at an airport in Cleveland, Ohio. Sampling parameters included total suspended solids (TSS), dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, conductivity, and temperature. To assess the effects of the construction project conducted using appropriate BMPs, weekly water quality samples were taken upstream and downstream from the construction site. The samples were categorized as baseline, active construction, and post-construction to isolate the effects of the construction activities. t tests were used to compare upstream and downstream data for each of the parameters and ANOVA was used to compare the individual water quality parameters in the three sampling periods to see if there were significant increases or decreases of the water quality parameters within the phases. Results of ANOVA indicate there were no statistically significant differences between upstream and downstream in the mean sample results for TSS, conductivity, and pH when comparing the three phases. While the descriptive statistics conducted on the data illustrated minor variation in the upstream, downstream, and between phase comparisons, the results of the t tests helped to strengthen the theory that construction projects utilizing appropriate BMPs can yield minimal impact on overall water quality of surrounding water bodies.