Survey of small Galveston Bay tributaries under conditions representative of wastewater discharge permit renewal

In cooperation with the Texas Clean Rivers Program and the Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGAC), the City of Houston performed a study of flow and water quality in the urbanized tributaries to Galveston Bay. The study was performed under conditions that approximated as closely as possible, the 7-day, 2-year low flows that are the design conditions for issuing wastewater discharge permits. The purpose of the study was to develop first-hand information on the flows and quality conditions that actually exist on many effluent-dominated tributaries. The study included flow measurements and water sample collection and analysis. It was performed in two separate but coordinated parts. The western part of the metropolitan area was sampled and analyzed by Omega and EH&A, while the study on the eastern part of the area was conducted by the USGS. This paper will present the joint results of the two undertakings.