SMC member agencies have been beta-testing a pair of new open-source calculators that were developed to streamline and standardize how SMC member agencies process raw monitoring data collected on the performance of stormwater BMPs.

The Rainfall and Flow Analysis Calculator and Flow-Weighting and EMC Calculator, developed and published online by SCCWRP, convert raw BMP monitoring data that were generated by flow meters and water-quality samplers and other sensors in the field, into essential information required to quantify a BMP’s effectiveness in removing contaminants from runoff, including conventional pollutants and microplastics, and to identify environmental conditions influencing performance.

The SMC also is working with SCCWRP to develop a data portal that will streamline the process of submitting and analyzing BMP performance data collected through the SMC’s Regional BMP Monitoring Network. The pair of new calculator tools already has been integrated into the data portal. Data collected from Year 1 of the monitoring program is in the process of being uploaded to an initial version of the data portal.

Stormwater managers traditionally have not had access to standardized methods for processing raw BMP data, leading to inconsistent approaches. Aligning technical methods is an essential step in enabling the SMC Regional BMP Monitoring Network to compile and collate data from across disparate monitoring locations.