NCASI has three program areas that contribute to the scientific understanding and conservation of water resources. These are the Water Quality Program, The Aquatic Biology Program, and the Forest Watersheds Program (part of the larger Forest Environment Sustainability Program). Technical studies in all three programs are coordinated to maximize the value of each line of investigation.
The results of NCASI’s water and aquatic biology studies are used by mills to enhance their environmental programs and to facilitate participation in local or regional water quality improvement initiatives. NCASI information resources are also used by companies and industry trade associations at the local, regional, and national levels to promote sound regulatory decisions that are based on credible scientific information.
Water Program
Biocriteria are narrative or numeric expressions that describe the desired biologic integrity (structure and function) of aquatic communities and are used for the assessment and regulation of aquatic ecosystem health. Biocriteria, and the techniques for assessing them, evolve over time. Tasks in this focus area investigate biocriteria and bioassessment approaches,…
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Resources to use in your Wastewater Treatment training
Learn MoreAs environmentally-related challenges evolve, there is an ongoing need for staff to be operationally familiar with the performance of existing methods, revisions to existing methods, and new methods that are applied to relevant mill matrices (e.g., various wastewaters and residuals).
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The characteristics of forest product industry wastewaters are unique, requiring specialized efforts to characterize their constituents and treatability. These characteristics are assessed within the context of mill wastewater unit operations and used to inform management decisions. Information needs are on-going and driven by updated regulatory targets, mill process changes, and…
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NCASI provides technical information that members rely upon to maintain or enhance the performance of wastewater treatment systems. Recently, members have indicated a growing interest in modern monitoring approaches and alternative means for characterizing system health and on-going effectiveness. These novel methods of monitoring and predicting performance may help members…
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Procedures used by federal and state regulatory authorities to manage the quality of surface water continue to evolve, particularly as regards criteria that describe whether a water is meeting its designated use. In the absence of data or robust criteria development methods, regulatory standards are necessarily conservative. Projects in this…
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