The Cobb County Water System’s Stream Monitoring Program conducts chemical, biological, and habitat assessments on local streams.  When simultaneously monitoring the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of a water body, the ecological integrity or health of the aquatic ecosystem can be determined (USEPA, 1990).

The county has supported a Stream Monitoring Program to collect data, assess water quality, determine stream health and fulfill permit requirements for over 30 years.  Initially developed as an early detection tool for identifying sources of water pollution, the program has transformed to meet current water quality monitoring permit requirements and prepare Cobb County for future regulatory directives.  The Stream Monitoring Program consists of two full-time aquatic biologists dedicated to fulfilling the Long-Term Monitoring Plan of the Watershed Protection Plan. This program is responsible for overseeing the fulfillment of the CCWS long-term water quality requirements as described in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) Permit, Water Reclamation Facility NPDES Permits, Watershed Protection Plan, Watershed Assessments, TMDL Implementation Plans, and the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District (MNGWPD). Water quality data is shared with city governments within Cobb County under a memorandum of understanding.  In addition, Stream Monitoring personnel assist in many other issues that impact our local watershed including, but not limited to, locating, and reporting illicit discharges and sewer overflows.

The size and scope of the program, as well as the utilization of skills and resources within the Water System, distinguishes the program from other municipalities that rely on outside consultants.  With 88 chemical and 13 biological monitoring stations covering 21 stream watersheds, the Stream Monitoring Program samples all major streams and many tributaries within Cobb County’s jurisdictional boundary.  Aquatic biologists with the Stream Monitoring Program perform over 450 sampling events per year collecting multiple data points and water quality samples at each site.  Hundreds of aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish are identified for each biological assessment, resulting in thousands of identifications each year.  With a vast treasury of historical, chemical, biological, and habitat data, Cobb County can use trend analysis to identify and address areas of concern.