Elevated streamwater conductivity is a symptom of watershed urbanization and correlated with degraded water quality and impaired biotic assemblages. Stormwater runoff, sewage effluent, and sediment inputs are potential sources of ions that drive conductivity. Using in-situ and real-time remote monitoring technologies, we monitored specific conductance (SPC), stage height, and temperature over periods from July 2015 to January 2018 across an urbanization gradient in Athens, GA, USA. Water chemistry was measured at baseflow and elevated SPC conditions. Baseflow SPC was variable spatially among sites and temporally within sites. Normalized daily patterns in SPC were different in urban vs rural and suburban sites. Cross correlation of SPC and stage height revealed distinct stormwater first flush signals; peak SPC was associated with elevated nitrogen concentrations at urban sites, consistent with sewage inputs. Thus, continuous, real-time monitoring of SPC can be a useful management tool for identifying and diagnosing pollution events in urban watersheds.