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decanting process. If at any time during this process effluent turbidity violates water quality standards , the effluent must be retained until analysis of the interior surface waters shows the suspended solids concentration to be within acceptable limits . Decanting then continues in this manner until all ponded water is released over the weir . Subsequent dewatering techniques are discussed in Chapter 4 . 0 . 3A Effluent Monitoring As discussed in the preceding section , effluent monitoring will be an integral part of facility operation . The IR- 14 containment basin has been designed to produce effluent which meets water quality standards for Class III waters as set forth in Chapter 62-302 of the Florida Administrative Code . These rules require a comprehensive monitoring program to document permit compliance . The monitoring program should therefore continue throughout active dredging and decanting operations . Effluent samples should be taken and analyzed as often as practical . The minimum recommended sampling frequency is two times per eight hour shift. Although effluent turbidity is only 1 of 29 parameters addressed in Florida ' s state water quality standards, compliance with these standards has been historically based on turbidity alone for several reasons . First, turbidity is reliably measured in the field and is the only water quality parameter over which the site operator may exercise direct control . Second, turbidity is a strong indicator of general effluent quality since many contaminants, most notably metals, exhibit a strong amity for fine particles . Thus, reducing turbidity should result in an overall improvement in effluent quality . However, the disturbance of contaminated sediments may result in the release of other pollutants (predominantly nutrients and hydrocarbons) which do not necessarily associate with fine particles . If the in situ sediments contain elevated levels of these contaminants, turbidity may be an inadequate indicator of effluent quality . Shoal sediments should undergo comprehensive elutriate and dry analysis to determine the presence of these contaminants . Additional testing under the effluent monitoring program , if required , should then focus on those contaminants documented by pre-dredging sediment analysis . Because effluent turbidity is a primary water quality parameter for site operation, compliance with turbidity standards will largely control both the dredge plant output and the release of effluent . However, the 33