Network design for surface water quality monitoring in a road construction project using Gamma Test theory

Road construction has a negative environmental impact on the surrounding aquatic environment, requiring the continuous monitoring of surface water quality. Here, optimization of the water quality monitoring network (WQMN) is an essential step in supporting the sustainable development of road construction projects. This study introduces Gamma Test theory (GTT) as a practical method for optimizing the WQMN of surface waters during road construction. The water quality index (WQI) was computed in 48 monitoring stations for six monitoring periods from 2017 to 2019; data was acquired from a primary monitoring network over a new highway in southern Norway. Based on the results, it is possible to reduce the number of stations by 23% in comparison with the original empirical network. The proposed method could be useful to design the monitoring networks of projects with limited construction time and budget, as well as projects lacking enough data.