ORD GROUND WATER RESEARCH PLAN: STRATEGY FOR FY 1991 AND BEYOND

EPA Science Inventory

This document describes a ground water research plan for EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD). The ground water research program is carried out by ORD's Office of Environmental Processes and Effects Research (OEPER), the Office of Modeling, Monitoring Systems, and Quali...

Evaluating data worth for ground-water management under uncertainty

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, B.J.

1999-01-01

A decision framework is presented for assessing the value of ground-water sampling within the context of ground-water management under uncertainty. The framework couples two optimization models-a chance-constrained ground-water management model and an integer-programing sampling network design model-to identify optimal pumping and sampling strategies. The methodology consists of four steps: (1) The optimal ground-water management strategy for the present level of model uncertainty is determined using the chance-constrained management model; (2) for a specified data collection budget, the monitoring network design model identifies, prior to data collection, the sampling strategy that will minimize model uncertainty; (3) the optimal ground-water management strategy is recalculated on the basis of the projected model uncertainty after sampling; and (4) the worth of the monitoring strategy is assessed by comparing the value of the sample information-i.e., the projected reduction in management costs-with the cost of data collection. Steps 2-4 are repeated for a series of data collection budgets, producing a suite of management/monitoring alternatives, from which the best alternative can be selected. A hypothetical example demonstrates the methodology's ability to identify the ground-water sampling strategy with greatest net economic benefit for ground-water management.A decision framework is presented for assessing the value of ground-water sampling within the context of ground-water management under uncertainty. The framework couples two optimization models - a chance-constrained ground-water management model and an integer-programming sampling network design model - to identify optimal pumping and sampling strategies. The methodology consists of four steps: (1) The optimal ground-water management strategy for the present level of model uncertainty is determined using the chance-constrained management model; (2) for a specified data collection budget, the monitoring network design model identifies, prior to data collection, the sampling strategy that will minimize model uncertainty; (3) the optimal ground-water management strategy is recalculated on the basis of the projected model uncertainty after sampling; and (4) the worth of the monitoring strategy is assessed by comparing the value of the sample information - i.e., the projected reduction in management costs - with the cost of data collection. Steps 2-4 are repeated for a series of data collection budgets, producing a suite of management/monitoring alternatives, from which the best alternative can be selected. A hypothetical example demonstrates the methodology's ability to identify the ground-water sampling strategy with greatest net economic benefit for ground-water management.

40 CFR 258.54 - Detection monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.54 Detection... indicator parameters for a MSWLF unit, in lieu of some or all of the heavy metals (constituents 1-15 in... parameters, waste constituents, and reaction products in the ground water; and (iv) The concentration or...

40 CFR 258.54 - Detection monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.54 Detection... indicator parameters for a MSWLF unit, in lieu of some or all of the heavy metals (constituents 1-15 in... parameters, waste constituents, and reaction products in the ground water; and (iv) The concentration or...

40 CFR 258.54 - Detection monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.54 Detection... indicator parameters for a MSWLF unit, in lieu of some or all of the heavy metals (constituents 1-15 in... parameters, waste constituents, and reaction products in the ground water; and (iv) The concentration or...

40 CFR 258.54 - Detection monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.54 Detection... indicator parameters for a MSWLF unit, in lieu of some or all of the heavy metals (constituents 1-15 in... parameters, waste constituents, and reaction products in the ground water; and (iv) The concentration or...

SUBSURFACE CHARACTERIZATION AND MONITORING TECHNIQUES: A DESK REFERENCE GUIDE - VOLUME I: SOLIDS AND GROUND WATER - APPENDICES A AND B

EPA Science Inventory

Many EPA programs, including those under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), require subsurface characterization and monitoring to detect ground-water contamination and provide data to devel...

Ground-water-level monitoring, basin boundaries, and potentiometric surfaces of the aquifer system at Edwards Air Force Base, California, 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rewis, D.L.

1995-01-01

A ground-water-level monitoring program was implemented at Edwards Air Force Base, California, from January through December 1992 to monitor spatial and temporal changes in poten-tiometric surfaces that largely are affected by ground-water pumping. Potentiometric-surface maps are needed to determine the correlation between declining ground- water levels and the distribution of land subsidence. The monitoring program focused on areas of the base where pumping has occurred, especially near Rogers Lake, and involved three phases of data collection: (1) well canvassing and selection, (2) geodetic surveys, and (3) monthly ground-water-level measurements. Construction and historical water- level data were compiled for 118 wells and pi-ezometers on or near the base, and monthly ground-water-level measurements were made in 82 wells and piezometers on the base. The compiled water-level data were used in conjunction with previously collected geologic data to identify three types of no-flow boundaries in the aquifer system: structural boundaries, a principal-aquifer boundary, and ground-water divides. Heads were computed from ground-water-level measurements and land-surface altitudes and then were used to map seasonal potentiometric surfaces for the principal and deep aquifers underlying the base. Pumping has created a regional depression in the potentiometric surface of the deep aquifer in the South Track, South Base, and Branch Park well-field area. A 15-foot decline in the potentiometric surface from April to September 1992 and 20- to 30-foot drawdowns in the three production wells in the South Track well field caused locally unconfined conditions in the deep aquifer.

Evaluation of a monitoring program for assessing the effects of management practices on the quantity and quality of drainwater from the Panoche Water District, western San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leighton, David A.; Fio, John L.

1995-01-01

An evaluation was made of an existing monitoring program in the Panoche Water District for 1986-93. The Panoche Water District is an agricultural area located in the western San Joaquin Valley of California. Because irrigation drainage from this area has high concentrations of dissolved solids and selenium, management strategies have been developed to improve the quality of drainwater discharge. The purpose of the Panoche Water District's monitoring program is to assess the effects of water- and land-use practices on local ground water and drain flow from the district. Drainflow from the district consists of the discharge from 50 separate on-farm underground tile-drainage systems. The Panoche Water District maintains information on water deliveries, planned and actual crop types, and planned and actual acreages planted each year. In addition, the water district monitors ground-water and drainage-system discharges using a variety of data-collection methods. A total of 62 observation well sites are used to monitor ground-water level and quality. A total of 42 sites were monitored for drainflow quantity, and drain flow quality samples were collected from the outlets of each of the 50 drainage systems. However, these data were collected inconsistently and (or) intermittently during the period studied. All data obtained from the water district were compiled and stored in a geographic information system database. Water delivered for irrigation by the Panoche Water District is a mix of imported water and local ground water pumped directly into delivery canals. Although delivered water is a mix, information on the proportion of water from the two sources is not reported. Also, individual growers pump directly to their crops unknown quantities of ground water, the total of which could be greater than 60 percent of total applications during years when water district deliveries are greatly reduced (for example, the years during and following a drought). To evaluate the effects of irrigation on ground-water and drainflow quality, data on the combined chemical characteristics and the volume of water applied to crops are needed as part of the district's monitoring program. For example, without these data, this study could estimate only the effects of irrigation on ground-water recharge for 1986 (60.4 106 m3/y), 1987 (74.2 106 m3/y), and 1988 (56.0 106 m3/y) in the Panoche Water District water years when the amount of ground water pumped by individual growers was probably small. Water-level data show a significant decline of the water table in the upslope, undrained parts of the study area, and little or no significant change in the down slope, drained parts of the study area. Pumping from productions wells, most of which are located in the upslope part of the study area, may have contributed to the decline of the water table in the upslope area. The quantities of drainflow, dissolved solids, and selenium discharged from the study area decreased during the study period. However, drainflow, dissolved solids, and selenium discharged from individual on-farm drainage systems did not decrease. These data also illustrate the need for consistent and regular monitoring of the factors that affect drainage in the western San Joaquin Valley.

Hanford Site ground-water monitoring for 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dresel, P.E.; Luttrell, S.P.; Evans, J.C.

This report presents the results of the Ground-Water Surveillance Project monitoring for calendar year 1993 on the Hanford Site, Washington. Hanford Site operations from 1943 onward produced large quantities of radiological and chemical waste that have impacted ground-water quality on the Site. Monitoring of water levels and ground-water chemistry is performed to track the extent of contamination and trends in contaminant concentrations. The 1993 monitoring was also designed to identify emerging ground-water quality problems. The information obtained is used to verify compliance with applicable environmental regulations and to evaluate remedial actions. Data from other monitoring and characterization programs were incorporatedmore » to provide an integrated assessment of Site ground-water quality. Additional characterization of the Site`s geologic setting and hydrology was performed to support the interpretation of contaminant distributions. Numerical modeling of sitewide ground-water flow also supported the overall project goals. Water-level monitoring was performed to evaluate ground-water flow directions, to track changes in water levels, and to relate such changes to changes in site disposal practices. Water levels over most of the Hanford Site continued to decline between June 1992 and June 1993. The greatest declines occurred in the 200-West Area. These declines are part of the continued response to the cessation of discharge to U Pond and other disposal facilities. The low permeability in this area which enhanced mounding of waste-water discharge has also slowed the response to the reduction of disposal. Water levels remained nearly constant in the vicinity of B Pond, as a result of continued disposal to the pond. Water levels measured from wells in the unconfined aquifer north and east of the Columbia River indicate that the primary source of recharge is irrigation practices.« less

Water-quality assessment of south-central Texas: Occurrence and distribution of volatile organic compounds in surface water and ground water, 1983-94, and implications for future monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ging, P.B.; Judd, L.J.; Wynn, K.H.

1997-01-01

The study area of the South-Central Texas study unit of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program comprises the Edwards aquifer in the San Antonio region and its catchment area. The first phase of the assessment includes evaluation of existing water-quality data for surface water and ground water, including volatile organic compounds, to determine the scope of planned monitoring. Most analyses of volatile organic compounds in surface water are from the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System sites in San Antonio, Texas. Nine volatile organic compounds were detected at the six sites. The three compounds with the most detections at National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System sites are 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, toluene, and xylene. Analysis of volatile organic compounds in ground water was limited to Edwards aquifer wells. Twenty-eight volatile organic compounds were detected in samples from 89 wells. The five most commonly detected compounds in samples from wells, in descending order, are tetrachloroethene, trichloroethene, bromoform, chloroform, and dibromochloromethane. Detections of volatile organic compounds in surface water and ground water within the South-Central Texas study area are limited to site-specific sources associated with development; therefore, planned monitoring for possible detections of volatile organic compounds as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program will emphasize areas of expanding population and development. Monitoring of volatile organic compounds is planned at National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System sites, at basic fixed surface-water sites, and in the ground-water study-unit surveys.

Assessing background ground water chemistry beneath a new unsewered subdivision

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilcox, J.D.; Bradbury, K.R.; Thomas, C.L.; Bahr, J.M.

2005-01-01

Previous site-specific studies designed to assess the impacts of unsewered subdivisions on ground water quality have relied on upgradient monitoring wells or very limited background data to characterize conditions prior to development. In this study, an extensive monitoring program was designed to document ground water conditions prior to construction of a rural subdivision in south-central Wisconsin. Previous agricultural land use has impacted ground water quality; concentrations of chloride, nitrate-nitrogen, and atrazine ranged from below the level of detection to 296 mg/L, 36 mg/L, and 0.8 ??g/L, respectively, and were highly variable from well to well and through time. Seasonal variations in recharge, surface topography, aquifer heterogeneities, surficial loading patterns, and well casing depth explain observed variations in ground water chemistry. This variability would not have been detected if background conditions were determined from only a few monitoring wells or inferred from wells located upgradient of the subdivision site. This project demonstrates the importance of characterizing both ground water quality and chemical variability prior to land-use change to detect any changes once homes are constructed. Copyright ?? 2005 National Ground Water Association.

Oak Ridge Reservation annual site environmental report for 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koncinski, W.S.

1996-09-01

This report presents the details of the environmental monitoring and management program for the Oak Ridge Reservation. Topics discussed include: site background, climate, and operations; environmental compliance strategies; effluent monitoring; environmental management program including environmental restoration, decontamination and decommissioning, technology development, and public involvement; effluent monitoring of airborne discharges, liquid discharges, toxicity control and monitoring, biological monitoring and abatement; environmental surveillance which encompasses meteorological monitoring, ambient air monitoring, surface water monitoring, soils monitoring, sediment monitoring, and contamination of food stuffs monitoring; radiation doses; chemical exposures; ground water monitoring; and quality assurance.

Location and site characteristics of the ambient ground-water-quality-monitoring network in West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kozar, M.D.; Brown, D.P.

1995-01-01

Ground-water-quality-monitoring sites have been established in compliance with the 1991 West Virginia "Groundwater Protection Act." One of the provisions of the "Groundwater Protection Act" is to conduct ground-water sampling, data collection, analyses, and evaluation with sufficient frequency so as to ascertain the characteristics and quality of ground water and the sufficiency of the ground- water protection programs established pursuant to the act (Chapter 20 of the code of West Virginia, 1991, Article 5-M). Information for 26 monitoring sites (wells and springs) which comprise the Statewide ambient ground-water-quality-monitoring network is presented. Areas in which monitoring sites were needed were determined by the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection, Office of Water Resources in consultation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Initial sites were chosen on the basis of recent hydrogeologic investigations conducted by the USGS and from data stored in the USGS Ground Water Site Inventory database. Land use, aquifer setting, and areal coverage of the State are three of the more important criteria used in site selection. A field reconnaissance was conducted to locate and evaluate the adequacy of selected wells and springs. Descriptive information consisting of site, geologic, well construction, and aquifer-test data has been compiled. The 26 sites will be sampled periodically for iron, manganese, most common ions (for example, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, chloride, bicarbonate), volatile and semivolatile organic compounds (for example, pesticides and industrial solvents), and fecal coliform and fecal streptococcus bacteria. Background information explaining ground-water systems and water quality within the State has been included.

Water-quality and hydrogeologic data used to evaluate the effects of farming systems on ground-water quality at the Management Systems Evaluation Area near Princeton,Minnesota, 1991-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landon, M.K.; Delin, G.N.; Nelson, K.J.; Regan, C.P.; Lamb, J.A.; Larson, S.J.; Capel, P.D.; Anderson, J.L.; Dowdy, R.H.

1997-01-01

The Minnesota Management Systems Evaluation Area (MSEA) project was part of a multi-scale, inter-agency initiative to evaluate the effects of agricultural management systems on water quality in the midwest corn belt. The research area was located in the Anoka Sand Plain about 5 kilometers southwest of Princeton, Minnesota. The ground-water-quality monitoring network within and immediately surrounding the research area consisted of 73 observation wells and 25 multiport wells. The primary objectives of the ground-water monitoring program at the Minnesota MSEA were to: (1) determine the effects of three farming systems on ground-water quality, and (2) understand the processes and factors affecting the loading, transport, and fate of agricultural chemicals in ground water at the site. This report presents well construction, geologic, water-level, chemical application, water-quality, and quality-assurance data used to evaluate the effects of farming systems on ground-water quality during 1991-95.

Microbiological monitoring for the US Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Francy, Donna S.; Myers, Donna N.; Helsel, Dennis R.

2000-01-01

Data to characterize the microbiological quality of the Nation?s fresh, marine, and estuarine waters are usually collected for local purposes, most often to judge compliance with standards for protection of public health in swimmable or drinkable waters. Methods and procedures vary with the objectives and practices of the parties collecting data and are continuously being developed or modified. Therefore, it is difficult to provide a nationally consistent picture of the microbial quality of the Nation?s waters. Study objectives and guidelines for a national microbiological monitoring program are outlined in this report, using the framework of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. A national program is designed to provide long-term data on the presence of microbiological pathogens and indicators in ground water and surface water to support effective water policy and management. Three major groups of waterborne pathogens affect the public health acceptability of waters in the United States?bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. Microbiological monitoring in NAWQA would be designed to assess the occurrence, distribution, and trends of pathogenic organisms and indicators in surface waters and ground waters; relate the patterns discerned to factors that help explain them; and improve our understanding of the processes that control microbiological water quality.

Data on ground-water quality in the Carson River basin, western Nevada and eastern California, 1987-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitney, Rita

1994-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey collected and analyzed water samples from June 1987 through February 1990 as part of a study of the ground-water quality in the Carson River Basin. The Carson River Basin is one of seven national pilot projects conducted by the Geological Survey as part of a National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The data from the sampling program include analyses of 110 different constituents and properties of ground water in 400 separate samplings of 230 domestic, public-supply, irrigation, and shallow monitoring wells and one spring. The water-quality data include: field measurements, major constituents, nutrients, minor constituents, radionuclides, stable isotopes, and synthetic organic compounds.

40 CFR 265.91 - Ground-water monitoring system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Ground-water monitoring system. 265.91... DISPOSAL FACILITIES Ground-Water Monitoring § 265.91 Ground-water monitoring system. (a) A ground-water monitoring system must be capable of yielding ground-water samples for analysis and must consist of: (1...

40 CFR 265.91 - Ground-water monitoring system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Ground-water monitoring system. 265.91... DISPOSAL FACILITIES Ground-Water Monitoring § 265.91 Ground-water monitoring system. (a) A ground-water monitoring system must be capable of yielding ground-water samples for analysis and must consist of: (1...

40 CFR 265.91 - Ground-water monitoring system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Ground-water monitoring system. 265.91... DISPOSAL FACILITIES Ground-Water Monitoring § 265.91 Ground-water monitoring system. (a) A ground-water monitoring system must be capable of yielding ground-water samples for analysis and must consist of: (1...

40 CFR 265.91 - Ground-water monitoring system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Ground-water monitoring system. 265.91... DISPOSAL FACILITIES Ground-Water Monitoring § 265.91 Ground-water monitoring system. (a) A ground-water monitoring system must be capable of yielding ground-water samples for analysis and must consist of: (1...

Effectiveness of highway-drainage systems in preventing contamination of ground water by road salt, Route 25, southeastern Massachusetts; description of study area, data collection programs, and methodology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Church, P.E.; Armstrong, D.S.; Granato, G.E.; Stone, V.J.; Smith, K.P.; Provencher, P.L.

1996-01-01

Four test sites along a 7-mile section of Route 25 in southeastern Massachusetts, each representing a specific highway-drainage system, were instrumented to determine the effectiveness of the drainage systems in preventing contamination of ground water by road salt. One of the systems discharges highway runoff onsite through local drainpipes. The other systems use trunkline drainpipes through which runoff from highway surfaces, shoulders, and median strips is diverted and discharged into either a local stream or a coastal waterway. Route 25 was completed and opened to traffic in the summer of 1987. Road salt was first applied to the highway in the winter of 1987-88. The study area is on a thick outwash plain composed primarily of sand and gravel. Water-table depths range from 15 to 60 feet below land surface at the four test sites. Ground-water flow is in a general southerly direction, approximately perpendicular to the highway. Streamflow in the study area is controlled primarily by ground-water discharge. Background concentrations of dissolved chloride, sodium, and calcium-the primary constituents of road salt-are similar in ground water and surface water and range from 5 to 20, 5 to 10, and 1 to 5 milligrams per liter, respectively. Data-collection programs were developed for monitoring the application of road salt to the highway, the quantity of road-salt water entering the ground water, diverted through the highway-drainage systems, and entering a local stream. The Massachusetts Highway Department monitored road salt applied to the highway and reported these data to the U.S. Geological Survey. The U.S. Geological Survey designed and operated the ground-water, highway- drainage, and surface-water data-collection programs. A road-salt budget will be calculated for each test site so that the effectiveness of the different highway-drainage systems in preventing contamination of ground water by road salt can be determined.

40 CFR 141.855 - Routine monitoring requirements for community water systems serving 1,000 or fewer people using...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Routine monitoring requirements for community water systems serving 1,000 or fewer people using only ground water. 141.855 Section 141.855 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Revised...

40 CFR 141.854 - Routine monitoring requirements for non-community water systems serving 1,000 or fewer people...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Routine monitoring requirements for non-community water systems serving 1,000 or fewer people using only ground water. 141.854 Section 141.854 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS...

40 CFR 141.855 - Routine monitoring requirements for community water systems serving 1,000 or fewer people using...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Routine monitoring requirements for community water systems serving 1,000 or fewer people using only ground water. 141.855 Section 141.855 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Revised...

40 CFR 141.854 - Routine monitoring requirements for non-community water systems serving 1,000 or fewer people...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Routine monitoring requirements for non-community water systems serving 1,000 or fewer people using only ground water. 141.854 Section 141.854 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS...

Cone penetrometer testing and discrete-depth ground water sampling techniques: A cost-effective method of site characterization in a multiple-aquifer setting

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zemo, D.A.; Pierce, Y.G.; Gallinatti, J.D.

Cone penetrometer testing (CPT), combined with discrete-depth ground water sampling methods, can significantly reduce the time and expense required to characterize large sites that have multiple aquifers. Results from the screening site characterization can then be used to design and install a cost-effective monitoring well network. At a site in northern California, it was necessary to characterize the stratigraphy and the distribution of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). To expedite characterization, a five-week field screening program was implemented that consisted of a shallow ground water survey, CPT soundings and pore-pressure measurements, and discrete-depth ground water sampling. Based on continuous lithologic informationmore » provided by the CPT soundings, four predominantly coarse-grained, water yielding stratigraphic packages were identified. Seventy-nine discrete-depth ground water samples were collected using either shallow ground water survey techniques, the BAT Enviroprobe, or the QED HydroPunch I, depending on subsurface conditions. Using results from these efforts, a 20-well monitoring network was designed and installed to monitor critical points within each stratigraphic package. Good correlation was found for hydraulic head and chemical results between discrete-depth screening data and monitoring well data. Understanding the vertical VOC distribution and concentrations produced substantial time and cost savings by minimizing the number of permanent monitoring wells and reducing the number of costly conductor casings that had to be installed. Additionally, significant long-term cost savings will result from reduced sampling costs, because fewer wells comprise the monitoring network. The authors estimate these savings to be 50% for site characterization costs, 65% for site characterization time, and 60% for long-term monitoring costs.« less

Long-Term Monitoring Network Optimization Evaluation for Operable Unit 2, Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site, Idaho

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This report presents a description and evaluation of the ground water and surface water monitoring program associated with the Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex Superfund Site (Bunker Hill) Operable Unit (OU) 2.

Ground-water conditions in Georgia, 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cressler, Alan M.

2000-01-01

Ground-water conditions in Georgia during 1999 and for the period of record were evaluated using data from U.S. Geological Survey ground-water-level and ground-water-quality monitoring networks. Data for 1999 included in this report are from continuous water-level records from 130 wells and chloride analyses from 14 wells. Data from one well is incomplete because data collection was discontinued. Chloride concentration in water from the Upper Floridan aquifer in most of coastal Georgia was within drinking-water standards established by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In the Savannah area, chloride concentration has not changed appreciably with time. However, chloride concentration in water from some wells that tap the Floridan aquifer system in the Brunswick area exceeds the drinking-water standards. Ground-water-level and ground-water-quality data are essential for water assessment and management. Ground-water-level fluctuations and trends can be used to estimate changes in aquifer storage resulting from the effects of ground-water withdrawal and recharge from precipitation. These data can be used to address water-management needs and to evaluate the effects of management and conservation programs. As part of the ground-water investigations conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the State of Georgia and city and county governments, a Statewide water-level-measurement program was started in 1938. Initially, this program consisted of an observation-well network in the coastal area of Georgia to monitor variations in ground-water storage and quality. Additional wells were later included in areas where data could be used to aid in water resources development and management. During 1999, periodic water-level measurements were made in 46 wells, and continuous water-level measurements were obtained from 165 wells. Continuous water-level records were obtained using analog (pen and chart) recorders and electronic data recorders that record the water level at 60-minute intervals. For wells having incomplete water-level record, water levels during periods of missing record may have been higher or lower than recorded water levels. Water samples collected from 85 wells during May, June, July, August, September, October, November, and December 1999 were analyzed to determine chloride concentration in the Savannah and Brunswick areas.

U.S. Geological Survey Georgia Water Science Center and Albany Water, Gas, and Light Commission Cooperative Water Program-Summary of Activities, July 2005 through June 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gordon, Debbie W.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been working with the Albany Water, Gas, and Light Commission to monitor ground-water quality and availability since 1977. This report presents the findings for July 2005 through June 2006 and summarizes the ground-water and surface-water conditions for 2005. Water levels in 14 wells were continuously monitored in Dougherty County, Georgia. Water levels in 12 of those wells were above normal, one was normal, and one was below normal. Ground-water samples collected from the Upper Floridan aquifer indicate that nitrate levels have increased in 13 wells and decreased in two wells from a year earlier. A sample also was collected from the Flint River. A trilinear diagram showing the percent composition of selected major cations and anions indicates that the ground-water quality of the Upper Floridan aquifer at the Albany wellfield is distinctly different from the water quality of the Flint River. To improve the understanding of the ground-water flow system and nitrate movement in the Upper Floridan aquifer, the USGS is developing a ground-water flow model in the southwest Albany area, Georgia.

Agricultural chemicals in Iowa's ground water, 1982-95: What are the trends?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koplin, Dana W.; Hallberg, George; Sneck-Fahrer, D. A.; Libra, Robert

1997-01-01

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Geological Survey Bureau: the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory; and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have been working together to address this question. As part of the Iowa Ground-Water Monitoring Program (IGWM). water samples have been collected from selected Iowa municipal wells since 1982. An examination of this data identified two trends: (1) concentrations of atrazine in Iowa's ground water generally were decreasing over time, and (2) concentrations of metolachlor generally were increasing. Continuing ground-water sampling can determine if these trends represent long-term changes in chemical concentrations.

40 CFR 258.51 - Ground-water monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Ground-water monitoring systems. 258... CRITERIA FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.51 Ground-water monitoring systems. (a) A ground-water monitoring system must be installed that consists of a...

40 CFR 258.51 - Ground-water monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2012-07-01 2011-07-01 true Ground-water monitoring systems. 258.51... FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.51 Ground-water monitoring systems. (a) A ground-water monitoring system must be installed that consists of a...

40 CFR 257.22 - Ground-water monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Ground-water monitoring systems. 257... Waste Disposal Units Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 257.22 Ground-water monitoring systems. (a) A ground-water monitoring system must be installed that consists of a sufficient number of...

40 CFR 258.51 - Ground-water monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Ground-water monitoring systems. 258... CRITERIA FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.51 Ground-water monitoring systems. (a) A ground-water monitoring system must be installed that consists of a...

40 CFR 257.22 - Ground-water monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Ground-water monitoring systems. 257... Waste Disposal Units Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 257.22 Ground-water monitoring systems. (a) A ground-water monitoring system must be installed that consists of a sufficient number of...

Fact Sheet: Water Monitoring Reveals More Well Contamination

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Wedron Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action program to work with hazardous waste facilities to investigate and clean up any release of hazardous waste into the soil, ground water, surface water and air.

Evaluation of the U.S. Geological Survey Ground-Water Data-Collection Program in Hawaii, 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anthony, Stephen S.

1997-01-01

In 1992, the U.S. Geological Survey ground-water data-collection program in the State of Hawaii consisted of 188 wells distributed among the islands of Oahu, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Hawaii. Water-level and water-quality (temperature, specific conductance, and chloride concentration) data were collected from observation wells, deep monitoring wells that penetrate the zone of transition between freshwater and saltwater, free-flowing wells, and pumped wells. The objective of the program was to collect sufficient spatial and temporal data to define seasonal and long-term changes in ground-water levels and chloride concentrations induced by natural and human-made stresses for different climatic and hydrogeologic settings. Wells needed to meet this objective can be divided into two types of networks: (1) a water-management network to determine the response of ground-water flow systems to human-induced stresses, such as pumpage, and (2) a baseline network to determine the response of ground-water flow systems to natural stresses for different climatic and hydrogeologic settings. Maps showing the distribution and magnitude of pumpage and the distribution of proposed pumped wells are presented to identify areas in need of water-management networks. Wells in the 1992 U.S. Geological Survey ground-water data-collection program were classified as either water-management or baseline network wells. In addition, locations where additional water-management network wells are needed for water-level and water-quality data were identified.

Environmental Management

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

Another key aspect of the NNSS mission is Environmental Management program, which addresses the environmental legacy from historic nuclear weapons related activities while also ensuring the health and safety of present day workers, the public, and the environment as current and future missions are completed. The Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management site receives low-level and mixed low-level waste from some 28 different generators from across the DOE complex in support of the legacy clean-up DOE Environmental Management project. Without this capability, the DOE would not be able to complete the clean up and proper disposition of these wastes. The program includes environmental protection, compliance, and monitoring of the air, water, plants, animals, and cultural resources at the NNSS. Investigation and implementation of appropriate corrective actions to address the contaminated ground water facilities and soils resulting from historic nuclear testing activities, the demolition of abandoned nuclear facilities, as well as installation of ground water wells to identify and monitor the extent of ground water contamination.

No-migration variance petition. Appendices C--J: Volume 5, Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-03-01

Volume V contains the appendices for: closure and post-closure plans; RCRA ground water monitoring waver; Waste Isolation Division Quality Program Manual; water quality sampling plan; WIPP Environmental Procedures Manual; sample handling and laboratory procedures; data analysis; and Annual Site Environmental Monitoring Report for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant.

30 CFR 817.14 - Casing and sealing of underground openings: Temporary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS... workings, or to be used to monitor ground water conditions, shall be temporarily sealed until actual use. ...

Results of soil, ground-water, surface-water, and streambed-sediment sampling at Air Force Plane 85, Columbus, Ohio, 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parnell, J.M.

1997-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with Aeronautical Systems Center, Environmental Management Directorate, Restoration Division, prepared the Surface- and Ground- Water Monitoring Work Plan for Air Force Plant 85 (AFP 85 or Plant), Columbus, Ohio, under the Air Force Installation Restoration Program to characterize any ground-water, surface-water, and soil contamination that may exist at AFP 85. The USGS began the study in November 1996. The Plant was divided into nine sampling areas, which included some previously investi gated study sites. The investigation activities included the collection and presentation of data taken during drilling and water-quality sampling. Data collection focused on the saturated and unsatur ated zones and surface water. Twenty-three soil borings were completed. Ten monitoring wells (six existing wells and four newly constructed monitoring wells) were selected for water-quality sam pling. Surface-water and streambed-sediment sampling locations were chosen to monitor flow onto and off of the Plant. Seven sites were sampled for both surface-water and streambed-sediment quality. This report presents data on the selected inorganic and organic constituents in soil, ground water, surface water, and streambed sediments at AFP 85. The methods of data collection and anal ysis also are included. Knowledge of the geologic and hydrologic setting could aid Aeronautical Systems Center, Environmental Management Directorate, Restoration Division, and its governing regulatory agencies in future remediation studies.

A hydrogeologic approach to identify land uses that overlie ground-water flow paths, Broward County, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sonenshein, R.S.

1995-01-01

A hydrogeologic approach that integrates the use of hydrogeologic and spatial tools aids in the identification of land uses that overlie ground- water flow paths and permits a better understanding of ground-water flow systems. A mathematical model was used to simulate the ground-water flow system in Broward County, particle-tracking software was used to determine flow paths leading to the monitor wells in Broward County, and a Geographic Information System was used to identify which land uses overlie the flow paths. A procedure using a geographic information system to evaluate the output from a ground-water flow model has been documented. The ground-water flow model was used to represent steady-state conditions during selected wet- and dry-season months, and an advective flow particle- tracking program was used to simulate the direction of ground-water flow in the aquifer system. Digital spatial data layers were created from the particle pathlines that lead to the vicinity of the open interval of selected wells in the Broward County ground-water quality monitoring network. Buffer zone data layers were created, surrounding the particle pathlines to represent the area of contribution to the water sampled from the monitor wells. Spatial data layers, combined with a land-use data layer, were used to identify the land uses that overlie the ground-water flow paths leading to the monitor wells. The simulation analysis was performed on five Broward County wells with different hydraulic parameters to determine the source of ground-water stress, determine selected particle pathlines, and identify land use in buffer zones in the vicinity of the wells. The flow paths that lead to the grid cells containing wells G-2355, G-2373, and G-2373A did not vary between the wet- and dry-season conditions. Changes in the area of contribution for wells G-2345X and G-2369 were attributed to variations in rainfall patterns, well-field pumpage, and surface-water management practices. Additionally, using a different open interval at a site, such as for wells G-2373 and G-2373A, can result in a very different area that overlies the flow path leading to the monitor well.

From municipal sewage to drinking water: fate and removal of pharmaceutical residues in the aquatic environment in urban areas.

PubMed

Heberer, Th; Reddersen, K; Mechlinski, A

2002-01-01

Recently, the occurrence and fate of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) in the aquatic environment was recognized as one of the emerging issues in environmental chemistry and as a matter of public concern. Residues of PhACs have been found as contaminants in sewage, surface, and ground- and drinking water samples. Since June 2000, a new long-term monitoring program of sewage, surface, ground- and drinking water has been carried out in Berlin, Germany. Samples, collected periodically from selected sites in the Berlin area, are investigated for residues of PhACs and related contaminants. The purpose of this monitoring is to investigate these compounds over a long time period to get more reliable data on their occurrence and fate in the different aquatic compartments. Moreover, the surface water investigations allow the calculation of season-dependent contaminant loads in the Berlin waters. In the course of the monitoring program, PhACs and some other polar compounds were detected at concentrations up to the microg/L-level in all compartments of the Berlin water cycle. The monitoring is accompanied and supported by several other investigations such as laboratory column experiments and studies on bank filtration and drinking water treatment using conventional or membrane filtration techniques.

40 CFR 146.15 - Class I municipal disposal well alternative authorization in certain parts of Florida.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM... ground water monitoring data generated pursuant to regulatory requirements governing operation of Class I...-600.420(1)(d), and using high-level disinfection in a manner that is no less stringent than the...

40 CFR 146.15 - Class I municipal disposal well alternative authorization in certain parts of Florida.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM... ground water monitoring data generated pursuant to regulatory requirements governing operation of Class I...-600.420(1)(d), and using high-level disinfection in a manner that is no less stringent than the...

40 CFR 146.15 - Class I municipal disposal well alternative authorization in certain parts of Florida.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM... ground water monitoring data generated pursuant to regulatory requirements governing operation of Class I...-600.420(1)(d), and using high-level disinfection in a manner that is no less stringent than the...

40 CFR 146.15 - Class I municipal disposal well alternative authorization in certain parts of Florida.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM... ground water monitoring data generated pursuant to regulatory requirements governing operation of Class I...-600.420(1)(d), and using high-level disinfection in a manner that is no less stringent than the...

40 CFR 146.15 - Class I municipal disposal well alternative authorization in certain parts of Florida.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM... ground water monitoring data generated pursuant to regulatory requirements governing operation of Class I...-600.420(1)(d), and using high-level disinfection in a manner that is no less stringent than the...

40 CFR 258.51 - Ground-water monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Ground-water monitoring systems. 258.51 Section 258.51 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES CRITERIA FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.51 Ground-water monitoring systems. (a) A...

Enhancements of nonpoint source monitoring of volatile organic compounds in ground water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lapham, W.W.; Moran, M.J.; Zogorski, J.S.

2000-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled a national retrospective data set of analyses of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ground water of the United States. The data are from Federal, State, and local nonpoint-source monitoring programs, collected between 1985–95. This data set is being used to augment data collected by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program to ascertain the occurrence of VOCs in ground water nationwide. Eleven attributes of the retrospective data set were evaluated to determine the suitability of the data to augment NAWQA data in answering occurrence questions of varying complexity. These 11 attributes are the VOC analyte list and the associated reporting levels for each VOC, well type, well-casing material, type of openings in the interval (screened interval or open hole), well depth, depth to the top and bottom of the open interval(s), depth to water level in the well, aquifer type (confined or unconfined), and aquifer lithology. VOCs frequently analyzed included solvents, industrial reagents, and refrigerants, but other VOCs of current interest were not frequently analyzed. About 70 percent of the sampled wells have the type of well documented in the data set, and about 74 percent have well depth documented. However, the data set generally lacks documentation of other characteristics, such as well-casing material, information about the screened or open interval(s), depth to water level in the well, and aquifer type and lithology. For example, only about 20 percent of the wells include information on depth to water level in the well and only about 14 percent of the wells include information about aquifer type. The three most important enhancements to VOC data collected in nonpoint-source monitoring programs for use in a national assessment of VOC occurrence in ground water would be an expanded VOC analyte list, recording the reporting level for each analyte for every analysis, and recording key ancillary information about each well. These enhancements would greatly increase the usefulness of VOC data in addressing complex occurrence questions, such as those that seek to explain the reasons for VOC occurrence and nonoccurrence in ground water of the United States.

Research opportunities in interdisciplinary ground-water science in the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sanford, W.E.; Caine, Jonathan S.; Wilcox, D.A.; McWreath, H.C.; Nicholas, J.R.

2006-01-01

This report is written for the scientifically literate reader but is not limited to those who are involved in ground-water science. The report is intended to encourage U.S. Geological Survey scientists to develop a sense of excitement about ground-water science in the agency, to inform scientists about existing and potential ground-water science opportunities, and to engage scientists and managers in interdisciplinary discussions and collaboration. The report is intended for use by U.S. Geological Survey and Department of the Interior management to formulate long-term ground-water science programs and to continue sustained support of ground-water monitoring and research, some of which may not have an immediate impact. Finally, the report can be used to communicate the U.S. Geological Survey's vision of ground-water science to Congress, partners, other agencies, and the research community at large with the goals of enhancing collaborative opportunities, sharing information, and maintaining dialogue regarding the directions of U.S. Geological Survey ground-water science.

Ground-water quality near a sewage-sludge recycling site and a landfill near Denver, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robson, Stanley G.

1977-01-01

The Metropolitan Denver Sewage Disposal District and the City and County of Denver operate a sewage-sludge recycling site and a landfill in an area about 15 miles (24 kilometers) east of Denver. The assessment of the effects of these facilities on the ground-water system included determining the direction of ground-water movement in the area, evaluating the impact of the wastedisposal activities on the chemical quality of local ground water, and evaluating the need for continued water-quality monitoring.Surficial geology of the area consists of two principal units: (1) Alluvium with a maximum thickness of about 25 feet (7.6 meters) deposited along stream channels, and (2) bedrock consisting of undifferentiated Denver and Dawson Formations. Ground water in formations less than 350 feet (110 meters) deep moves to the north, as does surface flow, while ground water in formations between 570 and 1,500 feet (170 and 460 meters) deep moves to the west. Estimates of ground-water velocity were made using assumed values for hydraulic conductivity and porosity, and the observed hydraulic gradient from the study area. Lateral velocities are estimated to be 380 feet (120 meters) per year in alluvium and 27 feet (8.2 meters) per year in the upper part of the bedrock formations. Vertical velocity is estimated to be 0.58 foot (0.18 meter) per year in the upper part of the bedrock formations.Potentiometric head decreases with depth in the bedrock formations indicating a potential for downward movement of ground water. However, waterquality analysis and the rate and direction of ground-water movement suggest that ground-water movement in the area is primarily in the lateral rather than the vertical direction. Five wells perforated in alluvium were found to have markedly degraded water quality. One well was located in the landfill and water that was analyzed was obtained from near the base of the buried refuse, two others were located downgradient and near sewage-sludge burial areas, and the remaining two are located near stagnant surface ponds. Concentrations of nitrate in wells downgradient from fields where sludge is plowed into the soil were higher than background concentrations due to the effects of the sludge disposal. No evidence of water-quality degradation was detected in deeper wells perforated in the bedrock formations. Continued water-quality monitoring is needed because of the continuing disposal of wastes. A suggested monitoring program would consist of monitoring wells near the landfill twice a year and monitoring wells near the sludge-disposal areas on an annual basis.

Hydrogeology, Water Chemistry, and Factors Affecting the Transport of Contaminants in the Zone of Contribution of a Public-Supply Well in Modesto, Eastern San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jurgens, Bryant C.; Burow, Karen R.; Dalgish, Barbara A.; Shelton, Jennifer L.

2008-01-01

Ground-water chemistry in the zone of contribution of a public-supply well in Modesto, California, was studied by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program's topical team for Transport of Anthropogenic and Natural Contaminants (TANC) to supply wells. Twenty-three monitoring wells were installed in Modesto to record baseline hydraulic information and to collect water-quality samples. The monitoring wells were divided into four categories that represent the chemistry of different depths and volumes of the aquifer: (1) water-table wells were screened between 8.5 and 11.7 m (meter) (28 and 38.5 ft [foot]) below land surface (bls) and were within 5 m (16 ft) of the water table; (2) shallow wells were screened between 29 and 35 m (95 and 115 ft) bls; (3) intermediate wells were screened between 50.6 and 65.5 m (166 and 215 ft) bls; and (4) deep wells are screened between 100 to 106 m (328 and 348 ft) bls. Inorganic, organic, isotope, and age-dating tracers were used to characterize the geochemical conditions in the aquifer and understand the mechanisms of mobilization and movement of selected constituents from source areas to a public-supply well. The ground-water system within the study area has been significantly altered by human activities. Water levels in monitoring wells indicated that horizontal movement of ground water was generally from the agricultural areas in the northeast towards a regional water-level depression within the city in the southwest. However, intensive pumping and irrigation recharge in the study area has caused large quantities of ground water to move vertically downward within the regional and local flow systems. Analysis of age tracers indicated that ground-water age varied from recent recharge at the water table to more than 1,000 years in the deep part of the aquifer. The mean age of shallow ground water was determined to be between 30 and 40 years. Intermediate ground water was determined to be a mixture of modern (Post-1950) and old (Pre-1950) ground water. As a result, concentrations of age tracers were detectable but diluted by older ground water. Deep ground water generally represented water that was recharged under natural conditions and therefore had much older ages. Ground water reaching the public-supply well was a mixture of older intermediate and deep ground water and young shallow ground water that has been anthropogenically-influenced to a greater extent than intermediate ground water. Uranium and nitrate pose the most significant threat to the quality of water discharged from the public-supply well. Although pesticides and VOCs were present in ground water from the public-supply well and monitoring wells, currently concentrations of these contaminants are generally less than one-hundredth the concentration of drinking water standards. In contrast, both uranium and nitrate were above half the concentration of drinking water standards for public-supply well samples, and were above drinking water standards for several water-table and shallow monitoring wells. Shallow ground water contributes roughly 20 percent of the total flow to the public-supply well and was the entry point of most contaminants reaching the public-supply well. Naturally-occurring uranium, which is commonly adsorbed to aquifer sediments, was mobilized by oxygen-rich, high-alkalinity water, causing concentrations in some monitoring wells to be above the drinking-water standard of 30 ug/L (microgram per liter). Adsorption experiments, sediment extractions, and uranium isotopes indicated uranium in water-table and shallow ground water was leached from aquifer sediments. Uranium is strongly correlated to bicarbonate concentrations (as measured by alkalinity) in ground water. Bicarbonate can effectively limit uranium adsorption to sediments. As a result, continued downward movement of high-alkalinity, oxygen-rich ground water will likely lead to larger portions of the aquifer having

Water-quality conditions and an evaluation of ground- and surface-water sampling programs in the Livermore-Amador Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sorenson, S.K.; Cascos, P.V.; Glass, R.L.

1984-01-01

A program to monitor the ground- and surface water quality in the Livermore-Amador Valley has been operated since 1976. As of 1982, this monitoring network consisted of approximately 130 wells, about 100 of which were constructed specifically for this program, and 9 surface water stations. Increased demand on the groundwater for municipal and industrial water supply in the past has caused a decline in water levels and a gradual buildup of salts from natural surface-water recharge and land disposal of treated wastewater from waste treatment plants. Results of this study identify the salt buildup to be the major problem with the groundwater quality. Established water quality objectives for dissolved solids are exceeded in 52 of 130 wells. Concentrations of dissolved nitrate are also in excess of basin objectives and health standards. Water quality in both surface and groundwater is highly variable areally. Magnesium to calcium magnesium bicarbonate groundwater are found in the areas where most of the high volume municipal wells are located. Large areas of sodium bicarbonate water occur in the northern part of the valley. Except for two stations on Arroyo Las Positas which has sodium chloride water, surface water is mixed-cation bicarbonate water. (USGS)

Technology Transfer Opportunities: Automated Ground-Water Monitoring, A Proven Technology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kirk P.; Granato, Gregory E.

1998-01-01

Introduction The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed and tested an automated ground-water monitoring system that measures and records values of selected water-quality properties and constituents using protocols approved for manual sampling. Prototypes using the automated process have demonstrated the ability to increase the quantity and quality of data collected and have shown the potential for reducing labor and material costs for ground-water quality data collection. Automated ground-water monitoring systems can be used to monitor known or potential contaminant sites, such as near landfills, underground storage tanks, or other facilities where potential contaminants are stored, to serve as early warning systems monitoring ground-water quality near public water-supply wells, and for ground-water quality research.

Environmental stratification framework and water-quality monitoring design strategy for the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Africa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedel, Michael J.

2008-01-01

Mauritania anticipates an increase in mining activities throughout the country and into the foreseeable future. Because mining-induced changes in the landscape are likely to affect their limited ground-water resources and sensitive aquatic ecosystems, a water-quality assessment program was designed for Mauritania that is based on a nationally consistent environmental stratification framework. The primary objectives of this program are to ensure that the environmental monitoring systems can quantify near real-time changes in surface-water chemistry at a local scale, and quantify intermediate- to long-term changes in groundwater and aquatic ecosystems over multiple scales.

Pharmaceuticals in the environment--exposure, effects and risks to humans and ecosystems: what we think we know, and what we need to know

EPA Science Inventory

U.S., European and Korean environmental monitoring and research programs have confirmed the occurrence of low levels of pharmaceuticals in stream waters, in soils and streambed sediments, in ground water, in estuaries, and in drinking water.

40 CFR 258.55 - Assessment monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Section 258.55 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES CRITERIA FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.55 Assessment... be shown that the removed constituents are not reasonably expected to be in or derived from the waste...

40 CFR 258.55 - Assessment monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... upgradient edge of the MSWLF unit and downgradient monitoring well screen (minimum distance of travel); (5... effects during a lifetime. For purposes of this subpart, systemic toxicants include toxic chemicals that cause effects other than cancer or mutation. (ii) [Reserved] (j) In establishing ground-water protection...

40 CFR 258.55 - Assessment monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... upgradient edge of the MSWLF unit and downgradient monitoring well screen (minimum distance of travel); (5... effects during a lifetime. For purposes of this subpart, systemic toxicants include toxic chemicals that cause effects other than cancer or mutation. (ii) [Reserved] (j) In establishing ground-water protection...

40 CFR 258.55 - Assessment monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... upgradient edge of the MSWLF unit and downgradient monitoring well screen (minimum distance of travel); (5... effects during a lifetime. For purposes of this subpart, systemic toxicants include toxic chemicals that cause effects other than cancer or mutation. (ii) [Reserved] (j) In establishing ground-water protection...

40 CFR 264.97 - General ground-water monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... collection of ground-water samples. The annular space (i.e., the space between the bore hole and well casing... 40 Protection of Environment 27 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false General ground-water monitoring... FACILITIES Releases From Solid Waste Management Units § 264.97 General ground-water monitoring requirements...

Appraisal of ground-water quality near wastewater-treatment facilities, Glacier National Park, Montana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moreland, Joe A.; Wood, Wayne A.

1982-01-01

Water-level and water-quality data were collected from monitoring wells at wastewater-treatment facilities in Glacier National Park. Five additional shallow observation wells were installed at the Glacier Park Headquarters facility to monitor water quality in the shallow ground-water system.Water-level, water-quality, and geologic information indicate that some of the initial monitoring wells are not ideally located to sample ground water most likely to be affected by waste disposal at the sites. Small differences in chemical characteristics between samples from monitor wells indicate that effluent may be affecting ground-water quality but that impacts are not significant.Future monitoring of ground-water quality could be limited to selected wells most likely to be impacted by percolating effluent. Laboratory analyses for common ions could detect future impacts.

Technology Transfer Opportunities: Automated Ground-Water Monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kirk P.; Granato, Gregory E.

1997-01-01

Introduction A new automated ground-water monitoring system developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) measures and records values of selected water-quality properties and constituents using protocols approved for manual sampling. Prototypes using the automated process have demonstrated the ability to increase the quantity and quality of data collected and have shown the potential for reducing labor and material costs for ground-water quality data collection. Automation of water-quality monitoring systems in the field, in laboratories, and in industry have increased data density and utility while reducing operating costs. Uses for an automated ground-water monitoring system include, (but are not limited to) monitoring ground-water quality for research, monitoring known or potential contaminant sites, such as near landfills, underground storage tanks, or other facilities where potential contaminants are stored, and as an early warning system monitoring groundwater quality near public water-supply wells.

Identifying the Source of High-Nitrate Ground Water Related to Artificial Recharge in a Desert Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Densmore, J. N.; Nishikawa, T.; Bohlke, J. K.; Martin, P.

2002-12-01

Ground water has been the sole source of water supply for the community of Yucca Valley in the Mojave Desert, California. Domestic wastewater from the community is treated using septic tanks. An imbalance between ground-water recharge and pumpage caused ground-water levels in the ground-water basin to decline by as much as 300 feet from the late 1940s through 1994. In response to this decline, the local water district, Hi-Desert Water District, began an artificial recharge program in February 1995 to replenish the ground water in the basin using imported surface water. The artificial recharge program resulted in water-level recovery of about 250 feet between February 1995 and December 2001; however, nitrate concentrations in some wells also increased from a background concentration of 10 mg/L as NO3 to more than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level of 45 mg/L as NO3, limiting water use for some wells. The largest increase in nitrate concentrations occurred adjacent to the artificial recharge sites where the largest increase in water levels occurred even though the recharge water had low nitrate concentrations. The source of high nitrate concentrations observed in ground water during aquifer recovery was identified by compiling historical water-quality data; monitoring changes in water quality since artificial recharge began; and analyzing selected samples for major-ion chemistry, stable isotopes of H,O, and N, caffeine, and pharmaceuticals. The major-ions and H and O stable-isotope data indicate that ground-water samples that had the highest nitrate concentrations were mixtures of imported water and native ground water. Nitrate-to-chloride ratios, N isotopes and caffeine and pharmaceutical data indicate septic-tank seepage (septage) is the primary source of increases in nitrate concentration. The rapid rise in water levels entrained the large volume of high-nitrate septage stored in the unsaturated zone, resulting in the rapid increase in nitrate concentrations. Results of this study indicate that the potential for ground-water contamination should be evaluated before beginning an artificial recharge program in an area that uses septic tanks.

Ground-water vulnerability to nitrate contamination in the mid-atlantic region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Greene, Earl A.; LaMotte, Andrew E.; Cullinan, Kerri-Ann; Smith, Elizabeth R.

2005-01-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s (USEPA) Regional Vulnerability Assessment (ReVA) Program has developed a set of statistical tools to support regional-scale, integrated ecological risk-assessment studies. One of these tools, developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), is used with available water-quality data obtained from USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) and other studies in association with land cover, geology, soils, and other geographic data to develop logistic-regression equations that predict the vulnerability of ground water to nitrate concentrations exceeding specified thresholds in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The models were developed and applied to produce spatial probability maps showing the likelihood of elevated concentrations of nitrate in the region. These maps can be used to identify areas that currently are at risk and help identify areas where ground water has been affected by human activities. This information can be used by regional and local water managers to protect water supplies and identify land-use planning solutions and monitoring programs in these vulnerable areas.

40 CFR 264.99 - Compliance monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the availability of laboratory facilities to perform the analysis of ground-water samples. (e) The... Administrator, and repeat the analysis. If the second analysis confirms the presence of new constituents, the... Administrator within seven days after the completion of the second analysis and add them to the monitoring list...

MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION OF TERTIARY BUTYL ALCOHOL (TBA) IN GROUND WATER AT GASOLINE SPILL SITES

EPA Science Inventory

The state agencies that implement the Underground Storage Tank program rely heavily on Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) to clean up contaminants such as benzene and methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) at gasoline spill sites. This is possible because the contaminants are biolo...

Ground-water conditions in Georgia, 1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cressler, A.M.

1998-01-01

Ground-water conditions in Georgia during 1997 and for the period of record were evaluated using data from ground-water-level and ground-water-quality monitoring networks. Data for 1997 included in this report are from continuous water-level records from 71 wells and chloride analyses from 14 wells. In 1997, annual mean ground-water levels in Georgia ranged from 6.2 feet (ft) lower to 5.6 ft higher than in 1996. Of the 71 wells summarized in this report, 23 wells had annual mean water levels that were higher, 35 wells had annual mean water levels that were lower, and 11 wells had annual mean water levels that were about the same in 1997 as during 1996. Data for two wells are incomplete because data collection was discontinued at one well, and the equipment was vandalized at one well. Record-low daily mean water levels were recorded in six wells tapping the Upper Floridan aquifer, one well tapping the Caliborne aquifer, two wells tapping the Clayton aquifer, and three wells tapping Cretaceous aquifers. These record lows were from 0.2 to 5.6 ft lower than previous record lows. Chloride concentration in water from the Upper Floridan aquifer in most of coastal Georgia was within drinking-water standards established by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In the Savannah area, chloride concentration has not changed appreciably with time. However, chloride concentration in water from some wells that tap the Floridan aquifer system in the Brunswick area exceeds the drinking-water standard. Ground-water-level and ground-water-quality data are essential for water assessment and management. Ground-water-level fluctuations and trends can be used to estimate changes in aquifer storage resulting from the effects of ground-water withdrawal and recharge from precipitation. These data can be used to address water-management needs and to evaluate the effects of management and conservation programs. As part of the ground-water investigations conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the State of Georgia and city and county governments, a Statewide water-level- measurement program was started in 1938. Initially, this program consisted of an observation-well network in the coastal area of Georgia to monitor variations in ground- water storage and quality. Additional wells were later included in areas where data could be used to predict potential water-resource problems. During 1997, periodic water-level measurements were made in 67 wells, and continuous water-level measurements were obtained from 151 wells. Continuous water-level records were obtained using analog (pen and chart) recorders, digital recorders that record the water level at 30-minute or 60-minute intervals, and electronic data recorders that record the water level at 60-minute intervals. For wells having incomplete water-level record, water levels during periods of missing record may have been higher or lower than recorded water levels. Water samples collected from 23 wells during April and November 1997 were analyzed to determine chloride concentration in the Savannah and Brunswick areas.

Automated ground-water monitoring with Robowell: case studies and potential applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granato, Gregory E.; Smith, Kirk P.

2002-02-01

Robowell is an automated system and method for monitoring ground-water quality. Robowell meets accepted manual- sampling protocols without high labor and laboratory costs. Robowell periodically monitors and records water-quality properties and constituents in ground water by pumping a well or multilevel sampler until one or more purge criteria have been met. A record of frequent water-quality measurements from a monitoring site can indicate changes in ground-water quality and can provide a context for the interpretation of laboratory data from discrete samples. Robowell also can communicate data and system performance through a remote communication link. Remote access to ground-water data enables the user to monitor conditions and optimize manual sampling efforts. Six Robowell prototypes have successfully monitored ground-water quality during all four seasons of the year under different hydrogeologic conditions, well designs, and geochemical environments. The U.S. Geological Survey is seeking partners for research with robust and economical water-quality monitoring instruments designed to measure contaminants of concern in conjunction with the application and commercialization of the Robowell technology. Project publications and information about technology transfer opportunities are available on the Internet at URL http://ma.water.usgs.gov/automon/

Automated ground-water monitoring with robowell-Case studies and potential applications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Granato, G.E.; Smith, K.P.; ,

2001-01-01

Robowell is an automated system and method for monitoring ground-water quality. Robowell meets accepted manual-sampling protocols without high labor and laboratory costs. Robowell periodically monitors and records water-quality properties and constituents in ground water by pumping a well or multilevel sampler until one or more purge criteria have been met. A record of frequent water-quality measurements from a monitoring site can indicate changes in ground-water quality and can provide a context for the interpretation of laboratory data from discrete samples. Robowell also can communicate data and system performance through a remote communication link. Remote access to ground-water data enables the user to monitor conditions and optimize manual sampling efforts. Six Robowell prototypes have successfully monitored ground-water quality during all four seasons of the year under different hydrogeologic conditions, well designs, and geochemical environments. The U.S. Geological Survey is seeking partners for research with robust and economical water-quality monitoring instruments designed to measure contaminants of concern in conjunction with the application and commercialization of the Robowell technology. Project publications and information about technology transfer opportunities are available on the Internet at URL http://ma.water.usgs.gov/automon/.

Upper Illinois River basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedel, Michael J.

1998-01-01

During the past 25 years, industry and government made large financial investments that resulted in better water quality across the Nation; however, many water-quality concerns remain. Following a 1986 pilot project, the U.S. Geological Survey began implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program in 1991. This program differs from other national water-quality assessment studies in that the NAWQA integrates monitoring of surface- and ground-water quality with the study of aquatic ecosystems. The goals of the NAWQA Program are to (1) describe current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation's freshwater streams and aquifers (water-bearing sediments and rocks), (2) describe how water quality is changing over time, and (3) improve our understanding of the primary natural and human factors affecting water quality.The Upper Illinois River Basin National Water- Quality Assessment (NAWQA) study will increase the scientific understanding of surface- and ground-water quality and the factors that affect water quality in the basin. The study also will provide information needed by water-resource managers to implement effective water-quality management actions and evaluate long-term changes in water quality.

Georgia's Ground-Water Resources and Monitoring Network, 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nobles, Patricia L.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ground-water network for Georgia currently consists of 170 wells in which ground-water levels are continuously monitored. Most of the wells are locatedin the Coastal Plain in the southern part of the State where ground-water pumping stress is high. In particular, there are large concentrations of wells in coastal and southwestern Georgia areas, where there are issues related to ground-water pumping, saltwater intrusion along the coast, and diminished streamflow in southwestern Georgia due to irrigation pumping. The map at right shows the USGS ground-water monitoring network for Georgia. Ground-water levels are monitored in 170 wells statewide, of which 19 transmit data in real time via satellite and posted on the World Wide Web at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ga/nwis/current/?type=gw . A greater concentration of wells occurs in the Coastal Plain where there are several layers of aquifers and in coastal and southwestern Georgia areas, which are areas with specific ground-water issues.

SUBSURFACE CHARACTERIZATION AND MONITORING TECHNIQUES: A DESK REFERENCE GUIDE - VOLUME II: THE VADOSE ZONE, FIELD SCREENING AND ANALYTICAL METHODS - APPENDICES C AND D

EPA Science Inventory

Many EPA programs, including those under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), require subsurface characterization and monitoring to detect ground-water contamination and provide data to deve...

California GAMA program: ground-water quality data in the San Diego drainages hydrogeologic province, California, 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wright, Michael T.; Belitz, Kenneth; Burton, Carmen A.

2005-01-01

Because of concerns over ground-water quality, the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has implemented the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. A primary objective of the program is to provide a current assessment of ground-water quality in areas where public supply wells are an important source of drinking water. The San Diego GAMA study unit was the first region of the state where an assessment of ground-water quality was implemented under the GAMA program. The San Diego GAMA study unit covers the entire San Diego Drainages hydrogeologic province, and is broken down into four distinct hydrogeologic study areas: the Temecula Valley study area, the Warner Valley study area, the Alluvial Basins study area, and the Hard Rock study area. A total of 58 ground-water samples were collected from public supply wells in the San Diego GAMA study unit: 19 wells were sampled in the Temecula Valley study area, 9 in the Warner Valley study area, 17 in the Alluvial Basins study area, and 13 in the Hard Rock study area. Over 350 chemical and microbial constituents and water-quality indicators were analyzed for in this study. However, only select wells were measured for all constituents and water-quality indicators. Results of analyses were calculated as detection frequencies by constituent classification and by individual constituents for the entire San Diego GAMA study unit and for the individual study areas. Additionally, concentrations of constituents that are routinely monitored were compared to maximum contaminant levels (MCL) and secondary maximum contaminant levels (SMCL). Concentrations of constituents classified as 'unregulated chemicals for which monitoring is required' (UCMR) were compared to the 'detection level for the purposes of reporting' (DLR). Eighteen of the 88 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and gasoline oxygenates analyzed for were detected in ground-water samples. Twenty-eight wells sampled in the San Diego GAMA study had at least a single detection of VOCs or gasoline oxygenates. These constituents were most frequently detected in the Alluvial Basin study area (11 of 17 wells), and least frequently detected in the Warner Valley study area (one of nine wells). Trihalomethanes (THMs) were the most frequently detected class of VOCs (18 of 58 wells). The most frequently detected VOCs were chloroform (18 of 58 wells), bromodichloromethane (8 of 58 wells), and methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) (7 of 58 wells). Three VOCs were detected at concentrations greater than their MCLs. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE) were detected in one well in the Hard Rock study area at concentrations of 9.75 and 7.27 micrograms per liter (?g/L), respectively; the MCL for these compounds is 5 ?g/L. MTBE was detected in one well in the Alluvial Basins study area at a concentration of 28.3 ?g/L; the MCL for MTBE is 13 ?g/L. Twenty-one of the 122 pesticides and pesticide degradates analyzed for were detected in ground-water samples. Pesticide or pesticide degradates were detected in 33 of 58 wells sampled, and were most frequently detected in the Temecula Valley study area wells (9 of 14 wells), and least frequently in the Warner Valley study area wells (3 of 9 wells). Herbicides were the most frequently detected class of pesticides (31 of 58 wells), and simazine was the most frequently detected compound (27 of 58 wells), followed by deethylatrazine (14 of 58 wells), prometon (10 of 58 wells), and atrazine (9 of 58 wells). None of the pesticides detected in ground-water samples had concentrations that exceeded MCLs. Eight waste-water indicator compounds were detected in ground-water samples. Twenty-one of 47 wells sampled for waste-water indicator compounds had at least a single detection. Waste-water indicator compounds were detected most frequently in the Allu

USGS California Water Science Center water programs in California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shulters, Michael V.

2005-01-01

California is threatened by many natural hazards—fire, floods, landslides, earthquakes. The State is also threatened by longer-term problems, such as hydrologic effects of climate change, and human-induced problems, such as overuse of ground water and degradation of water quality. The threats and problems are intensified by increases in population, which has risen to nearly 36.8 million. For the USGS California Water Science Center, providing scientific information to help address hazards, threats, and hydrologic issues is a top priority. To meet the demands of a growing California, USGS scientific investigations are helping State and local governments improve emergency management, optimize resources, collect contaminant-source and -mobility information, and improve surface- and ground-water quality. USGS hydrologic studies and data collection throughout the State give water managers quantifiable and detailed scientific information that can be used to plan for development and to protect and more efficiently manage resources. The USGS, in cooperation with state, local, and tribal agencies, operates more than 500 instrument stations, which monitor streamflow, ground-water levels, and surface- and ground-water constituents to help protect water supplies and predict the threats of natural hazards. The following are some of the programs implemented by the USGS, in cooperation with other agencies, to obtain and analyze information needed to preserve California's environment and resources.

Ground-Water, Surface-Water, and Water-Chemistry Data, Black Mesa Area, Northeastern Arizona - 2006-07

USGS Publications Warehouse

Truini, Margot; Macy, J.P.

2008-01-01

The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400 square-mile Black Mesa area in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in northeastern Arizona because of continued water requirements for industrial and municipal use and the needs of a growing population. Precipitation in the Black Mesa area is typically about 6 to 14 inches per year. The water-monitoring program in the Black Mesa area began in 1971 and is designed to provide information about the long-term effects of ground-water withdrawals from the N aquifer for industrial and municipal uses. This report presents results of data collected for the monitoring program in the Black Mesa area from January 2006 to September 2007. The monitoring program includes measurements of (1) ground-water withdrawals, (2) ground-water levels, (3) spring discharge, (4) surface-water discharge, and (5) ground-water chemistry. Periodic testing of ground-water withdrawal meters is completed every 4 to 5 years. The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority (NTUA) yearly totals for the ground-water metered withdrawal data were unavailable in 2006 due to an up-grade within the NTUA computer network. Because NTUA data is often combined with Bureau of Indian Affairs data for the total withdrawals in a well system, withdrawals will not be published in this year's annual report. From 2006 to 2007, annually measured water levels in the Black Mesa area declined in 3 of 11 wells measured in the unconfined areas of the N aquifer, and the median change was 0.0 feet. Measurements indicated that water levels declined in 8 of 17 wells measured in the confined area of the aquifer. The median change for the confined area of the aquifer was 0.2 feet. From the prestress period (prior to 1965) to 2007, the median water-level change for 30 wells was -11.1 feet. Median water-level changes were 2.9 feet for 11 wells measured in the unconfined areas and -40.2 feet for 19 wells measured in the confined area. Spring flow was measured once in 2006 and once in 2007 at Moenkopi School Spring. Flow decreased by 18.9 percent at Moenkopi School Spring. During the period of record, flow fluctuated, and a decreasing trend was apparent. Continuous records of surface-water discharge in the Black Mesa area have been collected from streamflow gages at the following sites: Moenkopi Wash at Moenkopi (1976 to 2006), Dinnebito Wash near Sand Springs (1993 to 2006), Polacca Wash near Second Mesa (1994 to 2006), and Pasture Canyon Springs (August 2004 to December 2006). Median flows during November, December, January, and February of each water year were used as an index of the amount of ground-water discharge to the above named sites. For the period of record at each streamflow-gaging station, the median winter flows have generally remained even, showing neither a significant increase nor decrease in flows. There is not a long enough period of record for Pasture Canyon Spring for a trend to be apparent. In 2007, water samples were collected from 1 well and 1 spring in the Black Mesa area and were analyzed for selected chemical constituents. Concentrations of dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate have varied at Peabody well 5 for the period of record, and there is an apparent increasing trend. Dissolved-solids, chloride, and sulfate concentrations increased at Moenkopi School Spring during the more than 12 years of record.

THE SM-1 ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOLOGICAL MONITORING PROGRAM, NOVEMBER 1954- DECEMBER 1960

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pressman, M; Pruett, P B

1961-08-31

BS>An environmental radiological monitoring program was conducted. All data obtained during a period extending from l 1/2 years prior to SM-1 reactor start-up through more than 3 years of reactor operation are summarized. The period extended from November 1954 through December 1960. Samples assayed for radioactivity include river water and bottom silt, SM-1 condenser cooling water, subsurface ground water, rain and snow, atmospheric particles obtained by air filtration and fallout, and biota. The report concludes that after more than 3 years of SM-1 reactor operation, no significant increase has been noted in the radiological background level in the Fort Belvoirmore » area.« less

Integrated ground-water monitoring strategy for NRC-licensed facilities and sites: Case study applications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, V.; Temples, T.; Hodges, R.; Dai, Z.; Watkins, D.; Imrich, J.

2007-01-01

This document discusses results of applying the Integrated Ground-Water Monitoring Strategy (the Strategy) to actual waste sites using existing field characterization and monitoring data. The Strategy is a systematic approach to dealing with complex sites. Application of such a systematic approach will reduce uncertainty associated with site analysis, and therefore uncertainty associated with management decisions about a site. The Strategy can be used to guide the development of a ground-water monitoring program or to review an existing one. The sites selected for study fall within a wide range of geologic and climatic settings, waste compositions, and site design characteristics and represent realistic cases that might be encountered by the NRC. No one case study illustrates a comprehensive application of the Strategy using all available site data. Rather, within each case study we focus on certain aspects of the Strategy, to illustrate concepts that can be applied generically to all sites. The test sites selected include:Charleston, South Carolina, Naval Weapons Station,Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, New York,The USGS Amargosa Desert Research Site in Nevada,Rocky Flats in Colorado,C-Area at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, andThe Hanford 300 Area.A Data Analysis section provides examples of detailed data analysis of monitoring data.

77 FR 4296 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-27

... Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Facility Ground-Water Monitoring... docket, go to www.regulations.gov . Title: Facility Ground-Water Monitoring Requirements (Renewal). ICR.... Abstract: This ICR examines the ground-water monitoring standards for permitted and interim status...

Analysis of MIR Condensate and Potable Water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pierre, L. M.; Bobe, L.; Protasov, N. N.; Sauer, R. L.; Schultz, J. R.; Sinyak, Y. E.; Skuratov, V. M.

1999-01-01

Approximately fifty percent of the potable water supplied to the Russian cosmonauts, American astronauts, and other occupants of the current Russian Mir Space Station is produced by the direct recycle of water from humidity condensate. The remainder comes from ground supplied potable water that is delivered on a Progress resupply spacecraft, or processed fuel cell water transferred from the Shuttle. Reclamation of water for potable and hygiene purposes is considered essential for extended duration missions in order to avoid massive costs associated with resupplying water from the ground. The Joint U.S/Russian Phase 1 program provided the U.S. the first opportunity to evaluate the performance of water reclamation hardware in microgravity. During the Phase I program, the U.S. collected recycled water, stored water, and humidity condensate samples for chemical and microbial evaluation. This experiment was conducted to determine the potability of the water supplied on Mir, to assess the reliability of the water reclamation and distribution systems, and to aid in developing water quality monitoring standards for International Space Station.

Hydrologic characteristics of the Agua Fria National Monument, central Arizona, determined from the reconnaissance study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fleming, John B.

2005-01-01

Hydrologic conditions in the newly created Agua Fria National Monument were characterized on the basis of existing hydrologic and geologic information, and streamflow data collected in May 2002. The study results are intended to support the Bureau of Land Management's future water-resource management responsibilities, including quantification of a Federal reserved water right within the monument. This report presents the study results, identifies data deficiencies, and describes specific approaches for consideration in future studies. Within the Agua Fria National Monument, the Agua Fria River flows generally from north to south, traversing almost the entire 23-mile length of the monument. Streamflow has been measured continuously at a site near the northern boundary of the monument since 1940. Streamflow statistics for this site, and streamflow measurements from other sites along the Agua Fria River, indicate that the river is perennial in the northern part of the monument but generally is intermittent in downstream reaches. The principal controls on streamflow along the river within the monument appear to be geology, the occurrence and distribution of alluvium, inflow at the northern boundary and from tributary canyons, precipitation, and evapotranspiration. At present, (2004) there is no consistent surface-water quality monitoring program being implemented for the monument. Ground-water recharge within the monument likely results from surface-water losses and direct infiltration of precipitation. Wells are most numerous in the Cordes Junction and Black Canyon City areas. Only eight wells are within the monument. Ground-water quality data for wells in the monument area consist of specific-conductance values and fluoride concentrations. During the study, ground-water quality data were available for only one well within the monument. No ground-water monitoring program is currently in place for the monument or surrounding areas.

Analysis of Tests of Subsurface Injection, Storage, and Recovery of Freshwater in Lancaster, Antelope Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Phillips, Steven P.; Carlson, Carl S.; Metzger, Loren F.; Howle, James F.; Galloway, Devin L.; Sneed, Michelle; Ikehara, Marti E.; Hudnut, Kenneth W.; King, Nancy E.

2003-01-01

Ground-water levels in Lancaster, California, declined more than 200 feet during the 20th century, resulting in reduced ground-water supplies and more than 6 feet of land subsidence. Facing continuing population growth, water managers are seeking solutions to these problems. Injection of imported, treated fresh water into the aquifer system when it is most available and least expensive, for later use during high-demand periods, is being evaluated as part of a management solution. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency, monitored a pilot injection program, analyzed the hydraulic and subsidence-related effects of injection, and developed a simulation/optimization model to help evaluate the effectiveness of using existing and proposed wells in an injection program for halting the decline of ground-water levels and avoiding future land subsidence while meeting increasing ground-water demand. A variety of methods were used to measure aquifer-system response to injection. Water levels were measured continuously in nested (multi-depth) piezometers and monitoring wells and periodically in other wells that were within several miles of the injection site. Microgravity surveys were done to estimate changes in the elevation of the water table in the absence of wells and to estimate specific yield. Aquifer-system deformation was measured directly and continuously using a dual borehole extensometer and indirectly using continuous Global Positioning System (GPS), first-order spirit leveling, and an array of tiltmeters. The injected water and extracted water were sampled periodically and analyzed for constituents, including chloride and trihalomethanes. Measured injection rates of about 750 gallons per minute (gal/min) per well at the injection site during a 5-month period showed that injection at or above the average extraction rates at that site (about 800 gal/min) was hydraulically feasible. Analyses of these data took many forms. Coupled measurements of gravity and water-level change were used to estimate the specific yield near the injection wells, which, in turn, was used to estimate areal water-table changes from distributed measurements of gravity change. Values of the skeletal components of aquifer-system storage, which are key subsidence-related characteristics of the system, were derived from continuous measurements of water levels and aquifer-system deformation. A numerical model of ground-water flow was developed for the area surrounding Lancaster and used to estimate horizontal and vertical hydraulic conductivities. A chemical mass balance was done to estimate the recovery of injected water. The ground-water-flow model was used to project changes in ground-water levels for 10 years into the future, assuming no injection, no change in pumping distribution, and forecasted increases in ground-water demand. Simulated ground-water levels decreased throughout the Lancaster area, suggesting that land subsidence would continue as would the depletion of ground-water supplies and an associated loss of well production capacity. A simulation/optimization model was developed to help identify optimal injection and extraction rates for 16 existing and 13 proposed wells to avoid future land subsidence and to minimize loss of well production capacity while meeting increasing ground-water demands. Results of model simulations suggest that these objectives can be met with phased installation of the proposed wells during the 10-year period. Water quality was not considered in the optimization, but chemical-mass-balance results indicate that a sustained injection program likely would have residual effects on the chemistry of ground water.

Ground-Water, Surface-Water, and Water-Chemistry Data, Black Mesa Area, Northeastern Arizona-2005-06

USGS Publications Warehouse

Truini, Margot; Macy, J.P.

2007-01-01

The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400 square-mile Black Mesa area in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in northeastern Arizona because of continued water requirements for industrial and municipal use and the needs of a growing population. Precipitation in the Black Mesa area averages about 6 to 14 inches per year. The water monitoring program in the Black Mesa area began in 1971 and is designed to provide information about the long-term effects of ground-water withdrawals from the N aquifer for industrial and municipal uses. This report presents results of data collected for the monitoring program in the Black Mesa area from January 2005 to September 2006. The monitoring program includes measurements of (1) ground-water pumping, (2) ground-water levels, (3) spring discharge, (4) surface-water discharge, (5) ground-water chemistry, and (6) periodic testing of ground-water withdrawal meters. In 2005, ground-water withdrawals in the Black Mesa area totaled 7,330 acre-feet, including ground-water withdrawals for industrial (4,480 acre-feet) and municipal (2,850 acre-feet) uses. From 2004 to 2005, total withdrawals increased by less than 2 percent, industrial withdrawals increased by approximately 3 percent, and total municipal withdrawals increased by 0.35 percent. From 2005 to 2006, annually measured water levels in the Black Mesa area declined in 10 of 13 wells in the unconfined areas of the N aquifer, and the median change was -0.5 foot. Measurements indicated that water levels declined in 12 of 15 wells in the confined area of the aquifer, and the median change was -1.4 feet. From the prestress period (prior to 1965) to 2006, the median water-level change for 29 wells was -8.5 feet. Median water-level changes were -0.2 foot for 13 wells in the unconfined areas and -46.6 feet for 16 wells in the confined area. Ground-water discharges were measured once in 2005 and once in 2006 at Moenkopi School Spring and Burro Spring. Discharge decreased by 3.5 percent at Moenkopi School Spring and by 15 percent at Burro Spring. During the period of record at each spring, discharges fluctuated; a decreasing trend was apparent. Continuous records of surface-water discharge in the Black Mesa area have been collected from streamflow gages at the following sites: Moenkopi Wash (1976 to 2005), Dinnebito Wash (1993 to 2005), Polacca Wash (1994 to 2005), Pasture Canyon Spring (August 2004 to December 2005), and Laguna Creek (1996 to 2005). Median flows during November, December, January, and February of each water year were used as an index of the amount of ground-water discharge to the above named sites. For the period of record at each streamflow-gaging station, the median winter flows have decreased for Moenkopi Wash, Dinnebito Wash, and Polacca Wash. There is not a long enough period of record for Pasture Canyon Spring and Laguna Creek was discontinued at the end of December 2005. In 2006, water samples were collected from 6 wells and 2 springs in the Black Mesa area and analyzed for selected chemical constituents. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 111 to 588 milligrams per liter. Water samples from 5 of the wells and both of the springs had less than 500 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids. Trends in the chemistry of water samples from the 6 wells show the Pi?on NTUA 1 and Peabody 9 wells increasing in dissolved solids, Forest Lake NTUA 1 and Peabody 2 wells decreasing in dissolved solids, and Kykotsmovi PM2 and Keams Canyon PM2 wells show a steady trend. Increasing trends in dissolved-solids, chloride, and sulfate concentrations were evident from the more than 11 years of data for the 2 springs.

Monitoring-well network and sampling design for ground-water quality, Wind River Indian Reservation, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mason, Jon P.; Sebree, Sonja K.; Quinn, Thomas L.

2005-01-01

The Wind River Indian Reservation, located in parts of Fremont and Hot Springs Counties, Wyoming, has a total land area of more than 3,500 square miles. Ground water on the Wind River Indian Reservation is a valuable resource for Shoshone and Northern Arapahoe tribal members and others who live on the Reservation. There are many types of land uses on the Reservation that have the potential to affect the quality of ground-water resources. Urban areas, rural housing developments, agricultural lands, landfills, oil and natural gas fields, mining, and pipeline utility corridors all have the potential to affect ground-water quality. A cooperative study was developed between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Wind River Environmental Quality Commission to identify areas of the Reservation that have the highest potential for ground-water contamination and develop a comprehensive plan to monitor these areas. An arithmetic overlay model for the Wind River Indian Reservation was created using seven geographic information system data layers representing factors with varying potential to affect ground-water quality. The data layers used were: the National Land Cover Dataset, water well density, aquifer sensitivity, oil and natural gas fields and petroleum pipelines, sites with potential contaminant sources, sites that are known to have ground-water contamination, and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System sites. A prioritization map for monitoring ground-water quality on the Reservation was created using the model. The prioritization map ranks the priority for monitoring ground-water quality in different areas of the Reservation as low, medium, or high. To help minimize bias in selecting sites for a monitoring well network, an automated stratified random site-selection approach was used to select 30 sites for ground-water quality monitoring within the high priority areas. In addition, the study also provided a sampling design for constituents to be monitored, sampling frequency, and a simple water-table level observation well network.

Evaluation of the Source and Transport of High Nitrate Concentrations in Ground Water, Warren Subbasin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nishikawa, Tracy; Densmore, Jill N.; Martin, Peter; Matti, Jonathan

2003-01-01

Ground water historically has been the sole source of water supply for the Town of Yucca Valley in the Warren subbasin of the Morongo ground-water basin, California. An imbalance between ground-water recharge and pumpage caused ground-water levels in the subbasin to decline by as much as 300 feet from the late 1940s through 1994. In response, the local water district, Hi-Desert Water District, instituted an artificial recharge program in February 1995 using imported surface water to replenish the ground water. The artificial recharge program resulted in water-level recoveries of as much as 250 feet in the vicinity of the recharge ponds between February 1995 and December 2001; however, nitrate concentrations in some wells also increased from a background concentration of 10 milligrams per liter to more than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 44 milligrams per liter (10 milligrams per liter as nitrogen). The objectives of this study were to: (1) evaluate the sources of the high-nitrate concentrations that occurred after the start of the artificial-recharge program, (2) develop a ground-water flow and solute-transport model to better understand the source and transport of nitrates in the aquifer system, and (3) utilize the calibrated models to evaluate the possible effect of a proposed conjunctive-use project. These objectives were accomplished by collecting water-level and water-quality data for the subbasin and assessing changes that have occurred since artificial recharge began. Collected data were used to calibrate the ground-water flow and solute-transport models. Data collected for this study indicate that the areal extent of the water-bearing deposits is much smaller (about 5.5 square miles versus 19 square miles) than that of the subbasin. These water-bearing deposits are referred to in this report as the Warren ground-water basin. Faults separate the ground-water basin into five hydrogeologic units: the west, the midwest, the mideast, the east and the northeast hydrogeologic units. Water-quality analyses indicate that septage from septic tanks is the primary source of the high-nitrate concentrations measured in the Warren ground-water basin. Water-quality and stable-isotope data, collected after the start of the artificial recharge program, indicate that mixing occurs between imported water and native ground water, with the highest recorded nitrate concentrations in the midwest and the mideast hydrogeologic units. In general, the timing of the increase in measured nitrate concentrations in the midwest hydrogeologic unit is directly related to the distance of the monitoring well from a recharge site, indicating that the increase in nitrate concentrations is related to the artificial recharge program. Nitrate-to-chloride and nitrogen-isotope data indicate that septage is the source of the measured increase in nitrate concentrations in the midwest and the mideast hydrogeologic units. Samples from four wells in the Warren ground-water basin were analyzed for caffeine and selected human pharmaceutical products; these analyses suggest that septage is reaching the water table. There are two possible conceptual models that explain how high-nitrate septage reaches the water table: (1) the continued downward migration of septage through the unsaturated zone to the water table and (2) rising water levels, a result of the artificial recharge program, entraining septage in the unsaturated zone. The observations that nitrate concentrations increase in ground-water samples from wells soon after the start of the artificial recharge program in 1995 and that the largest increase in nitrate concentrations occur in the midwest and mideast hydrogeologic units where the largest increase in water levels occur indicate the validity of the second conceptual model (rising water levels). The potential nitrate concentration resulting from a water-level rise in the midwest and

U.S. EPA'S STRATEGY FOR GROUND WATER QUALITY MONITORING AT HAZARDOUS WASTE LAND DISPOSAL FACILITIES LOCATED IN KARST TERRANES

EPA Science Inventory

Ground water monitoring of hazardous waste land disposal units by a network of wells is ineffective when located in karstic terranes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently proposing to modify its current ground water quality monitoring requirement of one upg...

Organic solutes in ground water at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leenheer, Jerry A.; Bagby, Jefferson C.

1982-01-01

In August 1980, the U.S. Geological Survey started a reconnaissance survey of organic solutes in drinking water sources, ground-water monitoring wells, perched water table monitoring wells, and in select waste streams at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). The survey was to be a two-phase program. In the first phase, 77 wells and 4 potential point sources were sampled for dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Four wells and several potential point sources of insecticides and herbicides were sampled for insecticides and herbicides. Fourteen wells and four potential organic sources were sampled for volatile and semivolatile organic compounds. The results of the DOC analyses indicate no high level (>20 mg/L DOC) organic contamination of ground water. The only detectable insecticide or herbicide was a DDT concentration of 10 parts per trillion (0.01 microgram per liter) in one observation well. The volatile and semivolatile analyses do not indicate the presence of hazardous organic contaminants in significant amounts (>10 micrograms per liter) in the samples taken. Due to the lack of any significant organic ground-water contamination in this reconnaissance survey, the second phase of the study, which was to follow up the first phase by additional sampling of any contaminated wells, was canceled.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant No-migration variance petition. Addendum: Volume 7, Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-03-01

This report describes various aspects of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) including design data, waste characterization, dissolution features, ground water hydrology, natural resources, monitoring, general geology, and the gas generation/test program.

Design and implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program: a United States example: understanding the limitations of using compliance-monitoring data to assess the water quality of a large river basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wangsness, David J.

1997-01-01

In the 1980s it was determined that existing ambient and compliance-monitoring data could not satisfactorily evaluate the results of hundreds of billions of dollars spent for water-pollution abatement in the United States. At the request of the US Congress, a new programme, the National Water-Quality Assessment, was designed and implemented by government agency, the US Geological Survey (USGS). The Assessment has reported status and trends in surface- and ground-water quality at national, regional, and local scales since 1991. The legislative basis for US monitoring and data-sharing policies are identified as well as the successive phases of the design and implementation of the USGS Assessment. Application to the Danube Basin is suggested. Much of the water-quality monitoring conducted in the United States is designed to comply with Federal and State laws mandated primarily by the Clean Water Act of 1987 and the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1986. Monitoring programs generally focus on rivers upstream and downstream of point-source discharges and at water-supply intakes. Few data are available for aquifer systems, and chemical analyses are often limited to those constituents required by law. In most cases, the majority of the available chemical and streamflow data have provided the information necessary to meet the objectives of the compliance-monitoring programs, but do not necessarily provide the information requires for basin-wide assessments of the water quality at the local, regional, or national scale.

GEOTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: GROUND WATER MONITORING GUIDELINES FOR GEOTHERMAL DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

This report discusses potential ground water pollution from geothermal resource development, conversion, and waste disposal, and proposes guidelines for developing a ground water monitoring plan for any such development. Geothermal processes, borehole logging, and injection well ...

Water-resources data network evaluation for Monterey County, California; Phase 2, northern and coastal areas of Monterey County

USGS Publications Warehouse

Templin, W.E.; Smith, P.E.; DeBortoli, M.L.; Schluter, R.C.

1995-01-01

This report presents an evaluation of water- resources data-collection networks in the northern and coastal areas of Monterey County, California. This evaluation was done by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District to evaluate precipitation, surface water, and ground water monitoring networks. This report describes existing monitoring networks in the study areas and areas where possible additional data-collection is needed. During this study, 106 precipitation-quantity gages were identified, of which 84 were active; however, no precipitation-quality gages were identified in the study areas. The precipitaion-quantity gages were concentrated in the Monterey Peninsula and the northern part of the county. If the number of gages in these areas were reduced, coverage would still be adequate to meet most objectives; however, additional gages could improve coverage in the Tularcitos Creek basin and in the coastal areas south of Carmel to the county boundary. If collection of precipitation data were expanded to include monitoring precipitation quality, this expanded monitoring also could include monitoring precipitation for acid rain and pesticides. Eleven continuous streamflow-gaging stations were identified during this study, of which seven were active. To meet the objectives of the streamflow networks outlined in this report, the seven active stations would need to be continued, four stations would need to be reactivated, and an additional six streamflow-gaging stations would need to be added. Eleven stations that routinely were sampled for chemical constituents were identified in the study areas. Surface water in the lower Big Sur River basin was sampled annually for total coli- form and fecal coliform bacteria, and the Big Sur River was sampled monthly at 16 stations for these bacteria. Routine sampling for chemical constituents also was done in the Big Sur River basin. The Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District maintained three networks in the study areas to measure ground-water levels: (1) the summer network, (2) the monthly network, and (3) the annual autumn network. The California American Water Company also did some ground-water-level monitoring in these areas. Well coverage for ground-water monitoring was dense in the seawater-intrusion area north of Moss Landing (possibly because of multiple overlying aquifers), but sparse in other parts of the study areas. During the study, 44 sections were identified as not monitored for ground-water levels. In an ideal ground-water-level network, wells would be evenly spaced, except where local conditions or correlations of wells make monitoring unnecessary. A total of 384 wells that monitor ground-water levels and/or ground-water quality were identified during this study. The Monterey County Flood Control and Water Conservation District sampled ground-water quality monthly during the irrigation season to monitor seawater intrusion. Once each year (during the summer), the wells in this network were monitored for chlorides, specific conductance, and nitrates. Additional samples were collected from each well once every 5 years for complete mineral analysis. The California Department of Health Services, the California American Water Company, the U.S. Army Health Service at Ford Ord, and the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District also monitored ground-water quality in wells in the study areas. Well coverage for the ground-water- quality networks was dense in the seawater- intrusion area north of Moss Landing, but sparse in the rest of the study areas. During this study, 54 sections were identified as not monitored for water quality.

The Upper Colorado River; National Water-Quality Assessment Program; surface-water-monitoring network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spahr, Norman E.; Driver, Nancy E.; Stephens, Verlin C.

1996-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey began full implementation of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program in 1991. The long-term goals of the NAWQA program are to (1) describe current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation's freshwater streams, rivers, and aquifers; (2) describe how water quality is changing over time; and (3) improve understanding of the primary natural and human factors that affect water-quality conditions (Leahy and others, 1990). To meet these goals, 60 study units representing the Nation's most important river basins and aquifers are being investigated. The program design balances the unique assessment requirements of individual study units with a nationally consistent design structure that incorporates a multiscale, interdisciplinary approach for assessment of surface and ground water.

Superfund Record of Decision (EPA Region 7): Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (NW Lagoon), Independence, MO, September 29, 1998

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1999-03-01

This decision document describes the selected Interim Remedial Action (IRA) for the Northeast Corner Operable Unit (NECOU), Lake City Army Ammunition Plant (LCAAP). The major components of the selected IRA for the NECOU include: Installation of a subsurface permeable reactive wall (PRW) to treat contaminated ground water in place (in-situ); A monitoring program to evaluate the effectiveness of The PRW in treating the contaminated ground water and to determine the replacement period of the reactive media; and Installation of a soil cover over the Area 17 Oil and Solvent Pits (a principal threat waste) located adjacent to the current sanitarymore » landfill in the NECOU to minimize infiltration of water through the pits and subsequently into ground water.« less

Water-quality reconnaissance of the Middle and North Branch Park River watersheds, northeastern North Dakota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ackerman, D.J.

1980-01-01

In order to design a network to monitor the effects of works of improvement in the Middle and North Branch Park River watersheds, and to determine the major factors controlling water-quality conditions in the watersheds, an evaluation of sediment transport, water chemistry, and biology was conducted during the spring and early summer of 1978.Major factors controlling water quality are geology, stream gradient, ground-water seepage, and the duration of streamflow.Sediment loads originate on the Pembina Escarpment. The coarse silt and sand parts of these loads are deposited on the Lake Agassiz Plain. Transport of sediment is lowered and flow duration is increased on the Middle Branch Park River due to the presence of small dams. Observations suggest that bedload transport is a significant process, particularly in the upstream reaches. However, no quantitative bedload data were collected.During periods of low flow, analyses of water from the rivers in both watersheds show downstream increases in sodium and chloride due to ground-water seepage or the unregulated flow of wells. Diversity of benthic invertebrates indicates water-quality conditions are better on the Middle Branch Park River than on the North Branch, and are better at upstream sites than at downstream sites. A program through which the Soil Conservation Service can monitor the effects of present and future works of improvement on the watersheds was designed. The monitoring program consists of intensive sampling at four locations for sediment and water chemistry during spring and early summer runoff events and by profiles of water chemistry during summer base runoff.

Annual Industrial Capabilities Report to Congress

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

61 5.1 Aircraft Sector Industrial Summary...basis, key contractor workforce capabilities necessary for successful programs. Industry segment-level baseline assessments ( aircraft ; command, control...monitored representative individual corporate divisions for each major industry segment ( aircraft parts and components, water craft, ground vehicles

Statistical analysis of long-term hydrologic records for selection of drought-monitoring sites on Long Island, New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Busciolano, Ronald J.

2005-01-01

Ground water is the sole source of water supply for more than 3 million people on Long Island, New York. Large-scale ground-water pumpage, sewering systems, and prolonged periods of below-normal precipitation have lowered ground-water levels and decreased stream-discharge in western and central Long Island. No method is currently (2004) available on Long Island that can assess data from the ground-water-monitoring network to enable water managers and suppliers with the ability to give timely warning of severe water-level declines.This report (1) quantifies past drought- and human-induced changes in the ground-water system underlying Long Island by applying statistical and graphical methods to precipitation, stream-discharge, and ground-water-level data from selected monitoring sites; (2) evaluates the relation between water levels in the upper glacial aquifer and those in the underlying Magothy aquifer; (3) defines trends in stream discharge and ground-water levels that might indicate the onset of drought conditions or the effects of excessive pumping; and (4) discusses the long-term records that were used to select sites for a Long Island drought-monitoring network.Long Island’s long-term hydrologic records indicated that the available data provide a basis for development of a drought-monitoring network. The data from 36 stations that were selected as possible drought-monitoring sites—8 precipitation-monitoring stations, 8 streamflow-gaging (discharge) stations, 15 monitoring wells screened in the upper glacial aquifer under water-table (unconfined) conditions, and 5 monitoring wells screened in the underlying Magothy aquifer under semi-confined conditions—indicate that water levels in western parts of Long Island have fallen and risen markedly (more than 15 ft) in response to fluctuations in pumpage, and have declined from the increased use of sanitary- and storm-sewer systems. Water levels in the central and eastern parts, in contrast, remain relatively unaffected compared to the western parts, although the effects of human activity are discernible in the records.The value of each site as a drought-monitoring indicator was assessed through an analysis of trends in the records. Fifty-year annual and monthly data sets were created and combined into three composite-average hydrographs—precipitation, stream discharge, and ground-water levels. Three zones representing the range of human effect on ground-water levels were delineated to help evaluate islandwide hydrologic conditions and to quantify the indices. Data from the three indices can be used to assess current conditions in the ground-water system underlying Long Island and evaluate water-level declines during periods of drought.

1990 Environmental monitoring report, Tonopah Test Range, Tonopah, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hwang, A.; Phelan, J.; Wolff, T.

1991-05-01

There is no routine radioactive emission from Sandia National Laboratories, Tonopah Test Range (SNL, TTR). However, based on the types of test activities such as air drops, gun firings, ground- launched rockets, air-launched rockets, and other explosive tests, possibilities exist that small amounts of depleted uranium (DU) (as part of weapon components) may be released to the air or to the ground because of unusual circumstances (failures) during testing. Four major monitoring programs were used in 1990 to assess radiological impact on the public. The EPA Air Surveillance Network (ASN) found that the only gamma ({gamma}) emitting radionuclide on themore » prefilters was beryllium-7 ({sup 7}Be), a naturally-occurring spallation product formed by the interaction of cosmic radiation with atmospheric oxygen and nitrogen. The weighted average results were consistent with the area background concentrations. The EPA Thermoluminescent Dosimetry (TLD) Network and Pressurized Ion Chamber (PIC) reported normal results. In the EPA Long-Term Hydrological Monitoring Program (LTHMP), analytical results for tritium ({sup 3}H) in well water were reported and were well below DOE-derived concentration guides (DCGs). In the Reynolds Electrical and Engineering Company (REECo) Drinking Water Sampling Program, analytical results for {sup 3}H, gross alpha ({alpha}), beta ({beta}), and {gamma} scan, strontium-90 ({sup 90}Sr) and plutonium-239 ({sup 239}Pu) were within the EPA's primary drinking water standards. 29 refs., 5 figs., 15 tabs.« less

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley Basins, California, 2005 - Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kulongoski, Justin T.; Belitz, Kenneth

2007-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 1,000-square-mile Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley study unit was investigated from July through October 2005 as part of the California Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) program. The study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 94 public-supply wells and 3 monitoring wells in Monterey, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo Counties. Ninety-one of the public-supply wells sampled were selected to provide a spatially distributed, randomized monitoring network for statistical representation of the study area. Six wells were sampled to evaluate changes in water chemistry: three wells along a ground-water flow path were sampled to evaluate lateral changes, and three wells at discrete depths from land surface were sampled to evaluate changes in water chemistry with depth from land surface. The ground-water samples were analyzed for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides, pesticide degradates, nutrients, major and minor ions, trace elements, radioactivity, microbial indicators, and dissolved noble gases (the last in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory). Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, carbon-14, helium-4, and the isotopic composition of oxygen and hydrogen) also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. In total, 270 constituents and water-quality indicators were investigated for this study. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, and (or) blended with other waters to maintain water quality. In addition, regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. In this study, only six constituents, alpha radioactivity, N-nitrosodimethylamine, 1,2,3-trichloropropane, nitrate, radon-222, and coliform bacteria were detected at concentrations higher than health-based regulatory thresholds. Six constituents, including total dissolved solids, hexavalent chromium, iron, manganese, molybdenum, and sulfate were detected at concentrations above levels set for aesthetic concerns. One-third of the randomized wells sampled for the Monterey Bay and Salinas Valley GAMA study had at least a single detection of a VOC or gasoline additive. Twenty-eight of the 88 VOCs and gasoline additives investigated were found in ground-water samples; however, detected concentrations were one-third to one-sixty-thousandth of their respective regulatory thresholds. Compounds detected in 10 percent or more of the wells sampled include chloroform, a compound resulting from the chlorination of water, and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a common solvent. Pesticides and pesticide degradates also were detected in one-third of the ground-water samples collected; however, detected concentrations were one-thirtieth to one-fourteen-thousandth of their respective regulatory thresholds. Ten of the 122 pesticides and pesticide degradates investigated were found in ground-water samples. Compounds detected in 10 percent or more of the wells sampled include the herbicide simazine, and the pesticide degradate deethylatrazine. Ground-water samples had a median total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration of 467 milligrams per liter (mg/L), and 16 of the 34 samples had TDS concentrations above the recommended secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL-a threshold established for aesthetic qualities: taste, odor, and color) of 500 mg/L, while four samples had concentrations above the upper SMCL of 1,000 mg/L. Concentrations of nitrate plus nitrite ranged from 0.04 to 37.8 mg/L (as nitrogen), and two samples had concentrations above the health-based threshold for nitrate of 10 mg/L (as nitrogen). The median sulfate concentration

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Middle Sacramento Valley Study Unit, 2006 - Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schmitt, Stephen J.; Fram, Miranda S.; Milby Dawson, Barbara J.; Belitz, Kenneth

2008-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 3,340 square mile Middle Sacramento Valley study unit (MSACV) was investigated from June through September, 2006, as part of the California Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) program. The GAMA Priority Basin Assessment project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The Middle Sacramento Valley study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within MSACV, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 108 wells in Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo, and Yuba Counties. Seventy-one wells were selected using a randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study unit (grid wells), 15 wells were selected to evaluate changes in water chemistry along ground-water flow paths (flow-path wells), and 22 were shallow monitoring wells selected to assess the effects of rice agriculture, a major land use in the study unit, on ground-water chemistry (RICE wells). The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOCs], gasoline oxygenates and degradates, pesticides and pesticide degradates, and pharmaceutical compounds), constituents of special interest (perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA], and 1,2,3-trichloropropane [1,2,3-TCP]), inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements), radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, and carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon), and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the sources and ages of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, laboratory matrix spikes) were collected at approximately 10 percent of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Field blanks rarely contained detectable concentrations of any constituent, suggesting that contamination was not a noticeable source of bias in the data for the ground-water samples. Differences between replicate samples were within acceptable ranges, indicating acceptably low variability. Matrix spike recoveries were within acceptable ranges for most constituents. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, or blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. Comparisons between data collected for this study and drinking-water thresholds are for illustrative purposes only and are not indicative of compliance or noncompliance with regulatory thresholds. Most constituents that were detected in ground-water samples were found at concentrations below drinking-water thresholds. VOCs were detected in less than one-third and pesticides and pesticide degradates in just over one-half of the grid wells, and all detections of these constituents in samples from all wells of the MSACV study unit were below health-based thresholds. All detections of trace elements in samples from MSACV grid wells were below health-based thresholds, with the exceptions of arsenic and boro

40 CFR 265.113 - Closure; time allowed for closure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... includes an amended waste analysis plan, ground-water monitoring and response program, human exposure....113 Section 265.113 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) INTERIM STATUS STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT, STORAGE, AND...

40 CFR 264.98 - Detection monitoring program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... conductance, total organic carbon, or total organic halogen), waste constituents, or reaction products that... reaction products in the unsaturated zone beneath the waste management area; (3) The detectability of indicator parameters, waste constituents, and reaction products in ground water; and (4) The concentrations...

Introduction to the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) of ground-water quality trends and comparison to other national programs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosen, Michael R.; Lapham, W.W.

2008-01-01

Assessment of temporal trends in national ground-water quality networks are rarely published in scientific journals. This is partly due to the fact that long-term data from these types of networks are uncommon and because many national monitoring networks are not driven by hypotheses that can be easily incorporated into scientific research. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) since 1991 has to date (2006) concentrated on occurrence of contaminants because sufficient data for trend analysis is only just becoming available. This paper introduces the first set of trend assessments from NAWQA and provides an assessment of the success of the program. On a national scale, nitrate concentrations in ground water have generally increased from 1988 to 2004, but trends in pesticide concentrations are less apparent. Regionally, the studies showed high nitrate concentrations and frequent pesticide detections are linked to agricultural use of fertilizers and pesticides. Most of these areas showed increases in nitrate concentration within the last decade, and these increases are associated with oxic-geochemical conditions and well-drained soils. The current NAWQA plan for collecting data to define trends needs to be constantly reevaluated to determine if the approach fulfills the expected outcome. To assist this evaluation, a comparison of NAWQA to other national ground-water quality programs was undertaken. The design and spatial extent of each national program depend on many factors, including current and long-term budgets, purpose of the program, size of the country, and diversity of aquifer types. Comparison of NAWQA to nine other national programs shows a great diversity in program designs, but indicates that different approaches can achieve similar and equally important goals. Copyright ?? 2008 by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. All rights reserved.

Status of ground-water resources at U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia; summary of hydrologic and climatic data, January 1994 through September 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torikai, J.D.

1996-01-01

This report describes the status of ground-water resources at U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia. Data presented are from January 1994 through September 1996, with a focus on data from July through September 1996 (third quarter of 1996). A complete database of ground-water withdrawals and chloride-concentration records since 1985 is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. Total rainfall for the period July through September 1996 was 8.94 inches, which is 60 percent less than the mean rainfall of 22.23 inches for the period July through September. July and August are part of the annual dry season, while September is the start of the annual wet season. Ground-water withdrawal during July through September 1996 averaged 1,038,300 gallons per day. Withdrawal for the same 3 months in 1995 averaged 888,500 gallons per day. Ground-water withdrawals have steadily increased since about April 1995. At the end of September 1996, the chloride concentration of water from the elevated tanks at Cantonment and Air Operations were 68 and 150 milligrams per liter, respectively. The chloride concentration from all five production areas increased throughout the third quarter of 1996, and started the upward trend in about April 1995. Chloride concentration of ground water in monitoring wells at Cantonment and Air Operations also increased throughout the third quarter of 1996, with the largest increases from water in the deepest monitoring wells. Chloride concentrations have not been at this level since the dry season of 1994. A fuel-pipeline leak at Air Operations in May 1991 decreased total islandwide withdrawals by 15 percent. This lost pumping capacity is being offset by increased pumpage at Cantonment. Six wells do not contribute to the water supply because they are being used to hydraulically divert fuel migration away from water-supply wells by a program of ground-water withdrawal and injection.

Assessment of Water-Quality Monitoring and a Proposed Water-Quality Monitoring Network for the Mosquito Lagoon Basin, East-Central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kroening, Sharon E.

2008-01-01

Surface- and ground-water quality data from the Mosquito Lagoon Basin were compiled and analyzed to: (1) describe historical and current monitoring in the basin, (2) summarize surface- and ground-water quality conditions with an emphasis on identifying areas that require additional monitoring, and (3) develop a water-quality monitoring network to meet the goals of Canaveral National Seashore (a National Park) and to fill gaps in current monitoring. Water-quality data were compiled from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's STORET system, the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System, or from the agency which collected the data. Most water-quality monitoring focused on assessing conditions in Mosquito Lagoon. Significant spatial and/or seasonal variations in water-quality constituents in the lagoon were quantified for pH values, fecal coliform bacteria counts, and concentrations of dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, and total suspended solids. Trace element, pesticide, and ground-water-quality data were more limited. Organochlorine insecticides were the major class of pesticides analyzed. A surface- and ground-water-quality monitoring network was designed for the Mosquito Lagoon Basin which emphasizes: (1) analysis of compounds indicative of human activities, including pesticides and other trace organic compounds present in domestic and industrial waste; (2) greater data collection in the southern part of Mosquito Lagoon where spatial variations in water-quality constituents were quantified; and (3) additional ground-water-quality data collection in the surficial aquifer system and Upper Floridan aquifer. Surface-water-quality data collected as part of this network would include a fixed-station monitoring network of eight sites in the southern part of the basin, including a canal draining Oak Hill. Ground-water quality monitoring should be done routinely at about 20 wells in the surficial aquifer system and Upper Floridan aquifer, distributed between developed and undeveloped parts of the basin. Water samples collected should be analyzed for a wide range of constituents, including physical properties, nutrients, suspended sediment, and constituents associated with increased urban development such as pesticides, other trace organic compounds associated with domestic and industrial waste, and trace elements.

Depth to water in the western Snake River Plain and surrounding tributary valleys, southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon, calculated using water levels from 1980 to 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maupin, Molly A.

1991-01-01

The vulnerability of ground water to contamination in Idaho is being assessed by the ISHW/DEQ (Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Environmental Quality), using a modified version of the Environmental Protection Agency DRASTIC methods (Allers and others, 1985). The project was designed as a technique to: (1) Assign priorities for development of ground-water management and monitoring programs; (2) build support for, and public awareness of, vulnerability of ground water to contamination; (3) assist in the development of regulatory programs; and (4) provide access to technical data through the use of a GIS (geographic information system) (C. Grantham, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, written commun., 1989). Digital representation of first-encountered water below land surface is an important element in evaluating vulnerability of ground water to contamination. Depth-to-water values were developed using existing data and computer software to construct a GIS data set to be combined with a soils data set developed by the SCS (Soul Conservation Service) and the IDHW/WQB (Idaho Department of Health and Welfare/Water Quality Bureau), and a recharge data set developed by the IDWR/RSF (idaho Department of Water Resources/Remote Sensing Facility). The USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) has developed digital depth-to-water values for eleven 1:100,00-scale quadrangles on the eastern Snake River Plain and surrounding tributary valleys.

Depth to water in the eastern Snake River Plain and surrounding tributary valleys, southwestern Idaho and eastern Oregon, calculated using water levels from 1980 to 1988

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maupin, Molly A.

1992-01-01

The vulnerability of ground water to contamination in Idaho is being assessed by the IDHW/DEQ (Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Division of Environmental Quality), using a modified version of the Environmental Orotection Agency DRASTIC methods (Allers and others, 1985). The project was designed as a technique to: (1) Assign priorities for development of ground-water management and monitoring programs; (2) build support for, and public awareness of, vulnerability or ground water to contamination; (3) assist in the development of regulatory programs; and (4) provide access to technical data through the use of a GIS (geographic information system) (C. Grantha,, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, written commun., 1989). A digital representation of first-encountered water below land surface is an important element in evaluating vulnerability of ground water to contamination. Depth-to-water values were developed using existing data and computer software to construct a GIS data set to be combined with a sols data set developed by the SCS (Soil Conservation Service) and IDHW/WQB (Idaho Department of Health and Welfare/Water Quality Bureau), and a recharge data set developed by the IDWR/RSF (Idaho Department of Water Resources/Remote Sensing Facility). The USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) developed digital depth-to-water values for eleven 1:100,000-scale quadrangles on the eastern Snake River Plain and surrounding tributary valleys.

2016 Annual Site Environmental Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Finley, Virginia

This report provides the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the public with information on the level of radioactive and non-radioactive pollutants (if any) that are added to the environment as a result of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory’s (PPPL) operations. The results of the 2016 environmental surveillance and monitoring program for PPPL’s are presented and discussed. The report also summarizes environmental initiatives, assessments, and community involvement programs that were undertaken in 2016. PPPL has engaged in fusion energy research since 1951. The vision of the Laboratory is to create innovations to make fusion power a practical reality – a clean,more » alternative energy source. 2016 marked the eighteenth year of National Spherical Torus Experiment and the first year of NSTX-U (Upgrade) operations. The NSTX-U Project is a collaboration among national laboratories, universities, and national and international research institutions and is a major element in the US Fusion Energy Sciences Program. Its design tests the physics principles of spherical torus (ST) plasmas, playing an important role in the development of smaller, more economical fusion reactors. NSTX-U began operations after its first upgrade that installed the new center stack magnets and second neutral beam, which would allow for hotter plasmas and greater field strength to maintain the fusion reaction longer. Due to operational issues with a poloidal coil, NSTX-U operated briefly in 2016. In 2016, PPPL’s radiological environmental monitoring program measured tritium in the air at the NSTX-U Stack and at on -site sampling stations. Using highly sensitive monitors, PPPL is capable of detecting small changes in the ambient levels of tritium. The operation of an in- stack monitor located on D-site is used to demonstrate compliance with the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) regulations. Also included in PPPL’s radiological environmental monitoring program, are water monitoring – ground and surface, and waste waters. PPPL’s radiological monitoring program characterized the background levels of tritium in the environment; the data are presented in this report. Ground water monitoring continued under the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Site Remediation Program. PPPL monitored for non-radiological contaminants, mainly volatile organic compounds (components of chlorinated degreasing solvents). In 2016, PPPL was in compliance with its permit limits for surface and sanitary discharges, excepting two elevated chlorine-produced oxidant concentration. PPPL was honored with awards for its waste reduction and recycling program, and its “EPEAT” electronics purchasing for the third consecutive year.« less

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Central Sierra Study Unit, 2006 - Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferrari, Matthew J.; Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2008-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 950 square kilometer (370 square mile) Central Sierra study unit (CENSIE) was investigated in May 2006 as part of the Priority Basin Assessment project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Assessment project was developed in response to the Ground-Water Quality Monitoring Act of 2001, and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). This study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of the quality of raw ground water used for drinking-water supplies within CENSIE, and to facilitate statistically consistent comparisons of ground-water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from thirty wells in Madera County. Twenty-seven of the wells were selected using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study area (grid wells), and three were selected to aid in evaluation of specific water-quality issues (understanding wells). Ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOCs], gasoline oxygenates and degradates, pesticides and pesticide degradates), constituents of special interest (N-nitrosodimethylamine, perchlorate, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane), naturally occurring inorganic constituents [nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements], radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes [tritium, and carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon], and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the sources and ages of the sampled ground water. In total, over 250 constituents and water-quality indicators were investigated. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, and samples for matrix spikes) were collected at approximately one-sixth of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Results from field blanks indicated contamination was not a noticeable source of bias in the data for ground-water samples. Differences between replicate samples were within acceptable ranges, indicating acceptably low variability. Matrix spike recoveries were within acceptable ranges for most constituents. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, or blended with other waters to maintain water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. Therefore, any comparisons of the results of this study to drinking-water standards only is for illustrative purposes and is not indicative of compliance or non-compliance to those standards. Most constituents that were detected in ground-water samples were found at concentrations below drinking-water standards or thresholds. Six constituents? fluoride, arsenic, molybdenum, uranium, gross-alpha radioactivity, and radon-222?were detected at concentrations higher than thresholds set for health-based regulatory purposes. Three additional constituents?pH, iron and manganese?were detected at concentrations above thresholds set for aesthetic concerns. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pesticides, were detected in less than one-third of the samples and generally at less than one one-hundredth of a health-based threshold.

Use of Microgravity to Assess the Effects of El Nino on Ground-Water Storage in Southern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parker, John T.C.; Pool, Donald R.

1998-01-01

The availability of ground water is of extreme importance in areas, such as southern Arizona, where it is the main supply for agricultural, industrial, or domestic purposes. Where ground-water use exceeds recharge, monitoring is critical for managing water supplies. Typically, monitoring has been done by measuring water levels in wells; however, this technique only partially describes ground-water conditions in a basin. A new application of geophysical technology is enabling U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists to measure changes in the amount of water in an aquifer using a network of microgravity stations. This technique enables a direct measurement of ground-water depletion and recharge. In Tucson, Arizona, residents have relied solely upon ground water for most of their needs since the 19th century. Water levels in some wells in the Tucson area have declined more than 200 ft in the past 50 years. Similar drops in water levels have occurred elsewhere in Arizona. In response to the overdrafting of ground water, the State of Arizona passed legislation designed to attain 'safe yield,' which is defined as a balance between ground-water withdrawals and annual recharge of aquifers. To monitor progress in complying with the legislation, ground-water withdrawals are measured and estimated, and annual recharge is estimated. The Tucson Basin and Avra Valley are two ground-water basins that form the Tucson Active Management Area (TAMA), which by State statute must attain 'safe yield' by the year 2025.

Well-construction, water-level, and water-quality data for ground-water monitoring wells for the J4 hydrogeologic study, Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Haugh, C.J.

1996-01-01

Between December 1993 and March 1994, 27 wells were installed at 12 sites near the J4 test cell at Arnold Engineering Development Center in Coffee County, Tennessee. The wells ranged from 28 to 289 feet deep and were installed to provide information on subsurface lithology, aquifer characteristics, ground-water levels, and ground-water quality. This information will be used to help understand the effects of dewatering operations at the J4 test cell on the local ground-water-flow system. The J4 test cell, extending approximately 250 feet below land surface, is used in the testing of rocket motors. Ground water must be pumped continuously from around the test cell to keep it structurally intact. The amount of water discharged from the J4 test cell was monitored to estimate the average rate of ground-water withdrawal at the J4 test cell. Ground- water levels were monitored continuously at 14 wells for 12 months. Water-quality samples were collected from 26 of the new wells, 9 existing wells, and the ground-water discharge from the J4 test cell. All samples were analyzed for common inorganic ions, trace metals, and volatile organic compounds.

Surveillance of Site A and Plot M, Report for 2009.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golchert, N. W.

2010-04-21

The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for Calendar Year 2009 are presented. Based on the results of the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site, a determination was made that a surveillance program be established. The characterization study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current surveillance program began in 1980 and consists of sample collection and analysis of surface and subsurface water. The results of the analyses are usedmore » to monitor the migration pathway of hydrogen-3 contaminated water from the burial ground (Plot M) to the hand-pumped picnic wells and monitor for the presence of radioactive materials in the environment of the area. Hydrogen-3 in the Red Gate Woods picnic wells was still detected this year, but the average and maximum concentrations were significantly less than found earlier. Hydrogen-3 continues to be detected in a number of wells, boreholes, dolomite holes, and a surface stream. Analyses since 1984 have indicated the presence of low levels of strontium-90 in water from a number of boreholes next to Plot M. The results of the surveillance program continue to indicate that the radioactivity remaining at Site A/Plot M does not endanger the health or safety of the public visiting the site, using the picnic area, or living in the vicinity.« less

Surveillance of Site A and Plot M report for 2010.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Golchert, N. W.

2011-05-31

The results of the environmental surveillance program conducted at Site A/Plot M in the Palos Forest Preserve area for Calendar Year 2010 are presented. Based on the results of the 1976-1978 radiological characterization of the site, a determination was made that a surveillance program be established. The characterization study determined that very low levels of hydrogen-3 (as tritiated water) had migrated from the burial ground and were present in two nearby hand-pumped picnic wells. The current surveillance program began in 1980 and consists of sample collection and analysis of surface and subsurface water. The results of the analyses are usedmore » to monitor the migration pathway of hydrogen-3 contaminated water from the burial ground (Plot M) to the hand-pumped picnic wells and monitor for the presence of radioactive materials in the environment of the area. Hydrogen-3 in the Red Gate Woods picnic wells was still detected this year, but the average and maximum concentrations were significantly less than found earlier. Hydrogen-3 continues to be detected in a number of wells, boreholes, dolomite holes, and a surface stream. Analyses since 1984 have indicated the presence of low levels of strontium-90 in water from a number of boreholes next to Plot M. The results of the surveillance program continue to indicate that the radioactivity remaining at Site A/Plot M does not endanger the health or safety of the public visiting the site, using the picnic area, or living in the vicinity.« less

Selected Ground-Water Data for Yucca Mountain Region, Southern Nevada and Eastern California, January-December 2004

USGS Publications Warehouse

La Camera, Richard J.; Locke, Glenn L.; Habte, Aron M.; Darnell, Jon G.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in support of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Repository Development, collects, compiles, and summarizes hydrologic data in the Yucca Mountain region of southern Nevada and eastern California. These data are collected to allow assessments of ground-water resources during activities to determine the potential suitability or development of Yucca Mountain for storing high-level nuclear waste. Data on ground-water levels at 35 boreholes and 1 fissure (Devils Hole), ground-water discharge at 5 springs, both ground-water levels and discharge at 1 flowing borehole, and total reported ground-water withdrawals within Crater Flat, Jackass Flats, Mercury Valley, and the Amargosa Desert are tabulated from January through December 2004. Also tabulated are ground-water levels, discharges, and withdrawals collected by other agencies (or collected as part of other programs) and data revised from those previously published at monitoring sites. Historical data on water levels, discharges, and withdrawals are presented graphically to indicate variations through time. A statistical summary of ground-water levels at seven boreholes in Jackass Flats is presented for the period 1992-2004 to indicate potential effects of ground-water withdrawals associated with U.S. Department of Energy activities near Yucca Mountain. The statistical summary includes the annual number of measurements, maximum, minimum, and median water-level altitudes, and average deviation of measured water-level altitudes compared to the 1992-93 baseline period. At six boreholes in Jackass Flats, median water levels for 2004 were slightly higher (0.3-2.7 feet) than their median water levels for 1992-93. At one borehole in Jackass Flats, median water level for 2004 equaled the median water level for 1992-93.

Historical Development of the U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Monitoring and Investigative Programs at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho, 1949 to 2001

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Cesium- 137 , Cobalt-60, and Chromium-51 ………………………………………… 12 Plutonium-238, Plutonium-239, -240 (undivided), and Americium-241 ……………… 12 Iodine-129...1992) presented water-level data from the ESRPA collected from 1983 through 1990 from 137 wells. At the end of 2000, water levels in 203 aquifer and...Cesium- 137 , Cobalt-60, and Chromium-51 The USGS has routinely monitored ground water at the INEEL for gamma radiation since 1962. Gamma

Water-resources activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in New Mexico, fiscal year 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allen, Harriet R.

1994-01-01

Awareness of our environment in general, and water resources in particular, has brought increased interest in and support of hydrologic data collection and research. The quantity, quality, and distribution of water are extremely important to the future well-being of New Mexico. The State's surface-water resources are minimal and highly variable due to climate and to regulation and diversion; ground-water resources are subject to development that exceeds natural recharge and to potential contamination by land use. Issues related to global climate change, disposal of hazardous wastes, toxic substances in water, water rights, and ground-water contamination are evolving areas of greater public concern. At the same time there is a continuing need for a better understanding of various hydrologic systems and processes in order to manage these limited water resources for maximum benefit to present and future generations.The U.S. Geological Survey has collected and disseminated information on the water resources of New Mexico for more than a century. The Survey began to collect records of streamflow in New Mexico in December 1888 when the first discharge measurements were made on the Rio Grande near the present gaging station at Embudo. This site, called the "birthplace of systematic stream gaging," was chosen to be the training center for the first hydrographers of the Irrigation Survey, a bureau within the original Geological Survey. Since that time, in cooperation with Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies, we have monitored streams at hundreds of sites throughout the State and have a current network of more than 200 streamflow-gaging stations. Through the Cooperative Program, we also have established sites where ground-water levels are monitored to document changes in ground-water storage or where surface-water and groundwater samples are collected to determine water chemistry, and we have undertaken investigative studies to define the availability, quality, and distribution of water resources. Information from the data program and results of investigative studies are made available to water-resources managers, regulators, and the public to be used for the effective management of the State's water resources.This report provides a brief summary of the activities of the New Mexico District for FY (fiscal year) 1992, including our mission, organization, sources of funding, and descriptions of current projects. This report serves to document not only the content of the program, but also the diversity and complexity of that program. Cooperation among water-resources agencies will be essential in effectively dealing with water-related issues facing New Mexico. We look forward to the challenge of addressing these issues by continuing to provide factual hydrologic data and technically sound areal appraisals and interpretive studies.

Geophysical investigation at an existing landfill, Badger Army Ammunition Plant, Baraboo, Wisconsin. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whitten, C.B.; Sjostrom, K.J.

1991-04-01

Ground-water contaminants were found in ground-water monitoring wells at the existing landfill. More wells to define the horizontal and vertical extent of the contaminant plume are to be installed. Geophysical techniques (electro-magnetic induction, vertical electrical resistivity, and horizontal resistivity profiling) were used to map the extent of the contaminant plume. Using the geophysical, ground-water elevation, and geologic data, five anomalous areas south and east of the landfill were identified as locations for additional ground-water monitoring wells.

A proposed ground-water quality monitoring network for Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitehead, R.L.; Parliman, D.J.

1979-01-01

A ground water quality monitoring network is proposed for Idaho. The network comprises 565 sites, 8 of which will require construction of new wells. Frequencies of sampling at the different sites are assigned at quarterly, semiannual, annual, and 5 years. Selected characteristics of the water will be monitored by both laboratory- and field-analysis methods. The network is designed to: (1) Enable water managers to keep abreast of the general quality of the State 's ground water, and (2) serve as a warning system for undesirable changes in ground-water quality. Data were compiled for hydrogeologic conditions, ground-water quality, cultural elements, and pollution sources. A ' hydrologic unit priority index ' is used to rank 84 hydrologic units (river basins or segments of river basins) of the State for monitoring according to pollution potential. Emphasis for selection of monitoring sites is placed on the 15 highest ranked units. The potential for pollution is greatest in areas of privately owned agricultural land. Other areas of pollution potential are residential development, mining and related processes, and hazardous waste disposal. Data are given for laboratory and field analyses, number of site visits, manpower, subsistence, and mileage, from which costs for implementing the network can be estimated. Suggestions are made for data storage and retrieval and for reporting changes in water quality. (Kosco-USGS)

State resource management and role of remote sensing. [California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, H. D.

1981-01-01

Remote sensing by satellite can provide valuable information to state officials when making decisions regarding resources management. Portions of California's investment for Prosperity program which seem likely candidates for remote sensing include: (1) surveying vegetation type, age, and density in forests and wildlife habitats; (2) controlling fires through chaparal management; (3) monitoring wetlands and measuring ocean biomass; (4) eliminating ground water overdraught; (5) locating crops in overdraught areas, assessing soil erosion and the areas of poorly drained soils and those affected by salt; (6) monitoring coastal lands and resources; (7) changes in landscapes for recreational purposes; (8) inventorying irrigated lands; (9) classifying ground cover; (10) monitoring farmland conversion; and (11) supplying data for a statewide computerized farmlands data base.

Evaluation of Ground Water Near Sidney, Western Nebraska, 2004-05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steele, G.V.; Sibray, S.S.; Quandt, K.A.

2007-01-01

During times of drought, ground water in the Lodgepole Creek area around Sidney, western Nebraska, may be insufficient to yield adequate supplies to private and municipal wells. Alternate sources of water exist in the Cheyenne Tablelands north of the city, but these sources are limited in extent. In 2003, the U.S. Geological Survey and the South Platte Natural Resources District began a cooperative study to evaluate the ground water near Sidney. The 122-square-mile study area lies in the south-central part of Cheyenne County, with Lodgepole Creek and Sidney Draw occupying the southern and western parts of the study area and the Cheyenne Tablelands occupying most of the northern part of the study area. Twenty-nine monitoring wells were installed and then sampled in 2004 and 2005 for physical characteristics, nutrients, major ions, and stable isotopes. Some of the 29 sites also were sampled for ground-water age dating. Ground water is limited in extent in the tableland areas. Spring 2005 depths to ground water in the tableland areas ranged from 95 to 188 feet. Ground-water flow in the tableland areas primarily is northeasterly. South of a ground-water divide, ground-water flows southeasterly toward Lodgepole Creek Valley. Water samples from monitoring wells in the Ogallala Group were predominantly a calcium bicarbonate type, and those from monitoring wells in the Brule Formation were a sodium bicarbonate type. Water samples from monitoring wells open to the Brule sand were primarily a calcium bicarbonate type at shallow depths and a sodium bicarbonate type at deeper depths. Ground water in Lodgepole Creek Valley had a strong sodium signature, which likely results from most of the wells being open to the Brule. Concentrations of sodium and nitrate in ground-water samples from the Ogallala were significantly different than in water samples from the Brule and Brule sand. In addition, significant differences were seen in concentrations of calcium between water samples from the Ogallala and the Brule sand. Median concentrations of nitrate varied by aquifer-2.6 milligrams per liter (Ogallala), 2.1 milligrams per liter (Brule), and 1.3 milligrams per liter (Brule sand). The chemistry of the ground water in the study area indicates that ground water flows from recharge areas in both the tableland areas and Lodgepole Creek Valley to discharge areas beyond the study area. Recharging water that percolates into the Ogallala in the tableland areas either enters the Ogallala aquifer, flows along the Ogallala-Brule contact, or enters Brule fractures or sand. Although limited in amount, ground water flowing along the Ogallala-Brule contact or in the Brule fractures or sand appears to be the predominant means by which water moves from the tableland areas to Lodgepole Creek Valley. Apparent ground-water ages from chlorofluorocarbon and sulfur hexafluoride data generally were similar. Age of ground water for most monitoring wells located in Lodgepole Creek Valley ranged from the mid- to late 1960s to the early 1990s. Ages of ground water in samples from monitoring wells located in tableland draw areas ranged from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. Water in the Brule (areas without known secondary permeability structures) or deeper Brule sand aquifer was substantially older than water in the Ogallala aquifer and probably was recharged between 10,000 to 30,000 years before present. The stable isotopic data indicate that the ground water in the study area probably originated from precipitation. Ground water in Lodgepole Creek and the tableland areas are similar in chemistry. However, there appears to be limited interaction between ground water within the Ogallala to the north of Sidney and Lodgepole Creek Valley. Available data indicate that although some of the ground water in the Ogallala likely flows across the Ogallala-Brule contact, most of it does not move toward Lodgepole Creek.

Volatile organic compounds in the nation's ground water and drinking-water supply wells

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zogorski, John S.; Carter, Janet M.; Ivahnenko, Tamara; Lapham, Wayne W.; Moran, Michael J.; Rowe, Barbara L.; Squillace, Paul J.; Toccalino, Patricia L.

2006-01-01

This national assessment of 55 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ground water gives emphasis to the occurrence of VOCs in aquifers that are used as an important supply of drinking water. In contrast to the monitoring of VOC contamination of ground water at point-source release sites, such as landfills and leaking underground storage tanks (LUSTs), our investigations of aquifers are designed as large-scale resource assessments that provide a general characterization of water-quality conditions. Nearly all of the aquifers included in this assessment have been identified as regionally extensive aquifers or aquifer systems. The assessment of ground water (Chapter 3) included analyses of about 3,500 water samples collected during 1985-2001 from various types of wells, representing almost 100 different aquifer studies. This is the first national assessment of the occurrence of a large number of VOCs with different uses, and the assessment addresses key questions about VOCs in aquifers. The assessment also provides a foundation for subsequent decadal assessments of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program to ascertain long-term trends of VOC occurrence in these aquifers.

Progress report on the ground-water, surface-water, and quality-of-water monitoring program, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona, 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hill, G.W.; Sottilare, J.P.

1987-01-01

The N aquifer is an important source of water in the 5,400 sq-mi Black Mesa area on the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations. The Black Mesa monitoring program is designed to monitor long-term effects on the groundwater resources of the mesa as a result of withdrawals from the aquifer by the strip-mining operation of Peabody Coal Company. Withdrawals from the N aquifer by the mine increased from 95 acre-ft in 1968 to more than 4,480 acre-ft in 1986. Water levels in the confined area of the aquifer declined as much as 90 ft from 1965 to 1987 in some municipal and observation wells within about a 15-mi radius of the mine well field. Part of the drawdown in municipal wells is due to local pumpage. Water levels have not declined in wells tapping the unconfined area of the aquifer. Chemical analyses indicate no significant changes in the quality of water from wells that tap the N aquifer or from springs that discharge from several stratigraphic units, including the N aquifer, since pumping began at the mine. (USGS)

Dynamic factor analysis for estimating ground water arsenic trends.

PubMed

Kuo, Yi-Ming; Chang, Fi-John

2010-01-01

Drinking ground water containing high arsenic (As) concentrations has been associated with blackfoot disease and the occurrence of cancer along the southwestern coast of Taiwan. As a result, 28 ground water observation wells were installed to monitor the ground water quality in this area. Dynamic factor analysis (DFA) is used to identify common trends that represent unexplained variability in ground water As concentrations of decommissioned wells and to investigate whether explanatory variables (total organic carbon [TOC], As, alkalinity, ground water elevation, and rainfall) affect the temporal variation in ground water As concentration. The results of the DFA show that rainfall dilutes As concentration in areas under aquacultural and agricultural use. Different combinations of geochemical variables (As, alkalinity, and TOC) of nearby monitoring wells affected the As concentrations of the most decommissioned wells. Model performance was acceptable for 11 wells (coefficient of efficiency >0.50), which represents 52% (11/21) of the decommissioned wells. Based on DFA results, we infer that surface water recharge may be effective for diluting the As concentration, especially in the areas that are relatively far from the coastline. We demonstrate that DFA can effectively identify the important factors and common effects representing unexplained variability common to decommissioned wells on As variation in ground water and extrapolate information from existing monitoring wells to the nearby decommissioned wells.

California GAMA Program: Ground-Water Quality Data in the Northern San Joaquin Basin Study Unit, 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bennett, George L.; Belitz, Kenneth; Milby Dawson, Barbara J.

2006-01-01

Growing concern over the closure of public-supply wells because of ground-water contamination has led the State Water Board to establish the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. With the aid of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the program goals are to enhance understanding and provide a current assessment of ground-water quality in areas where ground water is an important source of drinking water. The Northern San Joaquin Basin GAMA study unit covers an area of approximately 2,079 square miles (mi2) across four hydrologic study areas in the San Joaquin Valley. The four study areas are the California Department of Water Resources (CADWR) defined Tracy subbasin, the CADWR-defined Eastern San Joaquin subbasin, the CADWR-defined Cosumnes subbasin, and the sedimentologically distinct USGS-defined Uplands study area, which includes portions of both the Cosumnes and Eastern San Joaquin subbasins. Seventy ground-water samples were collected from 64 public-supply, irrigation, domestic, and monitoring wells within the Northern San Joaquin Basin GAMA study unit. Thirty-two of these samples were collected in the Eastern San Joaquin Basin study area, 17 in the Tracy Basin study area, 10 in the Cosumnes Basin study area, and 11 in the Uplands Basin study area. Of the 32 samples collected in the Eastern San Joaquin Basin, 6 were collected using a depth-dependent sampling pump. This pump allows for the collection of samples from discrete depths within the pumping well. Two wells were chosen for depth-dependent sampling and three samples were collected at varying depths within each well. Over 350 water-quality field parameters, chemical constituents, and microbial constituents were analyzed and are reported as concentrations and as detection frequencies, by compound classification as well as for individual constituents, for the Northern San Joaquin Basin study unit as a whole and for each individual study area. Results are presented in a descending order based on detection frequencies (most frequently detected compound listed first), or alphabetically when a detection frequency could not be calculated. Only certain wells were measured for all constituents and water-quality parameters. The results of all of the analyses were compared with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Health Services (CADHS) Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs), Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCLs), USEPA lifetime health advisories (HA-Ls), the risk-specific dose at a cancer risk level equal to 1 in 100,000 or 10E-5 (RSD5), and CADHS notification levels (NLs). When USEPA and CADHS MCLs are the same, detection levels were compared with the USEPA standard; however, in some cases, the CADHS MCL may be lower. In those cases, the data were compared with the CADHS MCL. Constituents listed by CADHS as 'unregulated chemicals for which monitoring is required' were compared with the CADHS 'detection level for the purposes of reporting' (DLR). DLRs unlike MCLs are not health based standards. Instead, they are levels at which current laboratory detection capabilities allow eighty percent of qualified laboratories to achieve measurements within thirty percent of the true concentration. Twenty-three volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and seven gasoline oxygenates were detected in ground-water samples collected in the Northern San Joaquin Basin GAMA study unit. Additionally, 13 tentatively identified compounds were detected. VOCs were most frequently detected in the Eastern San Joaquin Basin study area and least frequently detected in samples collected in the Cosumnes Basin study area. Dichlorodifluoromethane (CFC-12), a CADHS 'unregulated chemical for which monitoring is required,' was detected in two wells at concentrations greater than the DLR. Trihalomethanes were the most frequently detected class of VOC constituents. Chloroform (trichloromethane) was the m

Nitrate in ground water and spring water near four dairy farms in North Florida, 1990-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andrews, W.J.

1994-01-01

Concentrations of nitrate and other selected water- quality characteristics were analyzed periodically for two years in water from 51 monitoring wells installed at four farms and in water discharging from three nearby springs along the Suwannee River in Lafayette and Suwannee Counties to examine the quality of ground water at these farms and the transport of nutrients in ground water to the nearby spring-fed Suwannee River: Ground water from shallow wells, which were completed in the top ten feet of the saturated zone in a surficial sandy aquifer and in the karstic Upper Floridan aquifer generally had the highest concentrations of nitrate, ranging from <.02 to 130 mg/L as nitrogen. Nitrate concentrations commonly exceeded the primary drinking water standard of 10 mg/L for nitrate as nitrogen in water from shallow wells, which tapped the top ten feet of the uppermost aquifers near waste-disposal areas such as wastewater lagoons and defoliated, intensive-use areas near milking barns. Upgradient from waste-disposal areas, concentrations of nitrate in ground water were commonly less than 1 mg/L as nitrogen. Water samples from deep wells (screened 20 feet deeper than shallow wells in these aquifers) generally had lower concentrations of nitrate (ranging from <0.02 to 84 mg/L) than water from shallow wells. Water samples from the three monitored springs (Blue, Telford, and Convict Springs) had nitrate concentrations ranging from 1.5 to 6.5 mg/L as nitrogen, which were higher than those typically occurring in water from upgradient wells at the monitored dairy farms or from back- ground wells sampled in the region. Analyses of nitrogen isotope ratios in nitrate indicated that leachate from animal wastes was the principal source of nitrate in ground water adjacent to waste-disposal areas at the monitored and unmonitored dairy farms. Leachate from a combi- nation of fertilizers, soils, and animal wastes appeared to be the source of nitrate in ground- water downgradient from pastures and wastewater spray fields at dairy farms and in water discharging from three nearby springs. Although denitrifying bacteria were present in counts sometimes exceeding 240,000 colonies/100mL in water from dairy-farm monitoring wells, ground water in the uppermost aquifers in Lafayette and Suwannee Counties generally contained too much oxygen for denitrification to remove nitrate from shallow ground water. Denitrification was more likely to occur in deeper ground water, which typically has lower dissolved oxygen concentrations.

Preliminary assessment of using tree-tissue analysis and passive-diffusion samplers to evaluate trichloroethene contamination of ground water at Site SS-34N, McChord Air Force Base, Washington, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cox, S.E.

2002-01-01

Two low-cost innovative sampling procedures for characterizing trichloroethene (TCE) contamination in ground water were evaluated for use at McChord Air Force Base (AFB) by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force McChord Air Force Base Installation Restoration Program, in 2001. Previous attempts to characterize the source of ground-water contamination in the heterogeneous glacial outwash aquifer at McChord site SS-34N using soil-gas surveys, direct-push exploration, and more than a dozen ground-water monitoring wells have had limited success. The procedures assessed in this study involved analysis of tree-tissue samples to map underlying ground-water contamination and deploying passive-diffusion samplers to measure TCE concentrations in existing monitoring wells. These procedures have been used successfully at other U.S. Department of Defense sites and have resulted in cost avoidance and accelerated site characterization. Despite the presence of TCE in ground water at site SS-34N, TCE was not detected in any of the 20 trees sampled at the site during either early spring or late summer sampling. The reason the tree tissue procedure was not successful at the McChord AFB site SS-34N may have been due to an inability of tree roots to extract moisture from a water table 30 feet below the land surface, or that concentrations of TCE in ground water were not large enough to be detectable in the tree tissue at the sampling point. Passive-diffusion samplers were placed near the top, middle, and bottom of screened intervals in three monitoring wells and TCE was observed in all samplers. Concentrations of TCE from the passive-diffusion samplers were generally similar to concentrations found in samples collected in the same wells using conventional pumping methods. In contrast to conventional pumping methods, the collection of ground-water samples using the passive-diffusion samples did not generate waste purge water that would require hazardous-waste disposal. In addition, the results from the passive-diffusion samples may show that TCE concentrations are stratified across some screened intervals. The overall results of the limited test of passive-diffusion samplers at site SS-34N were similar to more detailed tests conducted at other contaminated sites across the country and indicate that further evaluation of the use of passive-diffusion samplers at McChord site SS-34N is warranted.

Ground-water quality, water year 1995, and statistical analysis of ground-water-quality data, water years 1994-95, at the Chromic Acid Pit site, US Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abeyta, Cynthia G.; Roybal, R.G.

1996-01-01

The Chromic Acid Pit site is an inactive waste disposal site that is regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976. The 2.2-cubic-yard cement-lined pit was operated from 1980 to 1983 by a contractor to the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss. The pit, located on the Fort Bliss military reservation in El Paso, Texas, was used for disposal and evaporation of chromic acid waste generated from chrome plating operations. The site was closed in 1989, and the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission issued permit number HW-50296 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency number TX4213720101), which approved and implemented post-closure care for the Chromic Acid Pit site. In accordance with an approved post-closure plan, the U.S. Geological Survey is cooperating with the U.S. Army in monitoring and evaluating ground-water quality at the site. One upgradient ground-water monitoring well (MW1) and two downgradient ground-water monitoring wells (MW2 and MW3), installed adjacent to the chromic acid pit, are monitored on a quarterly basis. Ground-water sampling of these wells by the U.S. Geological Survey began in December 1993. The ground-water level, measured in a production well located approximately 1,700 feet southeast of the Chromic Acid Pit site, has declined about 29.43 feet from 1982 to 1995. Depth to water at the Chromic Acid Pit site in September 1995 was 284.2 to 286.5 feet below land surface; ground-water flow at the water table is assumed to be toward the southeast. Ground-water samples collected from monitoring wells at the Chromic Acid Pit site during water year 1995 contained dissolved- solids concentrations of 481 to 516 milligrams per liter. Total chromium concentrations detected above the laboratory reporting limit ranged from 0.0061 to 0.030 milligram per liter; dissolved chromium concentrations ranged from 0.0040 to 0.010 milligram per liter. Nitrate as nitrogen concentrations ranged from 2.1 to 2.8 milligrams per liter; nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen concentrations ranged from 2.4 to 3.2 milligrams per liter. Water samples from wells MW1 and MW2 were analyzed for volatile organic compounds for the first quarter; no confirmed volatile organic compounds were detected above laboratory reporting limits. Detected chemical concentrations in water from the chromic acid pit monitoring wells during the four sampling periods were below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-established maximum contaminant levels for public drinking-water supplies. Overall, water-quality characteristics of water from the chromic acid pit ground-water monitoring wells are similar to those of other wells in the surrounding area. Statistical analyses were performed on 56 of the chemical constituents analyzed for in ground water from the chromic acid pit monitoring wells. Concentrations of chloride, fluoride, sulfate, and potassium were significantly less in water from one or both downgradient wells than in water from the upgradient well. Concentrations of nitrate as nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, and dissolved solids were significantly greater in water from the downgradient wells than in water from the upgradient well. Concentrations of nitrate as nitrogen, chloride, and potassium were significantly different in water from the two downgradient wells. Statistical analysis of chemical constituents in water from the chromic acid pit monitoring wells did not appear to indicate a release of hazardous chemicals from the chromic acid pit. There was no indication of ground-water contamination in either downgradient well.

Monitoring the hydrologic system for potential effects of geothermal and ground-water development in the Long Valley caldera, Mono County, California, U.S.A

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farrar, Christopher; Lyster, Daniel

1990-01-01

In the early 1980's, renewed interest in the geothermal potential of the Long Valley caldera, California, highlighted the need to balance the benefits of energy development with the established recreational activities of the area. The Long Valley Hydrologic Advisory Committee, formed in 1987, instituted a monitoring program to collect data during the early stages of resource utilization to evaluate potential effects on the hydrologic system. Early data show declines in streamflow, spring flow, and ground-water levels caused by 6 years of below-average precipitation. Springs in the Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery area discharge water that is a mixture of nonthermal and hydrothermal components. Possible sources of nonthermal water have been identified by comparing deuterium concentrations in streams and springs. The equivalent amount of undiluted thermal water discharged from the springs was calculated on the basis of boron and chloride concentrations. Quantifying the thermal and nonthermal fractions of the total flow may allow researchers to assess changes in flow volume or temperature of the springs caused by groundwater or geothermal development.

Monitoring the hydrologic system for potential effects of geothermal and ground-water development in the Long Valley caldera, Mono County, California, U.S.A.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farrar, C.D.; Lyster, D. L.

1990-01-01

In the early 1980's, renewed interest in the geothermal potential of the Long Valley caldera, California, highlighted the need to balance the benefits of energy development with the established recreational activities of the area. The Long Valley Hydrologic Advisory Committee, formed in 1987, instituted a monitoring program to collect data during the early stages of resource utilization to evaluate potential effects on the hydrologic system. Early data show declines in streamflow, spring flow, and ground-water levels caused by 6 years of below-average precipitation. Springs in the Hot Creek State Fish Hatchery area discharge water that is a mixture of nonthermal and hydrothermal components. Possible sources of nonthermal water have been identified by comparing deuterium concentrations in streams and springs. The equivalent amount of undiluted thermal water discharged from the springs was calculated on the basis of boron and chloride concentrations. Quantifying the thermal and nonthermal fractions of the total flow may allow researchers to assess changes in flow volume or temperature of the springs caused by groundwater or geothermal development.

Considerations for use of the RORA program to estimate ground-water recharge from streamflow records

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rutledge, A.T.

2000-01-01

The RORA program can be used to estimate ground-water recharge in a basin from analysis of a streamflow record. The program can be appropriate for use if the ground-water flow system is characterized by diffuse areal recharge to the water table and discharge to a stream. The use of the program requires an estimate of a recession index, which is the time required for ground-water discharge to recede by one log cycle after recession becomes linear or near-linear on the semilog hydrograph. Although considerable uncertainty is inherent in the recession index, the results of the RORA program may not be sensitive to this variable. Testing shows that the program can yield consistent estimates under conditions that include leakage to or from deeper aquifers and ground-water evapotranspiration. These tests indicate that RORA estimates the net recharge, which is recharge to the water table minus leakage to a deeper aquifer, or recharge minus ground-water evapotranspiration. Before the program begins making calculations it designates days that fit a requirement of antecedent recession, and these days are used in calculations. The program user might increase the antecedent-recession requirement above its default value to reduce the influence of errors that are caused by direct-surface runoff, but other errors can result from the reduction in the number of peaks detected. To obtain an understanding of flow systems, results from the RORA program might be used in conjunction with other methods such as analysis of ground-water levels, estimates of ground-water discharge from other forms of hydrograph separation, and low-flow variables. Relations among variables may be complex for a variety of reasons; for example, there may not be a unique relation between ground-water level and ground-water discharge, ground-water recharge and discharge are not synchronous, and low-flow variables can be related to other factors such as the recession index.

40 CFR 265.118 - Post-closure plan; amendment of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... the current post-closure plan (e.g., leachate or ground-water monitoring results, characteristics of... and the environment (e.g., leachate or ground-water monitoring results indicate a potential for...

40 CFR 265.118 - Post-closure plan; amendment of plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the current post-closure plan (e.g., leachate or ground-water monitoring results, characteristics of... and the environment (e.g., leachate or ground-water monitoring results indicate a potential for...

Natural attenuation of chlorinated-hydrocarbon contamination at Fort Wainwright, Alaska; a hydrogeochemical and microbiological investigation workplan

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCarthy, Kathleen A.; Lilly, Michael R.; Braddock, Joan F.; Hinzman, Larry D.

1998-01-01

Natural attenuation processes include biological degradation, by which microorganisms break down contaminants into simpler product compounds; adsorption of contaminants to soil particles, which decreases the mass of contaminants dissolved in ground water; and dispersion, which decreases dissolved contaminant concentrations through dilution. The primary objectives of this study are to (1) assess the degree to which such natural processes are attenuating chlorinated-hydrocarbon contamination in ground water, and (2) evaluate the effects of ground-water/surface-water interactions on natural-attenuation processes in the area of the former East and West Quartermasters Fueling Systems for Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The study will include investigations of the hydrologic, geochemical, and microbiological processes occurring at this site that influence the transport and fate of chlorinated hydrocarbons in ground water. To accomplish these objectives, a data-collection program has been initiated that includes measurements of water-table elevations and the stage of the Chena River; measurements of vertical temperature profiles within the subsurface; characterization of moisture distribution and movement in the unsaturated zone; collection of ground-water samples for determination of both organic and inorganic chemical constituents; and collection of ground-water samples for enumeration of microorganisms and determination of their potential to mineralize contaminants. We will use results from the data-collection program described above to refine our conceptual model of hydrology and contaminant attenuation at this site. Measurements of water-table elevations and river stage will help us to understand the magnitude and direction of ground-water flow and how changes in the stage of the Chena River affect ground-water flow. Because ambient ground water and surface water typically have different temperature characteristics, temperature monitoring will likely provide further insight into ground-water/surface-water interactions in the subsurface. Characterization of the unsaturated zone will improve our understanding of interactions among ground water, the unsaturated zone, and the atmosphere. The interactions likely of importance to this study include the migration of water, dissolved contaminants, nutrients, and gases (oxygen, carbon dioxide, and methane) between the saturated and unsaturated zones. We will use the results of ground-water chemical analyses to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of (1) chlorinated-hydrocarbon contaminants and their degradation products, (2) oxidation-reduction indicators, (3) nutrients, and (4) major ground-water ions. These water-quality data will provide insight into ground-water flow directions, interactions between ground water and surface water, attenuation of contaminant concentrations caused by dispersion, and intrinsic microbiological processes. Microbiological analyses will indicate whether microorganisms at the site are capable of degrading the contaminants of interest, and will allow us to estimate their potential to attenuate existing contamination. Physical and chemical data interpreted as part of the analysis of ground water and surface water mixing will improve our understanding of the relationship between water quality and contaminant source mixing.

PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIER PERFORMANCE MONITORING: LONG-TERM TRENDS IN GEOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AT TWO SITES

EPA Science Inventory

A major goal of research on the long-term performance of subsurface reactive barriers is to identify standard ground water monitoring parameters that may be useful indicators of declining performance or impending system failure. Results are presented from ground water monitoring ...

Lithologic and ground-water data for monitoring sites in the Mojave River and Warren Valley basins, San Bernardino County, California, 1992-1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Huff, Julia A.; Clark, Dennis A.; Martin, Peter

2002-01-01

Lithologic and ground-water data were collected at 85 monitoring sites constructed in the Mojave Water Agency Management area in San Bernardino County, California, as part of a series of cooperative studies between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Mojave Water Agency. The data are being used to evaluate and address water-supply and water-quality issues. This report presents a compilation of the data collected at these sites from 1992 through 1998, including location and design of the monitoring sites, lithologic data, geophysical logs, ground-water-level measurements, and water-quality analyses.One to five small (generally 2-inch) diameter wells were installed at each of the 85 monitoring sites to collect depth-dependent hydrologic data. Lithologic logs were compiled from descriptions of drill cuttings collected at each site and from observations recorded during the drilling of the borehole. Generalized stratigraphic columns were compiled by grouping similar lithologic units. Geophysical logs provide information on the character of the lithologic units and on the presence of ground water and the chemical characteristics of that water. Water-level and water-quality data were collected periodically from the sites during 1992 through 1998.

Effects of land disposal of municipal sewage sludge on fate of nitrates in soil, streambed sediment, and water quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tindall, James A.; Lull, Kenneth J.; Gaggiani, Neville G.

1994-01-01

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of sewage-sludge disposal at the Lowry sewage-sludge-disposal area, near Denver, Colorado, on ground- and surface-water quality, to determine the fate of nitrates from sludge leachate, and to determine the source areas of leachate and the potential for additional leaching from the disposal area.Sewage-sludge disposal began in 1969. Two methods were used to apply the sludge: burial and plowing. Also, the sludge was applied both in liquid and cake forms. Data in this report represent the chemical composition of soil and streambed sediment from seven soil- and four streambed-sampling sites in 1986, chemical and bacterial composition of ground water from 28 wells from 1981 to 1987, and surface-water runoff from seven water-sampling sites from 1984 to 1987. Ground water samples were obtained from alluvial and bedrock aquifers. Samples of soil, streambed sediment, ground water and surface water were obtained for onsite measurement and chemical analysis. Measurements included determination of nitrogen compounds and major cations and anions, fecal-coliform and -streptococcus bacteria, specific conductance, and pH.Thirteen wells in the alluvial aquifer in Region 3 of the study area contain water that was probably affected by sewage-sludge leachate. The plots of concentration of nitrate with time show seasonal trends and trends caused by precipitation. In addition to yearly fluctuation, there were noticeable increases in ground-water concentrations of nitrate that coincided with increased precipitation. After 3 years of annual ground-water-quality monitoring and 4 years of a quarterly sampling program, it has been determined that leachate from the sewage-sludge-disposal area caused increased nitrite plus nitrate (as nitrogen) concentration in the alluvial ground water at the site. Soil analyses from the disposal area indicate that organic nitrogen was the dominant form of nitrogen in the soil.As a result of investigations at the research site, it has been determined that a potentially large source of contamination exists in the soils of the study area owing to increased concentrations of nitrogen, sodium, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, bicarbonate, and chloride because of sewage disposal. Continued monitoring of surface and ground water for nitrogen and the other ions previously mentioned is required to assess long-term effects of municipal sludge disposal on water quality.

Effects of land disposal of municipal sewage sludge on fate of nitrates in soil, streambed sediment, and water quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tindall, James A.; Lull, Kenneth J.; Gaggiani, Neville G.

1994-12-01

This study was undertaken to determine the effects of sewage-sludge disposal at the Lowry sewage-sludge-disposal area, near Denver, Colorado, on ground- and surface-water quality, to determine the fate of nitrates from sludge leachate, and to determine the source areas of leachate and the potential for additional leaching from the disposal area. Sewage-sludge disposal began in 1969. Two methods were used to apply the sludge: burial and plowing. Also, the sludge was applied both in liquid and cake forms. Data in this report represent the chemical composition of soil and streambed sediment from seven soil- and four streambed-sampling sites in 1986, chemical and bacterial composition of ground water from 28 wells from 1981 to 1987, and surface-water runoff from seven water-sampling sites from 1984 to 1987. Ground water samples were obtained from alluvial and bedrock aquifers. Samples of soil, streambed sediment, ground water and surface water were obtained for onsite measurement and chemical analysis. Measurements included determination of nitrogen compounds and major cations and anions, fecal-coliform and -streptococcus bacteria, specific conductance, and pH. Thirteen wells in the alluvial aquifer in Region 3 of the study area contain water that was probably affected by sewage-sludge leachate. The plots of concentration of nitrate with time show seasonal trends and trends caused by precipitation. In addition to yearly fluctuation, there were noticeable increases in ground-water concentrations of nitrate that coincided with increased precipitation. After 3 years of annual ground-water-quality monitoring and 4 years of a quarterly sampling program, it has been determined that leachate from the sewage-sludge-disposal area caused increased nitrite plus nitrate (as nitrogen) concentration in the alluvial ground water at the site. Soil analyses from the disposal area indicate that organic nitrogen was the dominant form of nitrogen in the soil. As a result of investigations at the research site, it has been determined that a potentially large source of contamination exists in the soils of the study area owing to increased concentrations of nitrogen, sodium, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, bicarbonate, and chloride because of sewage disposal. Continued monitoring of surface and ground water for nitrogen and the other ions previously mentioned is required to assess long-term effects of municipal sludge disposal on water quality.

Evaluating barnyard Best Management Practices in Wisconsin using upstream-downstream monitoring

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuntebeck, Todd D.

1995-01-01

The Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Abatement Program was created in 1978 by the Wisconsin Legislature. The goal of the program is to improve and protect the water quality of lakes, streams, wetlands, and ground water within selected priority watersheds by controlling sources of nonpoint pollution. For each selected watershed, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources drafts a management plan that guides the implementation of pollution-control strategies known as Best Management Practices (BMP's). This plan summarizes resource and land-use inventories, describes the results of pollution-source modeling, and suggests pollution reduction goals. The U.S. Geological Survey, through a cooperative effort with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, is monitoring water-quality improvements that result from the implementation of BMP's. The data collected are then compared to the watershed plans to assess progress and determine whether goals are being realized. This fact sheet describes the data-collection efforts, preliminary results, and planned data-analysis techniques of monitoring projects for pre-BMP conditions at two barnyards, one each on Otter Creek and Halfway Prairie Creek.

CAPSTONE REPORT ON THE APPLICATION, MONITORING, AND PERFORMANCE OF PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIERS FOR GROUND-WATER REMEDIATION: VOL. 2 LONG-TERM MONITORING OF PRBS: SOIL AND GROUND WATER SAMPLING

EPA Science Inventory

This report discusses soil and ground-water sampling methods and procedures used to evaluate the long-term performance of permeable reactive barriers (PRBS) at two sites, Elizabeth City, NC, and the Denver Federal Center near Lakewood, CO. Both PRBs were installed in 1996 and hav...

Results of ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry monitoring, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona, 1994

USGS Publications Warehouse

Littin, G.R.; Monroe, S.A.

1995-01-01

The Black Mesa monitoring program is designed to document long-term effects of ground-water pumping from the N aquifer by industrial and municipal users. The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400-square-mile Black Mesa area, and the ground water occurs under confined and unconfined conditions. Monitoring activities include continuous and periodic measurements of (1) ground-water pumpage from the confined and unconfined areas of the aquifer, (2) ground-water levels in the confined and unconfined areas of the aquifer, (3) surface-water discharge, and (4) chemistry of the ground water and surface water. In 1994, ground-water withdrawals for industrial and municipal use totaled about 7,000 acre-feet, which is an 8-percent increase from the previous year. Pumpage from the confined part of the aquifer increased by about 9 percent to 5,400 acre-feet, and pumpage from the unconfined part of the aquifer increased by about 2 percent to 1,600 acre-feet. Water-level declines in the confined area during 1994 were recorded in 10 of 16 wells, and the median change was a decline of about 2.3 feet as opposed to a decline of 3.3 feet for the previous year. The median change in water levels in the unconfined area was a rise of 0.1 foot in 1994 as opposed to a decline of 0.5 foot in 1993. Measured low-flow discharge along Moenkopi Wash decreased from 3.0 cubic feet per second in 1993 to 2.9 cubic feet per second in 1994. Eleven low-flow measurements were made along Laguna Creek between Tsegi, Arizona, and Chinle Wash to determine the amount of discharge that would occur as seepage from the N aquifer under optimal base-flow conditions. Discharge was 5.6 cubic feet per second near Tsegi and 1.5 cubic feet per second above the confluence with Chinle Wash. Maximum discharge was 5.9 cubic feet per second about 4 miles upstream from Dennehotso. Discharge was measured at three springs. The changes in discharge at Burro and Whisky Springs were small and within the uncertainty of measurement. Discharge at Moenkopi School Spring decreased from 14.6 gallons per minute in 1993 to 12.9 gallons per minute in 1994. Regionally long-term water-chemistry data for wells and springs have shown no discernible change. A recent gradual increase in concentrations of dissolved solids, sulfate, and chloride in water from Forest Lake NTUA 1, however, indicates that, locally, water from the D aquifer may be mixing with water from the N aquifer.

A water-quality monitoring network for Vallecitos Valley, Alameda County, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farrar, C.D.

1980-01-01

A water-quality monitoring network is proposed to detect the presence of and trace the movement of radioisotopes in the hydrologic system in the vicinity of the Vallecitos Nuclear Center. The source of the radioisotopes is treated industrial wastewater from the Vallecitos Nuclear Center that is discharged into an unnamed tributary of Vallecitos Creek. The effluent infiltrates the alluvium along the stream course, percolates downward to the water table, and mixes with the native ground water in the subsurface. The average daily discharge of effluent to the hydrologic system in 1978 was about 100,000 gallons. In Vallecitos Valley, the Livermore Gravel and the overlying alluvium constitute the ground-water reservoir. There is no subsurface inflow from adjacent ground-water basins. Ground-water flow in the Vallecitos subbasin is toward the southwest.The proposed network consists of four surface-water sampling sites and six wells to sample the ground-water system. Samples collected monthly at each site and analyzed for tritium and for alpha, beta, and gamma radiation would provide adequate data for monitoring.

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Southern Sierra Study Unit, 2006 - Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2007-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 1,800 square-mile Southern Sierra study unit (SOSA) was investigated in June 2006 as part of the Statewide Basin Assessment Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Statewide Basin Assessment Project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The Southern Sierra study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within SOSA, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from fifty wells in Kern and Tulare Counties. Thirty-five of the wells were selected using a randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study area, and fifteen were selected to evaluate changes in water chemistry along ground-water flow paths. The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents [volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides and pesticide degradates, pharmaceutical compounds, and wastewater-indicator compounds], constituents of special interest [perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), and 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP)], naturally occurring inorganic constituents [nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements], radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes [tritium, and carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water], and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, and samples for matrix spikes) were collected for approximately one-eighth of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Assessment of the quality-control information resulted in censoring of less than 0.2 percent of the data collected for ground-water samples. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, or blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. VOCs and pesticides were detected in less than one-third of the grid wells, and all detections in samples from SOSA wells were below health-based thresholds. All detections of trace elements and nutrients in samples from SOSA wells were below health-based thresholds, with the exception of four detections of arsenic that were above the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL-US) and one detection of boron that was above the CDPH notification level (NL-CA). All detections of radioactive constituents were below health-based thresholds, although four samples had activities of radon-222 above the proposed MCL-US. Most of the samples from SOSA wells had concentrations of major elements, total dissolved solids, and trace elements below the non-enforceable thresholds set for aesthetic concerns. A few samples contained iron, manganese, or total dissolved solids at concentrations above the SMCL-CA thresholds.

Hydrogeology and water chemistry of Montezuma Well in Montezuma Castle National Monument and surrounding area, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Konieczki, Alice D.; Leake, Stanley A.

1997-01-01

Increasing population and associated residential and commercial development have greatly increased water use and consumption in the Verde Valley near Montezuma Well, a unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument in central Arizona. Flow from Montezuma Well and water levels in eight wells that are measured annually do not indicate that the ground-water system has been affected by development. Additional data are needed to develop an adequate ground-water monitoring program so that future effects of development can be detected. Monitoring the ground-water system would detect changes in discharge from the Montezuma Well or changes in the ground-water system that might indicate a potential change of flow to the well. Water samples were collected, and field measurements of specific conductance, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were made throughout the pond at Montezuma Well during an exploration in May 1991. The exploration included two fissures in the bottom of the pond that were filled with sand. The sand in the fissures was kept in suspension by water entering the pond. Water chemistry indicates that the ground water from the area is a mixed combination of calcium, magnesium, sodium, and bicarbonate type water. The analyses for 18O/16O and 2H/1H show that the water from the wells and springs in the area, including Montezuma Well, has been exposed to similar environmental conditions and could have had similar flow paths. The MODFLOW finite-difference ground-water model was used to develop an uncalibrated interpretive model to study possible mechanisms for discharge of water at Montezuma Well. The study presents the hypothesis that ground water in the Supai Formation is the source of discharge to Montezuma Well because of the differences between the surface elevation of the pond at Montezuma Well and the stage in the adjacent Wet Beaver Creek. A series of simulations shows that upward flow from the Supai Formation is a possible mechanism for discharge to Montezuma Well, and that a geologic structure in the Supai Formation could play a role in the upward movement of water to Montezuma Well. The mechanism for inflow from the Verde Formation is not understood; however, this study concludes that the Verde Formation, Supai Formation, and other underlying rock units are probably the sources of water to Montezuma Well.

IDENTIFYING THE CAUSE OF HIGH CONCENTRATIONS OF TBA IN GROUNDWATER AT GASOLINE SPIILL SITES IN ORANGE COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

EPA Science Inventory

Monitoring at gasoline spills in Orange County, California has revealed that TBA (tertiary butyl alcohol) is often present at high concentrations in ground water. To manage the hazard associated with the presence of TBA, staff of the UST Local Oversight Program (LOP) of the Oran...

Design of a ground-water-quality monitoring network for the Salinas River basin, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Showalter, P.K.; Akers, J.P.; Swain, L.A.

1984-01-01

A regional ground-water quality monitoring network for the entire Salinas River drainage basin was designed to meet the needs of the California State Water Resources Control Board. The project included phase 1--identifying monitoring networks that exist in the region; phase 2--collecting information about the wells in each network; and phase 3--studying the factors--such as geology, land use, hydrology, and geohydrology--that influence the ground-water quality, and designing a regional network. This report is the major product of phase 3. Based on the authors ' understanding of the ground-water-quality monitoring system and input from local offices, an ideal network was designed. The proposed network includes 317 wells and 8 stream-gaging stations. Because limited funds are available to implement the monitoring network, the proposed network is designed to correspond to the ideal network insofar as practicable, and is composed mainly of 214 wells that are already being monitored by a local agency. In areas where network wells are not available, arrangements will be made to add wells to local networks. The data collected by this network will be used to assess the ground-water quality of the entire Salinas River drainage basin. After 2 years of data are collected, the network will be evaluated to test whether it is meeting the network objectives. Subsequent network evaluations will be done very 5 years. (USGS)

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Santa Clara River Valley Study Unit, 2007: Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Montrella, Joseph; Belitz, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 460-square-mile Santa Clara River Valley study unit (SCRV) was investigated from April to June 2007 as part of the statewide Priority Basin project of the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of the quality of raw ground water used for public water supplies within SCRV, and to facilitate a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Fifty-seven ground-water samples were collected from 53 wells in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. Forty-two wells were selected using a randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study area (grid wells). Eleven wells (understanding wells) were selected to further evaluate water chemistry in particular parts of the study area, and four depth-dependent ground-water samples were collected from one of the eleven understanding wells to help understand the relation between water chemistry and depth. The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOC], pesticides and pesticide degradates, potential wastewater-indicator compounds, and pharmaceutical compounds), a constituent of special interest (perchlorate), naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements), radioactive constituents, and microbial constituents. Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, carbon-13, carbon-14 [abundance], stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water, stable isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen in nitrate, chlorine-37, and bromine-81), and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks or replicates, or samples for matrix spikes) were collected from approximately 26 percent of the wells, and the analyses of these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Assessment of the quality-control results showed that the quality of the environmental data was good, with low bias and low variability, and as a result, less than 0.1 percent of the analytes detected in ground-water samples were censored. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, and (or) blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is delivered (or, supplied) to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with regulatory and non-regulatory thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. Most constituents that were detected in ground-water samples were reported at concentrations below their established health-based thresholds. VOCs, pesticides and pesticide degradates, and potential wastewater-indicator compounds were detected in about 33 percent or less of the 42 SCRV grid wells. Concentrations of all detected organic constituents were below established health-based thresholds. Perchlorate was detected in approximately 12 percent of the SCRV grid wells; all concentrations reported were below the NL-CA threshold. Additional constituents, including major ions, trace elements, and nutrients were collected at 26 wells (16 grid wells and 10 understanding wells) of the 53 wells sampled f

Assessment of remote sensing technologies to discover and characterize waste sites

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1992-03-11

This report presents details about waste management practices that are being developed using remote sensing techniques to characterize DOE waste sites. Once the sites and problems have been located and characterized and an achievable restoration and remediation program have been established, efforts to reclaim the environment will begin. Special problems to be considered are: concentrated waste forms in tanks and pits; soil and ground water contamination; ground safety hazards for workers; and requirement for long-term monitoring.

Hydrogeology of shallow basin-fill deposits in areas of Salt Lake Valley, Salt Lake County, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thiros, Susan A.

2003-01-01

A study of recently developed residential/commercial areas of Salt Lake Valley, Utah, was done from 1999 to 2001 in areas in which shallow ground water has the potential to move to a deeper aquifer that is used for public supply. Thirty monitoring wells were drilled and sampled in 1999 as part of the study. The ground water was either under unconfined or confined conditions, depending on depth to water and the presence or absence of fine-grained deposits. The wells were completed in the shallowest water-bearing zone capable of supplying water. Monitoring-well depths range from 23 to 154 feet. Lithologic, geophysical, hydraulic-conductivity, transmissivity, water-level, and water-temperature data were obtained for or collected from the wells.Silt and clay layers noted on lithologic logs correlate with increases in electrical conductivity and natural gamma radiation shown on many of the electromagnetic-induction and natural gamma logs. Relatively large increases in electrical conductivity, determined from the electromagnetic-induction logs, with no major changes in natural gamma radiation are likely caused by increased dissolved-solids content in the ground water. Some intervals with high electrical conductivity correspond to areas in which water was present during drilling.Unconfined conditions were present at 7 of 20 monitoring wells on the west side and at 2 of 10 wells on the east side of Salt Lake Valley. Fine-grained deposits confine the ground water. Anthropogenic compounds were detected in water sampled from most of the wells, indicating a connection with the land surface. Data were collected from 20 of the monitoring wells to estimate the hydraulic conductivity and transmissivity of the shallow ground-water system. Hydraulic-conductivity values of the shallow aquifer ranged from 30 to 540 feet per day. Transmissivity values of the shallow aquifer ranged from 3 to 1,070 feet squared per day. There is a close linear relation between transmissivity determined from slug-test analysis and transmissivity estimated from specific capacity.Water-level fluctuations were measured in the 30 monitoring wells from 1999 to July 2001. Generally, water-level changes measured in wells on the west side of the valley followed a seasonal trend and wells on the east side showed less fluctuation or a gradual decline during the 2-year period. This may indicate that a larger percentage of recharge to the shallow ground-water system on the west side is from somewhat consistent seasonal sources, such as canals and unconsumed irrigation water, as compared to sources on the east side. Water levels measured in monitoring wells completed in the shallow ground-water system near large-capacity public-supply wells varied in response to ground-water withdrawals from the deeper confined aquifer. Water temperature was monitored in 23 wells. Generally, little or no change in water temperature was measured in monitoring wells with a depth to water greater than about 40 feet. The shallower the water level in the well, the greater the water-temperature change measured during the study.Comparison of water levels measured in the monitoring wells and deeper wells in the same area indicate a downward gradient on the east side of the valley. Water levels in the shallow and deeper aquifers in the secondary recharge area on the west side of the valley were similar to those on the east side. Water levels measured in the monitoring wells and nearby wells completed in the deeper aquifer indicate that the vertical gradient can change with time and stresses on the system.

GROUND WATER SAMPLING USING LOW-FLOW TECHNIQUES

EPA Science Inventory

Obtaining representative ground water samples is important for site assessment and remedial performance monitoring objectives. The sampling device or method used to collect samples from monitoring or compliance well can significantly impact data quality and reliability. Low-flo...

Iowa ground-water quality

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buchmiller, R.C.; Squillace, P.J.; Drustrup, R.D.

1987-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the University of Iowa Hygienic Laboratory, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and several counties in Iowa, currently (1986) is monitoring about 1,500 public and private wells for inorganic and organic constituents. The principal objective of this program, begun in 1982, is to collect water-quality data that will describe the long-term chemical quality of the surficial and major bedrock aquifer systems in Iowa (Detroy, 1985).

UMTRA Project water sampling and analysis plan, Durango, Colorado. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-09-01

Planned, routine ground water sampling activities at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project site in Durango, Colorado, are described in this water sampling and analysis plan. The plan identifies and justifies the sampling locations, analytical parameters, detection limits, and sampling frequency for the routine monitoring stations at the site. The ground water data are used to characterize the site ground water compliance strategies and to monitor contaminants of potential concern identified in the baseline risk assessment (DOE, 1995a). Regulatory basis for routine ground water monitoring at UMTRA Project sites is derived from themore » US EPA regulations in 40 CFR Part 192 (1994) and EPA standards of 1995 (60 FR 2854). Sampling procedures are guided by the UMTRA Project standard operating procedures (SOP) (JEG, n.d.), the Technical Approach Document (TAD) (DOE, 1989), and the most effective technical approach for the site.« less

Robowell: An automated process for monitoring ground water quality using established sampling protocols

USGS Publications Warehouse

Granato, G.E.; Smith, K.P.

1999-01-01

Robowell is an automated process for monitoring selected ground water quality properties and constituents by pumping a well or multilevel sampler. Robowell was developed and tested to provide a cost-effective monitoring system that meets protocols expected for manual sampling. The process uses commercially available electronics, instrumentation, and hardware, so it can be configured to monitor ground water quality using the equipment, purge protocol, and monitoring well design most appropriate for the monitoring site and the contaminants of interest. A Robowell prototype was installed on a sewage treatment plant infiltration bed that overlies a well-studied unconfined sand and gravel aquifer at the Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, during a time when two distinct plumes of constituents were released. The prototype was operated from May 10 to November 13, 1996, and quality-assurance/quality-control measurements demonstrated that the data obtained by the automated method was equivalent to data obtained by manual sampling methods using the same sampling protocols. Water level, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved ammonium were monitored by the prototype as the wells were purged according to U.S Geological Survey (USGS) ground water sampling protocols. Remote access to the data record, via phone modem communications, indicated the arrival of each plume over a few days and the subsequent geochemical reactions over the following weeks. Real-time availability of the monitoring record provided the information needed to initiate manual sampling efforts in response to changes in measured ground water quality, which proved the method and characterized the screened portion of the plume in detail through time. The methods and the case study described are presented to document the process for future use.

Long-term ground-water monitoring program and performance-evaluation plan for the extraction system at the former Nike Missile Battery Site, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Senus, Michael P.; Tenbus, Frederick J.

2000-01-01

This report presents lithologic and ground-water-quality data collected during April and May 2000 in the remote areas of the tidal wetland of West Branch Canal Creek, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Contamination of the Canal Creek aquifer with volatile organic compounds has been documented in previous investigations of the area. This study was conducted to investigate areas that were previously inaccessible because of deep mud and shallow water, and to support ongoing investigations of the fate and transport of volatile organic compounds in the Canal Creek aquifer. A unique vibracore drill rig mounted on a hovercraft was used for drilling and ground-water sampling. Continuous cores of the wetland sediment and of the Canal Creek aquifer were collected at five sites. Attempts to sample ground water were made by use of a continuous profiler at 12 sites, without well installation, at a total of 81 depths within the aquifer. Of those 81 attempts, only 34 sampling depths produced enough water to collect samples. Ground-water samples from two sites had the highest concentrations of volatile organic compounds?with total volatile organic compound concentrations in the upper part of the aquifer ranging from about 15,000 to 50,000 micrograms per liter. Ground-water samples from five sites had much lower total volatile organic compound concentrations (95 to 2,100 micrograms per liter), whereas two sites were essentially not contaminated, with total volatile organic compound concentrations less than or equal to 5 micrograms per liter.

Ground-Water Storage Change and Land Subsidence in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley, Southeastern Arizona, 1998-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pool, Donald R.; Anderson, Mark T.

2008-01-01

Gravity and land subsidence were measured annually at wells and benchmarks within two networks in Tucson Basin and Avra Valley from 1998 to 2002. Both networks are within the Tucson Active Management Area. Annual estimates of ground-water storage change, ground-water budgets, and land subsidence were made based on the data. Additionally, estimates of specific yield were made at wells within the monitored region. Increases in gravity and water-level rises followed above-average natural recharge during winter 1998 in Tucson Basin. Overall declining gravity and water-level trends from 1999 to 2002 in Tucson Basin reflected general declining ground-water storage conditions and redistribution of the recent recharge throughout a larger region of the aquifer. The volume of stored ground-water in the monitored portion of Tucson Basin increased 200,000 acre-feet from December 1997 to February 1999; however, thereafter an imbalance in ground-water pumpage in excess of recharge led to a net storage loss for the monitoring period by February 2002. Ground-water storage in Avra Valley increased 70,000 acre-feet during the monitoring period, largely as a result of artificial and incidental recharge in the monitored region. The water-budget for the combined monitored regions of Tucson Basin and Avra Valley was dominated by about 460,000 acre-feet of recharge during 1998 followed by an average-annual recharge rate of about 80,000 acre-feet per year from 1999 to 2002. Above-average recharge during winter 1998, followed by average-annual deficit conditions, resulted in an overall balanced water budget for the monitored period. Monitored variations in storage compared well with simulated average-annual conditions, except for above-average recharge from 1998 to 1999. The difference in observed and simulated conditions indicate that ground-water flow models can be improved by including climate-related variations in recharge rates rather than invariable rates of average-annual recharge. Observed land-subsidence during the monitoring period was less than 1 inch except in the central part of Tucson Basin where land subsidence was about 2-3 inches. Correlations of gravity-based storage and water-level change at 37 wells were variable and illustrate the complex nature of the aquifer system. Storage and water-level variations were insufficient to estimate specific yield at many wells. Correlations at several wells were poor, inverse, or resulted in unreasonably large values of specific yield. Causes of anomalously correlated gravity and water levels include significant storage change in thick unsaturated zones, especially near major ephemeral channels, and multiple aquifers that are poorly connected hydraulically. Good correlation of storage and water-level change at 10 wells that were not near major streams where significant changes in unsaturated zone storage occur resulted in an average specific-yield value of 0.27.

Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona, 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Littin, Gregory R.; Monroe, Stephen A.

1997-01-01

The Black Mesa monitoring program is designed to document long-term effects of ground-water pumping from the N aquifer by industrial and municipal users. The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400-square-mile Black Mesa area, and the ground water occurs under confined and unconfined conditions. Monitoring activities include continuous and periodic measurements of (1) ground-water pumpage from the confined and unconfined parts of the aquifer, (2) ground-water levels in the confined and unconfined areas of the aquifer, (3) surface-water discharge, and (4) chemistry of the ground water and surface water. In 1996, ground-water withdrawals for industrial and municipal use totaled about 7,040 acre-feet, which is less than a 1-percent decrease from 1995. Pumpage from the confined part of the aquifer decreased by about 3 percent to 5,390 acre-feet, and pumpage from the unconfined part of the aquifer increased by about 9 percent to 1,650 acre-feet. Water-level declines in the confined area during 1996 were recorded in 11 of 13 wells, and the median change was a decline of about 2.7 feet as opposed to a decline of 1.8 feet for 1995. Water-level declines in the unconfined area were recorded in 11 of 18 wells, and the median change was a decline of 0.5 foot in 1996 as opposed to a decline of 0.1 foot in 1995. The average low-flow discharge at the Moenkopi streamflow-gaging station was 2.3 cubic feet per second in 1996. Streamflow-discharge measurements also were made at Laguna Creek, Dinnebito Wash, and Polacca Wash during 1996. Average low-flow discharge was 2.3 cubic feet per second at Laguna Creek, 0.4 cubic foot per second at Dinnebito Wash, and 0.2 cubic foot per second at Polacca Wash. Discharge was measured at three springs. Discharge from Moenkopi School Spring decreased by about 2 gallons per minute from the measurement in 1995. Discharge from an unnamed spring near Dennehotso decreased by 1.3 gallons per minute from the measurement made in 1995; however, discharge increased slightly at Burro Spring. Regionally, long-term water-chemistry data for wells and springs have remained stable.

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Coastal Los Angeles Basin Study Unit, 2006: Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mathany, Timothy M.; Land, Michael; Belitz, Kenneth

2008-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 860 square-mile Coastal Los Angeles Basin study unit (CLAB) was investigated from June to November of 2006 as part of the Statewide Basin Assessment Project of the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Statewide Basin Assessment was developed in response to the Ground-Water Quality Monitoring Act of 2001, and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The Coastal Los Angeles Basin study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within CLAB, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 69 wells in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Fifty-five of the wells were selected using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study area (?grid wells?). Fourteen additional wells were selected to evaluate changes in ground-water chemistry or to gain a greater understanding of the ground-water quality within a specific portion of the Coastal Los Angeles Basin study unit ('understanding wells'). Ground-water samples were analyzed for: a large number of synthetic organic constituents [volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gasoline oxygenates and their degradates, pesticides, polar pesticides, and pesticide degradates, pharmaceutical compounds, and potential wastewater-indicators]; constituents of special interest [perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), 1,4-dioxane, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP)]; inorganic constituents that can occur naturally [nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements]; radioactive constituents [gross-alpha and gross-beta radiation, radium isotopes, and radon-222]; and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes [stable isotopic ratios of hydrogen and oxygen, and activities of tritium and carbon-14] and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the sources and ages of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, and samples for matrix spikes) were collected at approximately one-fourth of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Field blanks rarely contained detectable concentrations of any constituent, suggesting that contamination was not a significant source of bias. Differences between replicate samples were within acceptable ranges, indicating acceptably low variability. Matrix spike recoveries were within acceptable ranges for most compounds. Assessment of the quality-control information resulted in applying ?V? codes to approximately 0.1 percent of the data collected for ground-water samples (meaning a constituent was detected in blanks as well as the corresponding environmental data). This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of drinking water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, and (or) blended with other waters to maintain acceptable drinking-water quality. Regulatory thresholds are applied to the treated drinking water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with regulatory and non-regulatory health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), California Department of Public Health (CDPH, formerly California Department of Health Services [CADHS]) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. Comparisons between data collected for this study and drinking-water thresholds are for illustrative purposes only, and are not indicative of compliance or non-compliance with those thresholds. VOCs were detected in alm

Environmental surveillance master sampling schedule

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bisping, L.E.

This document contains the planned 1994 schedules for routine collection of samples for the Surface Environmental Surveillance Project (SESP), Drinking Water Project, and Ground-Water Surveillance Project. Samples are routinely collected for the SESP and analyzed to determine the quality of air, surface water, soil, sediment, wildlife, vegetation, foodstuffs, and farm products at Hanford Site and surrounding communities. The responsibility for monitoring the onsite drinking water falls outside the scope of the SESP. The Hanford Environmental Health Foundation is responsible for monitoring the nonradiological parameters as defined in the National Drinking Water Standards while PNL conducts the radiological monitoring of themore » onsite drinking water. PNL conducts the drinking water monitoring project concurrent with the SESP to promote efficiency and consistency, utilize the expertise developed over the years, and reduce costs associated with management, procedure development, data management, quality control and reporting. The ground-water sampling schedule identifies ground-water sampling events used by PNL for environmental surveillance of the Hanford Site.« less

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Coachella Valley Study Unit, 2007: Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goldrath, Dara A.; Wright, Michael T.; Belitz, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 820 square-mile Coachella Valley Study Unit (COA) was investigated during February and March 2007 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001, and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground water used for public-water supplies within the Coachella Valley, and to facilitate statistically consistent comparisons of ground-water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 35 wells in Riverside County. Nineteen of the wells were selected using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study unit (grid wells). Sixteen additional wells were sampled to evaluate changes in water chemistry along selected ground-water flow paths, examine land use effects on ground-water quality, and to collect water-quality data in areas where little exists. These wells were referred to as 'understanding wells'. The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOC], pesticides and pesticide degradates, pharmaceutical compounds, and potential wastewater-indicator compounds), constituents of special interest (perchlorate and 1,2,3-trichloropropane [1,2,3-TCP]), naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements), radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes (uranium, tritium, carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, and boron), and dissolved noble gases (the last in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. A quality-control sample (blank, replicate, or matrix spike) was collected at approximately one quarter of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Assessment of the quality-control information resulted in V-coding less than 0.1 percent of the data collected. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, and (or) blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is supplied to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic purposes (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. Most constituents detected in ground-water samples were at concentrations below drinking-water thresholds. Volatile organic compounds, pesticides, and pesticide degradates were detected in less than one-third of the grid well samples collected. All VOC and pesticide concentrations measured were below health-based thresholds. Potential waste-water indicators were detected in less than half of the wells sampled, and no detections were above health-based thresholds. Perchlorate was detected in seven grid wells; concentrations from two wells were above the CDPH maximum contaminant level (MCL-CA). Most detections of trace elements in samples collected from COA Study Unit wells were below water-quality thresholds. Exceptions include five samples of arsenic that were above the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL-US), two detections of boron above the CDPH notification level (NL-CA), and two detections of mol

Monitored Natural Attenuation For Radionuclides In Ground Water - Technical Issues

EPA Science Inventory

Remediation of ground water contaminated with radionuclides may be achieved using attenuation-based technologies. These technologies may rely on engineered processes (e.g., bioremediation) or natural processes (e.g., monitored natural attentuation) within the subsurface. In gen...

Site Characterization for MNA of Radionuclides in Ground Water

EPA Science Inventory

Monitored natural attenuation is often evaluated as a component of the remedy for ground water contaminated with radionuclides. When properly employed, monitored natural attenuation (MNA) may provide an effective knowledge-based remedy where a thorough engineering analysis inform...

Summary of U.S. Geological Survey and City of Albuquerque hydrologic investigations program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McAda, D.

1995-12-31

The US Geological Survey and Albuquerque have been cooperating in data collection programs and interpretive studies since 1982. The paper presents summaries on recently completed and ongoing projects, detailing the objectives, principal investigator, period of the project, and reports released or reports in progress on each study. Project names are: Ground-water-level monitoring network in the Albuquerque Basin; Water budget of the Rio Grande flood plain in the Albuquerque area; Modeling of groundwater flow in the Albuquerque Basin; Continuation of ground water flow modeling in the Albuquerque Basin; Evaluation of methods to quantify the hydrologic relations between the Rio Grande andmore » the Santa Fe Group aquifer system, near Albuquerque; Aquifer compaction and land subsidence in the Albuquerque, NM area; Aquifer test at the Griegos Well Field, Albuquerque, NM; Quality of urban stormwater runoff; Rio Grande water quality; Determining accurate concentrations and loads of trace elements and other selected chemical constituents in the Rio Grande, Albuquerque, NM; Digital geophysical-log data base; and Water quality data for the Albuquerque Basin.« less

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Owens and Indian Wells Valleys Study Unit, 2006: Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Densmore, Jill N.; Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 1,630 square-mile Owens and Indian Wells Valleys study unit (OWENS) was investigated in September-December 2006 as part of the Priority Basin Project of Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in collaboration with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The Owens and Indian Wells Valleys study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within OWENS study unit, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 74 wells in Inyo, Kern, Mono, and San Bernardino Counties. Fifty-three of the wells were selected using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study area (grid wells), and 21 wells were selected to evaluate changes in water chemistry in areas of interest (understanding wells). The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents [volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides and pesticide degradates, pharmaceutical compounds, and potential wastewater- indicator compounds], constituents of special interest [perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), and 1,2,3- trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP)], naturally occurring inorganic constituents [nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements], radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes [tritium, and carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water], and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. This study evaluated the quality of raw ground water in the aquifer in the OWENS study unit and did not attempt to evaluate the quality of treated water delivered to consumers. Water supplied to consumers typically is treated after withdrawal from the ground, disinfected, and blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with regulatory and non-regulatory health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and non-regulatory thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contamination levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. VOCs and pesticides were detected in samples from less than one-third of the grid wells; all detections were below health-based thresholds, and most were less than one-one hundredth of threshold values. All detections of perchlorate and nutrients in samples from OWENS were below health-based thresholds. Most detections of trace elements in ground-water samples from OWENS wells were below health-based thresholds. In samples from the 53 grid wells, three constituents were detected at concentrations above USEPA maximum contaminant levels: arsenic in 5 samples, uranium in 4 samples, and fluoride in 1 sample. Two constituents were detected at concentrations above CDPH notification levels (boron in 9 samples and vanadium in 1 sample), and two were above USEPA lifetime health advisory levels (molybdenum in 3 samples and strontium in 1 sample). Most of the samples from OWENS wells had concentrations of major elements, TDS, and trace elements below the non-enforceable standards set for aesthetic concerns. Samples from nine grid wells had concentrations of manganese, iron, or TDS above the SMCL-CAs.

40 CFR 258.53 - Ground-water sampling and analysis requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Ground-water sampling and analysis requirements. 258.53 Section 258.53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES CRITERIA FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.53 Ground-water sampling and analysi...

40 CFR 258.53 - Ground-water sampling and analysis requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Ground-water sampling and analysis requirements. 258.53 Section 258.53 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES CRITERIA FOR MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.53 Ground-water sampling and analysi...

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Southern Sacramento Valley, California, 2005 - Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milby Dawson, Barbara J.; Bennett, George L.; Belitz, Kenneth

2008-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 2,100 square-mile Southern Sacramento Valley study unit (SSACV) was investigated from March to June 2005 as part of the Statewide Basin Assessment Project of Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. This study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within SSACV, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 83 wells in Placer, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, and Yolo Counties. Sixty-seven of the wells were selected using a randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study area. Sixteen of the wells were sampled to evaluate changes in water chemistry along ground-water flow paths. Four additional samples were collected at one of the wells to evaluate water-quality changes with depth. The GAMA Statewide Basin Assessment project was developed in response to the Ground-Water Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of man-made organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOCs], pesticides and pesticide degradates, pharmaceutical compounds, and wastewater-indicator constituents), constituents of special interest (perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA], and 1,2,3-trichloropropane [1,2,3-TCP]), naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements), radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, and carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon), and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, matrix spikes) were collected at ten percent of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Assessment of the quality-control data resulted in censoring of less than 0.03 percent of the analyses of ground-water samples. This study did not evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, and (or) blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Health Services (CADHS) (Maximum Contaminant Levels [MCLs], notification levels [NLs], or lifetime health advisories [HA-Ls]) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels [SMCLs]). All wells were sampled for organic constituents and selected general water quality parameters; subsets of wells were sampled for inorganic constituents, nutrients, and radioactive constituents. Volatile organic compounds were detected in 49 out of 83 wells sampled and pesticides were detected in 35 out of 82 wells; all detections were below health-based thresholds, with the exception of 1 detection of 1,2,3-trichloropropane above a NL. Of the 43 wells sampled for trace elements, 27 had no detections of a trace element above a health-based threshold and 16 had at least one detection above. Of the 18 trace elements with health-based thresholds, 3 (arsenic, barium, and boron) were detected at concentrations higher an MCL. Of the 43 wells sampled for nitrate, only 1 well had a detection above the MCL. Twenty wells were sampled for radioactive constituents; only 1 (radon-222) was measured at activiti

Evaluation of a New Passive Diffusion Sampler for Monitoring for Soil Gas and Ground Water at Two UST Sites

EPA Science Inventory

Historically, conventional practice to estimate intrusion of fuel vapors from soil and ground water to buildings measures the concentration of BTEX beneath the building using vapor probes or monitoring wells screened across the water table. Standard practice assumes that the co...

Monitored Natural Attenuation For Inorganic Contaminants In Ground Water - Technical Issues

EPA Science Inventory

Remediation of ground water contaminated with radionuclides may be achieved using attenuation-based technologies. These technologies may rely on engineered processes (e.g., bioremediation) or natural processes (e.g., monitored natural attenuation) within the subsurface. In gene...

GROUND WATER REMEDIATION RESEARCH: ENHANCED BIOREMEDIATION AND MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION

EPA Science Inventory

An overview of ground water remediation research conducted at the Subsurface Protection and Remediation Division is provided. The focus of the overview is on Enhanced Bioremediation and Monitored Natural Attenuation research for the remediation of organic and inorganic contamina...

Reconnaissance of water quality at four swine farms in Jackson County, Florida, 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collins, J.J.

1996-01-01

The quality of ground water on four typical swine farms in Jackson County, Florida, was studied by analyzing water samples from wastewater lagoons, monitoring wells, and supply wells. Water samples were collected quarterly for 1 year and analyzed for the following dissolved species: nitrate, nitrite, ammonium nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, sulfate, chloride, calcium, magnesium, fluoride, total ammonium plus organic nitrogen, total phosphorus, alkalinity, carbonate, and bicarbonate. Additionally, the following field constituents were determined in the water samples: temperature, specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, and fecal streptococcus and fecal coliform bacteria. Chemical changes in swine waste as it leaches and migrates through the saturated zone were examined by comparing median values and ranges of water- quality data from farm wastewater in lagoons, shallow pond, shallow monitoring wells, and deeper farm supply wells. The effects of hydrogeologic settings and swine farmland uses on shallow ground-water quality were examined by comparing the shallow ground-water-quality data set with the results of the chemical analyses of water from the Upper Floridan aquifer, and to land uses adjacent to the monitoring wells. Substantial differences occur between the quality of diluted swine waste in the wastewater lagoons, and that of the water quality found in the shallow pond, and the ground water frm all but two of the monitoring wells of the four swine farms. The liquid from the wastewater lagoons and ground water from two wells adjacent to and down the regional gradient from a lagoon on one site, have relatively high values for the following properties and constituents: specific conductance, dissolved ammonia nitrogen, dissolved potassium, and dissolved chloride. Ground water from all other monitoring wells and farm supply wells and the surface water pond, have relatively much lower values for the same properties and constituents. To determine the relation between land uses and ground-water quality on the four swine farms, ground-water-quality data were divided according to the following land uses: confined operations in which swine are kept in houses and not allowed to roam freely, and unconfined operations in which swine are allowed to roam freely in determined areas. Confined operations had lagoons to receive the diluted swine wastes washed from the houses.

Ground-water monitoring at Santa Barbara, California; Phase 2, Effects of pumping on water levels and on water quality in the Santa Barbara ground-water basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Martin, Peter

1984-01-01

From July 1978 to January 1980, water levels in the southern part of the Santa Barbara ground-water basin declined more than 100 feet. These water-level declines resulted from increases in municipal pumping since July 1978. The increase in municipal pumping was part of a basin-testing program designed to determine the usable quantity of ground water in storage. The pumping, centered in the city less than 1 mile from the coast, has caused water-level declines to altitudes below sea level in the main water-bearing zones. As a result, the ground-water basin would be subject to saltwater intrusion if the study-period pumpage were maintained or increased. Data indicate that saltwater intrusion has degraded the quality of the water yielded from six coastal wells. During the study period, the six coastal wells all yielded water with chloride concentrations in excess of 250 milligrams per liter, and four of the wells yielded water with chloride concentrations in excess of 1,000 milligrams per liter. Previous investigators believed that saltwater intrusion was limited to the shallow part of the aquifer, directly adjacent to the coast. The possibility of saltwater intrusion into the deeper water-bearing deposits in the aquifer was thought to be remote because an offshore fault truncates these deeper deposits so that they lie against consolidated rocks on the seaward side of the fault. Results of this study indicate, however, that ocean water has intruded the deeper water-bearing deposits, and to a much greater extent than in the shallow part of the aquifer. Apparently the offshore fault is not an effective barrier to saltwater intrusion. No physical barriers are known to exist between the coast and the municipal well field. Therefore, if the pumping rate maintained during the basin-testing program were continued, the degraded water along the coast could move inland and contaminate the municipal supply wells. The time required for the degraded water to move from the coast to the nearest supply well is estimated, using Darcy's equation, to be about 20 years. Management alternatives for controlling saltwater intrusion in the Santa Barbara area include (1) decreasing municipal pumping, (2) increasing the quantity of water available for recharge by releasing surplus water from surface reservoirs to Mission Creek, (3) artificially recharging the basin using injection wells, and (4) locating municipal supply wells farther from the coast and spacing them farther apart in order to minimize drawdown. Continued monitoring of water levels and water quality would enable assessment of the effectiveness of the control measures employed.

Ground water security and drought in Africa: linking availability, access, and demand.

PubMed

Calow, Roger C; Macdonald, Alan M; Nicol, Alan L; Robins, Nick S

2010-01-01

Drought in Africa has been extensively researched, particularly from meteorological, agricultural, and food security perspectives. However, the impact of drought on water security, particularly ground water dependent rural water supplies, has received much less attention. Policy responses have concentrated on food needs, and it has often been difficult to mobilize resources for water interventions, despite evidence that access to safe water is a serious and interrelated concern. Studies carried out in Ghana, Malawi, South Africa, and Ethiopia highlight how rural livelihoods are affected by seasonal stress and longer-term drought. Declining access to food and water is a common and interrelated problem. Although ground water plays a vital role in buffering the effects of rainfall variability, water shortages and difficulties in accessing water that is available can affect domestic and productive water uses, with knock-on effects on food consumption and production. Total depletion of available ground water resources is rarely the main concern. A more common scenario is a spiral of water insecurity as shallow water sources fail, additional demands are put on remaining sources, and mechanical failures increase. These problems can be planned for within normal development programs. Water security mapping can help identify vulnerable areas, and changes to monitoring systems can ensure early detection of problems. Above all, increasing the coverage of ground water-based rural water supplies, and ensuring that the design and siting of water points is informed by an understanding of hydrogeological conditions and user demand, can significantly increase the resilience of rural communities to climate variability.

40 CFR 265.91 - Ground-water monitoring system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... sufficient to yield ground-water samples that are: (i) Representative of background ground-water quality in... not required provided that provisions for sampling upgradient and downgradient water quality will... perforated, and packed with gravel or sand where necessary, to enable sample collection at depths where...

User guide for the PULSE program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rutledge, A.T.

2002-01-01

This manual describes the use of the PULSE computer program for analysis of streamflow records. The specific instructions included here and the computer files that accompany this manual require streamflow data in a format that can be obtained from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) sites on the World Wide Web. The program is compiled to run on a personal computer that uses a Microsoft Windows-based operating system. This manual provides instructions for use of Microsoft Excel for plotting hydrographs, though users may choose to use other software for plotting. The program calculates a hydrograph of ground-water discharge to a stream on the basis of user-specified recharge to the water table. Two different formulations allow recharge to be treated as instantaneous quantities or as gradual rates. The process of ground-water evapotranspiration can be approximated as a negative gradual recharge. The PULSE program is intended for analyzing a ground-water-flow system that is characterized by diffuse areal recharge to the water table and ground-water discharge to a stream. Program use can be appropriate if all or most ground water in the basin discharges to the stream and if a streamflow-gaging station at the downstream end of the basin measures all or most outflow. Ground-water pumpage and the regulation and diversion of streamflow should be negligible. More information about the application of the method is included in Rutledge, 1997, pages 2-3. The program can be used in conjunction with ground-water-level data. If a well is open to the surficial aquifer, observed water-level rises in the well can be used to evaluate the timing of recharge. Such evaluation is most effective if there are numerous water-level observation wells in the basin. Water levels in observation wells can also be used to evaluate the rate of ground-water discharge estimated by the PULSE program. The results of such an evaluation may be problematic, however, because the relation between ground-water level and ground-water discharge may not be unique. Departures from the linear model of recession occur because of areal variation in transmissivity and because of the longitudinal component of ground-water flow (parallel to the stream). If the PULSE program is used to estimate ground-water recharge, the recession index should not be obtained from periods of extreme low flow, and the calibration process should include plotting flow on the linear scale in addition to plotting flow on the log scale.

Hanford Site Environmental Report for calendar year 1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Woodruff, R.K.; Hanf, R.W.; Lundgren, R.E.

1993-06-01

This report is prepared annually to summarize environmental data and information, describe environmental management performance, and demonstrate the status of compliance with environmental regulations at the Hanford Site. The following sections: describe the Hanford Site and its mission; summarize the status in 1992 of compliance with environmental regulations; describe the environmental programs at the Hanford Site; discuss public dose estimates from 1992 Hanford activities; present information on effluent monitoring and environmental surveillance, including ground-water protection and monitoring, and discuss activities to ensure quality.

40 CFR 144.87 - How does the identification of ground water protection areas and other sensitive ground water...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false How does the identification of ground water protection areas and other sensitive ground water areas affect me? 144.87 Section 144.87 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM Requirements for...

40 CFR 144.87 - How does the identification of ground water protection areas and other sensitive ground water...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false How does the identification of ground water protection areas and other sensitive ground water areas affect me? 144.87 Section 144.87 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM Requirements for...

40 CFR 144.87 - How does the identification of ground water protection areas and other sensitive ground water...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 22 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How does the identification of ground water protection areas and other sensitive ground water areas affect me? 144.87 Section 144.87 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM Requirements for...

40 CFR 144.87 - How does the identification of ground water protection areas and other sensitive ground water...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false How does the identification of ground water protection areas and other sensitive ground water areas affect me? 144.87 Section 144.87 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM Requirements for...

40 CFR 144.87 - How does the identification of ground water protection areas and other sensitive ground water...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false How does the identification of ground water protection areas and other sensitive ground water areas affect me? 144.87 Section 144.87 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) UNDERGROUND INJECTION CONTROL PROGRAM Requirements for...

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Southeast San Joaquin Valley, 2005-2006 - Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burton, Carmen A.; Belitz, Kenneth

2008-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 3,800 square-mile Southeast San Joaquin Valley study unit (SESJ) was investigated from October 2005 through February 2006 as part of the Priority Basin Assessment Project of Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Statewide Basin Assessment project was developed in response to the Ground-Water Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The SESJ study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within SESJ, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 99 wells in Fresno, Tulare, and Kings Counties, 83 of which were selected using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study area (grid wells), and 16 of which were sampled to evaluate changes in water chemistry along ground-water flow paths or across alluvial fans (understanding wells). The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOCs], pesticides and pesticide degradates, and pharmaceutical compounds), constituents of special interest (perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane), naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements), radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, and carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon), and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, samples for matrix spikes) were collected at approximately 10 percent of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Assessment of the quality-control data resulted in censoring of less than 1 percent of the detections of constituents measured in ground-water samples. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of drinking water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, and (or) blended with other waters to maintain acceptable drinking-water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to the treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with regulatory and other health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns by CDPH. Two VOCs were detected above health-based thresholds: 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), and benzene. DBCP was detected above the U.S. Environmental Protections Agency's maximum contaminant level (MCL-US) in three grid wells and five understanding wells. Benzene was detected above the CDPH's maximum contaminant level (MCL-CA) in one grid well. All pesticide detections were below health-based thresholds. Perchlorate was detected above its maximum contaminate level for California in one grid well. Nitrate was detected above the MCL-US in six samples from understanding wells, of which one was a public supply well. Two trace elements were detected above MCLs-US: arsenic and uranium. Arsenic was detected above the MCL-US in four grid wells and two understanding wells; uranium was detected above the MCL-US in one grid well and one understanding well. Gross alpha radiation was detected above MCLs-US in five samples; four of them understanding wells, and uranium isotope activity was greater than the MCL-US for one understanding well

UPDATE ON MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION (MNA) FOR INORGANICS

EPA Science Inventory

Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) is a knowledge-based remediation technology for contaminants in ground water. MNA is more frequently being considered for reduction of risk from metals and other inorganic contaminants in ground water at waste sites. ORD is developing a series ...

STATE WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH INSTITUTE PROGRAM: GROUND WATER RESEARCH.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burton, James S.; ,

1985-01-01

This paper updates a review of the accomplishments of the State Water Resources Research Program in ground water contamination research. The aim is to assess the progress made towards understanding the mechanisms of ground water contamination and based on this understanding, to suggest procedures for the prevention and control of ground water contamination. The following research areas are covered: (1) mechanisms of organic contaminant transport in the subsurface environment; (2) bacterial and viral contamination of ground water from landfills and septic tank systems; (3) fate and persistence of pesticides in the subsurface; (4) leachability and transport of ground water pollutants from coal production and utilization; and (5) pollution of ground water from mineral mining activities.

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Kern County Subbasin Study Unit, 2006 - Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shelton, Jennifer L.; Pimentel, Isabel; Fram, Miranda S.; Belitz, Kenneth

2008-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 3,000 square-mile Kern County Subbasin study unit (KERN) was investigated from January to March, 2006, as part of the Priority Basin Assessment Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Assessment project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001, and is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The Kern County Subbasin study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw (untreated) ground-water quality within KERN, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 50 wells within the San Joaquin Valley portion of Kern County. Forty-seven of the wells were selected using a randomized grid-based method to provide a statistical representation of the ground-water resources within the study unit. Three additional wells were sampled to aid in the evaluation of changes in water chemistry along regional ground-water flow paths. The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of man-made organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOCs], pesticides, and pesticide degradates), constituents of special interest (perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA], and 1,2,3-trichloropropane [1,2,3-TCP]), naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements), radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon) and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, and laboratory matrix spikes) were collected and analyzed at approximately 10 percent of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data from the ground-water samples. Assessment of the quality-control information resulted in censoring of less than 0.4 percent of the data collected for ground-water samples. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, raw ground water typically is treated, disinfected, or blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply, not to the raw ground water, but to treated water that is served to the consumer. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), and as well as with thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. VOCs and pesticides each were detected in approximately 60 percent of the grid wells, and detections of all compounds but one were below health-based thresholds. The fumigant, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), was detected above the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL-US) in one sample. Detections of most inorganic constituents were also below health-based thresholds. Constituents detected above health-based thresholds include: nitrate, (MCL-US, 2 samples), arsenic (MCL-US, 2 samples), and vanadium (California notification level, NL-CA, 1 sample). All detections of radioactive constituents were below health-based thresholds, although nine samples had activities of radon-222 above the lower proposed MCL-US. Most of the samples from KERN wells had concentrations of major elements, total dissolved solids, and trace elements below the non-enforceable thresholds set for aesthetic concerns.

Development of a Ground Water Data Portal for Interoperable Data Exchange within the U.S. National Ground Water Monitoring Network and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booth, N. L.; Brodaric, B.; Lucido, J. M.; Kuo, I.; Boisvert, E.; Cunningham, W. L.

2011-12-01

The need for a national groundwater monitoring network within the United States is profound and has been recognized by organizations outside government as a major data gap for managing ground-water resources. Our country's communities, industries, agriculture, energy production and critical ecosystems rely on water being available in adequate quantity and suitable quality. To meet this need the Subcommittee on Ground Water, established by the Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information, created a National Ground Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN) envisioned as a voluntary, integrated system of data collection, management and reporting that will provide the data needed to address present and future ground-water management questions raised by Congress, Federal, State and Tribal agencies and the public. The NGWMN Data Portal is the means by which policy makers, academics and the public will be able to access ground water data through one seamless web-based application from disparate data sources. Data systems in the United States exist at many organizational and geographic levels and differing vocabulary and data structures have prevented data sharing and reuse. The data portal will facilitate the retrieval of and access to groundwater data on an as-needed basis from multiple, dispersed data repositories allowing the data to continue to be housed and managed by the data provider while being accessible for the purposes of the national monitoring network. This work leverages Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) data exchange standards and information models. To advance these standards for supporting the exchange of ground water information, an OGC Interoperability Experiment was organized among international participants from government, academia and the private sector. The experiment focused on ground water data exchange across the U.S. / Canadian border. WaterML2.0, an evolving international standard for water observations, encodes ground water levels and is exchanged using the OGC Sensor Observation Service (SOS) standard. Ground Water Markup Language (GWML) encodes well log, lithology and construction information and is exchanged using the OGC Web Feature Service (WFS) standard. Within the NGWMN Data Portal, data exchange between distributed data provider repositories is achieved through the use of these web services and a central mediation hub, which performs both format (syntactic) and nomenclature (semantic) mediation, conforming heterogeneous inputs into common standards-based outputs. Through these common standards, interoperability between the U.S. NGWMN and Canada's Groundwater Information Network (GIN) is achieved, advancing a ground water virtual observatory across North America.

Computer programs for describing the recession of ground-water discharge and for estimating mean ground-water recharge and discharge from streamflow records-update

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rutledge, A.T.

1998-01-01

The computer programs included in this report can be used to develop a mathematical expression for recession of ground-water discharge and estimate mean ground-water recharge and discharge. The programs are intended for analysis of the daily streamflow record of a basin where one can reasonably assume that all, or nearly all, ground water discharges to the stream except for that which is lost to riparian evapotranspiration, and where regulation and diversion of flow can be considered to be negligible. The program RECESS determines the master reces-sion curve of streamflow recession during times when all flow can be considered to be ground-water discharge and when the profile of the ground-water-head distribution is nearly stable. The method uses a repetitive interactive procedure for selecting several periods of continuous recession, and it allows for nonlinearity in the relation between time and the logarithm of flow. The program RORA uses the recession-curve displacement method to estimate the recharge for each peak in the streamflow record. The method is based on the change in the total potential ground-water discharge that is caused by an event. Program RORA is applied to a long period of record to obtain an estimate of the mean rate of ground-water recharge. The program PART uses streamflow partitioning to estimate a daily record of base flow under the streamflow record. The method designates base flow to be equal to streamflow on days that fit a requirement of antecedent recession, linearly interpolates base flow for other days, and is applied to a long period of record to obtain an estimate of the mean rate of ground-water discharge. The results of programs RORA and PART correlate well with each other and compare reasonably with results of the corresponding manual method.

40 CFR 141.402 - Ground water source microbial monitoring and analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... approves the use of E. coli as a fecal indicator for source water monitoring under this paragraph (a). If the repeat sample collected from the ground water source is E.coli positive, the system must comply... listed in the in paragraph (c)(2) of this section for the presence of E. coli, enterococci, or coliphage...

Monitoring Production of Methane and Carbon Dioxide and Consumption of Oxygen at Spills of Gasoline at UST Release Sites

EPA Science Inventory

Methane is rarely measured at fuel spill sites, and most commonly the measurements are made on samples of ground water. Many ground water monitoring wells are intentionally screened across the water table. This was done to allow them to sample free product. However, if there is s...

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Site environmental report for calendar Year 1990

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoff, D.L.; Mitchell, R.G.; Moore, R.

1991-06-01

The results of the various monitoring programs for 1990 indicate that most radioactivity from the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) operations could not be distinguished from worldwide fallout and natural radioactivity in the region surrounding the INEL Site. Although some radioactive materials were discharged during Site operations, concentrations and doses to the surrounding population were of no health consequence and were far less than State of Idaho and Federal health protection guidelines. The first section of the report summarizes Calendar Year 1990 and January 1 through April 1, 1991, INEL activities related to compliance with environmental regulations and laws. Themore » balance of the report describes the surveillance program, the collection of foodstuffs at the INEL boundary and distant offsite locations, and the collection of air and water samples at onsite locations and offsite boundary and distant locations. The report also compares and evaluates the sample results and discusses implications, if any. Nonradioactive and radioactive effluent monitoring at the Site, and the US Geological Survey (USGS) ground-water monitoring program are also summarized. 33 refs., 18 figs., 29 tabs.« less

Ground-water recharge in humid areas of the United States: A summary of Ground-Water Resources Program studies, 2003-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Delin, Geoffrey N.; Risser, Dennis W.

2007-01-01

Increased demands on water resources by a growing population and recent droughts have raised awareness about the adequacy of ground-water resources in humid areas of the United States. The spatial and temporal variability of ground-water recharge are key factors that need to be quantified to determine the sustainability of ground-water resources. Ground-water recharge is defined herein as the entry into the saturated zone of water made available at the water-table surface, together with the associated flow away from the water table within the saturated zone (Freeze and Cherry, 1979). In response to the need for better estimates of ground-water recharge, the Ground-Water Resources Program (GWRP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began an initiative in 2003 to estimate ground-water recharge rates in the relatively humid areas of the United States.

Monitored Natural Attenuation of Inorganic Contaminants in Ground Water – Technical Report Series

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation will cover the development and content of new EPA Technical Resource Documents on the application of monitored natural attenuation for inorganic contaminants in ground water. This presentation discusses the various mechanisms that are recognized to result in th...

GROUND WATER ISSUE: LOW-FLOW (MINIMAL DRAWDOWN) GROUND-WATER SAMPLING PROCEDURES

EPA Science Inventory

This paper is intended to provide background information on the development of low-flow sampling procedures and its application under a variety of hydrogeologic settings. The sampling methodology described in this paper assumes that the monitoring goal is to sample monitoring wel...

DISCRETE-LEVEL GROUND-WATER MONITORING SYSTEM FOR CONTAINMENT AND REMEDIAL PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVES

EPA Science Inventory

A passive discrete-level multilayer ground-water sampler was evaluated to determine its capability to obtain representative discrete-interval samples within the screen intervals of traditional monitoring wells without purging. Results indicate that the device is able to provide ...

Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, Northeastern Arizona: 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Blakemore E.; Truini, Margot

2000-01-01

The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400-square-mile area of Black Mesa in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in this area because of continued industrial and municipal use, a growing population, and a precipitation of only about 6 to 12 inches per year. The monitoring program in Black Mesa has been operating since 1971 and is designed to determine the long-term effects of ground-water withdrawals from the N aquifer for industrial and municipal uses. The monitoring program includes measurements of (1) ground-water pumping, (2) ground-water levels, (3) spring discharge, (4) surface-water discharge, and (5) ground-water chemistry. In 1999, total ground-water withdrawals were 7,110 acre-feet, industrial use was 4,210 acre-feet, and municipal use was 2,900 acre-feet. From 1998 to 1999, total withdrawals increased by 0.7 percent, industrial use increased by 4 percent, and municipal use decreased by 4 percent. From 1998 to 1999, water levels declined in 11 of 15 wells in the unconfined part of the aquifer, and the median decline was 0.7 foot. Water levels declined in 14 of 16 wells in the confined part of the aquifer, and the median decline was 1.2 feet. From the prestress period (prior to 1965) to 1999, the median water-level decline in 31 wells was 10.6 feet. Median water-level changes were 0.0 foot for 15 wells in the unconfined part of the aquifer and a decline of 45.5 feet in 16 wells in the confined part. From 1998 to 1999, discharges were measured annually at four springs. Discharges declined 30 percent and 3 percent at 2 springs, did not change at 1 spring, and increased by 11 percent at 1 spring. For the past 10 years, discharges from the four springs have fluctuated; however, an increasing or decreasing trend was not observed. Continuous records of surface-water discharge have been collected from July 1976 to 1999 at Moenkopi Wash, July 1996 to 1999 at Laguna Creek, June 1993 to 1999 at Dinnebito Wash, and April 1994 to 1999 at Polacca Wash. Median flows for November, December, January, and February of each water year are used as an index of ground-water discharge to those streams. Increasing or decreasing trends are not apparent in these median winter flows for the periods of record. In 1999, water samples were collected from 12 wells and 4 springs and analyzed for selected chemical constituents. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 91 to 630 milligrams per liter. Water samples from 10 of the wells and the 4 springs had less than 350 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids. Water-chemistry data are available for nine wells and four springs from about the mid-1980s. For that time period, the data from those sites have remained fairly stable. From 1987 to 1999, concentrations of dissolved solids, chloride, and sulfate may have increased slightly in samples from Moenkopi School Spring.

Ground-water, surface-water and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona: 2001-02

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Blakemore E.

2002-01-01

The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400-square-mile area of Black Mesa in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in this area because of continued industrial and municipal use, a growing population, and precipitation of about 6 to 14 inches per year. The monitoring program in the Black Mesa area has been operating since 1971 and is designed to determine the long-term effects of ground-water withdrawals from the N aquifer for industrial and municipal uses. The monitoring program includes measurements of (1) ground-water pumping, (2) ground-water levels, (3) spring discharge, (4) surface-water discharge, and (5) ground-water chemistry. In 2001, total ground-water withdrawals were 7,680 acre-feet, industrial use was 4,530 acre-feet, and municipal use was 3,150 acre-feet. From 2000 to 2001, total withdrawals decreased by 1 percent, industrial use increased by 1 percent, and municipal use decreased by 3 percent. From 2001 to 2002, water levels declined in 5 of 14 wells in the unconfined part of the aquifer, and the median change was +0.2 foot. Water levels declined in 12 of 17 wells in the confined part of the aquifer, and the median change was -1.4 feet. From the prestress period (prior to 1965) to 2002, the median water-level change for 32 wells was -15.8 feet. Median water-level changes were -1.3 feet for 15 wells in the unconfined part of the aquifer and -31.7 feet for 17 wells in the confined part. Discharges were measured once in 2001 and once in 2002 at four springs. Discharges decreased by 26 percent and 66 percent at two springs, increased by 100 percent at one spring, and did not change at one spring. For the past 10 years, discharges from the four springs have fluctuated; however, an increasing or decreasing trend is not apparent. Continuous records of surface-water discharge have been collected from 1976 to 2001 at Moenkopi Wash, 1996 to 2001 at Laguna Creek, 1993 to 2001 at Dinnebito Wash, and 1994 to 2001 at Polacca Wash. Median flows for November, December, January, and February of each water year were used as an index of ground-water discharge to those streams. Since 1995, the median winter flows have decreased for Moenkopi Wash, Dinnebito Wash, and Polacca Wash. Since 1997, there is no consistent trend in the median winter flow for Laguna Creek. In 2002, water samples were collected from 12 wells and 4 springs and analyzed for selected chemical constituents. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 96 to 636 milligrams per liter. Water samples from 8 of the wells and from 3 of the springs had less than 300 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids. There are no appreciable time trends in the chemistry of water samples from 9 wells and 4 springs; the 9 wells had more than 7 years of data, and the 4 springs had more than 9 years of data.

Implications of ground water chemistry and flow patterns for earthquake studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guangcai, W.; Zuochen, Z.; Min, W.; Cravotta, C.A.; Chenglong, L.

2005-01-01

Ground water can facilitate earthquake development and respond physically and chemically to tectonism. Thus, an understanding of ground water circulation in seismically active regions is important for earthquake prediction. To investigate the roles of ground water in the development and prediction of earthquakes, geological and hydrogeological monitoring was conducted in a seismogenic area in the Yanhuai Basin, China. This study used isotopic and hydrogeochemical methods to characterize ground water samples from six hot springs and two cold springs. The hydrochemical data and associated geological and geophysical data were used to identify possible relations between ground water circulation and seismically active structural features. The data for ??18O, ??D, tritium, and 14C indicate ground water from hot springs is of meteoric origin with subsurface residence times of 50 to 30,320 years. The reservoir temperature and circulation depths of the hot ground water are 57??C to 160??C and 1600 to 5000 m, respectively, as estimated by quartz and chalcedony geothermometers and the geothermal gradient. Various possible origins of noble gases dissolved in the ground water also were evaluated, indicating mantle and deep crust sources consistent with tectonically active segments. A hard intercalated stratum, where small to moderate earthquakes frequently originate, is present between a deep (10 to 20 km), high-electrical conductivity layer and the zone of active ground water circulation. The ground water anomalies are closely related to the structural peculiarity of each monitoring point. These results could have implications for ground water and seismic studies in other seismogenic areas. Copyright ?? 2005 National Ground Water Association.

Nutrient Enrichment in Estuaries from Discharge of Shallow Ground Water, Mt. Desert Island, Maine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Culbertson, Charles W.; Huntington, Thomas G.; Caldwell, James M.

2007-01-01

Nutrient enrichment from atmospheric deposition, agricultural activities, wildlife, and domestic sources is a concern at Acadia National Park because of the potential problem of water-quality degradation and eutrophication in its estuaries. Water-quality degradation has been observed at the Park?s Bass Harbor Marsh estuary but not in Northeast Creek estuary. Previous studies at Acadia National Park have estimated nutrient inputs to estuaries from atmospheric deposition and surface-water runoff, but the importance of shallow ground water that may contain nutrients derived from domestic or other sources is unknown. Northeast Creek and Bass Harbor Marsh estuaries were studied to (1) identify shallow ground-water seeps, (2) assess the chemistry of the water discharged from selected seeps, and (3) assess the chemistry of ground water in shallow ground-water hyporheic zones. The hyporheic zone is defined here as the region beneath and lateral to a stream bed, where there is mixing of shallow ground water and surface water. This study also provides baseline chemical data for ground water in selected bedrock monitoring wells and domestic wells on Mt. Desert Island. Water samples were analyzed for concentrations of nutrients, wastewater compounds, dissolved organic carbon, pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature and specific conductance. Samples from bedrock monitoring wells also were analyzed for alkalinity, major cations and anions, and trace metals. Shallow ground-water seeps to Northeast Creek and Bass Harbor Marsh estuaries at Acadia National Park were identified and georeferenced using aerial infrared digital imagery. Monitoring included the deployment of continuously recording temperature and specific conductance sensors in the seep discharge zone to access marine or freshwater signatures related to tidal flooding, gradient-driven shallow ground-water flow, or shallow subsurface flow related to precipitation events. Many potential shallow ground-water discharge zones were identified from aerial thermal imagery during flights in May and December 2003 in both estuaries. The occurrence of ground-water seeps was confirmed using continuous and discrete measurements of temperature and specific conductance in selected seeps and in the adjacent estuaries that showed salinity anomalies reflecting the input of freshwater in these complex tidal systems. Analysis of water samples from shallow ground water in the hyporheic zone and from ground-water seeps indicated the presence of elevated concentrations of dissolved nitrogen, compared to concentrations in the adjacent estuaries and surface-water tributaries draining into the estuaries. These findings indicate that shallow ground water is a source of dissolved nitrogen to the estuaries. Orthophosphate levels were low in ground water in the hyporheic zone in Bass Harbor Marsh, but somewhat higher in one hyporheic-zone well in Northeast Creek compared with the concentrations in both estuaries that were at or below detection limits. Household wastewater-related compounds were not detected in ground water in the hyporheic zone. Analysis of water samples from domestic and bedrock monitoring wells developed in fractured bedrock indicated that concentrations of dissolved nitrogen, phosphorus, and household wastewater-related compounds were typically at or below detection, suggesting that the aquifers sampled had not been contaminated from septic sources.

Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona--2003-04

USGS Publications Warehouse

Truini, Margot; Macy, Jamie P.; Porter, Thomas J.

2005-01-01

The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400-square-mile area of Black Mesa in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in this area because of continued industrial and municipal use, a growing population, and precipitation of about 6 to 14 inches per year. The monitoring program in the Black Mesa area has been operating since 1971 and is designed to determine the long-term effects of ground-water withdrawals from the N aquifer for industrial and municipal uses. The monitoring program includes measurements of (1) ground-water pumping, (2) ground-water levels, (3) spring discharge, (4) surface-water discharge, (5) ground-water chemistry, and (6) periodic testing of ground-water withdrawal meters. In 2003, total ground-water withdrawals were 7,240 acre-feet, industrial withdrawals were 4,450 acre-feet, and municipal withdrawals were 2,790 acre-feet. From 2002 to 2003, total withdrawals decreased by 10 percent, industrial withdrawals decreased by 4 percent, and municipal withdrawals decreased by 20 percent. Flowmeter testing was completed for 24 municipal wells in 2004. The median difference between pumping rates for the permanent meter and a test meter for all the sites tested was -2.9 percent. Values ranged from -10.9 percent at Forest Lake NTUA 1 to +7.8 percent at Rough Rock NTUA 2. From 2003 to 2004, water levels declined in 6 of 12 wells in the unconfined part of the aquifer, and the median change was -0.1 foot. Water levels declined in 7 of 11 wells in the confined part of the aquifer, and the median change was -2.7 feet. From the prestress period (prior to 1965) to 2003, the median water-level change for 26 wells was -23.2 feet. Median water-level change were -6.1 feet for 14 wells in the unconfined parts of the aquifer and and -72.1 feet for 12 wells in the confined part. Discharges were measured once in 2003 and once in 2004 at four springs. Discharge stayed the same at Pasture Canyon Spring, increased 9 percent at Moenkopi Spring, decreased 26 percent at an unnamed spring near Dennehotso, and decreased 50 percent at Burro Spring. For the past 12 years, discharges from the four springs have fluctuated; however, an increasing or decreasing trend is not apparent. Continuous records of surface-water discharge have been collected from 1976 to 2003 at Moenkopi Wash, 1996 to 2003 at Laguna Creek, 1993 to 2003 at Dinnebito Wash, and 1994 to 2003 at Polacca Wash. Median flows for November, December, January, and February of each water year were used as an index of ground-water discharge to those streams. Since 1995, the median winter flows have decreased for Moenkopi Wash, Dinnebito Wash, and Polacca Wash. Since the first continuous record of surface-water discharge in 1997, there is no consistent trend in the median winter flow for Laguna Creek. In 2004, water samples were collected from 12 wells and 4 springs and analyzed for selected chemical constituents. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 100 to 649 milligrams per liter. Water samples from 11 of the wells and from all the springs had less than 500 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids. There are no appreciable time trends in the chemistry of water samples from 7 wells and 2 springs; increasing trends in dissolved-solids and chloride concentrations were evident from the more than 10 years of data for 2 springs.

Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona, 2002-03

USGS Publications Warehouse

Truini, Margot; Thomas, Blakemore E.

2004-01-01

The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400-square-mile area of Black Mesa in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in this area because of continued industrial and municipal use, a growing population, and precipitation of about 6 to 14 inches per year. The monitoring program in the Black Mesa area has been operating since 1971 and is designed to determine the long-term effects of ground-water withdrawals from the N aquifer for industrial and municipal uses. The monitoring program includes measurements of (1) ground-water pumping, (2) ground-water levels, (3) spring discharge, (4) surface-water discharge, (5) ground-water chemistry, and (6) periodic testing of ground-water withdrawal meters. In 2002, total ground-water withdrawals were 8,000 acre-feet, industrial use was 4,640 acre-feet, and municipal use was 3,360 acre-feet. From 2001 to 2002, total withdrawals increased by 4 percent, industrial use increased by 2 percent, and municipal use increased by 7 percent. Flowmeter testing was completed for 32 municipal wells in 2003. The median difference between pumping rates for the permanent meter and a test meter for all the sites tested was -2.0 percent. Values ranged from -13.7 percent at Hopi High School no. 2 to +12.9 percent at Shonto PM3. From 2002 to 2003, water levels declined in 5 of 13 wells in the unconfined part of the aquifer, and the median change was 0.0 foot. Water levels declined in 8 of 13 wells in the confined part of the aquifer, and the median change was -1.1 feet. From the prestress period (prior to 1965) to 2003, the median water-level change for 26 wells was -8.3 feet. Median water-level changes were -0.4 foot for 13 wells in the unconfirned part of the aquifer and -60.3 feet for 13 wells in the confined part. Discharges were measured once in 2002 and once in 2003 at four springs. Discharge decreased by 16 percent at Pasture Canyon Spring, increased 10 percent at Moenkopi Spring and 90 percent at an unnamed spring near Dennehotso, and did not change at Burro Spring. For the past 11 years, discharges from the four springs have fluctuated; however, an increasing or decreasing trend is not apparent. Continuous records of surface-water discharge have been collected from 1976 to 2002 at Moenkopi Wash, 1996 to 2002 at Laguna Creek, 1993 to 2002 at Dinnebito Wash, and 1994 to 2002 at Polacca Wash. Median flows for November, December, January, and February of each water year were used as an index of ground-water discharge to those streams. Since 1995, the median winter flows have decreased for Moenkopi Wash, Dinnebito Wash, and Polacca Wash. Since the first continuous record of surface-water discharge in 1997, there is no consistent trend in the median winter flow for Laguna Creek. In 2003, water samples were collected from 12 wells and 4 springs and analyzed for selected chemical constituents. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 118 to 642 milligrams per liter. Water samples from 10 of the wells and from all of the springs had less than 500 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids. There are no appreciable time trends in the chemistry of water samples from 7 wells and 4 springs; 7 wells had more than 8 years of data, and the 4 springs had more than 10 years of data.

Ground Water Modeling Research

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA is supporting region, state, and tribal partners at Superfund sites and brownfields to develop new methods to better characterize, monitor, and treat ground water contamination; in order to protect drinking water, surface water, and indoor air.

Progress report on the ground-water, surface-water, and quality- of-water monitoring program, Black Mesa Area, northeastern Arizona; 1987-88

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, R.J.; Sottilare, J.P.

1988-01-01

The Black Mesa, Arizona, monitoring program is designed to determine long-term effects on the water resources of the area resulting from withdrawals of groundwater from the N aquifer by the strip-mining operation of Peabody Coal Company. Withdrawals by Peabody Coal Company increased from 95 acre-ft in 1968 to 3 ,832 acre-ft in 1987. The N aquifer is an important source of water in the 5,400-sq-mi Black Mesa area on the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations. Water levels in the confined area of the aquifer declined as much as 95.1 ft near Keams Canyon from 1965 to 1988. Part of the decline in the measured municipal wells may be due to local pumping. During 1965-88, water levels in wells that tap the unconfined area of the aquifer have not declined significantly and have risen in many areas. Chemical analyses indicate no significant changes in the quality of water from wells that tap the N aquifer or from springs that discharge from several stratigraphic units, including the N aquifer, since pumping began at the mine. (USGS)

Wastewater application by spray irrigation on a field southeast of Tallahassee, Florida; effects on ground-water quality and quantity, 1980-82

USGS Publications Warehouse

Elder, J.F.; Hunn, J.D.; Calhoun, C.W.

1985-01-01

A field southeast of Tallahassee, Florida, used for land application of wastewater by spray irrigation was the site of a ground-water monitoring study to determine effects of spray irrigation on water-table elevations and ground-water quality. The study was conducted during 1980-82 in cooperation with the City of Tallahassee. The wastewater has relatively high concentrations of chloride, nitrogen, phosphorus, organic carbon , coliform bacteria, sodium, and potassium. These substances are usually attenuated before they can impact the ground water. However, increases in chloride and nitrate-nitrogen were evident in ground water in some of the monitoring wells during the study. Chloride concentrations increased five-fold or more in some wells directly affected by spray irrigation, and nitrate-nitrogen concentrations increased eight-fold or more. Ground-water levels in the area of the spray field fluctuated over a range of several feet. These fluctuations were affected somewhat by spray irrigation, but the primary control on water levels was rainfall. As of December 1982, constituents introduced to the system by spray irrigation of effluent had not exceeded drinking water standard in the ground water. However, the system had not yet stabilized and more changes in ground-water quality could be expected. (USGS)

The value of long-term monitoring in the development of ground-water-flow models

USGS Publications Warehouse

Feinstein, Daniel T.; Hart, David J.; Krohelski, James T.

2004-01-01

As environmental issues have come to the forefront of public concern, so has the awareness of the importance of ground water in the overall water cycle and as a source of the Nation’s drinking water. Heightened interest has spawned a host of scientific enterprises (Taylor and Alley, 2001). Some activities are directed toward collection of water-level data and related information to monitor the physical and chemical state of the resource. Other activities are directed at interpretive studies undertaken, for example, to optimize the location of new water-supply wells or to protect rivers and lakes fed by ground water. An important type of interpretive study is the computer ground-water-flow model that inte- grates field data in a mathematical framework. Long-term, systematic collection of hydro- logic data is crucial to the construction and testing of ground-water models so that they can reproduce the evolution of flow systems and forecast future conditions. 

Land-subsidence and ground-water storage monitoring in the Tucson Active Management Area, Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pool, Don R.; Winster, Daniel; Cole, K.C.

2000-01-01

The Tucson Active Management Area (TAMA) comprises two basins--Tucson Basin and Avra Valley. The TAMA has been directed by Arizona ground-water law to attain an annual balance between groundwater withdrawals and recharge by the year 2025. This balance is defined by the statute as "safe yield." Current ground-water withdrawals exceed recharge, resulting in conditions of ground-water overdraft, which causes removal of water from ground-water storage and subsidence of the land surface. Depletion of storage and associated land subsidence will not be halted until all discharge from the system, both natural and human induced, is balanced by recharge. The amount of the ground-water overdraft has been difficult to estimate until recently because it could not be directly measured. Overdraft has been estimated using indirect water-budget methods that rely on uncertain estimates of recharge. As a result, the status of the ground-water budget could not be known with great certainty. Gravity methods offer a means to directly measure ground-water overdraft through measurement of changes in the gravitational field of the Earth that are caused by changes in the amount of water stored in the subsurface. Changes in vertical position also affect the measured gravity value and thus subsidence also must be monitored. The combination of periodic observations of gravity and vertical positions provide direct measures of changes in stored ground water and land subsidence.

GROUND WATER MONITORING AND SAMPLING: MULTI-LEVEL VERSUS TRADITIONAL METHODS WHATS WHAT?

EPA Science Inventory

After years of research and many publications, the question still remains: What is the best method to collect representative ground water samples from monitoring wells? Numerous systems and devices are currently available for obtaining both multi-level samples as well as traditi...

WORKSHOP ON MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION OF INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

The Office of Research and Development (ORD) has developed a one-day seminar to present an overview of site characterization approaches to support evaluation of the potential for Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) as a remedy for inorganic contaminants in ground water. These sem...

Toward implementation of a national ground water monitoring network

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schreiber, Robert P.; Cunningham, William L.; Copeland, Rick; Frederick, Kevin D.

2008-01-01

The Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information's (ACWI) Subcommittee on Ground Water (SOGW) has been working steadily to develop and encourage implementation of a nationwide, long-term ground-water quantity and quality monitoring framework. Significant progress includes the planned submission this fall of a draft framework document to the full committee. The document will include recommendations for implementation of the network and continued acknowledgment at the federal and state level of ACWI's potential role in national monitoring toward an improved assessment of the nation's water reserves. The SOGW mission includes addressing several issues regarding network design, as well as developing plans for concept testing, evaluation of costs and benefits, and encouraging the movement from pilot-test results to full-scale implementation within a reasonable time period. With the recent attention to water resource sustainability driven by severe droughts, concerns over global warming effects, and persistent water supply problems, the SOGW mission is now even more critical.

Characterization and Monitoring of Natural Attenuation of Chlorinated Solvents in Ground Water: A Systems Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cutshall, N. H.; Gilmore, T.; Looney, B. B.; Vangelas, K. M.; Adams, K. M.; Sink, C. H.

2006-05-01

Like many US industries and businesses, the Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for remediation and restoration of soils and ground water contaminated with chlorinated ethenes. Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) is an attractive remediation approach and is probably the universal end-stage technology for removing such contamination. Since 2003 we have carried out a multifaceted program at the Savannah River Site designed to advance the state of the art for MNA of chlorinated ethenes in soils and groundwater. Three lines of effort were originally planned: 1) Improving the fundamental science for MNA, 2) Promoting better characterization and monitoring (CM) techniques, and 3) Advancing the regulatory aspects of MNA management. A fourth line, developing enhanced attenuation methods based on sustainable natural processes, was added in order to deal with sites where the initial natural attenuation capacity cannot offset contaminant loading rates. These four lines have been pursued in an integrated and mutually supportive fashion. Many DOE site-cleanup program managers view CM as major expenses, especially for natural attenuation where measuring attenuation is complex and the most critical attenuation mechanisms cannot be determined directly. We have reviewed new and developing approaches to CM for potential application in support of natural attenuation of chlorinated hydrocarbons in ground water at DOE sites (Gilmore, Tyler, et al., 2006 WSRC-TR- 2005-00199). Although our project is focused on chlorinated ethenes, many of the concepts and strategies are also applicable to a wider range of contaminants including radionuclides and metals. The greatest savings in CM are likely to come from new management approaches. New approaches can be based, for example, on conceptual models of attenuation capacity, the ability of a formation to reduce risks caused by contaminants. Using the mass balance concept as a guide, the integrated mass flux of contaminant is compared to the attenuation capacity. The mass balance approach is controlled by a combination of boundary conditions (e.g., water inputs and outputs), flow dynamics, and contaminant concentrations. As a result, long term monitoring might be improved while reducing costs by measuring fewer point concentrations and simultaneously adding large-scale measurements of boundary conditions, using weather data, remote sensing of evapotranspiration, stream-flow monitoring, etc. Because there are no specific regulatory drivers for performance-monitoring, regulators are not accustomed to participating in monitoring system design. A partnership with the Interstate Technology Regulatory Council (ITRC) has been formed to promote communication and develop advanced guidance for MNA. Early and continued communication among technology developers, end users, regulators and the public has been essential to this progress.

The relative merits of monitoring and domestic wells for ground water quality investigations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, J.L.; Roberts, L.M.

1999-01-01

The results of two studies of the effect of agricultural land use on shallow ground water quality indicate that monitoring wells may be a better choice than domestic wells for studies of pesticide occurrence or transport, or for use as early-warning indicators of potential drinking water contamination. Because domestic wells represent the used resource, and because domestic well water may be affected by historical rather than current pesticide and land- use practices, domestic wells would be the best choice for an investigation of drinking water quality. The key difference between the domestic and monitoring wells appears to be that the monitoring wells in this study were installed exclusively to sample the shallowest possible ground water. For these studies, 48 shallow domestic wells and 41 monitoring wells were located randomly within two land-use settings (row crops and orchards) in an irrigated agricultural region of eastern Washington and sampled for 145 pesticides (including nine pesticide degradates) and common water quality indicators. Constructing and sampling monitoring wells required approximately four times the resources (including manpower and materials) as locating and sampling domestic wells. Sample collection and quality assurance procedures and analytical techniques were identical except that a portable submersible pump was required for monitoring wells. In both land-use settings, no significant difference in nitrate concentration was found between well types; however, the average number of pesticides detected per well was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the monitoring wells. A greater variety of pesticides was detected in monitoring wells; many were detected only in monitoring wells. More than 60% of detections of pesticides that were found only in domestic wells were of compounds that are no longer in use. These differences in ground water quality found in this study relate to the depth of the well and are apparently related to the age of ground water in the two types of wells and the greater effects of sorption, degradation, dilution, and dispersion that accompany longer groundwater residence times. The decision to invest resources in monitoring wells should be made in light of the study objective and should consider these differences in results from the two types of wells as well as the relative costs.

Hydrogeologic Setting, Ground-Water Flow, and Ground-Water Quality at the Langtree Peninsula Research Station, Iredell County, North Carolina, 2000-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pippin, Charles G.; Chapman, Melinda J.; Huffman, Brad A.; Heller, Matthew J.; Schelgel, Melissa E.

2008-01-01

A 6-year intensive field study (2000-2005) of a complex, regolith-fractured bedrock ground-water system was conducted at the Langtree Peninsula research station on the Davidson College Lake Campus in Iredell County, North Carolina. This research station was constructed as part of the Piedmont and Mountains Resource Evaluation Program, a cooperative study being conducted by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the U.S. Geological Survey. Results of the study characterize the distinction and interaction of a two-component ground-water system in a quartz diorite rock type. The Langtree Peninsula research station includes 17 monitoring wells and 12 piezometers, including 2 well transects along high to low topographic settings, drilled into separate parts of the ground-water-flow system. The location of the research station is representative of a metaigneous intermediate (composition) regional hydrogeologic unit. The primary rock type is mafic quartz diorite that has steeply dipping foliation. Primary and secondary foliations are present in the quartz diorite at the site, and both have an average strike of about N. 12 degree E. and dip about 60 degree in opposite directions to the southeast (primary) and the northwest (secondary). This rock is cut by granitic dikes (intrusions) ranging in thickness from 2 to 50 feet and having an average strike of N. 20 degree W. and an average dip of 66 degree to the southwest. Depth to consolidated bedrock is considered moderate to deep, ranging from about 24 to 76 feet below land surface. The transition zone was delineated and described in each corehole near the well clusters but had a highly variable thickness ranging from about 1 to 20 feet. Thickness of the regolith (23 to 68 feet) and the transition zone do not appear to be related to topographic setting. Delineated bedrock fractures are dominantly low angle (possibly stress relief), which were observed to be open to partially open at depths of as much as 479 feet below land surface. Well yields ranged from about 3 to 50 gallons per minute. The connection of fracture zones at depth was demonstrated in three bedrock wells during a 48-hour aquifer test, and drawdown curves were similar for all three wells. General findings of this study help characterize ground-water flow in the Piedmont and Mountains ground-water systems. Ground-water flow generally is from high to low topographic settings. Ground-water flow discharges toward a surface-water boundary (Lake Norman), and vertical hydraulic gradients generally are downward in recharge areas and upward in discharge areas. Dominant water types are calcium-bicarbonate and are similar in all three zones (regolith, transition zone, and bedrock) of the ground-water system. Results of continuous ground-water-quality monitoring indicate that ground-water recharge may occur seasonally over a period of several months or after heavy rainfall periods over a shorter period of a few to several weeks.

A preliminary assessment of the occurrence and possible sources of MTBE in ground water of the United States, 1993-94

USGS Publications Warehouse

Squillace, P.J.

1995-01-01

The 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments require fuel oxygenates to be added to gasoline used in some metropolitan areas to reduce atmospheric concen- trations of carbon monoxide or ozone. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), is the most commonly used fuel oxygenate and is a relatively new gasoline additive. Nevertheless, out of 60 volatile organic chemicals analyzed, MTBE was the second most frequently detected chemical in samples of shallow ambient ground water from urban areas that were collected during 1993-94 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program. Samples were collected from 5 drinking-water wells, 12 springs, and 193 monitoring wells in urban areas. No MTBE was detected in drinking-water wells. At a reporting level of 0.2 ug/L (micrograms per liter), MTBE was detected most frequently in shallow ground water from urban areas (27 percent of 210 wells and springs sampled in 8 areas) as compared to shallow ground water from agricultural areas (1.3 percent of 549 wells sampled in 21 areas) or deeper ground water from major aquifers (1 percent of 412 wells sampled in 9 areas). Only 3 percent of the shallow wells sampled in urban areas had concentrations of MTBE that exceed 20 ug/L, which is the estimated lower limit of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency draft drinking-water health advisory. Because MTBE is persistent and mobile in ground water, it can move from shallow to deeper aquifers with time. In shallow urban ground water, MTBE generally was not found with benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, or xylenes (BTEX) compounds which commonly are associated with gasoline spills. This disassociation causes uncertainty as to the source of MTBE. Possible sources of MTBE in ground water include point sources, such as leaking storage tanks, and nonpoint sources, such as recharge of precipitation and storm-water runoff.

U.S. Geological Survey Ground-Water Resources Program, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grannemann, Norman G.

2001-01-01

Ground water is among the Nation's most important natural resources. It provides drinking water to urban and rural communities, supports irrigation and industry, sustains the flow of streams and rivers, and maintains riparian and wetland ecosystems. In many areas of the Nation, the future sustainability of ground-water resources is at risk from over use and contamination. Because ground-water systems typically respond slowly to human actions and climate variability, a long-term perspective is needed to manage this valuable resource. The U.S. Geological Survey Ground-Water Resources Program provides regional evaluations, fundamental data, and predictive tools to help assure the sustainability of our Nation's ground-water resources.

Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona, 1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Littin, Gregory R.; Baum, Bradley M.; Truini, Margot

1999-01-01

The Black Mesa monitoring program is designed to document long-term effects of ground-water from the N aquifer by industrial and municipal users. The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400-square-mile Black Mesa area, and the ground water occurs under confined and unconfined conditions. Monitoring activities include continuous and periodic measurements of (1) ground-water pumpage from the confined and unconfined parts of the aquifer, (2) ground-water levels in the confined and unconfined parts of the aquifer, (3) surface-water discharge, and (4) chemistry of the ground water and surface water. In 1997, ground-water withdrawals for industrial and municipal use totaled about 7,090 acre-feet, which is less than a 1-percent increase from 1996. Pumpage from the confined part of the aquifer increased by about 2 percent to 5,510 acre-feet, and pumpage from the unconfined part of the aquifer decreased by about 4 percent to 1,580 acre-feet. Water-level declines in the confined part during 1997 were recorded in 5 of 12 wells; however, the median change was a rise of about 0.2 foot as opposed to a decline of 2.8 feet for 1996. Water-level declines in the unconfined part were recorded in 7 of 15 wells, and the median change was 0.0 foot in 1997 as opposed to a decline of 0.5 foot in 1996. The low-flow discharge at the Moenkopi streamflow-gaging station ranged from 1.6 to 2.0 cubic feet per second in 1997. Streamflow-discharge measurements also were made at Laguna Creek, Dinnebito Wash, and Polacca Wash during 1997. The low-flow discharge ranged from 2.3 to 4.2 cubic feet per second at Laguna Creek, 0.44 to 0.48 cubic foot per second at Dinnebito Wash, and 0.15 to 0.26 cubic foot per second at Polacca Wash. Discharge was measured at three springs. Discharge from Moenkopi School Spring increased by about 3 gallons per minute from the measurement in 1996. Discharge from an unnamed spring near Dennehotso increased by 9.9 gallons per minute from the measurement made in 1996; however, discharge decreased slightly at Burro Spring. Regionally, long-term water-chemistry data for wells and springs have remained stable. Locally, water-chemistry data for some wells have shown marked increases in concentrations of major constituents.

ASSESSING THE ROLE OF NATURAL ATTENUATION FOR INORGANIC CONTAMINANT REMEDIATION IN GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Monitored natural attenuation (MNA) has been applied as a knowledge-based remediation technology for organic contaminants in ground water. The application of this technology is being considered for remediation of inorganic contaminants in ground water at hazardous waste sites. ...

In situ study of the effect of ground source heat pump on shallow ground-water quality in the late Pleistocene terrace area of Tokyo, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takemura, T.; Uemura, K.; Akiba, Y.; Ota, M.

2015-12-01

The implementation of ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems has rapidly increased around the world, since they reduce carbon dioxide emissions and save electric energy. The GSHP system transfer heat into the geosphere zone when air conditioners are used to cool rooms or buildings. However, the effects of temperature increase on the quality of underground water has yet to be fully investigated. In order to reduce the risks of ground-water pollution by the installed GSHPs, it is important to evaluate the effect of temperature change on the ground-water quality. In this study, we installed a closed loop GSHP system on a heat exchange well along with a monitoring well drilled to measure ground-water quality and temperature. The monitoring well was drilled at 0.1cm away from the heat exchange well. We observed that changes of temperature in the heat exchange well affected the water quality, especially turbidity, in gravelly layer.

The U.S. Geological Survey's water resources program in New York

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wiltshire, Denise A.

1983-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey performs hydrologic investigations throughout the United States to appraise the Nation's water resources. The Geological Survey began its water-resources investigations in New York in 1895. To meet the objectives of assessing New York's water resources, the Geological Survey (1) monitors the quantity and quality of surface and ground water, (2) conducts investigations of the occurrence, availability, and chemical quality of water in specific areas of the State, (3) develops methods and techniques of data-collection and interpretation, (4) provides scientific guidance to the research community, to Federal, State, and local governments, and to the public, and (5) disseminates data and results of research through reports, maps, news releases, conferences, and workshops. Many of the joint hydrologic investigations are performed by the Geological Survey in cooperation with State, county, and nonprofit organizations. The data collection network in New York includes nearly 200 gaging stations and 250 observation wells; chemical quality of water is measured at 260 sites. Data collected at these sites are published annually and are filed in the WATSTORE computer system. Some of the interpretive studies performed by the Geological Survey in New York include (1) determining the suitability of ground-water reservoirs for public-water supply in urban areas, (2) assessing geohydrologic impacts of leachate from hazardous waste sites on stream and ground-water quality, (3) evaluating the effects of precipitation quality and basin characteristics on streams and lakes, and (4) developing digital models of the hydrology of aquifers to simulate ground-water flow and the interaction between ground water and streams.

Ground-water monitoring compliance projects for Hanford Site facilities: Volume 1, The report and Appendix A, Progress report for the period October 1 to December 31, 1986

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

This report documents recent progress on ground-water monitoring projects for four Hanford Site facilities: the 300 Area Process Trenches, the 183-H Solar Evaporation Basins, the 200 Area Low-Level Burial Grounds, and the Nonradioactive Dangerous Waste (NRDW) Landfill. The existing ground-water monitoring projects for the first two facilities named in the paragraph above are currently being expanded by adding new wells to the networks. During the reporting period, sampling of the existing wells continued on a monthly basis, and the analytical results for samples collected from September through November 1986 are included and discussed in this document. 8 refs., 41 figs.,more » 7 tabs.« less

40 CFR 264.97 - General ground-water monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false General ground-water monitoring requirements. 264.97 Section 264.97 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SOLID WASTES (CONTINUED) STANDARDS FOR OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT, STORAGE, AND DISPOSAL FACILITIES Releases From Solid Waste...

Implications of ground water chemistry and flow patterns for earthquake studies.

PubMed

Guangcai, Wang; Zuochen, Zhang; Min, Wang; Cravotta, Charles A; Chenglong, Liu

2005-01-01

Ground water can facilitate earthquake development and respond physically and chemically to tectonism. Thus, an understanding of ground water circulation in seismically active regions is important for earthquake prediction. To investigate the roles of ground water in the development and prediction of earthquakes, geological and hydrogeological monitoring was conducted in a seismogenic area in the Yanhuai Basin, China. This study used isotopic and hydrogeochemical methods to characterize ground water samples from six hot springs and two cold springs. The hydrochemical data and associated geological and geophysical data were used to identify possible relations between ground water circulation and seismically active structural features. The data for delta18O, deltaD, tritium, and 14C indicate ground water from hot springs is of meteoric origin with subsurface residence times of 50 to 30,320 years. The reservoir temperature and circulation depths of the hot ground water are 57 degrees C to 160 degrees C and 1600 to 5000 m, respectively, as estimated by quartz and chalcedony geothermometers and the geothermal gradient. Various possible origins of noble gases dissolved in the ground water also were evaluated, indicating mantle and deep crust sources consistent with tectonically active segments. A hard intercalated stratum, where small to moderate earthquakes frequently originate, is present between a deep (10 to 20 km), high-electrical conductivity layer and the zone of active ground water circulation. The ground water anomalies are closely related to the structural peculiarity of each monitoring point. These results could have implications for ground water and seismic studies in other seismogenic areas.

Evaluation of increases in dissolved solids in ground water, Stovepipe Wells Hotel, Death Valley National Monument, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buono, Anthony; Packard, E.M.

1982-01-01

Increases in dissolved solids have been monitored in two observation wells near Stovepipe Wells Hotel, Death Valley National Monument, California. One of the hotel 's supply wells delivers water to a reverse-osmosis treatment plant that produces the area 's potable water supply. Should water with increased dissolved solids reach the supply well, the costs of production of potable water will increase. The reverse-osmosis plant supply well is located about 0.4 mile south of one of the wells where increases have been monitored, and 0.8 mile southwest of the well where the most significant increases have been monitored. The direction of local ground-water movement is eastward, which reduces the probability of the supply well being affected. Honey mesquite, a phreatophyte located about 1.5 miles downgradient from the well where the most significant increases have been monitored, might be adversely affected should water with increased dissolved solids extend that far. Available data and data collected during this investigation do not indicate the source of the dissolved-solids increases. Continued ground-water-quality monitoring of existing wells and the installation of additional wells for water-quality monitoring would be necessary before the area affected by the increases, and the source and direction of movement of the water with increased dissolved solids, can be determined. (USGS)

CONSTRUCTION AND INSTALLATION OF A NEW PASSIVE DIFFUSION SAMPLER CAPABLE OF MONITORING BENZENE IN EITHER SOIL GAS OR GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Conventional practice to estimate intrusion of fuel vapors from ground water to buildings measures the concentration of BTEX in ground water beneath the building using a conventional well screened across the water table. This practice assumes that the concentration of contaminant...

40 CFR 141.401 - Sanitary surveys for ground water systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sanitary surveys for ground water...) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Ground Water Rule § 141.401 Sanitary surveys for ground water systems. (a) Ground water systems must provide the State, at the State's...

Ground-water quality along the Mojave River near Barstow, California, 1974-79

USGS Publications Warehouse

Eccles, Lawrence A.

1981-01-01

The quality of ground water in the alluvium along the usually dry Mojave River near Barstow, Calif., has been monitored since 1974. Degradation has occurred as a result of wastewater discharge and irrigation return. Characteristics of the degraded ground water include concentrations of dissolved solids exceeding 1,000 milligrams per liter, odor threshold numbers exceeding 5, dissolved organic carbon exceeding 2.0 milligrams per liter, chloride exceeding 250 milligrams per liter, phenols exceeding 1 microgram per liter, and methylene blue active substances exceeding 0.20 milligram per liter. Large flows in the river during the winters of 1977-78 and 1978-79 recharged the aquifer with water from storm runoff. The ground-water-quality monitoring data showed that few changes in the concentration and distribution of chemical constituents occurred between 1974 and 1977, but between 1977 and 1979 there were overall decreases in most constituents and in odor. The monitoring data also showed that between 1977 and 1979 the degraded ground water spread and moved downgradient, whereas prior to 1977 it had been generally confined to an area between Barstow and the U.S. Marine Corps Supply Center. (USGS)

Ground-water conditions and studies in Georgia, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leeth, David C.; Clarke, John S.; Craigg, Steven D.; Wipperfurth, Caryl J.

2003-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collects ground-water data and conducts studies to monitor hydrologic conditions, to better define ground-water resources, and address problems related to water supply and water quality. Data collected as part of ground-water studies include geologic, geophysical, hydraulic property, water level, and water quality. A ground-water-level network has been established throughout most of the State of Georgia, and ground-water-quality networks have been established in the cities of Albany, Savannah, and Brunswick and in Camden County, Georgia. Ground-water levels are monitored continuously in a network of wells completed in major aquifers of the State. This network includes 17 wells in the surficial aquifer, 12 wells in the upper and lower Brunswick aquifers, 73 wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer, 10 wells in the Lower Floridan aquifer and underlying units, 12 wells in the Claiborne aquifer, 1 well in the Gordon aquifer, 11 wells in the Clayton aquifer, 11 wells in the Cretaceous aquifer system, 2 wells in Paleozoic-rock aquifers, and 7 wells in crystalline-rock aquifers. In this report, data from these 156 wells were evaluated to determine whether mean-annual ground-water levels were within, below, or above the normal range during 2001, based on summary statistics for the period of record. Information from these summaries indicates that water levels during 2001 were below normal in almost all aquifers monitored, largely reflecting climatic effects from drought and pumping. In addition, water-level hydrographs for selected wells indicate that water levels have declined during the past 5 years (since 1997) in almost all aquifers monitored, with water levels in some wells falling below historical lows. In addition to continuous water-level data, periodic measurements taken in 52 wells in the Camden County-Charlton County area, and 65 wells in the city of Albany-Dougherty County area were used to construct potentiometric-surface maps for the Upper Floridan aquifer. Ground-water quality in the Upper Floridan aquifer is monitored in the cities of Albany, Savannah, and Brunswick and in Camden County; and monitored in the Lower Floridan aquifer in the Savannah and Brunswick areas. In the Albany area since 1998, nitrate concentrations in the Upper Floridan aquifer have increased in 4 of the 11 wells monitored, and in 1 well, concentrations were above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) 10 milligrams per liter (mg/L) drinking-water standard. In the Savannah area, chloride concentration in water from four wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer showed no appreciable change during 2001, remaining within the USEPA 250 mg/L drinking-water standard; in seven wells completed in the Lower Floridan aquifer and in underlying zones, the chloride concentration remained above the drinking-water standard, with one well showing an increase over previous years. In the Brunswick area, water samples from 66 wells completed in the Upper or Lower Floridan aquifers were collected during June 2001 and analyzed for chloride. A map showing chloride concentrations in the Upper Floridan aquifer during June 2001 indicates that concentrations remained above USEPA drinking-water standards across a 2-square-mile area. In the north Brunswick area, chloride concentrations in the Upper Floridan aquifer continued to increase, whereas in the south Brunswick area, concentrations continued to decrease. In the Camden County area, chloride concentrations in six wells completed in the Upper Floridan aquifer remained within drinking-water standards. With the exception of one well, concentrations remained the same and were below 40 mg/L. In one well, concentrations showed a sharp decline during 2001, but remained above 130 mg/L. Ongoing studies during 2001 include evaluation of agricultural chemicals in shallow ground water in southwestern Georgia; evaluation of saltwater intrusion and water-level and water-quality m

Borehole geophysical monitoring of amendment emplacement and geochemical changes during vegetable oil biostimulation, Anoka County Riverfront Park, Fridley, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lane, John W.; Day-Lewis, Frederick D.; Johnson, Carole D.; Joesten, Peter K.; Kochiss, Christopher S.

2007-01-01

Based on the geophysical data, conceptual models of the distributions of emulsified vegetable oil and ground water with altered chemistry were developed. The field data indicate that, in several cases, the plume of ground water with altered chemistry would not be detected by direct chemical sampling given the construction of monitoring wells; hence the geophysical data provide valuable site-specific insights for the interpretation of water samples and monitoring of biostimulation projects. Application of geophysical methods to data from the ACP demonstrated the utility of radar for monitoring biostimulation injections.

Ground-Water Quality Data in the San Fernando-San Gabriel Study Unit, 2005 - Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Land, Michael; Belitz, Kenneth

2008-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 460 square mile San Fernando-San Gabriel study unit (SFSG) was investigated between May and July 2005 as part of the Priority Basin Assessment Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Assessment Project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The San Fernando-San Gabriel study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within SFSG, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 52 wells in Los Angeles County. Thirty-five of the wells were selected using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study area (grid wells), and seventeen wells were selected to aid in the evaluation of specific water-quality issues or changes in water chemistry along a historic ground-water flow path (understanding wells). The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents [volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides and pesticide degradates], constituents of special interest [perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP), and 1,4-dioxane], naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements), radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, and carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon), and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, samples for matrix spikes) were collected at approximately one-fifth (11 of 52) of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Assessment of the quality-control results showed that the data had very little bias or variability and resulted in censoring of less than 0.7 percent (32 of 4,484 measurements) of the data collected for ground-water samples. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, or blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. VOCs were detected in more than 90 percent (33 of 35) of grid wells. For all wells sampled for SFSG, nearly all VOC detections were below health-based thresholds, and most were less than one-tenth of the threshold values. Samples from seven wells had at least one detection of PCE, TCE, tetrachloromethane, NDMA, or 1,2,3-TCP at or above a health-based threshold. Pesticides were detected in about 90 percent (31 of 35) grid wells and all detections in samples from SFSG wells were below health-based thresholds. Major ions, trace elements, and nutrients in samples from 17 SFSG wells were all below health-based thresholds, with the exception of one detection of nitrate that was above the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL-US). With the exception of 14 samples having radon-222 above the proposed MCL-US, radioactive constituents were below health-based thresholds for 16 of the SFSG wells sampled. Total dissolved solids in 6 of the 24 SFSG wells that were sampled ha

Ground-Water Flow, 2004-07, and Water Quality, 1992-2007, in McBaine Bottoms, Columbia, Missouri

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Brenda Joyce; Richards, Joseph M.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Columbia, Missouri, and the Missouri Department of Conservation, collected ground-water quality data, surface-water quality data, and water-level data in McBaine Bottoms, southwest of Columbia. McBaine Bottoms, adjacent to the Missouri River, is the location of the municipal-supply well field for the city of Columbia, the city of Columbia wastewater-treatment wetlands, and the Missouri Department of Conservation Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. This report describes the ground-water flow and water quality of McBaine Bottoms and provides information to better understand the interaction between treated effluent from the wetlands used on the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area and the water in the alluvial aquifer that is pumped from the city of Columbia municipal-supply well field. Changes in major chemical constituent concentrations have been detected at several sampling sites between pre- and post-effluent application data. Analysis of post-effluent data indicates substantial changes in calcium, potassium, sodium, chloride, and sulfate concentrations in ground water. These changes became apparent shortly after the beginning of the operation of the wastewater-treatment wetland in 1994 and the formation of the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area, which uses the treated effluent as a water source for the management of migratory water fowl. The changes have continued throughout the 15 years of sample collection. The concentrations of these major chemical constituents are on the mixing continuum between pre-effluent ground water as one end member and the treated wastewater effluent as the other end member. For monitoring wells that had changes in major chemical constituent concentrations, the relative percentage of treated effluent in the ground water, assuming chloride is conservative, ranged from 6 to 88 percent. Twenty-two monitoring wells throughout McBaine Bottoms have been affected by effluent based on chloride concentrations larger than 40 milligrams per liter. The chloride concentration of ground water in the alluvial aquifer reflects several sources, including precipitation, water from the Missouri River, water in the aquifer, and the treated effluent. Chloride concentrations from precipitation, the Missouri River, and water in the alluvial aquifer were less than 40 milligrams per liter. These monitoring wells affected by effluent are located in two general areas - adjacent to treatment wetland unit 1 and near the ground-water high on and north of the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. The probable source of the large chloride concentrations in well samples adjacent to treatment wetland unit 1 is leakage from the unit. The source for the large chloride concentrations in the other monitoring well samples is the effluent mixed with ground water and Missouri River water that is used to fill pools on the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area. One monitoring well had a single sample with a chloride concentration larger than 40 milligrams per liter. That sample may have been affected by the use of road salt because of the presence of ice and snow immediately before the sample was collected. Lateral ground-water flow was dominated by the presence of a persistent ground-water high beneath the Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area and the presence of a cone of depression centered around the city of Columbia well field in the northern part of the study area. Ground-water flow was radially away from the apex of the ground-water high; west and south of the high, flow was toward the Missouri River, east of the high, flow was toward Perche Creek, and north of the high, flow was to the north toward the cone of depression around the city of Columbia well field. Another permanent feature on the water-level maps was a ground-water high beneath treatment wetland unit 1. Although the ground-water high was present throughout the study period, the subsurface expression of the high changed depending on hydrolo

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Central Eastside San Joaquin Basin 2006: Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Landon, Matthew K.; Belitz, Kenneth

2008-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 1,695-square-mile Central Eastside study unit (CESJO) was investigated from March through June 2006 as part of the Statewide Basin Assessment Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Statewide Basin Assessment project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). The study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within CESJO, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 78 wells in Merced and Stanislaus Counties. Fifty-eight of the 78 wells were selected using a randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study unit (grid wells). Twenty of the wells were selected to evaluate changes in water chemistry along selected lateral or vertical ground-water flow paths in the aquifer (flow-path wells). The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents [volatile organic compounds (VOCs), gasoline oxygenates and their degradates, pesticides and pesticide degradates], constituents of special interest [perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), and 1,2,3-trichloropropane (1,2,3-TCP)], inorganic constituents that can occur naturally [nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements], radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes [tritium, carbon-14, and uranium isotopes and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, and carbon], and dissolved noble and other gases also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, samples for matrix spikes) were collected for approximately one-sixth of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Assessment of the quality-control results showed that the environmental data were of good quality, with low bias and low variability, and resulted in censoring of less than 0.3 percent of the detections found in ground-water samples. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, and (or) blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CADPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CADPH. VOCs and pesticides were detected in approximately half of the grid wells, and all detections in samples from CESJO wells were below health-based thresholds. All detections of nutrients and major elements in grid wells also were below health-based thresholds. Most detections of constituents of special interest, trace elements, and radioactive constituents in samples from grid wells were below health-based thresholds. Exceptions included two detections of arsenic that were above the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL-US), one detection of lead above the USEPA action level (AL-US), and one detection of vanadium and three detections of 1,2,3-TCP that were above the CADPH notification levels (NL-CA). All detections of radioactive constituents were below health-based thresholds, although fourteen samples had activities of radon-222 above the lower proposed MCL-US. Most of th

Ground-Water Quality Data in the San Francisco Bay Study Unit, 2007: Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ray, Mary C.; Kulongoski, Justin T.; Belitz, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 620-square-mile San Francisco Bay study unit (SFBAY) was investigated from April through June 2007 as part of the Priority Basin project of the Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001, and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples in SFBAY were collected from 79 wells in San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties. Forty-three of the wells sampled were selected using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study unit (grid wells). Thirty-six wells were sampled to aid in evaluation of specific water-quality issues (understanding wells). The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of synthetic organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOC], pesticides and pesticide degradates, pharmaceutical compounds, and potential wastewater-indicator compounds), constituents of special interest (perchlorate and N-nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA]), naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, trace elements, chloride and bromide isotopes, and uranium and strontium isotopes), radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, carbon-14 isotopes, and stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, boron, and carbon), and dissolved noble gases (noble gases were analyzed in collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory) also were measured to help identify the source and age of the sampled ground water. Quality-control samples (blank samples, replicate samples, matrix spike samples) were collected for approximately one-third of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the ground-water samples. Assessment of the quality-control information from the field blanks resulted in applying 'V' codes to approximately 0.1 percent of the data collected for ground-water samples (meaning a constituent was detected in blanks as well as the corresponding environmental data). See the Appendix section 'Quality-Control-Sample Results'. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, and (or) blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is delivered to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with regulatory and non-regulatory health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. VOCs were detected in about one-half of the grid wells, while pesticides were detected in about one-fifth of the grid wells. Concentrations of all VOCs and pesticides detected in samples from all SFBAY wells were below health-based thresholds. No pharmaceutical compounds were detected in any SFBAY well. One potential wastewater-indicator compound, caffeine, was detected in one grid well in SFBAY. Concentrations of most trace elements and nutrients detected in samples from all SFBAY wells were below health-based thresholds. Exceptions include nitrate, detected above the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL-US) in 3samples; arsenic, above the USEPA maximum contaminant level (MCL-US) in 3 samples; c

40 CFR 257.22 - Ground-water monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... defined in § 257.5(b)) that: (1) Represent the quality of background ground water that has not been affected by leakage from a unit. A determination of background quality may include sampling of wells that... at other wells will provide an indication of background ground-water quality that is as...

40 CFR 258.51 - Ground-water monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the uppermost aquifer (as defined in § 258.2) that: (1) Represent the quality of background ground water that has not been affected by leakage from a unit. A determination of background quality may...; or (ii) Sampling at other wells will provide an indication of background ground-water quality that is...

Progress toward a ground-water-quality monitoring network for Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Whitehead, R.L.

1978-01-01

The potential for pollution of the aquifers is expected to be greatest in areas of greatest development. In Idaho, population centers and industries tend to be in areas of privately owned irrigated and arable · land. Therefore, these areas are of primary concern for monitoring ground-water quality. Other areas requiring monitoring include those with second-home development, mining and its related processes, and radioactive-waste disposal.

SITE CHARACTERIZATION TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF CONCEPTUAL SITE MODELS AND TRANSPORT MODELS FOR MONITORING CONTAMINANTS IN GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

The development of conceptual and predictive models is an important tool to guide site characterization in support of monitoring contaminants in ground water. The accuracy of predictive models is limited by the adequacy of the input data and the assumptions made to constrain mod...

DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR PERFORMANCE MONITORING TO ASSESS THE USE OF MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION FOR REMEDIATION OF INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

The USEPA is leading an effort to develop technical documentation that provides the policy, scientific and technical framework for assessing the viability of MNA for inorganic contaminants in ground water (hereafter referred to as the Framework Document). Initial guidance on the...

Annual summary of ground-water conditions in Arizona, spring 1982 to spring 1983

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1984-01-01

The withdrawal of ground water was slightly less than 4.2 million acre-feet in Arizona in 1982, which is about 1.2 million acre-feet less than the amount withdrawn in 1981. Most of the decrease in 1982 was in the amount of ground water used for irrigation in the Basin and Range lowlands province. Through 1982, slightly more than 193 million acre-feet of ground water had been withdrawn from the ground-water reservoirs in Arizona. The report contains three small-scale maps that show ground-water pumpage by areas, the status of the ground-water inventory and observation-well program, and the ground-water quality sampling program. The main map, which is at a scale of 1:500,000, shows potential well production, depth to water in selected wells in spring 1983, and change in water level in selected wells from 1978 to 1983. A brief text summarizes the current ground-water conditions in the State. (USGS)

Ground-water monitoring compliance projects for Hanford Site facilities: Progress Report for the Period July 1 to September 30, 1987

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1987-11-01

This report documents the progress of four Hanford Site ground-water monitoring projects for the period from July 1 to September 310, 1987. The four disposal facilities are the 300 Area Process Trenches, 183-H Solar Evaporation Basins, 200 Area Low-Level Burial Grounds, and Nonradioactive Dangerous Waste (NRDW) Landfill. This report is the fifth in a series of periodic status reports. During this reporting period, field activities consisted of completing repairs on five monitoring wells originally present around the 183-H Basins and completing construction of 25 monitoring wells around the 200 Area Burial Grounds. The 14 wells in the 200 East Areamore » were completed by Kaiser Engineers Hanford (KEH) and the 11 wells in the 200 West Area were compelted by ONWEGO Well Drilling. The NRDW Landfill interim characterization report was submitted to the WDOE and the USEPA in August 1987. Analytical results for the 300 Area, 183-H, and the NRDW Landfill indicate no deviations from previously established trends. Results from the NRDW Land-fill indiate that the facility has no effect on the ground-water quality beneath the facility, except for the detection of coliform bacteria. A possible source of this contamination is the solid-waste lanfill (SWL) adjacent to the NRDW Landfill. Ground-water monitoring data for the NRDW and SWL will be evaluated together in the future. Aquifer testing was completed in the 25 new wells surrounding the 200 Area buiral grounds. 13 refs., 19 refs., 13 tabs.« less

GWERD CAFO Research Program – CAFO Impacts on Ground Water Quality

EPA Science Inventory

An overview of several projects will be presented on a research program currently underway at ORD’s Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division (GWERD) to evaluate CAFO impacts on ground water quality. The overall research objectives are to characterize the potential for gro...

Leaching of Metal Pollutants from Four Well Casings Used for Ground-Water Monitoring

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-01

Atomic Spectroscopy, 4:126-128. 10 APPENDIX A : LEVELS OF CD, PB, CR, BA AND CU DETERMINED IN GROUND-WATER SOLUTIONS (MG/L). Time Pqle R:ph’itc (day1s...7 Conclusion ................................................... 9 Literature cited ................................................ 9 Appendix A ... Levels of Cd, Pb, Cr, Ba and Cu determined in ground-water solutions .................................................. 11 ILLUSTRATIONS Figure 1. Ground

Selected hydrologic data for the field demonstration of three permeable reactive barriers near Fry Canyon, Utah, 1996-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilkowske, Chris D.; Rowland, Ryan C.; Naftz, David L.

2001-01-01

Three permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) were installed near Fry Canyon, Utah, in August 1997 to demonstrate the use of PRBs to control the migration of uranium in ground water. Reactive material included (1) bone-char phosphate, (2) zero-valent iron pellets, and (3) amorphous ferric oxyhydroxide coated gravel. An extensive monitoring network was installed in and around each PRB for collection of water samples, analysis of selected water-quality parameters, and monitoring of water levels. Water temperature, specific conductance, pH, Eh (oxidation-reduction potential), and dissolved oxygen were measured continuously within three different barrier materials, and in two monitoring wells. Water temperature and water level below land surface were electronically recorded every hour with pressure transducers. Data were collected from ground-water monitoring wells installed in and around the PRBs during 1996-98 and from surface-water sites in Fry Creek.

MODFLOW Ground-Water Model - User Guide to the Subsidence and Aquifer-System Compaction Package (SUB-WT) for Water-Table Aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leake, S.A.; Galloway, D.L.

2007-01-01

A new computer program was developed to simulate vertical compaction in models of regional ground-water flow. The program simulates ground-water storage changes and compaction in discontinuous interbeds or in extensive confining units, accounting for stress-dependent changes in storage properties. The new program is a package for MODFLOW, the U.S. Geological Survey modular finite-difference ground-water flow model. Several features of the program make it useful for application in shallow, unconfined flow systems. Geostatic stress can be treated as a function of water-table elevation, and compaction is a function of computed changes in effective stress at the bottom of a model layer. Thickness of compressible sediments in an unconfined model layer can vary in proportion to saturated thickness.

Ground-Water Availability in the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reilly, Thomas E.; Dennehy, Kevin F.; Alley, William M.; Cunningham, William L.

2008-01-01

Ground water is among the Nation's most important natural resources. It provides half our drinking water and is essential to the vitality of agriculture and industry, as well as to the health of rivers, wetlands, and estuaries throughout the country. Large-scale development of ground-water resources with accompanying declines in ground-water levels and other effects of pumping has led to concerns about the future availability of ground water to meet domestic, agricultural, industrial, and environmental needs. The challenges in determining ground-water availability are many. This report examines what is known about the Nation's ground-water availability and outlines a program of study by the U.S. Geological Survey Ground-Water Resources Program to improve our understanding of ground-water availability in major aquifers across the Nation. The approach is designed to provide useful regional information for State and local agencies who manage ground-water resources, while providing the building blocks for a national assessment. The report is written for a wide audience interested or involved in the management, protection, and sustainable use of the Nation's water resources.

Ground-water quality assessment of the central Oklahoma Aquifer, Oklahoma; project description

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christenson, S.C.; Parkhurst, D.L.

1987-01-01

In April 1986, the U.S. Geological Survey began a pilot program to assess the quality of the Nation's surface-water and ground-water resources. The program, known as the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program, is designed to acquire and interpret information about a variety of water-quality issues. The Central Oklahoma aquifer project is one of three ground-water pilot projects that have been started. The NAWQA program also incudes four surface-water pilot projects. The Central Oklahoma aquifer project, as part of the pilot NAWQA program, will develop and test methods for performing assessments of ground-water quality. The objectives of the Central Oklahoma aquifer assessment are: (1) To investigate regional ground-water quality throughout the aquifer in the manner consistent with the other pilot ground-water projects, emphasizing the occurrence and distribution of potentially toxic substances in ground water, including trace elements, organic compounds, and radioactive constituents; (2) to describe relations between ground-water quality, land use, hydrogeology, and other pertinent factors; and (3) to provide a general description of the location, nature, and possible causes of selected prevalent water-quality problems within the study unit; and (4) to describe the potential for water-quality degradation of ground-water zones within the study unit. The Central Oklahoma aquifer, which includes in descending order the Garber Sandstone and Wellington Formation, the Chase Group, the Council Grove Group, the Admire Group, and overlying alluvium and terrace deposits, underlies about 3,000 square miles of central Oklahoma and is used extensively for municipal, industrial, commercial, and domestic water supplies. The aquifer was selected for study by the NAWQA program because it is a major source for water supplies in central Oklahoma and because it has several known or suspected water-quality problems. Known problems include concentrations of arsenic, chromium, selenium, and gross-alpha activity that exceed drinking-water standards. Suspected problems include possible contamination of the aquifer by oil-field brines and drilling fluids, pesticides, industrial chemicals, septic-tank effluent, fertilizers, and leakage from sewage systems and underground tanks used for storage of hydrocarbons. There are four major components of the Central Oklahoma aquifer project. The first component is the collection and analysis of existing information, including chemical, hydrologic, and land-use data. The second component is the geohydrologic and geochemical investigations of the aquifer flow system. The third component is the sampling for a wide variety of inorganic, organic, and radioactive constituents as part a regional survey that will produce a consistent set of data among all ground-water pilot projects. These data can be used to: (1) Define regional ground-water quality within the Central Oklahoma aquifer, and (2) compare water quality in the Central Oklahoma aquifer to the water quality in the other ground-water study units of the NAWQA program. The fourth component is topical studies that will address, in more detail, some of the major water-quality issues pertaining to the aquifer.

Hydrogeologic data from a shallow flooding demonstration project, Twitchell Island, California, 1997-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gamble, James M.; Burow, Karen R.; Wheeler, Gail A.; Hilditch, Robert; Drexler, Judy Z.

2003-01-01

Data were collected during a study to determine the effects of continuous shallow flooding on ground-water discharge to an agricultural drainage ditch on Twitchell Island, California. The conceptual model of the hydrogeologic setting was detailed with soil coring and borehole-geophysical logs. Twenty-two monitoring wells were installed to observe hydraulic head. Ten aquifer slug tests were done in peat and mineral sediments. Ground-water and surface-water temperature was monitored at 14 locations. Flow to and from the pond was monitored through direct measurement of flows and through the calculation of a water budget. These data were gathered to support the development of a two-dimensional ground-water flow model. The model will be used to estimate subsurface discharge to the drainage ditch as a result of the pond. The estimated discharge will be used to estimate the concentrations of DOC that can be expected in the ditch.

40 CFR 257.22 - Ground-water monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... aquifer (as defined in § 257.5(b)) that: (1) Represent the quality of background ground water that has not been affected by leakage from a unit. A determination of background quality may include sampling of...) Sampling at other wells will provide an indication of background ground-water quality that is as...

40 CFR 257.22 - Ground-water monitoring systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... aquifer (as defined in § 257.5(b)) that: (1) Represent the quality of background ground water that has not been affected by leakage from a unit. A determination of background quality may include sampling of...) Sampling at other wells will provide an indication of background ground-water quality that is as...

40 CFR 257.27 - Selection of remedy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... withdrawal rate of users; (iii) Ground-water quantity and quality; (iv) The potential damage to wildlife... Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 257.27 Selection of remedy. (a) Based on the results of... ground-water protection standard as specified pursuant to §§ 257.25 (h) or (i); (3) Control the source(s...

40 CFR 257.27 - Selection of remedy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... withdrawal rate of users; (iii) Ground-water quantity and quality; (iv) The potential damage to wildlife... Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 257.27 Selection of remedy. (a) Based on the results of... ground-water protection standard as specified pursuant to §§ 257.25 (h) or (i); (3) Control the source(s...

40 CFR 257.27 - Selection of remedy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... withdrawal rate of users; (iii) Ground-water quantity and quality; (iv) The potential damage to wildlife... Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 257.27 Selection of remedy. (a) Based on the results of... ground-water protection standard as specified pursuant to §§ 257.25 (h) or (i); (3) Control the source(s...

New Tools and New Approaches to Improve the Assessment and Evaluation of Monitored Natural Attenuation of Organic Compoundsin Ground Water

EPA Science Inventory

In the years since publication of the U.S. Air Force and U.S. EPA technical protocols for evaluating Monitored Natural Attenuation, MNA had found widespread application to organic contaminants in ground water. These documents were issued more than a decade ago; the science has m...

CAPSTONE REPORT ON THE APPLICATION, MONITORING, AND PERFORMANCE OF PERMEABLE REACTIVE BARRIERS FOR GROUND-WATER REMEDIATION: VOL. 1 PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS AT TWO SITES

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this document is to provide detailed performance monitoring data on full-scale Permeable Reactive Barriers (PRBs) installed to treat contaminated ground water at two different sites. This report will fill a need for a readily available source of information for si...

Changes in the isotopic and chemical composition of ground water resulting from a recharge pulse from a sinking stream

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, B.G.; Catches, J.S.; Bullen, T.D.; Michel, R.L.

1998-01-01

The Little River, an ephemeral stream that drains a watershed of approximately 88 km2 in northern Florida, disappears into a series of sinkholes along the Cody Scarp and flows directly into the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer, the source of water supply in northern Florida. The changes in the geochemistry of ground water caused by a major recharge pulse from the sinking stream were investigated using chemical and isotopic tracers and mass-balance modeling techniques. Nine monitoring wells were installed open to the uppermost part of the aquifer in areas near the sinks where numerous subterranean karst solution features were identified using ground penetrating radar. During high-flow conditions in the Little River, the chemistry of water in some of the monitoring wells changed, reflecting the mixing of river water with ground water. Rapid recharge of river water into some parts of the aquifer during high-flow conditions was indicated by enriched values of delta 18O and delta deuterium (-1.67 to -3.17 per mil and -9.2 to -15.6 per mil, respectively), elevated concentrations of tannic acid, higher (more radiogenic) 87Sr/86Sr ratios, and lower concentrations of 222Rn, silica, and alkalinity compared to low-flow conditions. The proportion of river water that mixed with ground water ranged from 0.10 to 0.67 based on binary mixing models using the tracers 18O, deuterium, tannic acid, silica, 222Rn, and 87Sr/86Sr. On the basis of mass-balance modeling during steady-state flow conditions, the dominant processes controlling carbon cycling in ground water are the dissolution of calcite and dolomite in aquifer material, and aerobic degradation of organic matter.The Little River of northern Florida disappears into a series of sinkholes along the Cody Scarp and flows directly into the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer. The changes in the geochemistry of ground water caused by a major recharge pulse from the sinking stream were investigated using chemical and isotopic tracers and mass-balance modeling techniques. Nine monitoring wells were installed open to the uppermost part of the aquifer. During high-flow conditions in the Little River, the chemistry of water in some of the monitoring wells changed, reflecting the mixing of river water with ground water. Based on mass-balance modeling during steady-state flow conditions, it was found that the dominant processes controlling carbon cycling in ground water are the dissolution of calcite and dolomite in aquifer material, and aerobic degradation of organic matter.

Hydrogeology and ground-water quality of the Chromic Acid Pit site, US Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abeyta, Cynthia G.; Thomas, C.L.

1996-01-01

The Chromic Acid Pit site is an inactive waste disposal site that is regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976. The 2.2-cubic-yard cement-lined pit was operated from 1980 to 1983 by a contractor to the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss. The pit, located on the Fort Bliss military reservation, in El Paso, Texas, was used for disposal and evaporation of chromic acid waste generated from chrome plating operations. The site was certified closed in 1989 and the Texas Natural Resources Conservation Commission issued Permit Number HW-50296 (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Permit Number TX4213720101), which approved and implemented post-closure care for the Chromic Acid Pit site. In accordance with an approved post-closure plan, the U.S. Geological Survey is cooperating with the U.S. Army in evaluating hydrogeologic conditions and ground- water quality at the site. One upgradient and two downgradient ground-water monitoring wells were installed adjacent to the chromic acid pit by a private contractor. Quarterly ground-water sampling of these wells by the U.S. Geological Survey began in December 1993. The Chromic Acid Pit site is situated in the Hueco Bolson intermontane valley. The Hueco Bolson is a primary source of ground water in the El Paso area. City of El Paso and U.S. Army water-supply wells are located on all sides of the study area and are completed 600 to more than 1,200 feet below land surface. The ground-water level in the area of the Chromic Acid Pit site has declined about 25 feet from 1982 to 1993. Depth to water at the Chromic Acid Pit site in September 1994 was about 284 feet below land surface; ground-water flow is to the southeast. Ground-water samples collected from monitoring wells at the Chromic Acid Pit site contained dissolved-solids concentrations of 442 to 564 milligrams per liter. Nitrate as nitrogen concentrations ranged from 2.1 to 2.7 milligrams per liter; nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen concentrations ranged from 2.3 to 3.0 milligrams per liter. Nitrate concentrations are abnormally high in the Old Mesa well field located about 5,000 feet southwest of the Chromic Acid Pit site. Volatile and semivolatile organic compounds in water samples were analyzed for the first sampling round; no confirmed volatile or semivolatile organic compounds were detected above the laboratory reporting limits. Total chromium concentrations ranged from 0.0099 to 0.092 milligram per liter; dissolved chromium concentrations ranged from 0.0068 to 0.0094 milligram per liter. Overall, water-quality characteristics in water from the chromic acid pit ground-water monitoring wells are similar to those in the surrounding area. Detected chemical concentrations in water from the chromic acid pit monitoring wells during the four sampling periods were below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-established maximum contaminant levels for public drinking water supplies. Statistical analyses were performed on 39 of the chemical constituents analyzed for in ground water from the chromic acid pit monitoring wells. Concentrations of chloride and fluoride were significantly less in water from the downgradient wells than in water from the upgradient well, whereas concentrations of nitrate as nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, and dissolved solids were significantly greater in water from the downgradient wells than in water from the upgradient well. Concentrations of nitrate as nitrogen were significantly different in water from the two downgradient wells. Differences detected through statistical analysis of chemical constituents of water in the chromic acid pit monitoring wells did not appear to indicate a release of hazardous chemicals from the chromic acid pit. There was no indication of ground-water contamination in either downgradient well.

Multidate Landsat lake quality monitoring program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fisher, L. T.; Scarpace, F. L.; Thomsen, R. G.

1979-01-01

A unified package of files and programs has been developed to automate the multidate Landsat-derived analyses of water quality for about 3000 inland lakes throughout Wisconsin. A master lakes file which stores geographic information on the lakes, a file giving the latitudes and longitudes of control points for scene navigation, and a program to estimate control point locations and produce microfiche character maps for scene navigation are among the files and programs of the system. The use of ground coordinate systems to isolate irregular shaped areas which can be accessed at will appears to provide an economical means of restricting the size of the data set.

Improving ground cover monitoring for wind erosion assessment using MODIS BRDF parameters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Measuring and monitoring controls on wind erosion can facilitate detection and prediction of soil degradation important for food security. Ground cover is widely recognised as an important factor for controlling soil erosion by wind and water. Consequently, maintaining ground cover (e.g., vegetation...

Monitoring Cs-134 and 137 released by Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in ground, soil, and stream waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsujimura, Maki; Onda, Yuichi; Hada, Manami; Ishwar, Pun; Abe, Yutaka

2013-04-01

Due to Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear power plant accident occurred in March 2011, large amount of radionuclides was released into the atmosphere and was fallen onto ground by rainfall. Few researches have monitored radioactive cesium dynamics in whole hydrological cycle system such as groundwater, soil water, spring water and stream water. Thus, the purpose of this study is to monitor concentration of radioactive cesium in those waters in time series in the headwaters. We have performed an intensive monitoring at three small mountainous catchments in Yamakiya district, Kawamata town, Fukushima prefecture, locating 35 km northwest from Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant since June 2011, also we consider the movement of radioactive cesium and its relation with the hydrological cycle.

Ground-Water Conditions and Studies in the Albany Area of Dougherty County, Georgia, 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gordon, Debbie W.

2008-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been working with the Albany Water, Gas, and Light Commission to monitor ground-water quality and availability since 1977. This report presents an overview of ground-water conditions and studies in the Albany area of Dougherty County, Georgia, during 2007. Historical data are also presented for comparison with 2007 data. Ongoing monitoring activities include continuous water-level recording in 24 wells and monthly water-level measurements in 5 wells. During 2007, water levels in 21 of the continuous-recording wells were below normal, corresponding to lower than average rainfall. Ground-water samples collected from the Upper Floridan aquifer indicate that nitrate levels have decreased or remained about the same since 2006. Water samples were collected from the Flint River and wells at the Albany wellfield, and data were plotted on a trilinear diagram to show the percent composition of selected major cations and anions. Ground-water constituents (major cations and anions) of the Upper Floridan aquifer at the Albany wellfield are distinctly different from those in the water of the Flint River. To improve the understanding of the ground-water flow system and nitrate movement in the Upper Floridan aquifer, the USGS is developing a ground-water flow model in the southwestern Albany area of Georgia. The model is being calibrated to simulate periods of dry (October 1999) and relatively wet (March 2001) hydrologic conditions. Preliminary water-level simulations indicate a generally good fit to measured water levels.

A modification of the finite-difference model for simulation of two dimensional ground-water flow to include surface-ground water relationships

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ozbilgin, M.M.; Dickerman, D.C.

1984-01-01

The two-dimensional finite-difference model for simulation of groundwater flow was modified to enable simulation of surface-water/groundwater interactions during periods of low streamflow. Changes were made to the program code in order to calculate surface-water heads for, and flow either to or from, contiguous surface-water bodies; and to allow for more convenient data input. Methods of data input and output were modified and entries (RSORT and HDRIVER) were added to the COEF and CHECKI subroutines to calculate surface-water heads. A new subroutine CALC was added to the program which initiates surface-water calculations. If CALC is not specified as a simulation option, the program runs the original version. The subroutines which solve the ground-water flow equations were not changed. Recharge, evapotranspiration, surface-water inflow, number of wells, pumping rate, and pumping duration can be varied for any time period. The Manning formula was used to relate stream depth and discharge in surface-water streams. Interactions between surface water and ground water are represented by the leakage term in the ground-water flow and surface-water mass balance equations. Documentation includes a flow chart, data deck instructions, input data, output summary, and program listing. Numerical results from the modified program are in good agreement with published analytical results. (USGS)

Gas-driven pump for ground-water samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Signor, Donald C.

1978-01-01

Observation wells installed for artificial-recharge research and other wells used in different ground-water programs are frequently cased with small-diameter steel pipe. To obtain samples from these small-diameter wells in order to monitor water quality, and to calibrate solute-transport models, a small-diameter pump with unique operating characteristics is required that causes a minimum alternation of samples during field sampling. A small-diameter gas-driven pump was designed and built to obtain water samples from wells of two-inch diameter or larger. The pump is a double-piston type with the following characteristics: (1) The water sample is isolated from the operating gas, (2) no source of electricity is ncessary, (3) operation is continuous, (4) use of compressed gas is efficient, and (5) operation is reliable over extended periods of time. Principles of operation, actual operation techniques, gas-use analyses and operating experience are described. Complete working drawings and a component list are included. Recent modifications and pump construction for high-pressure applications also are described. (Woodard-USGS)

[Safe drinking water supply to the Vologda Region's population using risk assessment methodology].

PubMed

Kuznetsova, I A; Figurina, T Ia; Shadrina, S Iu

2011-01-01

To supply the population with qualitative potable water is a priority problem in the provision of sanitary-and-epidemiologic well-being and in the prevention of disease in the Vologda Region. The monitoring of the results of laboratory control over the quality of drinking-water and the assessment of health risk enabled a package of measures to be proposed to optimize the conditions of drinking water supply in the Vologda Region. The risk assessment technology used by a state agency for sanitary-and-epidemiological surveillance makes it possible to substantiate a system of actions to organize household water use and to include scientifically grounded proposals into the developed regional and local programs.

Surface- and ground-water relations on the Portneuf river, and temporal changes in ground-water levels in the Portneuf Valley, Caribou and Bannock Counties, Idaho, 2001-02

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barton, Gary J.

2004-01-01

The State of Idaho and local water users are concerned that streamflow depletion in the Portneuf River in Caribou and Bannock Counties is linked to ground-water withdrawals for irrigated agriculture. A year-long field study during 2001 02 that focused on monitoring surface- and ground-water relations was conducted, in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Water Resources, to address some of the water-user concerns. The study area comprised a 10.2-mile reach of the Portneuf River downstream from the Chesterfield Reservoir in the broad Portneuf Valley (Portneuf River Valley reach) and a 20-mile reach of the Portneuf River in a narrow valley downstream from the Portneuf Valley (Pebble-Topaz reach). During the field study, the surface- and ground-water relations were dynamic. A losing river reach was delineated in the middle of the Portneuf River Valley reach, centered approximately 7.2 miles downstream from Chesterfield Reservoir. Two seepage studies conducted in the Portneuf Valley during regulated high flows showed that the length of the losing river reach increased from 2.6 to nearly 6 miles as the irrigation season progressed.Surface- and ground-water relations in the Portneuf Valley also were characterized from an analysis of specific conductance and temperature measurements. In a gaining reach, stratification of specific conductance and temperature across the channel of the Portneuf River was an indicator of ground water seeping into the river.An evolving method of using heat as a tracer to monitor surface- and ground-water relations was successfully conducted with thermistor arrays at four locations. Heat tracing monitored a gaining reach, where ground water was seeping into the river, and monitored a losing reach, where surface water was seeping down through the riverbed (also referred to as a conveyance loss), at two locations.Conveyance losses in the Portneuf River Valley reach were greatest, about 20 cubic feet per second, during the mid-summer regulated high flows. Conveyance losses in the Pebble-Topaz reach were greatest, about 283 cubic feet per second, during the spring regulated high flows and were attributed to a hydroelectric project.Comparison of water levels in 30 wells in the Portneuf Valley during September and October 1968 and 2001 indicated long-term declines since 1968; the median decline was 3.4 feet. September and October were selected for characterizing long-term ground-water-level fluctuations because declines associated with irrigation reach a maximum at the end of the irrigation season. The average annual snowpack in the study area has declined significantly; 1945 85 average annual snowpack was 16.1 inches, whereas 1986 through 2002 average annual snowpack was 11.6 inches. Water-level declines during 1998 2002 may be partially attributable to the extended dry climatic conditions. It is unclear whether the declines could be partially attributed to increases in ground-water withdrawals. Between 1968 and 1980, water rights for ground-water withdrawals nearly doubled from 23,500 to 46,000 acre-feet per year. During this period, ground-water levels were relatively constant and did not exhibit a declining trend that could be related to increased ground-water withdrawal rights. However, ground-water withdrawals are not measured in the valley; thus, the amount of water pumped is not known. Since the 1990s, there have been several years when the Chesterfield Reservoir has not completely refilled, and the water in storage behind the reservoir has been depleted by the middle of the irrigation season. In this situation, surface-water diversions for irrigation were terminated before the end of the irrigation season, and irrigators, who were relying in part on diversions from the Portneuf River, had to rely solely on ground water as an alternate supply. Smaller volumes of water in the Chesterfield Reservoir since the 1990s indicate a growing demand for ground-water supplies.

Use of RORA for Complex Ground-Water Flow Conditions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rutledge, A.T.

2004-01-01

The RORA computer program for estimating recharge is based on a condition in which ground water flows perpendicular to the nearest stream that receives ground-water discharge. The method, therefore, does not explicitly account for the ground-water-flow component that is parallel to the stream. Hypothetical finite-difference simulations are used to demonstrate effects of complex flow conditions that consist of two components: one that is perpendicular to the stream and one that is parallel to the stream. Results of the simulations indicate that the RORA program can be used if certain constraints are applied in the estimation of the recession index, an input variable to the program. These constraints apply to a mathematical formulation based on aquifer properties, recession of ground-water levels, and recession of streamflow.

PV Systems Reliability Final Technical Report: Ground Fault Detection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lavrova, Olga; Flicker, Jack David; Johnson, Jay

We have examined ground faults in PhotoVoltaic (PV) arrays and the efficacy of fuse, current detection (RCD), current sense monitoring/relays (CSM), isolation/insulation (Riso) monitoring, and Ground Fault Detection and Isolation (GFID) using simulations based on a Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis SPICE ground fault circuit model, experimental ground faults installed on real arrays, and theoretical equations.

Reconnaissance of the Hydrogeology of Ta'u, American Samoa

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izuka, Scot K.

2005-01-01

Analysis of existing data and information collected on a reconnaissance field visit supports a conceptual model of ground-water occurrence in Ta'u, American Samoa, in which a thin freshwater lens exists in a predominantly high-permeability aquifer that receives high rates of recharge. Because the freshwater lens is thin throughout most of the island, the productivity of wells, especially those near the coast where the lens is the thinnest, is likely to be limited by saltwater intrusion. The landfill in northwestern Ta'u is closer to the north coast of the island than to any of the existing or proposed well sites. Although this may indicate that ground water beneath the landfill would flow away from the existing and proposed well sites, this interpretation may change depending on the hydraulic properties of a fault and rift zone in the area. Of four plausible scenarios tested with a numerical ground-water flow model, only one scenario indicated that ground water from beneath the landfill would flow toward the existing and proposed well sites; the analysis does not, however, assess which of the four scenarios is most plausible. The analysis also does not consider the change in flow paths that will result from ground-water withdrawals, dispersion of contaminants during transport by ground water, other plausible hydrogeologic scenarios, transport of contaminants by surface-water flow, or that sources of contamination other than the landfill may exist. Accuracy of the hydrologic interpretations in this study is limited by the relatively sparse data available for Ta'u. Understanding water resources on Ta'u can be advanced by monitoring rainfall, stream-flow, evaporation, ground-water withdrawals, and water quality, and with accurate surveys of measuring point elevations for all wells and careful testing of well-performance. Assessing the potential for contaminants in the landfill to reach existing and proposed well sites can be improved with additional information on the landfill itself (history, construction, contents, water chemistry), surface-water flow directions, spatial distribution of ground-water levels, and the quality of water in nearby wells. Monitoring water levels and chemistry in one or more monitoring wells between the landfill and existing or proposed wells can provide a means to detect movement of contaminants before they reach production wells. Steps that can be implemented in the short term include analyzing water in the landfill and monitoring of water chemistry and water levels in all existing and new production wells. Placing future wells farther inland may mitigate saltwater intrusion problems, but the steep topography of Ta'u limits the feasibility of this approach. Alternative solutions include distributing ground-water withdrawal among several shallow-penetrating, low-yield wells.

Program on State Agency Remote Sensing Data Management (SARSDM). [missouri

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eastwood, L. F., Jr.; Gotway, E. O.

1978-01-01

A planning study for developing a Missouri natural resources information system (NRIS) that combines satellite-derived data and other information to assist in carrying out key state tasks was conducted. Four focal applications -- dam safety, ground water supply monitoring, municipal water supply monitoring, and Missouri River basin modeling were identified. Major contributions of the study are: (1) a systematic choice and analysis of a high priority application (water resources) for a Missouri, LANDSAT-based information system; (2) a system design and implementation plan, based on Missouri, but useful for many other states; (3) an analysis of system costs, component and personnel requirements, and scheduling; and (4) an assessment of deterrents to successful technological innovation of this type in state government, and a system management plan, based on this assessment, for overcoming these obstacles in Missouri.

Ground-water levels and precipitation data at the Maxey Flats low-level radioactive waste disposal site near Morehead, Kentucky, October 1988-September 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zettwoch, Douglas D.

2002-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet--Department for Environmental Protection--Division of Waste Management, has an ongoing program to monitor water levels at the Maxey Flats low-level radioactive waste disposal site near Morehead, Kentucky. Ground-water-level and precipitation data were collected from 112 wells and 1 rain gage at the Maxey Flats low-level radioactive waste disposal site during October 1988-September 2000. Data were collected on a semi-annual basis from 62 wells, continuously from 6 wells, and monthly or bimonthly from 44 wells (13 of which had continuous recorders installed for the period October 1998-September 2000). One tipping-bucket rain gage was used to collect data at the Maxey Flats site for the period October 1988-September 2000.

The occurrence of volatile organic compounds in aquifers of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lapham, Wayne W.; Carter, Janet M.; Zogorski, John S.; Valder, Joshua F.

2006-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program recently completed a national assessment of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ground water (Zogorski and others, 2006). As part of this assessment, samples of ambient ground water collected from 3,498 wells during 1985-2002 were selected for characterizing the occurrence of 55 VOCs in 98 aquifer studies. The 55 VOCs were assigned to the following groups on the basis of their primary usage (or origin): (1) fumigants, (2) gasoline hydrocarbons, (3) gasoline oxygenates, (4) organic synthesis compounds, (5) refrigerants, (6) solvents, and (7) trihalo-methanes (chlorination by-products). The samples were collected throughout the conterminous United States as well as Alaska and Hawaii. The sampled wells had a variety of uses including domestic supply (61 percent), public supply (15 percent), monitoring (10 percent), other (13 percent), and unknown (1 percent). NAWQA aquifer studies are large-scale resource assessments of ground water that provide a general characterization of water-quality conditions in locally and regionally important aquifers or portions thereof. In general, the aquifers (or portions thereof) selected for study were some of the most intensively used aquifers for drinking water in greaterHawaiiOahuAlaskathe Nation. The 98 aquifer studies collectively provide an important national perspective on the current (1985-2002) extent of VOC contamination and regional patterns of VOC occurrence in ground water. More information about this national assessment of VOCs is available at a supporting Web site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/vocs/national_assessment).

40 CFR 141.401 - Sanitary surveys for ground water systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Sanitary surveys for ground water systems. 141.401 Section 141.401 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Ground Water Rule § 141.401 Sanitary surveys for ground water systems. (a)...

MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION FOR INORGANIC CONTAMINANT REMEDIATION IN GROUND WATER: MNA MECHANISMS

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation discusses the various mechanisms that are recognized to result in the attenuation of inorganic contaminants in ground water. The presentation will provide details on the contaminant sequestration processes that occur at the mineral-water interface.

Geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data from multiple-well monitoring sites in the Central and West Coast basins, Los Angeles County, California, 1995-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Land, Michael; Everett, R.R.; Crawford, S.M.

2002-01-01

In 1995, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the HYPERLINK 'http://wrd.org' Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRDSC), began a study to examine ground-water resources in the Central and West Coast Basins in Los Angeles County, California. The study characterizes the geohydrology and geochemistry of the regional ground-water flow system and provides extensive data for evaluating ground-water management issues. This report is a compilation of geologic, hydrologic, and water-quality data collected from 24 recently constructed multiple-well monitoring sites for the period 1995?2000. Descriptions of the collected drill cuttings were compiled into lithologic logs, which are summarized along with geophysical logs?including gamma-ray, spontaneous potential, resistivity, electromagnetic induction, and temperature tool logs?for each monitoring site. At selected sites, cores were analyzed for magnetic orientation, physical and thermal properties, and mineralogy. Field and laboratory estimates of hydraulic conductivity are presented for most multiple-well monitoring sites. Periodic water-level measurements are also reported. Water-quality information for major ions, nutrients, trace elements, deuterium and oxygen-18, and tritium is presented for the multiple-well monitoring locations, and for selected existing production and observation wells. In addition, boron-11, carbon-13, carbon-14, sulfur-34, and strontium-87/86 data are presented for selected wells.

Water-quality assessment of the Smith River drainage basin, California and Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Iwatsubo, Rick T.; Washabaugh, Donna S.

1982-01-01

A water-quality assessment of the Smith River drainage basin was made to provide a summary of the water-quality conditions including known or potential water-quality problems. Results of the study showed that the water quality of the Smith River is excellent and generally meets the water-quality objectives for the beneficial uses identified by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, North Coast Region. Known and potential problems related to water quality include: Sedimentation resulting from both natural erosional processes and land-use activities such as timber harvest, road construction, and mining that accelerate the erosional processes; bacterial contamination of surface and ground waters from inundated septic tanks and drainfields, and grazing activities; industrial spills which have resulted in fish kills and oil residues; high concetrations of iron in ground water; log and debris jams creating fish migration barriers; and pesticide and trace-element contamination from timber-harvest and mining activities, respectively. Future studies are needed to establish: (1) a sustained long-term monitoring program to provide a broad coverage of water-quality conditions in order to define long-term water-quality trends; and (2) interpretive studies to determine the source of known and potential water-quality problems. (USGS)

Denitrification in the shallow ground water of a tile-drained, agricultural watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mehnert, E.; Hwang, H.-H.; Johnson, T.M.; Sanford, R.A.; Beaumont, W.C.; Holm, T.R.

2007-01-01

Nonpoint-source pollution of surface water by N is considered a major cause of hypoxia. Because Corn Belt watersheds have been identified as major sources of N in the Mississippi River basin, the fate and transport of N from midwestern agricultural watersheds have received considerable interest. The fate and transport of N in the shallow ground water of these watersheds still needs additional research. Our purpose was to estimate denitrification in the shallow ground water of a tile-drained, Corn Belt watershed with fine-grained soils. Over a 3-yr period, N was monitored in the surface and ground water of an agricultural watershed in central Illinois. A significant amount of N was transported past the tile drains and into shallow ground water. The ground water nitrate was isotopically heavier than tile drain nitrate, which can be explained by denitrification in the subsurface. Denitrifying bacteria were found at depths to 10 m throughout the watershed. Laboratory and push-pull tests showed that a significant fraction of nitrate could be denitrified rapidly. We estimated that the N denitrified in shallow ground water was equivalent to 0.3 to 6.4% of the applied N or 9 to 27% of N exported via surface water. These estimates varied by water year and peaked in a year of normal precipitation after 2 yr of below average precipitation. Three years of monitoring data indicate that shallow ground water in watersheds with fine-grained soils may be a significant N sink compared with N exported via surface water. ?? ASA, CSSA, SSSA.

Use of a ground-water flow model with particle tracking to evaluate ground-water vulnerability, Clark County, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Snyder, D.T.; Wilkinson, J.M.; Orzol, L.L.

1996-01-01

A ground-water flow model was used in conjunction with particle tracking to evaluate ground-water vulnerability in Clark County, Washington. Using the particle-tracking program, particles were placed in every cell of the flow model (about 60,000 particles) and tracked backwards in time and space upgradient along flow paths to their recharge points. A new computer program was developed that interfaces the results from a particle-tracking program with a geographic information system (GIS). The GIS was used to display and analyze the particle-tracking results. Ground-water vulnerability was evaluated by selecting parts of the ground-water flow system and combining the results with ancillary information stored in the GIS to determine recharge areas, characteristics of recharge areas, downgradient impact of land use at recharge areas, and age of ground water. Maps of the recharge areas for each hydrogeologic unit illustrate the presence of local, intermediate, or regional ground-water flow systems and emphasize the three-dimensional nature of the ground-water flow system in Clark County. Maps of the recharge points for each hydrogeologic unit were overlaid with maps depicting aquifer sensitivity as determined by DRASTIC (a measure of the pollution potential of ground water, based on the intrinsic characteristics of the near-surface unsaturated and saturated zones) and recharge from on-site waste-disposal systems. A large number of recharge areas were identified, particularly in southern Clark County, that have a high aquifer sensitivity, coincide with areas of recharge from on-site waste-disposal systems, or both. Using the GIS, the characteristics of the recharge areas were related to the downgradient parts of the ground-water system that will eventually receive flow that has recharged through these areas. The aquifer sensitivity, as indicated by DRASTIC, of the recharge areas for downgradient parts of the flow system was mapped for each hydrogeologic unit. A number of public-supply wells in Clark County may be receiving a component of water that recharged in areas that are more conducive to contaminant entry. The aquifer sensitivity maps illustrate a critical deficiency in the DRASTIC methodology: the failure to account for the dynamics of the ground-water flow system. DRASTIC indices calculated for a particular location thus do not necessarily reflect the conditions of the ground-water resources at the recharge areas to that particular location. Each hydrogeologic unit was also mapped to highlight those areas that will eventually receive flow from recharge areas with on-site waste-disposal systems. Most public-supply wells in southern Clark County may eventually receive a component of water that was recharged from on-site waste-disposal systems.Traveltimes from particle tracking were used to estimate the minimum and maximum age of ground water within each model-grid cell. Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-age dating of ground water from 51 wells was used to calibrate effective porosity values used for the particle- tracking program by comparison of ground-water ages determined through the use of the CFC-age dating with those calculated by the particle- tracking program. There was a 76 percent agreement in predicting the presence of modern water in the 51 wells as determined using CFCs and calculated by the particle-tracking program. Maps showing the age of ground water were prepared for all the hydrogeologic units. Areas with the youngest ground-water ages are expected to be at greatest risk for contamination from anthropogenic sources. Comparison of these maps with maps of public- supply wells in Clark County indicates that most of these wells may withdraw ground water that is, in part, less than 100 years old, and in many instances less than 10 years old. Results of the analysis showed that a single particle-tracking analysis simulating advective transport can be used to evaluate ground-water vulnerability for any part of a ground-wate

Ground-water monitoring in the Albuquerque area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thorn, Condé R.

1996-01-01

At present (1996), all drinking water for Albuquerque residents comes from ground-water reserves. The Albuquerque area is the largest population center in the State and the largest consumer of ground water. Recent reports concerning the water resources of the Albuquerque area suggest that the Albuquerque Basin may soon face serious water-availability and water-quality problems due to anticipated ground-water development. Recent studies completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have improved the understanding of the ground-water resources in the Albuquerque Basin. These studies have indicated that the more permeable units within the aquifer system--the upper Santa Fe Group--are less extensive than previously thought, and that water-levels have declined as much as 160 feet.

Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona--2004-05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Truini, Margot; Macy, J.P.

2006-01-01

The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400-square-mile area of Black Mesa in northeastern Arizona. Availability of water is an important issue in this area because of continued industrial and municipal use, a growing population, and precipitation of about 6 to 14 inches per year. The monitoring program in the Black Mesa area has been operating since 1971 and is designed to determine the long-term effects of ground-water withdrawals from the N aquifer for industrial and municipal uses. The monitoring program includes measurements of (1) ground-water pumping, (2) ground-water levels, (3) spring discharge, (4) surface-water discharge, (5) ground-water chemistry, and (6) periodic testing of ground-water withdrawal meters. In 2004, total ground-water withdrawals were 7,210 acre-feet, industrial withdrawals were 4,370 acre-feet, and municipal withdrawals were 2,840 acre-feet. From 2003 to 2004, total withdrawals decreased by less than 1 percent, industrial withdrawals decreased by 2 percent, and municipal withdrawals increased by 2 percent. From 2004 to 2005, annually measured water levels declined in 6 of 13 wells in the unconfined areas of the aquifer, and the median change was -0.1 foot. Water levels declined in 8 of 12 wells in the confined area of the aquifer, and the median change was -1.2 feet. From the prestress period (prior to 1965) to 2005, the median water-level change for 33 wells was -9.0 feet. Median water-level changes were -0.6 foot for 16 wells in the unconfined areas and -32.0 feet for 17 wells in the confined area. Discharges were measured once in 2004 and once in 2005 at four springs. Discharge increased by 8 percent at Pasture Canyon Spring, decreased by 5 percent at Moenkopi School Spring, increased by 71 percent at an unnamed spring near Dennehotso, and stayed the same at Burro Spring. For the period of record at each spring, discharges from the four springs have fluctuated; however, an increasing or decreasing trend is not apparent. Continuous records of surface-water discharge have been collected from 1976 to 2004 at Moenkopi Wash, 1996 to 2004 at Laguna Creek, 1993 to 2004 at Dinnebito Wash, 1994 to 2004 at Polacca Wash, and August 2004 to December 2004 at Pasture Canyon Spring. Median flows for November, December, January, and February of each water year were used as an index of ground-water discharge to those streams. Since 1995, the median winter flows have decreased for Moenkopi Wash, Dinnebito Wash, and Polacca Wash. Since the first continuous record of surface-water discharge in 1997, there is no consistent trend in the median winter flow for Laguna Creek. In 2005, water samples were collected from 11 wells and 4 springs and analyzed for selected chemical constituents. Dissolved-solids concentrations ranged from 122 to 639 milligrams per liter. Water samples from 9 of the wells and from all the springs had less than 500 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids. There are some long-term trends in the chemistry of water samples from 7 wells having more than 10 years of data and from 2 springs. Rough Rock PM5, Keams Canyon PM2, Second Mesa PM2, and Kayenta PM2 show an increasing trend in dissolved solids; Forest Lake NTUA1 and PWCC 2 show a decreasing trend in dissolved solids; and Kykostmovi PM2 shows a steady trend. Increasing trends in dissolved-solids and chloride concentrations were evident from the more than 11 years of data for 2 springs.

Ground-water hydrology and water quality of Irwin Basin at Fort Irwin National Training Center, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Densmore, Jill N.; Londquist, Clark J.

1997-01-01

Geohydrologic data were collected from Irwin Basin at Fort Irwin National Training Center in the Mojave Desert of southern California by the U.S. Geological Survey during 199296 to deter mine the quantity and quality of ground water available in this basin. In addition to data collected from existing wells and test holes, 17 monitoring sites were constructed in Irwin Basin to provide data on subsurface geology, ground-water levels, and ground-water quality. Eleven of these sites were multiple-well monitoring sites that were constructed to provide depth-dependent geohydrologic data in the aquifer system. The aquifer system of Irwin Basin, defined on the basis of hydrologic data collected from wells in Irwin Basin, consists of an upper and a lower aquifer. A 1994 water-table contour map shows that a cone of depression beneath Irwin Basin well field has developed as a result of ground-water development. Water-quality samples collected from Irwin Basin wells to determine potential sources of ground-water degradation indicate that water in three areas in the basin contains high nitrate and dissolved-solids concentrations. The stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen indicate that present-day precipitation is not a major source of recharge in this basin. Tritium and carbon-14 data indicate that most of the basin was recharged before 1953 and that this water may be more than 14,000 years old.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The Adrian Municipal Well Field site is in Adrian, Nobles County, Minnesota, a city which relies solely on ground water for its municipal water supply. In 1983 the State detected VOC contamination in two of the six wells at the site, and by 1985 the city had replaced the VOC-contaminated wells with two new wells. Subsequent ground water sampling indicated that petroleum releases from underground storage tanks (UST) are sources for soil and ground water contamination. Although ground water contaminant concentrations exceed Federal and State drinking water and surface water standards, no further action will be taken by the Superfundmore » program because the program does not have the authority to address clean up of petroleum releases. EPA will, however, formally transfer the site to its UST program in October 1989 for further action. There are no costs associated with this remedial action.« less

Water data to answer urgent water policy questions: Monitoring design, available data, and filling data gaps for determining whether shale gas development activities contaminate surface water or groundwater in the Susquehanna River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

Betanzo, Elin A.; Hagen, Erik R.; Wilson, John T.; Reckhow, Kenneth H.; Hayes, Laura; Argue, Denise M.; Cangelosi, Allegra A.

2016-01-01

Throughout its history, the United States has made major investments in assessing natural resources, such as soils, timber, oil and gas, and water. These investments allow policy makers, the private sector and the American public to make informed decisions about cultivating, harvesting or conserving these resources to maximize their value for public welfare, environmental conservation and the economy. As policy issues evolve, new priorities and challenges arise for natural resource assessment, and new approaches to monitoring are needed. For example, new technologies for oil and gas development or alternative energy sources may present new risks for water resources both above and below ground. There is a need to evaluate whether today’s water monitoring programs are generating the information needed to answer questions surrounding these new policy priorities. The Northeast-Midwest Institute (NEMWI), in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, initiated this project to explore the types and amounts of water data needed to address water-quality related policy questions of critical concern to today’s policy makers and whether those data are currently available. The collaborating entities identified two urgent water policy questions and conducted case studies in the Northeast-Midwest region to determine the water data needed, water data available, and the best ways to fill the data gaps relative to those questions. This report details the output from one case study and focuses on the Susquehanna River Basin, a data-rich area expected to be a best-case scenario in terms of water data availability.

40 CFR 141.405 - Reporting and recordkeeping for ground water systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Reporting and recordkeeping for ground water systems. 141.405 Section 141.405 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Ground Water Rule § 141.405 Reporting and recordkeeping for ground...

Ground-Water Levels and Water-Quality Data for Wells in the Crumpton Creek Area near Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, November 2001 to January 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, Shannon D.

2003-01-01

From November 2001 to January 2002, a study of the ground-water resources in the Crumpton Creek area of Middle Tennessee was conducted to determine whether volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from Arnold Air Force Base (AAFB) have affected local private water supplies and to advance understanding of the ground-water-flow system in this area. VOC samples were collected from private wells that were not included in previous sampling efforts conducted in the Crumpton Creek area near AAFB. Ground-water-flow directions were investigated by measuring water levels in wells and constructing a potentiometric-surface map of the Manchester aquifer in the study area. Data were collected from a total of 68 private wells, 82 monitoring wells, and 1 cave during the period of study. Ground-water levels were determined for 42 of the private wells and for all 82 monitoring wells. Of the 82 monitoring wells, 81 withdraw water from the Manchester aquifer and 1 well withdraws water from the overlying shallow aquifer. The Manchester aquifer wells range in depth from 20 to 150 feet. Water-level altitudes for the Manchester aquifer ranged from 956 to 1,064 feet above the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929. Water levels ranged from approximately 6 feet above land surface to 94 feet below land surface. Water-quality samples were collected from all 68 private wells, 8 of the monitoring wells, and the 1 cave. Of the 55 VOCs analyzed, 42 were not detected. Thirteen VOCs were detected; however, only tetrachloroethylene (PCE), methylene chloride, and toluene were detected at concentrations equal to or above reporting levels for the analytical method used. PCE was detected in water samples from 15 private wells and was the only VOC that exceeded drinking water maximum contaminant levels for public water systems. PCE concentrations in samples from five of the wells were below the reporting level and ranged from estimated concentrations of 0.46 to 0.80 microgram per liter (?g/L). Samples from 10 wells contained concentrations equal to or greater than the analytical reporting level of 1 ?g/L for PCE. Samples from one of these wells contained PCE concentrations (12 ?g/L and 11 ?g/L) exceeding the drinking water maximum contaminant level of 5 ?g/L for PCE. The spatial distribution of PCE detections and the relative concentrations of PCE and trichloroethylene suggest that the PCE detections are associated with a small and localized ground-water contamination plume unrelated to AAFB ground-water contamination.

SOURCE WATER AREA DELINEATION OF PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY WELLS USING WHAEM2000. INTERNATIONAL GROUND WATER MODELING CENTER NEWSLETTER, V.19(1):4

EPA Science Inventory

WhAEM2000 is computer program that solves steady state ground-water flow and advective streamlines in homogeneous, single layer aquifers. The program was designed for capture zone delineation in support of protection of the source water area surrounding public water supply well...

Results of the basewide monitoring program at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, 1993-1994

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schalk, C.W.; Cunningham, W.L.

1996-01-01

Geologic and hydrologic data were collected at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), Ohio, as part of Basewide Monitoring Program (BMP) that began in 1992. The BMP was designed as a long-term project to character ground-water and surface-water quality (including streambed sediments), describe water-quality changes as water enters, flows across, and exits the Base, and investigate the effects of activities at WPAFB on regional water quality. Ground water, surface ware, and streambed sediment were sampled in four rounds between August 1993 and September 1994 to provide the analytical data needed to address the objectives of the BMP. Surface-water-sampling rounds were designed to include most of the seasonal hydrologic conditions encountered in southwestern Ohio, including baseflow conditions and spring runoff. Ground-water-sampling rounds were scheduled for times of recession and recharfe. Ground-water data were used to construct water-table, potentiometric, and vertical gradient maps of the WPAFB area. Water levels have not changed significantly since 1987, but the effects of pumping on and near the Base can have a marked effect on water levels in localized areas. Ground-ware gradients generally were downward throughout Area B (the southwestern third of the Base) and in the eastern third of Areas A and C (the northeastern two-thirds of the Base), and were upward in the vicinity of Mad River. Stream-discharge measurements verified these gradients. Many of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level (MCL) exceedances of inorganic constituents in ground water were associated with water from the bedrock. Exceedances of concentrations of chromium and nickel were found consistently in five wells completed in the glacial aquifer beneath the Base. Five organic compounds [trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PCE), vinyl chloride, benzene, and bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate] were detected at concentrations that exceeded MCLs; all of the TCE, PCE, and vinyl chloride exceedances were in water from glacial aquifer, whereas the benzene exceedance and most of the bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate exceedances were in water from the bedrock. TCE (16 exceedances) and PCE (11 exceedances) most frequently exceeded the MCLs and were detected in the most samples. A decrease in concentrations of inorganic and organic compounds with depth suggest that many constituents detected in ground-water samples are associated partly with human activities, in addition to their natural occurrence. Included in the list of these constituents are nickel, chromium, copper, lead vanadium, zinc, bromide, and nitrate. Many constituents are not found at depths greater than 60 to 80 feet, possibly indicating that human effects on ground-water quality are limited to shallow flow systems. Organic compounds detected in shallow or intermediate-depth wells were aligned mostly with flowpaths that pass through or near identified hazardous-waste sites. Few organic contaminants were detected in surface water. The only organic compound to exceed MCLs for drinking water was bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, but it was detected at concentrations just above the MCL. Inorganic constituents detected at concentration exceeding MCLs include beryllium (twice), lead (once), thallium (once), and gross alpha radiation (once). No polycyclic aromatic (PAHs) were detected in surface-water samples. The highest concentrations of contaminants detected during a storm event were in samples from upgradient locations, indicating that off-Base sources may contribute to surface-water contamination. Inorganic and organic contaminants were found in streambed sediments at WPAFB, primarily in Areas A and C. Trace metals such as lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium were detected at 16 locations at concentrations considered 'elevated' according to a ranking scheme for sediments. PAHS were the organic compounds detected most frequently and in highest concentrations organo

Water-quality conditions at selected landfills in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, 1986-92

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferrell, G.M.; Smith, D.G.

1995-01-01

Water-quality conditions at five municipal landfills in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, were studied during 1986-92. Analytical results of water samples from monitoring wells and streams at and near the landfills were used to evaluate effects of leachate on surface and ground water. Ground-water levels at monitoring wells were used to determine directions of ground-water flow at the landfills. Data from previous studies were used for analysis of temporal trends in selected water-quality properties and chemical constituents. Effects of leachate, such as large biochemical- and chemical-oxygen demands, generally were evident in small streams originating within the landfills, whereas effects of leachate generally were not evident in most of the larger streams. In larger streams, surface-water quality upstream and downstream from most of the landfills was similar. However, the chemical quality of water in Irwin Creek appears to have been affected by the Statesville Road landfill. Concentrations of several constituents indicative of leachate were larger in samples collected from Irwin Creek downstream from the Statesville Road landfill than in samples collected from Irwin Creek upstream from the landfill. The effect of leachate on ground-water quality generally was largest in water from wells adjacent to waste-disposal cells. Concentrations of most constituents considered indicative of leachate generally were smaller with increasing distance from waste-disposal cells. Water samples from offsite wells generally indicated no effect or very small effects of leachate. Action levels designated by the Mecklenburg County Engineering Department and maximum contaminant levels established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were exceeded in some samples from the landfills. Ground-water samples exceeded action levels and maximum contaminant levels more commonly than surface-water samples. Iron and manganese were the constituents that most commonly exceeded action levels in water samples from the landfills. Synthetic organic compounds were detected more commonly and in larger concentrations in ground-water samples than in surface-water samples. Concentrations of synthetic organic compounds detected in water samples from monitoring sites at the landfills generally were much less than maximum contaminant levels. However, concentrations of some chlorinated organic compounds exceeded maximum contaminant levels in samples from several monitoring wells at the Harrisburg Road and York Road landfills. Trend analysis indicated statistically significant temporal changes in concentrations of selected water-quality constituents and properties at some of the monitoring sites. Trends detected for the Holbrooks Road and Statesville Road landfills generally indicated an improvement in water quality and a decrease in effects of leachate at most monitoring sites at these landfills from 1979 to 1992. Water-quality trends detected for monitoring sites at the Harrisburg Road and York Road landfills, the largest landfills in the study, differed in magnitude and direction. Upward trends generally were detected for sites near recently closed waste-disposal cells, whereas downward trends generally were detected for sites near older waste-disposal cells. Temporal trends in water quality generally reflected changes in degradation processes associated with the aging of landfill wastes.

Initial assessment of the ground-water resources in the Monterey Bay region, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muir, K.S.

1977-01-01

Because urban growth has placed an increasing demand on the ground-water resources of the Monterey Bay region, Calif., an assessment of the ground-water conditions was made to aid the development of local and regional plans. Ground water provides 80 percent of the water used in the region, which includes six ground-water subbasins. In several of the subbasins, pumpage exceeds safe yield. Existing water-quality degradation results from seawater intrusion, septic-tank effluent, and irrigation-return water. Potential sources of degradation include municipal sewage disposal, leachates from solid-waste disposal sites, and poor-quality connate water. High-priority items for future study include location of recharge areas, detection of seawater intrusion, and well-monitoring of landfill sites. (Woodard-USGS)

Relation of Chlorofluorocarbon Ground-Water Age Dates to Water Quality in Aquifers of West Virginia

USGS Publications Warehouse

,; Kurt, J.; Kozar, Mark D.

2007-01-01

The average apparent age of ground water in fractured-bedrock aquifers in West Virginia was determined using chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) dating methods. Since the introduction of CFC gases as refrigerants in the late 1930s, atmospheric concentrations have increased until production ceased in the mid-1990s. CFC dating methods are based on production records that date to the early 1940s, and the preservation of atmospheric CFC concentrations in ground water at the time of recharge. As part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) and Ambient Ground-Water Monitoring Network (AGN) programs in West Virginia from 1997 to 2005, 80 samples from the Appalachian Plateaus Physiographic Province, 27 samples from the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province, and 5 samples from the Ohio River alluvial aquifers were collected to estimate ground-water ages in aquifers of West Virginia. Apparent CFC ages of water samples from West Virginia aquifers ranged from 5.8 to 56 years. In the Appalachian Plateaus, topographically driven ground-water flow is evident from apparent ages of water samples from hilltop, hillside, and valley settings (median apparent ages of 12, 14, and 25 years, respectively). Topographic setting was the only factor that was found to be related to apparent ground-water age in the Plateaus at the scale of this study. Similar relations were not found in Valley and Ridge aquifers, indicating that other factors such as bedding or geologic structure may serve larger roles in controlling ground-water flow in that physiographic province. Degradation of CFCs was common in samples collected from methanogenic/anoxic aquifers in the Appalachian Plateaus and suboxic to anoxic aquifers in the Valley and Ridge. CFC contamination was most common in Ohio River alluvial aquifers and carbonate units of the Valley and Ridge, indicating that these highly transmissive surficial aquifers are the most vulnerable to water-quality degradation and may contain wastewater from domestic or industrial sources with CFC concentrations greater than modern atmospheric levels. However, based on a lack of detections of the volatile organic compounds analyzed for in most of the water samples collected for this and similar USGS investigations, ground-water resources of West Virginia used for public and private consumption do not appear to be routinely affected by anthropogenic activities despite their young apparent age.

40 CFR 264.117 - Post-closure care and use of property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... and the environment (e.g., leachate or ground-water monitoring results, characteristics of the... extended period is necessary to protect human health and the environment (e.g., leachate or ground-water...

40 CFR 264.117 - Post-closure care and use of property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... and the environment (e.g., leachate or ground-water monitoring results, characteristics of the... extended period is necessary to protect human health and the environment (e.g., leachate or ground-water...

40 CFR 264.117 - Post-closure care and use of property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... and the environment (e.g., leachate or ground-water monitoring results, characteristics of the... extended period is necessary to protect human health and the environment (e.g., leachate or ground-water...

40 CFR 264.117 - Post-closure care and use of property.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... and the environment (e.g., leachate or ground-water monitoring results, characteristics of the... extended period is necessary to protect human health and the environment (e.g., leachate or ground-water...

Elements in cottonwood trees as an indicator of ground water contaminated by landfill leachate

USGS Publications Warehouse

Erdman, James A.; Christenson, Scott

2000-01-01

Ground water at the Norman Landfill Research Site is contaminated by a leachate plume emanating from a closed, unlined landfill formerly operated by the city of Norman, Oklahoma, Ground water contaminated by the leachate plume is known to be elevated in the concentration of many, organic and inorganic constituents. Specific conductance, alkalinity, chloride, dissolved organic carbon, boron, sodium, strontium, and deuterium in ground water are considered to be indicators of the leachate plume at this site. Leaf samples of broad-leafed cottonwood, Populus deltoides, were collected from 57 sites around the closed landfill. Cottonwood, a phreatophyte or “well plant,” functions as a & surrogate well and serves as a ground water quality sampler. The leaf samples were combusted to ash and analyzed by instrumental neutron activation for 35 elements and by prompt-gamma instrumental neutron activation, for boron. A monitoring well was located within a few meters of a sampled cottonwood tree at 15 of the 57 sites, and ground water samples were collected from these monitoring wells simultaneously with a leaf sample. The chemical analyses of the ground water and leaf samples from these 15 sites indicated that boron, bromine, sodium, and strontium concentrations in leaves were significantly correlated with leachate indicator constituents in ground water. A point-plot map of selected percentiles indicated high concentrations of boron, bromine, and sodium in leaf ash from sites downgradient of the most recent landfill and from older landfills nearby. Data from leaf analysis greatly extended the known areal extent of the leachate plume previously determined from a network of monitoring wells and geophysical surveys. This phytosgeochemical study provided a cost-effective method for assessing the extent of a leachate plume from an old landfill. Such a method may be useful as a preliminary sampling tool to guide the design of hydrogeochemical and geophysical studies.

Water-use analysis program for the Neshaminy Creek basin, Bucks and Montgomery counties, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schreffler, Curtis L.

1996-01-01

A water-use analysis computer program was developed for the Neshaminy Creek Basin to assist in managing and allocating water resources in the basin. The program was developed for IBM-compatible personal computers. Basin analysis and the methodologies developed for the Neshaminy Creek Basin can be transferred to other watersheds. The development and structure of the water-use analysis program is documented in this report. The report also serves as a user's guide. The program uses common relational database-management software that allows for water use-data input, editing, updating and output and can be used to generate a watershed water-use analysis report. The watershed-analysis report lists summations of public-supply well withdrawals; a combination of industrial, commercial, institutional, and ground-water irrigation well withdrawals; spray irrigation systems; a combination of public, industrial, and private surface-water withdrawals; wastewater-tratement-facility dishcarges; estimates of aggregate domestic ground-water withdrawals on an areal basin or subbasin basis; imports and exports of wastewater across basin or subbasin divides; imports and exports of public water supplies across basin or subbasin divides; estimates of evaporative loss and consumptive loss from produce incorporation; industrial septic-system discharges to ground water; and ground-water well-permit allocations.

Hydrogeologic setting, ground-water flow, and ground-water quality at the Lake Wheeler Road research station, 2001-03 : North Carolina Piedmont and Mountains Resource Evaluation Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapman, Melinda J.; Bolich, Richard E.; Huffman, Brad A.

2005-01-01

Results of a 2-year field study of the regolith-fractured bedrock ground-water system at the Lake Wheeler Road research station in Wake County, North Carolina, indicate both disconnection and interaction among components of the ground-water system. The three components of the ground-water system include (1) shallow, porous regolith; (2) a transition zone, including partially weathered rock, having both secondary (fractures) and primary porosity; and (3) deeper, fractured bedrock that has little, if any, primary porosity and is dominated by secondary fractures. The research station includes 15 wells (including a well transect from topographic high to low settings) completed in the three major components of the ground-water-flow system and a surface-water gaging station on an unnamed tributary. The Lake Wheeler Road research station is considered representative of a felsic gneiss hydrogeologic unit having steeply dipping foliation and a relatively thick overlying regolith. Bedrock foliation generally strikes N. 10? E. to N. 30? E. and N. 20? W. to N. 40? W. to a depth of about 400 feet and dips between 70? and 80? SE. and NE., respectively. From 400 to 600 feet, the foliation generally strikes N. 70? E. to N. 80? E., dipping 70? to 80? SE. Depth to bedrock locally ranges from about 67 to 77 feet below land surface. Fractures in the bedrock generally occur in two primary sets: low dip angle, stress relief fractures that cross cut foliation, and steeply dipping fractures parallel to foliation. Findings of this study generally support the conceptual models of ground-water flow from high to low topographic settings developed for the Piedmont and Blue Ridge Provinces in previous investigations, but are considered a refinement of the generalized conceptual model based on a detailed local-scale investigation. Ground water flows toward a surface-water boundary, and hydraulic gradients generally are downward in recharge areas and upward in discharge areas; however, local variations in vertical gradients are apparent. Water-quality sampling and monitoring efforts were conducted to characterize the interaction of components of the ground-water system. Elevated nitrate concentrations as high as 22 milligrams per liter were detected in shallow ground water from the regolith at the study site. These elevated nitrate concentrations likely are related to land use, which includes agricultural practices that involve animal feeding operations and crop fertilization. Continuous ground-water-quality data indicate seasonal fluctuations in field water-quality properties, differences with respect to depth, and fluctuations during recharge events. Water-quality properties recorded in the regolith well following rainfall indicate the upwelling of deeper ground water in the discharge area, likely from ground water in the transition-zone fractures. Additionally, interaction with a surface-water boundary appears likely in the ground-water discharge area, as water levels in all three ground-water zones, including the deep bedrock, mimic the surface-water rise during rainfall.

Geologic, water-chemistry, and hydrologic data from multiple-well monitoring sites and selected water-supply wells in the Santa Clara Valley, California, 1999-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Newhouse, M.W.; Hanson, R.T.; Wentworth, C.M.; Everett, Rhett; Williams, C.F.; Tinsley, J.C.; Noce, T.E.; Carkin, B.A.

2004-01-01

To better identify the three-dimensional geohydrologic framework of the Santa Clara Valley, lithologic, geologic, geophysical, geomechanical, hydraulic, and water-chemistry data were collected from eight ground-water multiple-well monitoring sites constructed in Santa Clara County, California, as part of a series of cooperative studies between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Santa Clara Valley Water District. The data are being used to update and improve the three-dimensional geohydrologic framework of the basin and to address issues related to water supply, water chemistry, sequence stratigraphy, geology, and geological hazards. This report represents a compilation of data collected from 1999 to 2003, including location and design of the monitoring sites, cone penetrometer borings, geologic logs, lithologic logs, geophysical logs, core analysis, water-chemistry analysis, ground-water-level measurements, and hydraulic and geomechanical properties from wells and core samples. Exploratory cone penetrometer borings taken in the upper 17 to 130 feet at six of the monitoring sites identified the base of Holocene as no deeper than 75 feet in the central confined area and no deeper than 35 feet in the southern unconfined areas of the valley. Generalized lithologic characterization from the monitoring sites indicates about four to six different aquifer units separated by relatively fine-grained units occur within the alluvial deposits shallower than 860 feet deep. Analysis of geophysical logs indicates that coarse-grained units varied in thickness between 10 and 25 feet in the southeastern unconfined area of the valley and between 50 and 200 feet in the south-central and southwestern areas of the valley. Deviations from temperature-gradient logs indicate that the majority of horizontal ground-water flow occurs above a depth of 775 feet in the south central and above 510 feet in the southeastern areas of the valley. Bulk physical properties from more than 1,150 feet of core samples indicate an average primary-wave velocity of about 5,515 feet per second, a bimodal distribution of density between 2.19 and 2.32 grams per cubic centimeter with an average of 2.16 grams per cubic centimeter, and a magnetic susceptibility that generally ranged between 9 and 40 with an average of 22. Water-chemistry data indicate that the ground water in the alluvial aquifers generally is low in total dissolved solids and chloride and of good quality. Isotopic data indicate that water from artificial recharge is present throughout the shallower parts of the aquifer system but may not be present toward the center of the valley. The percentage of water from artificial recharge present in ground water ranges from 0 to 61 percent for water-supply wells. The age of most shallow ground water is less than 2,000 years before present, and the age of deeper ground water is as much as 39,900 years before present, as determined from carbon age dates. Initial water-level data from the multiple-well monitoring sites indicate seasonal water-level fluctuations as great as 60 feet and water-level differences between aquifers as great as 10 feet. The water-level hydrographs indicate different water-level changes and relations between aquifers in different parts of the basin. However, most of these hydrographs indicate the potential for downward water-level gradients, with lower hydraulic heads in the deeper monitoring wells. Hydraulic properties of selected new monitoring wells indicate that horizontal hydraulic conductivities range from 0.1 to 583 feet per day. Hydraulic testing of selected core samples yielded vertical hydraulic conductivity values ranging from 8 x 10-4 to 0.3 feet per day, and effective porosity values ranging from 0.21 to 0.4. Geomechanical properties estimated from one-dimensional consolidation tests of selected core samples resulted in geometric mean inelastic and elastic specific storage values of 1.5 x 10-

Estuarine water-quality and sediment data, and surface-water and ground-water-quality data, Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Camden County, Georgia, January 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leeth, David C.; Holloway, Owen G.

2000-01-01

In January 1999, the U.S. Geological Survey collected estuarine-water, estuarine-sediment, surface-water, and ground-water quality samples in the vicinity of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Camden County, Georgia. Data from these samples are used by the U.S. Navy to monitor the impact of submarine base activities on local water resources. Estuarine water and sediment data were collected from five sites on the Crooked River, Kings Bay, and Cumberland Sound. Surface-water data were collected from seven streams that discharge from Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay. Ground-water data were collected from six ground-water monitoring wells completed in the water-table zone of the surficial aquifer at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. Samples were analyzed for nutrients, total and dissolved trace metals, total and dissolved organic carbon, oil and grease, total organic halogens, biological and chemical oxygen demand, and total and fecal coliform. Trace metals in ground and surface waters did not exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Drinking Water Standards; and trace metals in surface water also did not exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Surface Water Standards. These trace metals included arsenic, barium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, selenium, silver, tin, and zinc. Barium was detected in relatively high concentrations in ground water (concentrations ranged from 18 to 264 micrograms per liter). Two estuarine water samples exceeded the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Environmental Protection Division standards for copper (concentrations of 6.2 and 3.0 micrograms per liter).

Southwest principal aquifers regional ground-water quality assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anning, D.W.; Thiros, Susan A.; Bexfield, L.M.; McKinney, T.S.; Green, J.M.

2009-01-01

The National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a regional analysis of water quality in the principal aquifers in the southwestern United States. The Southwest Principal Aquifers (SWPA) study is building a better understanding of the susceptibility and vulnerability of basin-fill aquifers in the region to ground-water contamination by synthesizing the baseline knowledge of ground-water quality conditions in 15 basins previously studied by the NAWQA Program. The improved understanding of aquifer susceptibility and vulnerability to contamination is assisting in the development of tools that water managers can use to assess and protect the quality of ground-water resources. This fact sheet provides an overview of the basin-fill aquifers in the southwestern United States and description of the completed and planned regional analyses of ground-water quality being performed by the SWPA study.

Selected hydrologic data from the Cedar Rapids area, Linn County, Iowa, April 1996 through March 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Boyd, R.A.; Kuzniar, R.L.; Schulmeyer, P.M.

1999-01-01

The City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa obtains its municipal water supply from four well fields along the Cedar River. The wells are completed at depths of about 60 to 80 feet in a shallow alluvial aquifer adjacent to the Cedar River. The City of Cedar Rapids and the U.S. Geological Survey have conducted a cooperative study of the groundwater flow system and water quality near the well fields since 1992. The purpose of this report is to document selected hydrologic data collected from April 1996 through March 1999. Data include the results of water-quality analyses, ground-waterlevels continuously measured with pressure transducers and data recorders, and physical properties continuously monitored using multiprobe instruments. Water-quality samples were collected from selected wells and the Cedar River to conduct periodic monitoring, to evaluate ground-water geochemistry, to assess the occurrence of pesticides and herbicide degradates in the alluvial aquifer, and to characterize water quality in shallow ground water near a wetland area in the Seminole Well Field. Types of water-quality analyses included common ions (calcium, chloride, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, silica, sodium, and sulfate), trace elements (boron, bromide, and fluoride), nutrients (ammonia as nitrogen, nitrite as nitrogen, nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen, and orthophosphate as phosphorus), dissolved organic carbon, and selected pesticides and herbicide degradates. Ground-water levels in selected observation wells were continuously measured to assess temporal trends in groundwater levels in the alluvial aquifer and bedrock aquifer, to help calibrate a ground-water flow model being constructed to simulate local groundwater flow under transient conditions near the well fields, and to assess hydrologic conditions near a wetland area in the Seminole Well Field. Physical properties (specific conductance, pH, dissolved oxygen, and water temperature) were continuously monitored to assess temporal variation and to help evaluate the interaction between the Cedar River and ground water in the alluvial aquifer.

Monitoring Ground-Water Quality in Coastal Ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Colman, John A.; Masterson, John P.

2007-01-01

INTRODUCTION The Cape Cod National Seashore (CACO) extends along more than 70 km of Atlantic Ocean open-beach coastline and includes three large saltwater bays - Wellfleet Harbor, Nauset Marsh, and Pleasant Bay (fig. 1). CACO encompasses about 18,000 ha of uplands, lakes, wetlands, and tidal lands (Godfrey and others, 1999) including most habitats typical of the sandy coast in National seashores and parks extending southward from Massachusetts to Florida. In 1995, CACO was selected by the National Park Service (NPS) as a prototype park typifying the Atlantic and Gulf Coast biogeographic region for long-term coastal ecosystem monitoring. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is currently (2007) assisting the NPS in the development of protocols for a Long-Term Coastal Ecosystem Monitoring Program at the CACO in Massachusetts. The overall purpose of the monitoring program is to characterize both natural and human-induced change in the biological resources of the CACO, over a time scale of decades, in the context of a changing global ecosystem.

Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) Applications: Tools to View, Extract, Plot, and Manipulate EDEN Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Telis, Pamela A.; Henkel, Heather

2009-01-01

The Everglades Depth Estimation Network (EDEN) is an integrated system of real-time water-level monitoring, ground-elevation data, and water-surface elevation modeling to provide scientists and water managers with current on-line water-depth information for the entire freshwater part of the greater Everglades. To assist users in applying the EDEN data to their particular needs, a series of five EDEN tools, or applications (EDENapps), were developed. Using EDEN's tools, scientists can view the EDEN datasets of daily water-level and ground elevations, compute and view daily water depth and hydroperiod surfaces, extract data for user-specified locations, plot transects of water level, and animate water-level transects over time. Also, users can retrieve data from the EDEN datasets for analysis and display in other analysis software programs. As scientists and managers attempt to restore the natural volume, timing, and distribution of sheetflow in the wetlands, such information is invaluable. Information analyzed and presented with these tools is used to advise policy makers, planners, and decision makers of the potential effects of water management and restoration scenarios on the natural resources of the Everglades.

Proposed Fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4) Meeting Presentations

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document contains the proposed Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4) Meeting Presentations from a public webinar held by EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water on January 13, 2016.

Ground-Water Quality Data in the Upper Santa Ana Watershed Study Unit, November 2006-March 2007: Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kent, Robert; Belitz, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Ground-water quality in the approximately 1,000-square-mile Upper Santa Ana Watershed study unit (USAW) was investigated from November 2006 through March 2007 as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001, and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The Upper Santa Ana Watershed study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of raw ground-water quality within USAW, as well as a statistically consistent basis for comparing water quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 99 wells in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Ninety of the wells were selected using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study unit (grid wells). Nine wells were selected to provide additional understanding of specific water-quality issues identified within the basin (understanding wells). The ground-water samples were analyzed for a large number of organic constituents (volatile organic compounds [VOCs], pesticides and pesticide degradates, pharmaceutical compounds, and potential wastewater-indicator compounds), constituents of special interest (perchlorate, N-nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA], 1,4-dioxane, and 1,2,3-trichloropropane [1,2,3-TCP]), naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, major and minor ions, and trace elements), radioactive constituents, and microbial indicators. Naturally occurring isotopes (tritium, carbon-14, and stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen in water) and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify sources and ages of the sampled ground water. Dissolved gases, and isotopes of nitrogen gas and of dissolved nitrate also were measured in order to investigate the sources and occurrence of nitrate in the study unit. In total, nearly 400 constituents and water-quality indicators were investigated for this study. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, water typically is treated, disinfected, and (or) blended with other waters to maintain acceptable water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to treated water that is served to the consumer, not to raw ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the raw ground water were compared with regulatory and non-regulatory health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic concerns (secondary maximum contaminant levels, SMCL-CA) by CDPH. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in more than 80 percent of USAW grid wells. Most VOCs detected were at concentrations far less than thresholds established for drinking water to protect human health; however, six wells had VOC concentrations above health-based thresholds. Twenty-four of the 85 VOCs investigated were detected in the study unit;11 were detected in more than 10 percent of the wells. The VOCs detected above health-based thresholds in at least one well were dibromochloropropane (DBCP), tetrachloroethene (PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), carbon tetrachloride, and 1,1-dichoroethene. Pesticide compounds were detected in more than 75 percent of the grid wells. However, of the 134 different pesticide compounds investigated, 13 were detected at concentrations greater than their respective long-term method detection limits, and only 7 compounds (all herbicides or herbicide degradates) were detected in more than 10 percent of the wells. No pesticide compound was detected above its health-based threshold, although thresholds exist for fewer than half of the pesticide compounds investigat

Water-quality, water-level, and lake-bottom-sediment data collected from the defense fuel supply point and adjacent properties, Hanahan, South Carolina, 1990-96

USGS Publications Warehouse

Petkewich, M.D.; Vroblesky, D.A.; Robertson, J.F.; Bradley, P.M.

1997-01-01

A 9-year scientific investigation to determine the potential for biore-mediation of ground-water contamination and to monitor the effectiveness of an engineered bioremediation system located at the Defense Fuel Supply Point and adjacent properties in Hanahan, S.C., has culminated in the collection of abundant water-quality and water-level data.This report presents the analytical results of the study that monitored the changes in surface- and ground-water quality and water-table elevations in the study area from December 1990 to January 1996. This report also presents analytical results of lake-bottom sediments collected in the study area.

Visual Basic programs for spreadsheet analysis.

PubMed

Hunt, Bruce

2005-01-01

A collection of Visual Basic programs, entitled Function.xls, has been written for ground water spreadsheet calculations. This collection includes programs for calculating mathematical functions and for evaluating analytical solutions in ground water hydraulics and contaminant transport. Several spreadsheet examples are given to illustrate their use.

40 CFR 264.97 - General ground-water monitoring requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-water samples from the uppermost aquifer that: (1) Represent the quality of background ground water that... quality may include sampling of wells that are not hydraulically upgradient of the waste management area... quality that is representative or more representative than that provided by the upgradient wells; and (2...

40 CFR 258.57 - Selection of remedy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-water quantity and quality; (iv) The potential damage to wildlife, crops, vegetation, and physical... MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.57 Selection of remedy... environment; (2) Attain the ground-water protection standard as specified pursuant to §§ 258.55 (h) or (i); (3...

40 CFR 258.57 - Selection of remedy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-water quantity and quality; (iv) The potential damage to wildlife, crops, vegetation, and physical... MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.57 Selection of remedy... environment; (2) Attain the ground-water protection standard as specified pursuant to §§ 258.55 (h) or (i); (3...

40 CFR 258.57 - Selection of remedy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-water quantity and quality; (iv) The potential damage to wildlife, crops, vegetation, and physical... MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE LANDFILLS Ground-Water Monitoring and Corrective Action § 258.57 Selection of remedy... environment; (2) Attain the ground-water protection standard as specified pursuant to §§ 258.55 (h) or (i); (3...

Use Of The Operational Air Quality Monitor (AQM) For In-Flight Water Testing Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macatangay, Ariel

2014-01-01

A primary requirement for manned spaceflight is Environmental Health which ensures air and water contaminants, acoustic profiles, microbial flora, and radiation exposures within the cabin are maintained to levels needed for crew health and for vehicle system functionality. The reliance on ground analyses of returned samples is a limitation in the current environmental monitoring strategy that will prevent future Exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit. This proposal attempts to address this shortcoming by advancing in-flight analyses of water and air. Ground analysis of in-flight, air and water samples typically employ vapor-phase analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to identify and quantify organic compounds present in the samples. We envision the use of newly-developed direct ionization approaches as the most viable avenue leading towards an integrated analytical platform for the monitoring of water, air, and, potentially bio-samples in the cabin environment. Development of an in-flight instrument capable of analyzing air and water samples would be the logical next step to meeting the environmental monitoring needs of Exploration missions. Currently, the Air Quality Monitor (AQM) on-board ISS provides this specific information for a number of target compounds in the air. However, there is a significant subset of common target compounds between air and water. Naturally, the following question arises, "Can the AQM be used for both air and water quality monitoring?" Previous directorate-level IR&D funding led to the development of a water sample introduction method for mass spectrometry using electrothermal vaporization (ETV). This project will focus on the integration of the ETV with a ground-based AQM. The capabilities of this integrated platform will be evaluated using a subset of toxicologically important compounds.

Bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated ground water: The perspectives of history and hydrology

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapelle, F.H.

1999-01-01

Bioremediation, the use of microbial degradation processes to detoxify environmental contamination, was first applied to petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated ground water systems in the early 1970s. Since that time, these technologies have evolved in some ways that were clearly anticipated early investigators, and in other ways that were not foreseen. The expectation that adding oxidants and nutrients to contaminated aquifers would enhance biodegradation, for example, has been born out subsequent experience. Many of the technologies now in common use such as air sparging, hydrogen peroxide addition, nitrate addition, and bioslurping, are conceptually similar to the first bioremediation systems put into operation. More unexpected, however, were the considerable technical problems associated with delivering oxidants and nutrients to heterogeneous ground water systems. Experience has shown that the success of engineered bioremediation systems depends largely on how effectively directions and rates of ground water flow can be controlled, and thus how efficiently oxidants and nutrients can be delivered to contaminated aquifer sediments. The early expectation that injecting laboratory-selected or genetically engineered cultures of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria into aquifers would be a useful bioremediation technology has not been born out subsequent experience. Rather, it appears that petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria are ubiquitous in ground water systems and that bacterial addition is usually unnecessary. Perhaps the technology that was least anticipated early investigators was the development of intrinsic bioremediation. Experience has shown that natural attenuation mechanisms - biodegradation, dilution, and sorption - limit the migration of contaminants to some degree in all ground water systems. Intrinsic bioremediation is the deliberate use of natural attenuation processes to treat contaminated ground water to specified concentration levels at predetermined points in the aquifer. In current practice, intrinsic bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons requires a systematic assessment to show that ambient natural attenuation mechanisms are efficient enough to meet regulatory requirements and a monitoring program to verify that performance requirements are met in the future.

Volunteer water monitoring: A guide for state managers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1990-08-01

Contents: executive summary; volunteers in water monitoring; planning a volunteer monitoring program; implementing a volunteer monitoring program; providing credible information; costs and funding; and descriptions of five successful programs.

WORKSHOP ON MONITORING OXIDATION-REDUCTION PROCESSES FOR GROUND-WATER RESTORATION

EPA Science Inventory

Redox conditions are among the most important parameters for controlling contaminant transport and fate in ground-water systems. Oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions mediate the chemical behavior of both inorganic and organic chemical constituents by affecting solubility, rea...

Quality of shallow ground water in areas of recent residential and commercial development, Wichita, Kansas, 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pope, Larry M.; Bruce, Breton W.; Rasmussen, Patrick P.; Milligan, Chad R.

2002-01-01

Water samples from 30 randomly distributed monitoring wells in areas of recent residential and commercial development (1960-96), Wichita, Kansas, were collected in 2000 as part of the High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The samples were analyzed for about 170 water-quality constituents that included chlorofluorocarbons, physical properties, dissolved solids and major ions, nutrients and dissolved organic carbon, trace elements, pesticide compounds, and volatile organic compounds. The purpose of this report is to provide an assessment of water quality in recharge to shallow ground water underlying areas of recent residential and commercial development and to determine the relation of ground-water quality to overlying urban land use. Analyses of water from the 30 monitoring wells for chlorofluorocarbons were used to estimate apparent dates of recharge. Water from 18 wells with nondegraded and uncontaminated chlorofluorocarbon concentrations had calculated apparent recharge dates that ranged from 1979 to 1990 with an average date of 1986. Water from 14 monitoring wells (47 percent) exceeded the 500-milligrams-per-liter Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for dissolved solids in drinking water. The Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels of 250 milligrams per liter for chloride and sulfate were exceeded in water from one well. The source of the largest concentrations of dissolved solids and associated ions, such as chloride and sulfate, in shallow ground water in the study area probably is highly mineralized water moving out of the Arkansas River into the adjacent, unconsolidated deposits and mixing with the dominant calcium bicarbonate water in the deposits. Concentrations of most nutrients in water from the sampled wells were small, with the exception of nitrate. Although water from the sampled wells did not have nitrate concentrations larger than the 10-milligram-per-liter Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water, water from 50 percent of the sampled wells showed nitrate enrichment (concentrations greater than 2.0 milligrams per liter). Most trace elements in water from the sampled wells were detected only in small concentrations, and few exceeded respective water-quality standards. Twenty percent of iron concentrations, 40 percent of manganese concentrations, 3 percent of arsenic concentrations, and 13 percent of uranium concentrations exceeded respective Maximum Contaminant Levels or Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels. A total of 47 pesticide compounds were analyzed in ground-water samples during this study. Water from 73 percent of the wells sampled had detectable concentrations of one or more of 8 of these 47 compounds. The herbicide atrazine or its degradation product deethylatrazine were detected most frequently (in water from 70 percent of the sampled wells). Metolachlor was detected in water from 10 percent of the wells, and simazine was detected in water from 30 percent of the wells sampled. Other pesticides detected included dieldrin, pendimethalin, prometon, and tebuthiuron (each in water from 3 percent of the wells). All concentrations of these compounds were less than established Maximum Contaminant Levels. A total of 85 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed in ground-water samples during this study. Water from 43 percent of the wells had a detectable concentration of one or more VOCs. Chloroform was the most frequently detected VOC (23 percent of the wells sampled).Seven other VOCs were detected in water at frequencies of 13 percent or less in the wells sampled. Concentrations of VOCs were less than respective Maximum Contaminant Levels, except one sample with a concentration of 9.0 micrograms per liter for tetrachloroethylene (Maximum Contaminant Level of 5.0 micrograms per liter). An analysis of hydraulic gradient, flow velocity

Preserving ground water samples with hydrochloric acid does not result in the formation of chloroform

USGS Publications Warehouse

Squillace, Paul J.; Pankow, James F.; Barbash, Jack E.; Price, Curtis V.; Zogorski, John S.

1999-01-01

Water samples collected for the determination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are often preserved with hydrochloric acid (HCl) to inhibit the biotransformation of the analytes of interest until the chemical analyses can he performed. However, it is theoretically possible that residual free chlorine in the HCl can react with dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to form chloroform via the haloform reaction. Analyses of 1501 ground water samples preserved with HCl from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment Program indicate that chloroform was the most commonly detected VOC among 60 VOCs monitored. The DOC concentrations were not significantly larger in samples with detectable chloroform than in those with no delectable chloroform, nor was there any correlation between the concentrations of chloroform and DOC. Furthermore, chloroform was detected more frequently in shallow ground water in urban areas (28.5% of the wells sampled) than in agricultural areas (1.6% of the wells sampled), which indicates that its detection was more related to urban land-use activities than to sample acidification. These data provide strong evidence that acidification with HCl does not lead to the production of significant amounts of chloroform in ground water samples. To verify these results, an acidification study was designed to measure the concentrations of all trihalomethanes (THMs) that can form as a result of HCl preservation in ground water samples and to determine if ascorbic acid (C6H8O6) could inhibit this reaction if it did occur. This study showed that no THMs were formed as a result of HCl acidification, and that ascorbic acid had no discernible effect on the concentrations of THMs measured.

US Environmental rotection Agency's strategy for ground-water-quality monitoring at hazardous-waste land-disposal facilities located in karst terranes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Field, M.S.

1988-11-01

Ground-water monitoring of hazardous-waste land-disposal units by a network of wells is ineffective when located in karstic terranes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently proposing to modify its current ground-water-quality monitoring requirement of one upgradient well and three downgradient wells for disposal units located in karstic terranes. The convergent nature of subsurface flow to cave streams in karstic terranes requires that effective monitoring wells intercept the cave streams. Wells located around a hazardous-waste disposal unit, but not in the specific cave stream draining the site, are only providing irrelevant data and a false sense of security because themore » water samples from such wells are not necessarily from the hazardous-waste disposal unit. A case study is provided in this paper. EPA is drafting a guidance document that will allow monitoring by wells, only if the up- and down-gradient wells can be demonstrated to be hydraulically connected by means of dye-trace studies. If not, then the monitoring of springs shown to be hydraulically connected to the facility by dye-tracing studies would be required. Monitoring for sinkhole development will also be required to provide advance warning of sinkhole collapse. The investigation and determination of the probability of sinkhole collapse is given special treatment.« less

Buffer zone monitoring plan for the Dos Rios subdivision, Gunnison, Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1996-02-01

This report presents a plan for water quality monitoring at the Dos Rios subdivision (Units 2, 3, and the Island Unit) that is intended to satisfy the informational needs of residents who live southwest (downgradient) of the former Gunnison processing site. Water quality monitoring activities described in this report are designed to protect the public from residual contamination that entered the ground water as a result of previous uranium milling operations. Requirements presented in this monitoring plan are also included in the water sampling and analysis plan (WSAP) for the Gunnison Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project site. Themore » Gunnison WSAP is a site-specific document prepared by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that provides background, guidance, and justification for future ground water sampling and analysis activities for the UMTRA Project Gunnison processing and disposal sites. The WSAP will be updated annually, as additional water quality data are collected and interpreted, to provide ongoing protection for public health and the environment.« less

76 FR 22148 - Petitions for Modification of Application of Existing Mandatory Safety Standards

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-20

..., grounded phase, under-voltage, and ground monitoring protection; (b) the trailing cable short-circuit... activated; (c) the solenoid valves will be connected to the CO monitoring system through PLC programming... surface location, either the CO monitoring room or the security station. Either, two miners on each shift...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The 75-acre Monsanto site is a former industrial plant located three miles southeast of Augusta, Georgia. Land use in the area is predominantly industrial, with a wetland area located approximately 4,570 feet from the site. From 1966 to 1974, approximately 1500 pounds of arsenic were placed in two onsite landfills. The final Record of Decision (ROD) addresses ground water contamination. The primary contaminant of concern affecting the ground water is arsenic, a metal. The selected remedial action for the site includes monitoring ground water to evaluate compliance with Ground Water Protection Achievement Levels (GPALs); pumping and discharging ground water tomore » an offsite publicly owned treatment works. The estimated present worth cost for the remedial action is $600,000.« less

Ground-water, surface-water, and water-chemistry data, Black Mesa area, northeastern Arizona: 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Truini, Margot; Baum, Bradley M.; Littin, Gregory R.; Shingoitewa-Honanie, Gayl

2000-01-01

The Black Mesa monitoring program is designed to document long-term effects of ground-water pumping from the N aquifer by industrial and municipal users. The N aquifer is the major source of water in the 5,400-square-mile Black Mesa area, and the ground water occurs under confined and unconfined conditions. Monitoring activities include continuous and periodic measurements of (1) ground-water pumpage from the confined and unconfined parts of the aquifer, (2) ground-water levels in the confined and unconfined parts of the aquifer, (3) surface-water discharge, (4) flowmeter tests, and (5) ground-water and surface-water chemistry. In 1998, ground-water withdrawals for industrial and municipal use totaled about 7,060 acre-feet, which is less than a 1 percent decrease from 1997. Pumpage from the confined part of the aquifer decreased by less than 1 percent to 5,470 acre-feet, and pumpage from the unconfined part of the aquifer increased by less than 1 percent to 1,590 acre-feet. Water-level declines in the confined part of the aquifer were recorded in 10 of 14 wells during 1998, and the median change from 1997 was a decline of 3.0 feet as opposed to a rise of 0.2 feet for the change from 1996 to 1997. Water-level declines in the unconfined part of the aquifer were recorded in 9 of 16 wells, and the median change from 1997 was 0.0 feet, which is the same as the median change from 1996 to 1997. Of the 35 pumpage meters on municipal wells that were tested, the difference between metered and tested discharge ranged from +6.3 to -19.6 percent. The average difference was about -3.4 percent. Five of the meters exceeded the allowable difference (10 percent) and should be repaired or replaced. The low-flow discharge at the Moenkopi streamflow-gaging station ranged from 2.6 to 4.7 cubic feet per second in 1998. Streamflow-discharge measurements also were made at Laguna Creek, Dinnebito Wash, and Polacca Wash during 1998. The low-flow discharge ranged from 0.41 to 5.1 cubic feet per second at Laguna Creek, 0.32 to 0.44 cubic feet per second at Dinnebito Wash, and 0.13 to 0.36 cubic feet per second at Polacca Wash. Discharge was measured at four springs. Discharge from Moenkopi School Spring decreased by about 1.1 gallons per minute from the measurement in 1997. Discharge from an unnamed spring near Dennehotso decreased by 4.6 gallons per minute from the measurement made in 1997. Discharge increased slightly at Burro Spring and decreased by about 1 gallon per minute at Pasture Canyon Spring. Regionally, long-term water-chemistry data for wells and springs have remained stable.

Comprehensive Monitoring Program: Annual Ground Water Report for 1989. Version 2.0. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-06-01

26148, 27003 , 33030, 33075, 35078*, 36110*, 36169, 36170*, 36171*, 37316* Benzene 01007, 01071*, 02031*, 23151, 23196, 25016*, 26020, 33032*, 36076...36171*, 37317* Chlorobenzene 01071*, 03523, 04010, 04038, 04039, 04046, 09006, 09011, 23049, 23053, 23106, 23197, 24181,24200, 26150*, 26155*, 27003 ...1.69 to 11.6 pg/I. The highest was detected in Well 27003 which is located to the south of the NWBCS. 4.3.8.2 Confined Flow System. Of 165 samples

Quality and sources of shallow ground water in areas of recent residential development in Salt Lake Valley, Salt Lake County, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thiros, Susan A.

2003-01-01

Residential and commercial development of about 80 square miles that primarily replaced undeveloped and agricultural areas occurred in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, from 1963 to 1994. This study evaluates the occurrence and distribution of natural and anthropogenic compounds in shallow ground water underlying recently developed (post 1963) residential and commercial areas. Monitoring wells from 23 to 153 feet deep were installed at 30 sites. Water-quality data for the monitoring wells consist of analyses of field parameters, major ions, trace elements, nutrients, dissolved organic carbon, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds.Dissolved-solids concentration ranged from 134 to 2,910 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in water from the 30 monitoring wells. Dissolved arsenic concentration in water from 12 wells exceeded the drinking-water maximum contaminant level of 10 micrograms per liter. Water from monitoring wells in the northwestern part of the valley generally contained higher arsenic concentrations than did water from other areas. Nitrate concentration in water sampled from 26 of the 30 monitoring wells (86.7 percent) was higher than a background level of 2 mg/L, indicating a possible human influence. Nitrate concentrations ranged from less than 0.05 to 13.3 mg/L.Fifteen of the 104 pesticides and pesticide degradation products analyzed for were detected in 1 or more water samples from the monitoring wells. No pesticides were detected at concentrations that exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water standards or guidelines for 2002. The high detection frequency of atrazine, a restricted-use pesticide, in residential areas on the west side of Salt Lake Valley may be the result of application in agricultural or industrial areas that have been converted to residential uses or application in areas upgradient from the residential areas that was then transported by ground water.Fifteen of the 86 volatile organic compounds analyzed for were detected in 1 or more water samples from the monitoring wells. The most frequently detected volatile organic compounds were chloroform (90 percent), bromodichloromethane (56.7 percent), tetrachloroethylene (53.3 percent), and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (50 percent). The widespread occurrence of chloroform and bromodichloromethane in shallow ground water is likely a result of the recharge of chlorinated public-supply water used to irrigate lawns and gardens in residential areas of Salt Lake Valley. Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), primarily used as a dry cleaning agent and solvent, was detected in water from 16 wells.

Monitoring impacts of Tamarix leaf beetles (Diorhabda elongata) on the leaf phenology and water use of Tamarix spp. using ground and remote sensing methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagler, P. L.; Brown, T.; Hultine, K. R.; van Riper, C.; Bean, D. A.; Murray, R.; Pearlstein, S.; Glenn, E. P.

2010-12-01

Tamarix leaf beetles (Diorhabda elongata) have been released in several locations on western U.S. rivers to control the introduced shrub, Tamarix ramosissima and related species. As they are expanding widely throughout the region, information is needed on their impact on Tamarix leaf phenology and water use over multiple cycles of annual defoliation. We used networked digital cameras (phenocams) and ground surveys to monitor the defoliation process from 2008-2010 at multiple sites on the Dolores River, and MODIS satellite imagery from 2000 to 2009 to monitor leaf phenology and evapotranspiration (ET) at beetle release sites on the Dolores, Lower Colorado, Carson, Walker and Bighorn Rivers. Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) values for selected MODIS pixels were used to estimate green foliage density before and after beetle releases at each site. EVI values were transformed into estimates of ET using an empirical algorithm relating ET to EVI and potential ET (ETo) at each site. Phenocam and ground observations show that beetle damage is temporary, and plants regenerate new leaves following an eight week defoliation period in summer. The original biocontrol model predicted that Tamarix mortality would reach 75-85% over several years of defoliation due to progressive weakening of the shrubs each year, but over the early stages of leaf beetle-Tamarix interactions studied here (3-8 years), our preliminary findings show actual reductions in EVI and ET of only 13-15% across sites due to the relatively brief period of defoliation and because not all plants at a site were defoliated. Also, baseline ET rates varied across sites but averaged only 329 mm yr-1 (23% of ETo), constraining the possibilities for water salvage through biocontrol of Tamarix. The spatial and temperol resolution of MODIS imagery were too coarse to capture the details of the defoliation process, and high-resolution imagery or expanded phenocam networks are needed for future monitoring programs.

The Systems Analysis of Problems of An Evaluation,prognosis and Optimization of Graund Water Management In Reclamated Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakhonin, N.

The problems connected to ground water dynamics take place in various areas of the people economic activity. For want of it in some branches the greatest interest rep- resents creation of quantitative parameters of a water mode, in one cases - of a level mode H(t) (land reclamation, agricultural and forest economy, ecology), in other - cre- ation of water discharge Q (t) (water-intakes for a water-supply or on the contrary - protective system from mines and quarry submerge). In a number of branches the ex- treme interest is represented by ground water quality dynamics (potable water-supply, inflow to rivers and lakes used for fish-breeding etc.). Each from these cases requires the account of features for want of creation of ground water dynamics models, re- alization of monitoring for their identification. With allowance for aid above in the report, the problems connected to ground water dynamics are bro-ken on three types: 1) evaluations of the system state and matching with normative parameters or match- ing of various objects among themselves; 2) prognosises of dynamics of ground water amount and quality; 3) problems of decision making support (optimization of ground water management), formalized as: The analysis is conducted for each of them and the conditions of choice of a generality level of a variable state describing ground stream dynamics (soil humidity, ground wa- ter level, water volume in the camera) and alternate variants, appropriate to them, of models describing water dynamics are shown: physical with the distributed parameters (equation of joint filtering of the bicomponent environment water-air, water-transfer equation, Boussinesk equation; with lumped parameters (chamber model with cam- eras of a various degree aggregating down to "a black box"), and also non-physical (statistical, regressive and neural networks) model. The possibility of using by each from these models for three selected types of problems is shown. On an example of reclamated agricultural object the correlation of ground water dynamics with other sub-systems is shown: by open channel streams, drains etc. also by processes: evapo- transpiration, infiltra-tion, snow melting etc. The possible versions of the processes in- teraction description with ground wa-ter dynamics are analyzed. The kinds of bound- ary conditions 1-st, 2-nd, 3-rd kind for internal and external boundaries of filtration stream are typed. There is formulated the request about necessity of monitoring real- 1 ization for the statistical task of source effects on more broad boundary of filtration stream, than optimized system. The model identification is carried out on the base of 24-year's monitoring data in the reclamated catchment of the river Yaselda. 2

Pesticides in ground water: distribution, trends, and governing factors

USGS Publications Warehouse

Barbash, Jack; Resek, Elizabeth A.

1997-01-01

A comprehensive review of published information on the distribution and behavior of pesticides and their transformation products in ground water indicates that pesticides from every chemical class have been detected in ground waters of the United States. Many of these compounds are commonly present at low concentrations in ground water beneath agricultural land. Little information is available on their occurrence beneath non-agricultural land, although the intensity of their use in such areas (on lawns, golf courses, rights of way, timberlands, etc.) is often comparable to, or greater than agricultural use. Information on pesticides in ground water is not sufficient to provide either a statistically representative view of pesticide occurrence in ground water across the United States, or an indication of long-term trends or changes in the severity or extent of this contamination over the past three decades. This is largely due to wide variations in analytical detection limits, well selection procedures, and other design features among studies conducted in different areas or at different times. Past approaches have not been well suited for distinguishing "point source" from "nonpoint source" pesticide contamination. Among the variety of natural and anthropogenic factors examined, those that appear to be most strongly associated with the intensity of pesticide contamination of ground water are the depth, construction and age of the sampled wells, the amount of recharge (by precipitation or irrigation), and the depth of tillage. Approaches commonly employed for predicting pesticide distributions in the subsurface--including computer simulations, indicator solutes (e.g., nitrate or tritium), and ground-water vulnerability assessments--generally provide unreliable predictions of pesticide occurrence in ground water. Such difficulties may arise largely from a general failure to account for the preferential transport of pesticides in the subsurface. Significant improvements in understanding and predicting the occurrence and fate of pesticides in ground water are likely to depend on: (1) greater coordination of ground-water sampling across the nation to ensure consistency of study design, and thus comparability of results; (2) more extensive analyses for pesticide transformation products during ground-water monitoring studies; (3) substantially enhanced communication among investigators conducting laboratory experiments, small-scale field studies and large-scale monitoring studies; and (4) more routine testing of predictions of pesticide behavior and ground-water vulnerability against actual field observations of pesticide occurrence in ground water

Hydrologic effects of impoundments in Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, R.G.

1984-01-01

The hydrologic effects of proposed impoundments in Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge were found to be insignificant with respect to both ground- and surface-water flow patterns and water quality. Monitoring of water levels in 23 observation wells and of discharge in the St. Francis River during 1980 and 1981 has shown that ground water in the surf icial aquifer responds quickly to areal recharge and subsequently discharges to the St. Francis River. The impoundment of surface water in the refuge was not found to affect water levels in the refuge significantly. The impoundments may affect ground-water-flow systems beneath and adjacent to the impoundments. Quality of ground and surface water was found to be similar except ground water contained higher concentrations of dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen than surface water. Phytoplankton removed dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen from surface water. The effects of impoundments on water quality are expected to be minor.

40 CFR 141.404 - Treatment technique violations for ground water systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Treatment technique violations for ground water systems. 141.404 Section 141.404 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) NATIONAL PRIMARY DRINKING WATER REGULATIONS Ground Water Rule § 141.404 Treatment technique violations for...

Ground-water quality in the Santa Ana Watershed, California : overview and data summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamlin, Scott N.; Belitz, Kenneth; Kraja, Sarah; Dawson, Barbara

2002-01-01

Water-quality samples were collected from 207 wells in the Santa Ana Basin in the Coastal Range Province of southern California to assess the occurrence and distribution of dissolved constituents in ground water as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. These wells were sampled during eight studies from 1999 to 2001 that were designed to sample the used water resource at different scales: (1) three studies characterized water quality at a regional scale; (2) two studies focused on spatial and temporal variations in water quality along flow paths; (3) a land-use study focused on evaluation of water quality in shallow ground water; and (4) two studies assessed aquifer susceptibility to contamination. The Santa Ana Basin is divided into the Coastal Basin, the Inland Basin, and the San Jacinto Basin. The Coastal Basin includes a relatively small unconfined recharge area and a relatively large confined area where ground-water pumping is the primary source of discharge. Land use is almost entirely urban. The Inland Basin is predominantly unconfined and land use is urban and agricultural. The San Jacinto Basin is largely unconfined and land use is mostly agricultural. Water-quality data discussed in this report are compared with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) drinking-water standards, both primary and secondary. Most exceedances of maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) occurred in the shallow, coastal monitoring wells that tap ground water not used for water supply. Water from several irrigation wells in the Inland and San Jacinto basins exceeded the 10 mg/L (milligrams per liter) MCL for nitrate. Water from some wells exceeded secondary MCLs for manganese (50 ?g/L [micrograms per liter]) and iron (300 ?g/L) and (or) proposed MCLs for arsenic (10 ?g/L) and uranium (30 ?g/L). Of the 94 production wells sampled for trace elements, 3 irrigation wells in the Coastal Basin produced water that exceeded the secondary MCL for manganese. Water from production wells sampled in all three subbasins exceeded the proposed MCL for radon (300 pCi/L [picocuries per liter]). Pesticides were detected above the laboratory reporting limit (LRL) in 50 percent of the production and monitoring wells sampled in the Santa Ana Basin. Deethylatrazine, simazine, atrazine, tebuthiuron, and prometon were the five most commonly detected pesticides in the current USGS studies. All pesticide concentrations detected in these studies were below MCLs established by the EPA. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in 115 wells (56 percent) of the 207 wells sampled. Of the 38 VOCs detected, only 13 were detected in more than five wells. The most commonly detected VOCs, in order of detection frequency, were chloroform; trichloroethlyene, TCE; 1,1,1-trichloroethane, TCA; trichlorofluoromethane, CFC 11; 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane, CFC 113; tetrachloroethylene, PCE; bromodichloromethane; methyl tert-butyl ether, MTBE; 1,1-dichloroethene, 1-1-DCE; and 1,2- dichloroethene, 1,2-DCE. The only exceedances of EPA MCLs for VOCs occurred in six irrigation wells and in two deep monitoring wells sampled in the Inland Basin.

Analytical Results for Municipal Biosolids Samples from a Monitoring Program Near Deer Trail, Colorado (USA), 1999 through 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crock, J.G.; Smith, D.B.; Yager, T.J.B.; Brown, Z.A.; Adams, M.G.

2008-01-01

Since late 1993, Metro Wastewater Reclamation District of Denver (Metro District), a large wastewater treatment plant in Denver, Colorado, has applied Grade I, Class B biosolids to about 52,000 acres of non-irrigated farmland and rangeland near Deer Trail, Colorado. In cooperation with the Metro District in 1993, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began monitoring ground water at part of this site (Yager and Arnold, 2003). In 1999, the USGS began a more comprehensive monitoring study of the entire site to address stakeholder concerns about the potential chemical effects of biosolids applications. This more comprehensive monitoring program has recently been extended through 2010. Monitoring components of the more comprehensive study include biosolids collected at the wastewater treatment plant, soil, crops, dust, alluvial and bedrock ground water, and stream bed sediment. Streams at the site are dry most of the year, so samples of stream bed sediment deposited after rain were used to indicate surface-water effects. This report will present only analytical results for the biosolids samples collected at the Metro District wastewater treatment plant in Denver and analyzed during 1999 through 2006. More information about the other monitoring components is presented elsewhere in the literature (e.g., Yager and others, 2004a, 2004b, 2004c, 2004d). Priority parameters for biosolids identified by the stakeholders and also regulated by Colorado when used as an agricultural soil amendment include the total concentrations of nine trace elements (arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, and zinc), plutonium isotopes, and gross alpha and beta activity. Nitrogen and chromium also were priority parameters for ground water and sediment components. In general, the objective of each component of the study was to determine whether concentrations of priority parameters (1) were higher than regulatory limits, (2) were increasing with time, or (3) were significantly higher in biosolids-applied areas than in a similar farmed area where biosolids were not applied. Analytical results indicate that the elemental composition of the biosolids from the Denver plant was consistent during 1999-2006, and total concentrations of regulated trace elements were consistently lower than the regulatory limits. Plutonium isotopes were not detected in any of the biosolids samples for the entire sampling period. Analytical results for gross and were highly imprecise and erratic. As a result of the cancelation of regulation requiring their monitoring in biosolids, the determination of both was discontinued mid-study. Data from this study were used to compile an inorganic-chemical biosolids signature that can be contrasted with the geochemical signature for this site. The biosolids signature and an understanding of the geology and hydrology of the site can be used to separate biosolids effects from natural geochemical effects. Elements of particular interest for a biosolids signature include bismuth, copper, silver, mercury, and phosphorus.

76 FR 48859 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Facility Ground...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-09

... Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Facility Ground-Water Monitoring Requirements AGENCY...) concerning groundwater monitoring reporting and recordkeeping requirements. This ICR is scheduled to expire... arrived at the estimate that you provide. 5. Offer alternative ways to improve the collection activity. 6...

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Virginia L. Finley

The purpose of this report is to provide the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the public with information on the level of radioactive and nonradioactive pollutants (if any) that are added to the environment as a result of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory's (PPPL) operations. The results of the 2001 environmental surveillance and monitoring program for PPPL are presented and discussed. The report also summarizes environmental initiatives, assessments, and programs that were undertaken in 2001. PPPL has engaged in fusion energy research since 1951. The vision of the Laboratory is to create innovations to make fusion power a practicalmore » reality--a clean, alternative energy source. The Year 2001 marked the third year of National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) operations and Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) dismantlement and deconstruction activities. A collaboration among fourteen national laboratories, universities, and research institutions, the NSTX is a major element in the U.S. Fusion Energy Sciences Program. It has been designed to test the physics principles of spherical torus (ST) plasmas. The ST concept could play an important role in the development of smaller, more economical fusion reactors. In 2001, PPPL's radiological environmental monitoring program measured tritium in the air at on- and off-site sampling stations. PPPL is capable of detecting small changes in the ambient levels of tritium by using highly sensitive monitors. The operation of an in-stack monitor located on D-site is a requirement of the National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAPs) regulations; also included in PPPL's radiological environmental monitoring program, are water monitoring--precipitation, ground-, surface-, and waste-waters. PPPL's radiological monitoring program characterized the ambient, background levels of tritium in the environment and from the D-site stack; the data are presented in this report. Groundwater monitoring continue d under a voluntary agreement with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. PPPL monitored for the presence of nonradiological contaminants, mainly volatile organic compounds (components of degreasing solvents). Monitoring revealed the low levels of volatile organic compounds in an area adjacent to PPPL. In 2001, PPPL was in compliance with its permit limits for surface and sanitary discharges and had no reportable releases. Additionally, as part of DOE's program for the purchase of recycled content and other environmentally preferred products, PPPL has ranked in the excellent category of 80 to 90% of the goal.« less

Use of computer programs STLK1 and STWT1 for analysis of stream-aquifer hydraulic interaction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Desimone, Leslie A.; Barlow, Paul M.

1999-01-01

Quantifying the hydraulic interaction of aquifers and streams is important in the analysis of stream base fow, flood-wave effects, and contaminant transport between surface- and ground-water systems. This report describes the use of two computer programs, STLK1 and STWT1, to analyze the hydraulic interaction of streams with confined, leaky, and water-table aquifers during periods of stream-stage fuctuations and uniform, areal recharge. The computer programs are based on analytical solutions to the ground-water-flow equation in stream-aquifer settings and calculate ground-water levels, seepage rates across the stream-aquifer boundary, and bank storage that result from arbitrarily varying stream stage or recharge. Analysis of idealized, hypothetical stream-aquifer systems is used to show how aquifer type, aquifer boundaries, and aquifer and streambank hydraulic properties affect aquifer response to stresses. Published data from alluvial and stratifed-drift aquifers in Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Iowa are used to demonstrate application of the programs to field settings. Analytical models of these three stream-aquifer systems are developed on the basis of available hydrogeologic information. Stream-stage fluctuations and recharge are applied to the systems as hydraulic stresses. The models are calibrated by matching ground-water levels calculated with computer program STLK1 or STWT1 to measured ground-water levels. The analytical models are used to estimate hydraulic properties of the aquifer, aquitard, and streambank; to evaluate hydrologic conditions in the aquifer; and to estimate seepage rates and bank-storage volumes resulting from flood waves and recharge. Analysis of field examples demonstrates the accuracy and limitations of the analytical solutions and programs when applied to actual ground-water systems and the potential uses of the analytical methods as alternatives to numerical modeling for quantifying stream-aquifer interactions.

Quality of water on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation, northeastern Kansas, May 2001 through August 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ross Schmidt, Heather C.

2004-01-01

Water-quality samples were collected from 20 surface-water sites and 11 ground-water sites on the Prairie Band Potawatomi Reservation in northeastern Kansas in an effort to describe existing water-quality conditions on the reservation and to compare water-quality conditions to results from previous reports published as part of a multiyear cooperative study with the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation. Water is a valuable resource to the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation as tribal members use the streams draining the reservation, Soldier, Little Soldier, and South Cedar Creeks, to fulfill subsistence hunting and fishing needs and as the tribe develops an economic base on the reservation. Samples were collected once at 20 surface-water monitoring sites during June 2001, and quarterly samples were collected at 5 of the 20 monitoring sites from May 2001 through August 2003. Ground-water-quality samples were collected once from seven wells and twice from four wells during April through May 2003 and in August 2003. Surface-water-quality samples collected from May through August 2001 were analyzed for physical properties, nutrients, pesticides, fecal indicator bacteria, and total suspended solids. In November 2001, an additional analysis for dissolved solids, major ions, trace elements, and suspended-sediment concentration was added for surface-water samples. Ground-water samples were analyzed for physical properties, dissolved solids, major ions, nutrients, trace elements, pesticides, and fecal indicator bacteria. Chemical oxygen demand and volatile organic compounds were analyzed in a sample from one monitoring well located near a construction and demolition landfill on the reservation. Previous reports published as a part of this ongoing study identified total phosphorus, triazine herbicides, and fecal coliform bacteria as exceeding their respective water-quality criteria in surface water on the reservation. Previous ground-water assessments identified occasional sample concentrations of dissolved solids, sodium, sulfate, boron, iron, and manganese as exceeding their respective water-quality criteria. Forty percent of the 65 surface-water samples analyzed for total phosphorus exceeded the aquatic-life goal of 0.1 mg/L (milligrams per liter) established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). Concentrations of dissolved solids and sodium occasionally exceeded USEPA Secondary Drinking-Water Regulations and Drinking-Water Advisory Levels, respectively. One of the 20 samples analyzed for atrazine concentrations exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of 3.0 ?g/L (micrograms per liter) as an annual average established for drinking water by USEPA. A triazine herbicide screen was used on 63 surface-water samples, and triazine compounds were frequently detected. Triazine herbicides and their degradates are listed on the USEPA Contaminant Candidate List. Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations in two ground-water samples from one monitoring well exceeded the MCL of 10 mg/L established by USEPA for drinking water. Arsenic concentrations in two samples from one monitoring well also exceeded the proposed MCL of 10 ?g/L established by the USEPA for drinking water. Concentrations of dissolved solids and sulfate in some ground-water samples exceeded their respective Secondary Drinking-Water Regulations, and concentrations exceeded the taste threshold of the USEPA?s Drinking-Water Advisory Level for sodium. Consequently, in the event that ground water on the reservation is to be used as a drinking-water source, additional treatment may be necessary to remove excess dissolved solids, sulfate, and sodium.

Monitoring: a vital component of science at USGS WEBB sites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanley, J. B.; Peters, N. E.; Campbell, D. H.; Clow, D. W.; Walker, J. F.; Hunt, R. J.

2007-12-01

The U.S. Geological Survey launched its Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) program in 1991 with the establishment of five long-term research watersheds. Monitoring of climate, hydrology, and chemistry is the cornerstone of WEBB scientific investigations. At Loch Vale, CO, long-term streamflow and climate monitoring indicated an increase rather than the expected decrease in the runoff:precipitation ratio during a drought in the early 2000s, indicating the melting of subsurface and glacial ice in the basin. At Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico, monitoring of mercury in precipitation revealed the highest recorded mercury wet deposition rates in the USA, an unexpected finding given the lack of point sources. At Panola Mountain, GA, long-term monitoring of soil- and groundwater revealed step shifts in chemical compositions in response to wet and drought cycles, causing a corresponding shift in stream chemistry. At Sleepers River, VT, WEBB funding has extended a long- term (since 1960) weekly snow water equivalent dataset which is a valuable integrating signal of regional climate trends. At Trout Lake, WI, long-term monitoring of lakes, ground-water levels, streamflow and subsurface water chemistry has generated a rich dataset for calibrating a watershed model, and allowed for efficient design of an automated procedure for sampling mercury during runoff events. The 17-plus years of monitoring at the WEBB watersheds provides a foundation for generating new scientific hypotheses, a basis for trend detection, and context for anomalous observations that often drive new research.

METHODS FOR MONITORING PUMP-AND-TREAT PERFORMANCE

EPA Science Inventory

Since the 1980s, numerous pump-and-treat systems have been constructed to: (1) hydraulically contain contaminated ground water, and/or (2) restore ground-water quality to meet a desired standard such as background quality or Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) concentrations for drin...

Water quality in shallow alluvial aquifers, Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado, 1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Apodaca, L.E.; Bails, J.B.; Smith, C.M.

2002-01-01

Shallow ground water in areas of increasing urban development within the Upper Colorado River Basin was sampled for inorganic and organic constituents to characterize water-quality conditions and to identify potential anthropogenic effects resulting from development. In 1997, 25 shallow monitoring wells were installed and sampled in five areas of urban development in Eagle, Grand, Gunnison, and Summit Counties, Colorado. The results of this study indicate that the shallow ground water in the study area is suitable for most uses. Nonparametric statistical methods showed that constituents and parameters measured in the shallow wells were often significantly different between the five developing urban areas. Radon concentrations exceeded the proposed USEPA maximum contaminant level at all sites. The presence of nutrients, pesticides, and volatile organic compounds indicate anthropogenic activities are affecting the shallow ground-water quality in the study area. Nitrate as N concentrations greater than 2.0 mg/L were observed in ground water recharged between the 1980s and 1990s. Low concentrations of methylene blue active substances were detected at a few sites. Total coliform bacteria were detected at ten sites; however, E. coli was not detected. Continued monitoring is needed to assess the effects of increasing urban development on the shallow ground-water quality in the study area.

Ground-water quality in the southeastern Sacramento Valley aquifer, California, 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Milby Dawson, Barbara J.

2001-01-01

In 1996, the U.S. Geological Survey sampled 29 domestic wells and 2 monitoring wells in the southeastern Sacramento Valley as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. This area, designated as the NAWQA Sacramento subunit study area, was chosen because it had the largest amount of ground-water use in the Sacramento River Basin. The Sacramento subunit study area is about 4,400 square kilometers and includes intense agricultural and urban development. The wells sampled ranged from 14.9 to 79.2 meters deep. Ground-water samples from 31 wells were analyzed for 6 field measurements, 14 inorganic constituents, 6 nutrient constituents, organic carbon, 86 pesticides, 87 volatile organic compounds, tritium (hydrogen-3), radon-222, deuterium (hydrogen-2), and oxygen-18. Nitrate levels were lower than the 2000 drinking-water standards in all but one well, but many detections were in the range that indicated an effect by human activities on ground-water quality. Radon was detected in all wells, and was measured at levels above the proposed Federal 2000 maximum contaminant level in 90 percent of the wells. Five pesticides and one pesticide degradation product were detected in ground-water samples and concentrations were below 2000 drinking-water standards. All pesticides detected during this study have been used in the Sacramento Valley. Thirteen volatile organic compounds were detected in ground water. One detection of trichloroethene was above Federal 2000 drinking-water standards, and another, tetrachloromethane, was above California 1997 drinking-water standards; both occurred in a well that had eight volatile organic compound detections and is near a known source of ground-water contamination. Pesticides and volatile organic compounds were detected in agricultural and urban areas; both pesticides and volatile organic compounds were detected at a higher frequency in urban wells. Ground-water chemistry indicates that natural processes and human activities are affecting ground-water quality in the upper part of the southeastern Sacramento Valley aquifer. The factors identified as having an influence on ground-water quality were redox condition in the aquifer, depth within the aquifer, and land use overlying the aquifer. Nitrate concentra-tions showed a statistical correlation with each of these factors. Detections of pesticides and volatile organic compounds were too few to compare concentrations with the various factors, but the types of synthetic compounds detected were consistent with the sur-rounding land use. Sixty-one percent of the wells sampled in this study showed the effect of human activities on ground-water quality in the form of a nitrate concentration over 3 milligrams per liter or a detection of a pesticide or volatile organic compound. In general, the water quality in the southeastern Sacramento Valley aquifer was found suitable for most uses.

Airborne monitoring of crop canopy temperatures for irrigation scheduling and yield prediction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Millard, J. P.; Jackson, R. D.; Goettelman, R. C.; Reginato, R. J.; Idso, S. B.; Lapado, R. L.

1977-01-01

Airborne and ground measurements were made on April 1 and 29, 1976, over a USDA test site consisting mostly of wheat in various stages of water stress, but also including alfalfa and bare soil. These measurements were made to evaluate the feasibility of measuring crop temperatures from aircraft so that a parameter termed stress degree day, SDD, could be computed. Ground studies have shown that SDD is a valuable indicator of a crop's water needs, and that it can be related to irrigation scheduling and yield. The aircraft measurement program required predawn and afternoon flights coincident with minimum and maximum crop temperatures. Airborne measurements were made with an infrared line scanner and with color IR photography. The scanner data were registered, subtracted, and color-coded to yield pseudo-colored temperature-difference images. Pseudo-colored images reading directly in daily SDD increments were also produced. These maps enable a user to assess plant water status and thus determine irrigation needs and crop yield potentials.

Continuous Temperature and Water-Level Data Collected for a Heat Tracer Study on a Selected Reach of Tri-State Canal, Western Nebraska, 2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hobza, Christopher M.

2008-01-01

The water supply in parts of the North Platte River Basin in the Nebraska Panhandle has been designated as fully appropriated or over appropriated by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. Recent legislation (LB 962) requires the North Platte Natural Resources District and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources to develop an Integrated Management Plan to balance ground- and surface-water supply and demand within the North Platte Natural Resources District. For a ground-water-flow model to accurately simulate existing or future ground-water and surface-water conditions, accurate estimates of specific input variables such as streambed conductance or canal-seepage rates are required. As of 2008, the values input into ground-water models were estimated on the basis of interpreted lithology from test holes and geophysical surveys. Often, contrasts of several orders of magnitude exist for streambed conductance among the various sediment textures present locally, and thin, near-surface layers of fine sediment can clog the streambed, substantially reducing conductance. To accurately quantify the rates of leakage from irrigation canals and estimate ground-water recharge, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the North Platte Natural Resources District, collected continuous temperature and water-level data to use heat as a tracer for a selected reach of Tri-State Canal west of Scottsbluff, Nebraska. Continuous records of subsurface temperature, ground-water level, canal stage, and water temperature, and sediment core data are presented in this report. Subsurface temperature was monitored at four vertical sensor arrays of thermocouples installed at various depths beneath the canal bed from March through September 2007. Canal stage and water temperature were measured from June to September 2007. Ground-water level was recorded continuously in an observation well drilled near the subsurface temperature monitoring site. These data sets were collected for use as inputs for a computer model to estimate the vertical hydraulic conductivity. Before the initiation of flow, diurnal variations in subsurface temperature occurred because of daytime heating and nighttime cooling of bed sediment. Flow in Tri-State Canal was first detected on June 16 at the monitoring site as a disruption in the temperature signal in the shallowest thermocouple in all four vertical sensor arrays. This disruption in the temperature pattern occurred in deeper thermocouples at slightly later times during the rapid infiltration of canal water. The ground-water level began to rise approximately 23 hours after flow was first detected at the monitoring site. Canal stage rose for 7 days until the maximum flow capacity of the canal was approached on June 23, 2007. Measured water temperatures ranged from 18 to 25 degrees Celsius (C) while the canal was flowing near maximum capacity. Small diurnal variations of 1.0 to 1.5 degrees C in water temperature were recorded during this time. Measured ground-water levels rose constantly during the entire irrigation season until levels peaked on September 3, 2007, 3 days after diversions to Tri-State Canal ceased.

Ground-water quality of the Upper Floridan Aquifer near an abandoned manufactured gas plant in Albany, Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chapman, M.J.

1993-01-01

Manufactured gas plants produced gas for heating and lighting in the United States from as early as 1816 into the 1960's. By-products including, but not limited to, oil residues and tar, were generated during the gas-manufacturing process. Organic compounds (hydrocarbons) were detected in water in the upper water-bearing zone of the Upper Floridan aquifer near an abandoned manufactured gas plant (MGP) in Albany, Georgia, during an earlier investigation in 1990. Chemical analyses of ground-water samples collected from five existing monitoring wells in 1991 verify the presence of hydrocarbons and metals in the upper water-beating zone of the Upper Floridan aquifer. One well was drilled into the lower water-beating zone of the Upper Floridan aquifer in 1991 for water-quality sampling and water-level monitoring. Analyses of ground water sampled from this well did not show evidence of benzene, toluene, xylene, napthalene, acenaphthlene, or other related compounds detected in the upper water-bearing zone in the study area. Low concentrations of tetrachloroethane, trichloromethane, and l,2-cisdichloroethene were detected in a water sample from the deeper well; however, these compounds were not detected in the upper water-bearing zone in the study area. Inorganic constituent concentrations also were substantially lower in the deeper well. Overall, ground water sampled from the lower water-bearing zone had lower specific conductance and alkalinity; and lower concentrations of dissolved solids, iron, and manganese compared to ground water sampled from the upper water-bearing zone. Water levels for the upper and lower water-bearing zones were similar throughout the study period.

Dynamics of flood water infiltration and ground water recharge in hyperarid desert.

PubMed

Dahan, Ofer; Tatarsky, Boaz; Enzel, Yehouda; Kulls, Christoph; Seely, Mary; Benito, Gererdo

2008-01-01

A study on flood water infiltration and ground water recharge of a shallow alluvial aquifer was conducted in the hyperarid section of the Kuiseb River, Namibia. The study site was selected to represent a typical desert ephemeral river. An instrumental setup allowed, for the first time, continuous monitoring of infiltration during a flood event through the channel bed and the entire vadose zone. The monitoring system included flexible time domain reflectometry probes that were designed to measure the temporal variation in vadose zone water content and instruments to concurrently measure the levels of flood and ground water. A sequence of five individual floods was monitored during the rainy season in early summer 2006. These newly generated data served to elucidate the dynamics of flood water infiltration. Each flood initiated an infiltration event which was expressed in wetting of the vadose zone followed by a measurable rise in the water table. The data enabled a direct calculation of the infiltration fluxes by various independent methods. The floods varied in their stages, peaks, and initial water contents. However, all floods produced very similar flux rates, suggesting that the recharge rates are less affected by the flood stages but rather controlled by flow duration and available aquifer storage under it. Large floods flood the stream channel terraces and promote the larger transmission losses. These, however, make only a negligible contribution to the recharge of the ground water. It is the flood duration within the active streambed, which may increase with flood magnitude that is important to the recharge process.

Revisions to the Fourth Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4) Meeting Presentations

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document contains the Revisions to the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR 4) Meeting Presentations from a public meeting and webinar held by EPA's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water on June 25, 2014.

Identification of water-bearing fractures by the use of geophysical logs, May to July 1998, former Naval Air Warfare Center, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conger, Randall W.; Bird, Philip H.

1999-01-01

Between May and July 1998, 10 monitor wells were drilled near the site of the former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), Warminster, Bucks County, Pa., to monitor water levels and sample ground water in shallow and intermediate water-bearing fractures. The sampling will determine the horizontal and vertical distribution of contaminated ground water migrating from known or suspected sources. Three boreholes were drilled on the property at 960 Jacksonville Road, at the northwestern side of NAWC, along strike from Area A; seven boreholes were drilled in Area B in the southeastern corner of NAWC. Depths range from 40.5 to 150 feet below land surface.Borehole geophysical logging and video surveys were used to identify water-bearing fractures so that appropriate intervals could be screened in each monitor well. Geophysical logs were obtained at the 10 monitor wells. Video surveys were obtained at three monitor wells in the southeastern corner of the NAWC property.Caliper logs and video surveys were used to locate fractures. Inflections on fluid-temperature and fluid-resistivity logs were used to locate possible water-bearing fractures. Heatpulse-flowmeter measurements verified these locations. Natural-gamma logs provided information on stratigraphy. After interpretation of geophysical logs, video surveys, and driller's logs, all wells were screened such that water-level fluctuations could be monitored and water samples collected from discrete water-bearing fractures in each monitor well.

Environmental surveillance at Los Alamos during 1987

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1988-05-01

This report describes the environmental surveillance program conducted by Los Alamos National Laboratory during 1987. Routine monitoring for radiation and radioactive or chemical materials is conducted on the Laboratory site as well as in the surrounding region. Monitoring results are used to determine compliance with appropriate standards and to permit early identification of potentially undesirable trends. Results and interpretation of data for 1987 cover: external penetrating radiation; quantities of airborne emissions and liquid effluents; concentrations of chemicals and radionuclides in ambient air, surface and ground waters, municipal water supply, soils and sediments, and foodstuffs; and environmental compliance. Comparisons with appropriatemore » standards, regulations, and background levels provide the basis for concluding that environmental effects from Laboratory operations are insignificant and do not pose a threat to the public, Laboratory employees, or the environment. 113 refs., 33 figs., 120 tabs.« less

The contribution of space observations to water resources management; Proceedings of the Symposium, Bangalore, India, May 29-June 9, 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salomonson, V. V. (Editor); Bhavsar, P. D.

1980-01-01

The symposium focused on hydrology, soil moisture estimation and ground water exploration, wetlands monitoring and water quality estimation, hydrometeorology, snow and ice monitoring, and evapotranspiration estimation. Other problems discussed include surface water and flood mapping, watershed runoff estimation and prediction, and new space systems contributing to water resources management.

Simulations of Ground-Water Flow, Transport, Age, and Particle Tracking near York, Nebraska, for a Study of Transport of Anthropogenic and Natural Contaminants (TANC) to Public-Supply Wells

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clark, Brian R.; Landon, Matthew K.; Kauffman, Leon J.; Hornberger, George Z.

2008-01-01

Contamination of public-supply wells has resulted in public-health threats and negative economic effects for communities that must treat contaminated water or find alternative water supplies. To investigate factors controlling vulnerability of public-supply wells to anthropogenic and natural contaminants using consistent and systematic data collected in a variety of principal aquifer settings in the United States, a study of Transport of Anthropogenic and Natural Contaminants to public-supply wells was begun in 2001 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The area simulated by the ground-water flow model described in this report was selected for a study of processes influencing contaminant distribution and transport along the direction of ground-water flow towards a public-supply well in southeastern York, Nebraska. Ground-water flow is simulated for a 60-year period from September 1, 1944, to August 31, 2004. Steady-state conditions are simulated prior to September 1, 1944, and represent conditions prior to use of ground water for irrigation. Irrigation, municipal, and industrial wells were simulated using the Multi-Node Well package of the modular three-dimensional ground-water flow model code, MODFLOW-2000, which allows simulation of flow and solutes through wells that are simulated in multiple nodes or layers. Ground-water flow, age, and transport of selected tracers were simulated using the Ground-Water Transport process of MODFLOW-2000. Simulated ground-water age was compared to interpreted ground-water age in six monitoring wells in the unconfined aquifer. The tracer chlorofluorocarbon-11 was simulated directly using Ground-Water Transport for comparison with concentrations measured in six monitoring wells and one public supply well screened in the upper confined aquifer. Three alternative model simulations indicate that simulation results are highly sensitive to the distribution of multilayer well bores where leakage can occur and that the calibrated model resulted in smaller differences than the alternative models between simulated and interpreted ages and measured tracer concentrations in most, but not all, wells. Results of the first alternative model indicate that the distribution of young water in the upper confined aquifer is substantially different when well-bore leakage at known abandoned wells and test holes is removed from the model. In the second alternative model, simulated age near the bottom of the unconfined aquifer was younger than interpreted ages and simulated chlorofluorocarbon-11 concentrations in the upper confined aquifer were zero in five out of six wells because the conventional Well Package fails to account for flow between model layers though well bores. The third alternative model produced differences between simulated and interpreted ground-water ages and measured chlorofluorocarbon-11 concentrations that were comparable to the calibrated model. However, simulated hydraulic heads deviated from measured hydraulic heads by a greater amount than for the calibrated model. Even so, because the third alternative model simulates steady-state flow, additional analysis was possible using steady-state particle tracking to assess the contributing recharge area to a public supply well selected for analysis of factors contributing to well vulnerability. Results from particle-tracking software (MODPATH) using the third alternative model indicates that the contributing recharge area of the study public-supply well is a composite of elongated, seemingly isolated areas associated with wells that are screened in multiple aquifers. The simulated age distribution of particles at the study public-supply well indicates that all water younger than 58 years travels through well bores of wells screened in multiple aquifers. The age distribution from the steady-state model using MODPATH estimates the youngest 7 percent of the water to have a flow-weighted mean age

Bibliography of Regional Aquifer-System Analysis Program of the US Geological Survey, 1978-96

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sun, Ren Jen; Weeks, John B.; Grubb, Hayes F.

1997-01-01

The Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey was initiated in 1978 and was completed in 1995. The purpose of this program was to define the regional geohydrology and establish a framework of background information on geology, hydrology, and geochemistry of the Nation's important aquifer systems. This information is critically needed to develop an understanding of the Nation's major ground-water flow systems and to support better management of ground-water resources. Twenty-five of the Nation's major aquifer systems were studied under this program. Starting in 1988, the program devoted part of its resources to compilation of a National Ground Water Atlas that presets a comprehensive summary of the Nation's major ground-water resources. The atlas, which is designed in a graphical format supported by descriptive text, serves as a basic reference for the location, geography, geology, and hydrologic characteristics of the major aquifers in the Nation. This bibliography lists 1,105 reports that result from various studies of the program. The list of reports for each study follows a brief description of that study.

GROUND WATER ISSUE - CALCULATION AND USE OF FIRST-ORDER RATE CONSTANTS FOR MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

This issue paper explains when and how to apply first-order attenuation rate constant calculations in monitored natural attenuation (MNA) studies. First-order attenuation rate constant calculations can be an important tool for evaluating natural attenuation processes at ground-wa...

Global Space Weather Observational Network: Challenges and China's Contribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, C.

2017-12-01

To understand space weather physical processes and predict space weather accurately, global space-borne and ground-based space weather observational network, making simultaneous observations from the Sun to geo-space (magnetosphere, ionosphere and atmosphere), plays an essential role. In this talk, we will present the advances of the Chinese space weather science missions, including the ASO-S (Advanced Space-borne Solar Observatory), MIT (Magnetosphere - Ionosphere- Thermosphere Coupling Exploration), and the ESA-China joint space weather science mission SMILE (Solar wind - Magnetosphere - Ionosphere Link Explore), a new mission to image the magnetosphere. Compared to satellites, ground-based monitors are cheap, convenient, and provide continuous real-time data. We will also introduce the Chinese Meridian Project (CMP), a ground-based program fully utilizing the geographic location of the Chinese landmass to monitor the geo-space environment. CMP is just one arm of a larger program that Chinese scientists are proposing to the international community. The International Meridian Circle Program (IMCP) for space weather hopes to connect chains of ground-based monitors at the longitudinal meridians 120 deg E and 60 deg W. IMCP takes advantage of the fact that these meridians already have the most monitors of any on Earth, with monitors in Russia, Australia, Brazil, the United States, Canada, and other countries. This data will greatly enhance the ability of scientists to monitor and predict the space weather worldwide.

40 CFR 141.402 - Ground water source microbial monitoring and analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... for the presence of E. coli, enterococci, or coliphage: Analytical Methods for Source Water Monitoring... Microbiology, 62:3881-3884. 10 EPA Method 1601: Male-specific (F+) and Somatic Coliphage in Water by Two-step... 20460. 11 EPA Method 1602: Male-specific (F+) and Somatic Coliphage in Water by Single Agar Layer (SAL...

40 CFR 141.402 - Ground water source microbial monitoring and analytical methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... for the presence of E. coli, enterococci, or coliphage: Analytical Methods for Source Water Monitoring... Microbiology, 62:3881-3884. 10 EPA Method 1601: Male-specific (F+) and Somatic Coliphage in Water by Two-step... 20460. 11 EPA Method 1602: Male-specific (F+) and Somatic Coliphage in Water by Single Agar Layer (SAL...

Sorption of PFOA and PFOS to Ground Water Sediment

EPA Science Inventory

During its years of operation, the Washington County Sanitary Landfill near St. Paul, Minnesota accepted both municipal and industrial solid waste. Several years of ground water monitoring performed by the MPCA indicates that, some of the waste disposed of at this landfill contai...

APPROXIMATION OF BIODEGRADATION RATE CONSTANTS FOR MONOAROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (BTEX) IN GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Two methods were used to approximate site-specific biodegradation rates of monoaromatic hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes [BTEX]) dissolved in ground water. Both use data from monitoring wells and the hydrologic properties of the quifer to estimate a biode...

PERFORMANCE MONITORING OF ENHANCED IN-SITU BIOREMEDIATION OF MTBE IN GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

The primary objective of the Biostimulation Technology Evaluation was to determine if enhanced biodegradation was occurring in a ground-water test plot to a sufficient degree to reduce intrinsic methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) to the State of California's treatability criteria...

Ground-water levels in Wyoming, 1975

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ballance, Wilbur C.; Freudenthal, Pamela B.

1976-01-01

Ground-water levels are measured periodically in a network of about 260 observation wells in Wyoming to record changes in ground-water storage. The areas of water-level observation are mostly where ground water is used in large quantities for irrigation or municipal purposes. This report contains maps showing location of observation wells and water-level changes from 1975 to 1976. Well history, highest and lowest water levels , and hydrographs for most wells also are included in this report.The program of ground-water observation is conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the Wyoming State Engineer and the city of Cheyenne.

Effects of piping irrigation laterals on selenium and salt loads, Montrose Arroyo Basin, western Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butler, D.L.

2001-01-01

Selenium and salinity are water-quality issues in the Upper Colorado River Basin. Certain water bodies in the lower Gunnison River Basin, including the lower Gunnison River and the Uncompahgre River, exceed the State standard for selenium of 5 micrograms per liter. Remediation methods to reduce selenium and salt loading in the lower Gunnison River Basin were examined. A demonstration project in Montrose Arroyo, located in the Uncompahgre River Basin near Montrose, was done during 1998-2000 to determine the effects on selenium and salt loads in Montrose Arroyo from replacing 8.5 miles of open-ditch irrigation laterals with 7.5 miles of pipe. The participants in the project were the National Irrigation Water Quality Program, the Colorado River Basin Salinity Control Program, the Uncompahgre Valley Water Users Association, and the U.S. Geological Survey. The placing of five laterals in pipe significantly decreased selenium loads in Montrose Arroyo. The selenium load at the outflow monitoring site was about 194 pounds per year less (28-percent decrease) in the period after the laterals were placed in pipe. More than 90 percent of the decrease in selenium load was attributed to a decrease in ground-water load. Salt loads also decreased because of the lateral project, but by a smaller percentage than the selenium loads. The salt load at the outflow site on Montrose Arroyo was about 1,980 tons per year less in the post-project period than in the pre-project period. All of the effects of the demonstration project on selenium and salt loads probably were not measured by this study because some of the lateral leakage that was eliminated had not necessarily discharged to Montrose Arroyo upstream from the monitoring sites. A greater decrease in selenium loads relative to salt loads may have been partially the result of decreases in selenium concentrations in ground water in some areas.

PASSIVE SAMPLING OF GROUND WATER MONITORING WELLS WITHOUT PURGING MULTILEVEL WELL CHEMISTRY AND TRACER DISAPPEARANCE

EPA Science Inventory

It is essential that the sampling techniques utilized in groundwater monitoring provide data that accurately depicts the water quality of the sampled aquifer in the vicinity of the well. Due to the large amount of monitoring activity currently underway in the U.S.A. it is also im...

78 FR 42945 - Public Water Supply Supervision Program; Program Revision for the State of Oregon

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-18

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9834-9] Public Water Supply Supervision Program; Program... Water Supply Supervision Primacy Program. Oregon has adopted regulations analogous to EPA's Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rule; Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule; Ground Water...

EPA Research Evaluating CAFO Impacts on Ground Water Quality

EPA Science Inventory

An overview of several projects will be presented on a research program currently underway at ORD’s Ground Water and Ecosystems Restoration Division (GWERD) to evaluate CAFO impacts on ground water quality. The overall research objectives are to characterize the potential for gro...

Drought monitoring using remote sensing of evapotranspiration

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Drought assessment is a complex endeavor, requiring monitoring of deficiencies in multiple components of the hydrologic budget. Precipitation anomalies reflect variability in water supply to the land surface, while soil moisture (SM), ground and surface water anomalies reflect deficiencies in moist...

Ground-water data collected in the Missouri River Basin units in Kansas during 1954

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mason, B.J.; Loye, Linda

1955-01-01

Ground water studies in the Missouri River basin were begun by the United States Geological Survey during the fall of 1945 as a part of a program for the development of the resources of the basin by the United States Bureau of  Reclamation and other federal agencies. The studies of ground-water resources in the part of Kansas that lies within the Missouri River basin have been coordinated with the cooperative program of ground-water studies which were already being made in Kansas by the U.S Geological Survey, the Kansas State Geological Survey, the Division of Sanitation of the Kansas Board of Health and the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture.  

Ground-water data collected in the Missouri River basin units in Kansas during 1950

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berry, Delmar W.

1951-01-01

Ground-water studies in the Missouri River basin were begun by the United States Geological Survey during the fall of 1945 as a part of a program for the development of the resources of the basin by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and other Federal Agencies. The studies of the ground-water resources in the part of Kansas that lies within the basin have been coordinated with the cooperative program of ground-water studies already being carried on in Kansas by the United States Geological Survey, the State Geological Survey of Kansas,the Division of Sanitation of the Kansas State Board of Health, and the Division of Water Resources of the Kansas State Board of Agriculture.

Effects of surface applications of biosolids on soil, crops, ground water, and streambed sediment near Deer Trail, Colorado, 1999-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yager, Tracy J.B.; Smith, David B.; Crock, James G.

2004-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Metro Wastewater Reclamation District and North Kiowa Bijou Groundwater Management District, studied natural geochemical effects and the effects of biosolids applications to the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District properties near Deer Trail, Colorado, during 1999 through 2003 because of public concern about potential contamination of soil, crops, ground water, and surface water from biosolids applications. Parameters analyzed for each monitoring component included arsenic, cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, and zinc (the nine trace elements regulated by Colorado for biosolids), gross alpha and gross beta radioactivity, and plutonium, as well as other parameters. Concentrations of the nine regulated trace elements in biosolids were relatively uniform and did not exceed applicable regulatory standards. All plutonium concentrations in biosolids were below the minimum detectable level and were near zero. The most soluble elements in biosolids were arsenic, molybdenum, nickel, phosphorus, and selenium. Elevated concentrations of bismuth, mercury, phosphorus, and silver would be the most likely inorganic biosolids signature to indicate that soil or streambed sediment has been affected by biosolids. Molybdenum and tungsten, and to a lesser degree antimony, cadmium, cobalt, copper, mercury, nickel, phosphorus, and selenium, would be the most likely inorganic 'biosolids signature' to indicate ground water or surface water has been affected by biosolids. Soil data indicate that biosolids have had no measurable effect on the concentration of the constituents monitored. Arsenic concentrations in soil of both Arapahoe and Elbert County monitoring sites (like soil from all parts of Colorado) exceed the Colorado soil remediation objectives and soil cleanup standards, which were determined by back-calculating a soil concentration equivalent to a one-in-a-million cumulative cancer risk. Lead concentrations in soil slightly exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency toxicity-derived ecological soil-screening levels for avian wildlife. Plutonium concentration in the soil was near zero. Wheat-grain data were insufficient to determine any measurable effects from biosolids. Comparison with similar data from other parts of North America where biosolids were not applied indicates similar concentrations. However, the Deer Trail study area had higher nickel concentrations in wheat from both the biosolids-applied fields and the control fields. Plutonium content of the wheat was near zero. Ground-water levels generally declined at most wells during 1999 through 2003. Ground-water quality did not correlate with ground-water levels. Vertical ground-water gradients during 1999 through 2003 indicate that bedrock ground-water resources downgradient from the biosolids-applied areas are not likely to be contaminated by biosolids applications unless the gradients change as a result of pumping. Ground-water quality throughout the study area varied over time at each site and from site to site at the same time, but plutonium concentrations in the ground water always were near zero. Inorganic concentrations at well D6 were relatively high compared to other ground-water sites studied. Ground-water pH and concentrations of fluoride, nitrite, aluminum, arsenic, barium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, silver, zinc, and plutonium in the ground water of the study area met Colorado standards. Concentrations of chloride, sulfate, nitrate, boron, iron, manganese, and selenium exceeded Colorado ground-water standards at one or more wells. Nitrate concentrations at well D6 significantly (alpha = 0.05) exceeded the Colorado regulatory standard. Concentrations of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc in ground water had no significant (alpha = 0.05) upward trends. During 1999-2003, concentrations of nitrate, copper, molybdenum, and selenium

Documentation of programs used to determine a wetlands hydroperiod from model-simulated water-surface elevations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sonenshein, R.S.

1996-01-01

A technique has been developed to determine a wetlands hydroperiod by comparing simulated water levels from a ground-water flow model and land- surface elevation data through a geographic information system. The simulated water levels are compared with the land-surface elevation data to determine the height of the water surface above or below land surface for the area of interest. Finally, the hydroperiod is determined for established time periods using criteria specified by the user. The program application requires the use of geographic information system software (ARC/INFO), including the TIN and GRID subsystems of the software. The application consists of an ANSI compatible C program to translate ground- water data output from the U.S. Geological Survey modular three-dimensional, finite-difference, ground-water flow model (MODFLOW) into a format that can be used as input for the geographic information system programs (AML's). The application uses ARC/INFO AML programs and ARC/INFO menu interface programs to create digital spatial data layers of the land surface and water surface and to determine the hydroperiod. The technique can be used to evaluate and manage wetlands hydrology.

Water Quality in the Delmarva Peninsula, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Denver, Judith M.; Ator, Scott W.; Debrewer, Linda M.; Ferrari, Matthew J.; Barbaro, Jeffrey R.; Hancock, Tracy C.; Brayton, Michael J.; Nardi, Mark R.

2004-01-01

This report contains the major findings of a 1999-2001 assessment of water quality in the Delmarva Peninsula. It is one of a series of reports by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program that present major findings in 51 major river basins and aquifer systems across the Nation. In these reports, water quality is assessed at many scales?from local ground-water flow paths to regional ground-water networks and in surface water?and is discussed in terms of local, State, and regional issues. Conditions in the Delmarva Peninsula are compared to conditions found elsewhere and to selected national benchmarks, such as those for drinking-water quality and the protection of aquatic organisms. This report is intended for individuals working with water-resource issues in Federal, State, or local agencies; universities; public interest groups; or in the private sector. The information will be useful in addressing a number of current issues, such as the effects of agricultural and urban land use on water quality, human health, drinking water, source-water protection, hypoxia and excessive growth of algae and plants, pesticide registration, and monitoring and sampling strategies. This report is also for individuals who wish to know more about the quality of streams and ground water in areas near where they live, and how that water quality compares to the quality of water in other areas across the Nation. Other products describing water-quality conditions in the Delmarva Peninsula are available. Detailed technical information, data and analyses, methodology, models, graphs, and maps that support the findings presented in this report can be accessed from http://md.water.usgs.gov/delmarva. Other reports in this series and data collected from other basins can be accessed from the national NAWQA Web site (http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa).

Progress report on the ground-water, surface-water, and quality-of-water monitoring program, Black Mesa Area, northeastern Arizona; 1988-89

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hart, R.J.; Sottilare, J.P.

1989-01-01

The Black Mesa monitoring program in Arizona is designed to determine long-term effects on the water resources of the area resulting from withdrawals of groundwater from the N aquifer by the strip-mining operation of Peabody Coal Company. Withdrawals by Peabody Coal Company increased from 95 acre-ft in 1968 to 4 ,090 acre-ft in 1988. The N aquifer is an important source of water in the 5,400-sq-mi Black Mesa area on the Navajo and Hopi Indian Reservations. Water levels in the confined area of the aquifer declined as much as 19.7 ft near Low Mountain from 1988 to 1989. Part of the decline in the measured municipal wells may be due to local pumping. During 1965-88, water levels in wells that tap the unconfined area of the aquifer have not declined significantly and have risen in many areas. Chemical analysis indicate no significant changes in the quality of water from wells that tap the N aquifer or from springs that discharge from several stratigraphic units, including the N aquifer, since pumping began at the mine. The groundwater flow model developed for the study area in 1988 was updated using pumpage data for 1985-88. The model simulated a steady decline in water levels in observations wells developed in areas of unconfined groundwater. Measured water levels in these wells did not show this trend but indicated that water levels remained the same or increased. The model accurately simulated water levels in most observation wells developed in areas of confined groundwater. (USGS)

Movement and Fate of Solutes in a Plume of Sewage-Contaminated Ground Water, Cape Cod, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Waste Ground-Water Contamination Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-03-01

contains many inorganic and organic chemicals such as sodium , nitrate, detergents, and volatile organic compounds which can be toxic and render a ground­...1983-- 51 24 . sodium in ground water, 1983---------------------------- 53 25 . chloride in ground water, 1983-------------------------- 54 26...contains elevated concentrations of chloride, sodium , boron, nitrogen, detergents, and other constituents of the treated sewage. The plume was

Guidelines for preparation of the 1996 state water quality assessments (305(b) reports)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-05-01

The Federal Water Polluton Control Act (PL92-500, commonly known as the Clean Water Act), establishes a process for States to use to develop information on the quality of the Nation`s water resources and to report this information to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Congress, and the citizens of this country. Each State must develop a program to monitor the quality of its surface and ground waters and prepare a report every 2 years describing the status of its water quality. EPA compiles the data from the State reports, summarizes them, and transmits the summaries to Congress alongmore » with an analysis of the status of water quality nationwide. This process, referred to as the 305(b) process, is an essential aspect of the Nation`s water pollution control effort.« less

SITE CHARACTERIZATION TO SUPPORT MODEL DEVELOPMENT FOR CONTAMINANTS IN GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

The development of conceptual and predictive models is an important tool to guide site characterization in support of monitoring contaminants in ground water. The accuracy of predictive models is limited by the adequacy of the input data and the assumptions made to constrain mod...

Using Simple Field Instruments to Monitor for Biological Production of Methane at Gasoline Spill Sites

EPA Science Inventory

When gasoline containing ethanol is spilled to ground water, natural anaerobic biodegradation of the ethanol can produce copious quantities of methane gas, which bubbles out of the ground water and enters the unsaturated zone. Depending on local circumstances, the concentration...

Monitoring Production of Methane from Spills of Gasoline at UST Release Sites (Boston, MA)

EPA Science Inventory

Anaerobic biodegradation of the BTEX compounds can produce substantial concentrations of methane in ground water at gasoline spill sites. This methane can escape the ground water, move through the unsaturated zone and potentially produce explosive concentrations of methane in c...

Ground Water Atlas of the United States: Introduction and national summary

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, James A.

1999-01-01

The Ground Water Atlas of the United States provides a summary of the most important information available for each principal aquifer, or rock unit that will yield usable quantities of water to wells, throughout the 50 States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Atlas is an outgrowth of the Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a program that investigated 24 of the most important aquifers and aquifer systems of the Nation and one in the Caribbean Islands (fig. 1). The objectives of the RASA program were to define the geologic and hydrologic frameworks of each aquifer system, to assess the geochemistry of the water in the system, to characterize the ground-water flow system, and to describe the effects of development on the flow system. Although the RASA studies did not cover the entire Nation, they compiled much of the data needed to make the National assessments of ground-water resources presented in the Ground Water Atlas of the United States. The Atlas, however, describes the location, extent, and geologic and hydrologic characteristics of all the important aquifers in the United States, including those not studied by the RASA program. The Atlas is written so that it can be understood by readers who are not hydrologists. Simple language is used to explain technical terms. The principles that control the presence, movement, and chemical quality of ground water in different climatic, topographic, and geologic settings are clearly illustrated. The Atlas is, therefore, useful as a teaching tool for introductory courses in hydrology or hydrogeology at the college level and as an overview of ground-water conditions for consultants who need information about an individual aquifer. It also serves as an introduction to regional and National ground-water resources for lawmakers, personnel of local, State, or Federal agencies, or anyone who needs to understand ground-water occurrence, movement, and quality. The purpose of the Ground Water Atlas of the United States is to summarize, in one publication with a common format, the most important ground-water information that has been collected over many years by the USGS, other Federal agencies, and State and local water management agencies. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to describe the content of the Atlas; to discuss the characteristics, use, and limitations of the maps and other types of illustrations used in the different chapters of the book; to summarize the locations of the principal aquifers on a Nationwide map; and to give an example of an aquifer in each principal hydrogeologic setting.

The Kenya rangeland ecological monitoring unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevens, W. E. (Principal Investigator)

1978-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Methodology for aerial surveys and ground truth studies was developed, tested, and revised several times to produce reasonably firm methods of procedure. Computer programs were adapted or developed to analyze, store, and recall data from the ground and air monitoring surveys.

Traffic monitoring using satellite and ground data : preparation for feasibility tests and an operational system, final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-04-01

Satellite imagery could conceivably be added to data traditionally collected in traffic monitoring programs to allow wide spatial coverage unobtainable from ground-based sensors in a safe, off-the-road environment. Previously, we estimated that 1-m r...

Traffic monitoring using satellite and ground data : preparation for feasibility tests and an operational system, executive summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-04-01

Satellite imagery could conceivably be added to data traditionally collected in traffic monitoring programs to allow wide spatial coverage unobtainable from ground-based sensors in a safe, off-the-road environment. Previously, we estimated that 1-m r...

Evaluation of the ground-water resources of coastal Georgia; preliminary report on the data available as of July 1983

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krause, Richard E.; Matthews, Sharon E.; Gill, Harold E.

1984-01-01

A compilation of ground-water data that have been collected for nearly 100 years in the coastal area of Georgia as part of cooperative activities between the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies is presented in this report. The compilation of pertinent data indicates that information is available for use in the evaluation of the ground-water resources of the 13 counties of coastal Georgia. Included in this report is a fairly complete discussion of previous and ongoing investigations and monitoring networks, and an extensive list of references. Maps at 1:24,000, 1:100,000; and 1:1000,000 scales contain well locations and identifers for all wells in the Ground Water Site Inventory (GWSI) data base of the National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System (WATSTORE). Tabular summaries of selected site information from GWSI, including well identifiers and names , latitude-longitude location, depth of well, altitude of land surface, and use of water are presented. Water-use data from the National Water Use Data System, and water use for irrigation from the University of Georgia, Department of Agriculture survey , are tabulated. Also included are pertinent information on geophysical surveys and data obtained, and proposed project activities, particularly test-monitor well drilling.

New Approach to Purging Monitoring Wells: Lower Flow Rates Reduce Required Purging Volumes and Sample Turbidity

EPA Science Inventory

It is generally accepted that monitoring wells must be purged to access formation water to obtain “representative” ground water quality samples. Historically anywhere from 3 to 5 well casing volumes have been removed prior to sample collection to evacuate the standing well water...

Design of a Real-Time Ground-Water Level Monitoring Network and Portrayal of Hydrologic Data in Southern Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Prinos, Scott T.; Lietz, A.C.; Irvin, R.B.

2002-01-01

Ground-water resources in southern Florida are under increasing stress caused by a rapid growth in population. As a result of increased demands on aquifers, water managers need more timely and accurate assessments of ground-water conditions in order to avoid or reduce adverse effects such as saltwater intrusion, loss of pumpage in residential water-supply wells, land-surface subsidence, and aquifer compaction. Hydrologic data were analyzed from three aquifer systems in southern Florida: the surficial aquifer system, which includes the Biscayne aquifer; the intermediate aquifer system, which includes the sandstone and mid-Hawthorn aquifers; and the Florida aquifer system represented by the lower Hawthorn producing zone. Long-term water-level trends were analyzed using the Seasonal Kendall trend test in 83 monitoring wells with a daily-value record spanning 26 years (1974-99). The majority of the wells with data for this period were in the Biscayne aquifer in southeastern Florida. Only 14 wells in southwestern Florida aquifers and 9 in the surficial aquifer system of Martin and Palm Beach Counties had data for the full period. Because many monitoring wells did not have data for this full period, several shorter periods were evaluated as well. The trend tests revealed small but statistically significant upward trends in most aquifers, but large and localized downward trends in the sandstone and mid-Hawthorn aquifers. Monthly means of maximum daily water levels from 246 wells were compared to monthly rainfall totals from rainfall stations in southwestern and southeastern Florida in order to determine which monitoring wells most clearly indicated decreases in water levels that corresponded to prolonged rainfall shortages. Of this total, 104 wells had periods of record over 20 years (after considering missing record) and could be compared against several drought periods. After factors such as lag, seasonal cyclicity, and cumulative functions were considered, the timing of minimum values of water level from 15 ground-water monitoring wells and average minimum rainfall values agreed 57 to 62 percent of the time over a 20 to 26 year period. On average, the timing of water-level minimums and rainfall minimums agreed about 52 percent of the time, and in some cases only agreed 29 percent of the time. A regression analysis was used to evaluate daily water levels from 203 monitoring wells that are currently, or recently had been, part of the network to determine which wells were most representative of each aquifer. The regression also was used to determine which wells provided data that could be used to provide estimations of water levels at other wells in the aquifer with a coefficient of determination (R2 value) from the regression of 0.64 or greater. In all, the regression analysis alone indicated that 35 wells, generally with 10 years or more of data, could be used to directly monitor water levels or to estimate water levels at 180 of 203 wells (89 percent of the network). Ultimately, factors such as existing instrumentation, well construction, long-term water-level trends, and variations of water level and chloride concentration were considered together with the R2 results in designing the final network. The Seasonal Kendall trend test was used to examine trends in ground-water chloride concentrations in 113 wells. Of these wells, 61 showed statistically significant trends. Fifty-six percent (34 of 61 wells) of the observed trends in chloride concentration were upward and 44 percent (27 of 61 wells) were downward. The relation between water level and chloride concentration in 114 ground-water wells was examined using Spearman's r and Pearson's r correlation coefficients. Statistically significant results showed both positive and negative relations. Based on the results of statistical analyses, period of record, well construction, and existing satellite telemetry, 33 monitoring wells were selected that could be used to a

Summary of hydrogeologic controls on ground-water flow at the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laczniak, R.J.; Cole, J.C.; Sawyer, D.A.; Trudeau, D.A.

1996-01-01

The underground testing of nuclear devices has generated substantial volumes of radioactive and other chemical contaminants below ground at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). Many of the more radioactive contaminants are highly toxic and are known to persist in the environment for thousands of years. In response to concerns about potential health hazards, the U.S. Department of Energy, under its Environmental Restoration Program, has made NTS the subject of a long-term investigation. Efforts supported through the U.S. Department of Energy program will assess whether byproducts of underground testing pose a potential hazard to the health and safety of the public and, if necessary, will evaluate and implement steps to remediate any of the identified dangers. Test-generated contaminants have been introduced over large areas and at variable depths above and below the water table throughout NTS. Evaluating the risks associated with these byproducts of underground testing presupposes a knowledge of the source, transport, and potential receptors of these contaminants. Ground-water flow is the primary mechanism by which contaminants can be transported significant distances away from the initial point of injection. Flow paths between contaminant sources and potential receptors are separated by remote areas that span tens of miles. The diversity and structural complexity of the rocks along these flow paths complicates the hydrology of the region. Although the hydrology has been studied in some detail, much still remains uncertain about flow rates and directions through the fractured-rock aquifers that transmit water great distances across this arid region. Unique to the hydrology of NTS are the effects of underground testing, which severely alter local rock characteristics and affect hydrologic conditions throughout the region. Any assessment of the risk must rely in part on the current understanding of ground-water flow, and the assessment will be only as good as the understanding itself. This report summarizes what is known and inferred about ground-water flow throughout the NTS region. The report identifies and updates what is known about some of the major controls on ground-water flow, highlights some of the uncertainties in the current understanding, and prioritizes some of the technical needs as related to the Environmental Restoration Program. An apparent deficiency in the current understanding is a lack of knowledge about flow directions and rates away from major areas of testing. Efforts are necessary to delineate areas of downgradient flow and to identify factors that constrain and control flow within these areas. These efforts also should identify the areas most critical to gaining detailed understanding and to establishing long-term monitoring sites necessary for effective remediation.

Ground-water program in Alabama

USGS Publications Warehouse

LaMoreaux, P.E.

1955-01-01

Several recent years of drought have emphasized the importance of Alabama's ground-water supplies, a matter of concern to us all.  So far we have been blessed in Alabama with ample ground-water, although a combination of increased use, waste, pollution, and drought has brought about critical local water shortages.  These problems serve as a fair warning of what lies ahead if we do not take the necessary steps to obtan adequate knowledge of our ground-water resources.

Death Valley Lower Carbonate Aquifer Monitoring Program Wells Down Gradient of the Proposed Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository, U. S. Department of Energy Grant DE-RW0000233 2010 Project Report, prepared by The Hydrodynamics Group, LLC for Inyo County Yucca Mountain Repository Assessment Office

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

King, Michael J; Bredehoeft, John D., Dr.

2010-09-03

Inyo County completed the first year of the U.S. Department of Energy Grant Agreement No. DE-RW0000233. This report presents the results of research conducted within this Grant agreement in the context of Inyo County's Yucca Mountain oversight program goals and objectives. The Hydrodynamics Group, LLC prepared this report for Inyo County Yucca Mountain Repository Assessment Office. The overall goal of Inyo County's Yucca Mountain research program is the evaluation of far-field issues related to potential transport, by ground water, of radionuclide into Inyo County, including Death Valley, and the evaluation of a connection between the Lower Carbonate Aquifer (LCA) andmore » the biosphere. Data collected within the Grant is included in interpretive illustrations and discussions of the results of our analysis. The centeral elements of this Grant prgoram was the drilling of exploratory wells, geophysical surveys, geological mapping of the Southern Funeral Mountain Range. The cullimination of this research was 1) a numerical ground water model of the Southern Funeral Mountain Range demonstrating the potential of a hydraulic connection between the LCA and the major springs in the Furnace Creek area of Death Valley, and 2) a numerical ground water model of the Amargosa Valley to evaluate the potential for radionuclide transport from Yucca Mountain to Inyo County, California. The report provides a description of research and activities performed by The Hydrodynamics Group, LLC on behalf of Inyo County, and copies of key work products in attachments to this report.« less

Chemical Characteristics, Water Sources and Pathways, and Age Distribution of Ground Water in the Contributing Recharge Area of a Public-Supply Well near Tampa, Florida, 2002-05

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katz, Brian G.; Crandall, Christy A.; Metz, Patricia A.; McBride, W. Scott; Berndt, Marian P.

2007-01-01

In 2001, the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey began a series of studies on the transport of anthropogenic and natural contaminants (TANC) to public-supply wells. The main goal of the TANC program was to better understand the source, transport, and receptor factors that control contaminant movement to public-supply wells in representative aquifers of the United States. Studies were first conducted at regional scales at four of the eight TANC study areas during 2002-03 and at small (local) scales during 2003-05 in California, Nebraska, Connecticut, and Florida. In the Temple Terrace study area near Tampa, Florida, multiple chemical indicators and geochemical and ground-water flow modeling techniques were used to assess the vulnerability of a public-supply well in the karstic Upper Floridan aquifer to contamination from anthropogenic and naturally occurring contaminants. During 2003-05, water samples were collected from the public-supply well and 13 surrounding monitoring wells that all tap the Upper Floridan aquifer, and from 15 monitoring wells in the overlying surficial aquifer system and the intermediate confining unit that are located within the modeled ground-water contributing recharge area of the public-supply well. Six volatile organic compounds and four pesticides were detected in trace concentrations (well below drinking-water standards) in water from the public-supply well, which had an open interval from 36 to 53 meters below land surface. These contaminants were detected more frequently in water samples from monitoring wells in the overlying clastic surficial aquifer system than in water from monitoring wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer in the study area. Likewise, nitrate-N concentrations in the public-supply well (0.72-1.4 milligrams per liter) were more similar to median concentrations in the oxic surficial aquifer system (2.1 milligrams per liter) than to median nitrate-N concentrations in the anoxic Upper Floridan aquifer (0.06 milligram per liter) under sulfate-reducing conditions. High concentrations of radon-222 and uranium in the public-supply well compared to those in monitoring wells in the Upper Floridan aquifer appear to originate from water moving downward through sands and discontinuous clay lenses that overlie the aquifer. Water samples also were collected from three overlapping depth intervals (38-53, 43-53, and 49-53 meters below land surface) in the public-supply well. The 49- to 53-meter interval was identified as a high-flow zone during geophysical logging of the wellbore. Water samples were collected from these depth intervals at a low pumping rate by placing a low-capacity submersible pump (less than 0.02 cubic meter per minute) at the top of each interval. To represent higher pumping conditions, a large-capacity portable submersible pump (1.6 cubic meters per minute) was placed near the top of the open interval; water-chemistry samples were collected using the low-capacity submersible pump. The 49- to 53-meter depth interval had distinctly different chemistry than the other two sampled intervals. Higher concentrations of nitrate-N, atrazine, radon, trichloromethane (chloroform), and arsenic (and high arsenic (V)/arsenic (III) ratios); lower concentrations of dissolved solids, strontium, iron, manganese, and lower nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios were found in this highly transmissive zone in the limestone than in water from the two other depth intervals. Movement of water likely occurs from the overlying sands and clays of the oxic surficial aquifer system and intermediate confining unit (that contains high radon-222 and nitrate-N concentrations) into the anoxic Upper Floridan aquifer (that contains low radon-222 and nitrate-N concentrations). Differences in arsenic concentrations in water from the various depth intervals in the public-supply well (3.2-19.0 micrograms per liter) were related to pumping conditions. The high arsenic

Identification of water-bearing zones by the use of geophysical logs and borehole television surveys, collected February to September 1997, at the Former Naval Air Warfare Center, Warminster, Bucks County, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conger, Randall W.

1998-01-01

Between February 1997 and September 1997, 10 monitor wells were drilled near the site of the former Naval Air Warfare Center, Warminster, Bucks County, Pa., to monitor water levels and sample ground-water contaminants in the shallow, intermediate, and deep water-bearing zones. The sampling will determine the horizontal and vertical distribution of contaminated ground water migrating from known or suspected contaminant sources. Four wells were drilled north of the property adjacent to Area A, three wells along strike located on Lewis Drive, and three wells directly down dip on Ivyland Road. Well depths range from 69 feet to 300 feet below land surface.Borehole-geophysical logging and television surveys were used to identify water-bearing zones so that appropriate intervals could be screened in each monitor well. Geophysical logs were obtained at the 10 monitor wells. Borehole television surveys were obtained at the four monitor wells adjacent to Area A.Caliper and borehole television surveys were used to locate fractures, inflections on fluidtemperature and fluid-resistivity logs were used to locate possible water-bearing fractures, and heatpulse- flowmeter measurements verified these locations. Natural-gamma logs provided information on stratigraphy. After interpretation of geophysical logs, borehole television surveys, and driller's logs, all wells were screened such that water-level fluctuations could be monitored and water samples collected from discrete water-bearing zones in each borehole.

PHOTOCATALYTIC TREATMENT OF AIR EMISSIONS RESULTING FROM GROUND-WATER TREATMENT, "GROUND WATER CURRENTS" EPA/542-N-01-008, ISSUE 42

EPA Science Inventory

A new system for treating off-gas from ground water remediation systems containing chlorinated organic compounds has been demosntrated under USEPA's Superfund Innovative Technical Evaluation (SITE) Program. Results indicate that this technology, known as the adsorption-integrated...

Monitoring Production of Methane from Spills of Gasoline at UST Release Sites.

EPA Science Inventory

ORD-362 (Rev 06/10/05) (Webforms v2.4) Abstract: Anaerobic biodegradation of the BTEX compounds can produce substantial concentrations of methane in ground water at gasoline spill sites. This methane can escape the ground water, move through the unsaturated zone and potentiall...

DETERMINING HOW VAPOR PHASE MTBE REACHES GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

EPA Region 2 and ORD have funded a RARE project for FY 2005/2006 to evaluate the prospects that MTBE (and other fuel components) in vapors that escape from an underground storage tank (UST) can find its way to ground water produced by monitoring wells at a gasoline filling statio...

TBA IN GROUND WATER FROM THE NATURAL BIODEGRADATION OF MTBE

EPA Science Inventory

At many UST spills, the concentrations of TBA in ground water are much higher than would be expected from the presence of TBA in the gasoline originally spilled. The ratio of concentrations of TBA to concentrations of MTBE in monitoring wells at gasoline spill sites was compared ...

PERFORMANCE OF A NEW PASSIVE DIFFUSION SAMPLER FOR MONITORING BENZENE IN EITHER SOIL GAS OR GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Understanding transport of volatile contaminants in soil gas and ground water, particularly those associated with underground storage tanks, requires a detailed knowledge about the depth-dependent distribution of chemical species in the subsurface. A risk assessment of the moveme...

Investigation of Ground Water Pollution at Air Force Plant Number 4, Fort Worth Texas

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-10-01

Dbtibz~o Ud~mxtm!UCTtq! - INVESTIGATION OF GROUND WATER POLLUTION AT - AIR FORCE PLANT NO. 4 FORT WORTH, TEXAS REPORT TO - UNITED STATES AIR FORCE...performed at the plant : Three pairs of Paluxy monitoring wells weze drilled along the south boundary of the plant to determine if pollutants discovered in...a nonhazardous dye tracer in selected wells. v U, INVESTIGATION OF POLLUTION OF GROUND WATER IN THE PALUXY AQUIFER AT AIR FORCE PLANT NO. 4, FORT

Status of the flora and fauna on the Nevada Test Site, 1993. Results of continuing basic environmental monitoring, January through December 1993

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hunter, R.B.

1994-09-01

This report provides the results of monitoring of plants and animals on the Nevada Test Site during calendar year 1993. Monitoring was accomplished under the Department of Energy`s Basic Environmental Compliance and Monitoring Program, initiated in 1987. The program looks at both baseline study areas, chosen to represent undisturbed conditions as much as possible, and areas disturbed by Department of energy (DOE) activities or natural phenomena. DOE disturbances studied include areas blasted by above-ground nuclear tests before 1962, subsidence craters created by underground nuclear tests, road maintenance activities, areas cleared for drilling, and influences of man-made water sources. Natural phenomenamore » studied include recovery from range fires, effects of introduced species, damage to plants by insect outbreaks, and effects of weather fluctuations. In 1993 disturbances examined included several burned areas and roadsides, a drill pad on Pahute Mesa, introduced grasses and shrub removal effects on ephemeral plants, and effects on pine trees of an infestation of pinyon needle scale insects.« less

A computer program for calculating relative-transmissivity input arrays to aid model calibration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Weiss, Emanuel

1982-01-01

A program is documented that calculates a transmissivity distribution for input to a digital ground-water flow model. Factors that are taken into account in the calculation are: aquifer thickness, ground-water viscosity and its dependence on temperature and dissolved solids, and permeability and its dependence on overburden pressure. Other factors affecting ground-water flow are indicated. With small changes in the program code, leakance also could be calculated. The purpose of these calculations is to provide a physical basis for efficient calibration, and to extend rational transmissivity trends into areas where model calibration is insensitive to transmissivity values.

76 FR 45253 - Public Water Supply Supervision Program; Program Revision for the State of Alaska

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-28

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9444-8] Public Water Supply Supervision Program; Program... Water Supply Supervision Primacy Program. Alaska has adopted regulations analogous to the EPA's Ground Water Rule. The EPA has determined that these revisions are no less stringent than the corresponding...

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Part B permit application [of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)]. Volume 11, Chapter D, Appendix D4--Chapter D, Appendix D17: Revision 3

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1993-03-01

This volume contains appendices D4 through D17 which cover the following: Waste Isolation Pilot Plant site environmental report; ecological monitoring program at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant; site characterization; regional and site geology and hydrology; general geology; dissolution features; ground water hydrology; typical carbon sorption bed efficiency; VOC monitoring plan for bin-room tests; chemical compatibility analysis of waste forms and container materials; probable maximum precipitation; WHIP supplementary roof support system room 1, panel 1; and corrosion risk assessment of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant ``humid`` test bins.

Predicting water quality changes from artificial recharge sources to nearby wellfields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moran, J.E.

1998-01-23

Isotope tracer technologies have proven to be powerful tools for addressing questions related to surface water-ground water interactions. The Alameda County Water District artificially recharges tens of thousands of acre-ft of water annually, delivered from Alameda Creek in order to augment dwindling ground water supplies, and to maintain a barrier to seawater intrusion. The authors are using a suite of isotope tracers to track water movement, source characteristics and accompanying water quality changes from ACWD recharge facilities to nearby wells. The data gathered during the three year project will allow quantification of dilution by ambient basin ground water, subsurface travelmore » times, and several key water quality parameters, including degree of degradation of organic compounds, the fate of trace metals during recharge and subsurface transport, and sources and transport of major ions (salts). Reconnaissance work was carried out on naturally occurring isotopes in order to better understand the hydrogeology of the ground water basin. The basin is dissected by the Hayward Fault, and geologic conditions vary greatly on either side of the fault. Stable isotopes of oxygen, carbon, helium and other noble gases, along with radiocarbon and tritium were measured on water samples from production and monitoring wells. The goal of the reconnaissance work was to age date the water at various depths and distances from the recharge ponds, to examine the chemical evolution of the water with age, and to examine the water for source-related variations in isotope composition. Ground water ages were calculated by the tritium-helium method for three production wells in the Peralta-Tyson wellfield (in the Above Hayward Fault sub-basin), and for a monitoring well positioned between the recharge facilities and production wells, screened at three discreet intervals.« less

Conceptual framework for a Danish human biomonitoring program

PubMed Central

Thomsen, Marianne; Knudsen, Lisbeth E; Vorkamp, Katrin; Frederiksen, Marie; Bach, Hanne; Bonefeld-Jorgensen, Eva Cecilie; Rastogi, Suresch; Fauser, Patrik; Krongaard, Teddy; Sorensen, Peter Borgen

2008-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present the conceptual framework for a Danish human biomonitoring (HBM) program. The EU and national science-policy interface, that is fundamental for a realization of the national and European environment and human health strategies, is discussed, including the need for a structured and integrated environmental and human health surveillance program at national level. In Denmark, the initiative to implement such activities has been taken. The proposed framework of the Danish monitoring program constitutes four scientific expert groups, i.e. i. Prioritization of the strategy for the monitoring program, ii. Collection of human samples, iii. Analysis and data management and iv. Dissemination of results produced within the program. This paper presents the overall framework for data requirements and information flow in the integrated environment and health surveillance program. The added value of an HBM program, and in this respect the objectives of national and European HBM programs supporting environmental health integrated policy-decisions and human health targeted policies, are discussed. In Denmark environmental monitoring has been prioritized by extensive surveillance systems of pollution in oceans, lakes and soil as well as ground and drinking water. Human biomonitoring has only taken place in research programs and few incidences of e.g. lead contamination. However an arctic program for HBM has been in force for decades and from the preparations of the EU-pilot project on HBM increasing political interest in a Danish program has developed. PMID:18541069

Geologic and hydrologic data for the municipal solid waste landfill facility, U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss, El Paso County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Abeyta, Cynthia G.; Frenzel, P.F.

1999-01-01

Geologic and hydrologic data for the Municipal Solid Waste Landfill Facility on the U.S. Army Air Defense Artillery Center and Fort Bliss in El Paso County, Texas, were collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Army. The 106.03-acre landfill has been in operation since January 1974. The landfill contains household refuse, Post solid wastes, bulky items, grass and tree trimmings from family housing, refuse from litter cans, construction debris, classified waste (dry), dead animals, asbestos, and empty oil cans. The depth of the filled areas is about 30 feet and the cover, consisting of locally derived material, is 2 to 3 feet thick. Geologic and hydrologic data were collected at or adjacent to the landfill during (1) drilling of 10 30- to 31-foot boreholes that were completed with gas-monitoring probes, (2) drilling of a 59-foot borehole, (3) drilling of a 355-foot borehole that was completed as a ground-water monitoring well, and (4) in situ measurements made on the landfill cover. After completion, the gas- monitoring probes were monitored on a quarterly basis (1 year total) for gases generated by the landfill. Water samples were collected from the ground-water monitoring well for chemical analysis. Data collection is divided into two elements: geologic data and hydrologic data. Geologic data include lithologic descriptions of cores and cuttings, geophysical logs, soil- gas and ambient-air analyses, and chemical analyses of soil. Hydrologic data include physical properties, total organic carbon, and pH of soil and sediment samples; soil-water chloride and soil-moisture analyses; physical properties of the landfill cover; measurements of depth to ground water; and ground-water chemical analyses. Interpretation of data is not included in this report.

Changes in the isotopic and chemical composition of ground water resulting from a recharge pulse from a sinking stream

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Brian G.; Catches, John S.; Bullen, Thomas D.; Michel, Robert L.

1998-11-01

The Little River, an ephemeral stream that drains a watershed of approximately 88 km 2 in northern Florida, disappears into a series of sinkholes along the Cody Scarp and flows directly into the carbonate Upper Floridan aquifer, the source of water supply in northern Florida. The changes in the geochemistry of ground water caused by a major recharge pulse from the sinking stream were investigated using chemical and isotopic tracers and mass-balance modeling techniques. Nine monitoring wells were installed open to the uppermost part of the aquifer in areas near the sinks where numerous subterranean karst solution features were identified using ground penetrating radar. During high-flow conditions in the Little River, the chemistry of water in some of the monitoring wells changed, reflecting the mixing of river water with ground water. Rapid recharge of river water into some parts of the aquifer during high-flow conditions was indicated by enriched values of delta 18O and delta deuterium (-1.67 to -3.17 per mil and -9.2 to -15.6 per mil, respectively), elevated concentrations of tannic acid, higher (more radiogenic) 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios, and lower concentrations of 222Rn, silica, and alkalinity compared to low-flow conditions. The proportion of river water that mixed with ground water ranged from 0.10 to 0.67 based on binary mixing models using the tracers 18O, deuterium, tannic acid, silica, 222Rn, and 87Sr/ 86Sr. On the basis of mass-balance modeling during steady-state flow conditions, the dominant processes controlling carbon cycling in ground water are the dissolution of calcite and dolomite in aquifer material, and aerobic degradation of organic matter.

Status of ground-water resources at U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia; summary of hydrologic and climatic data, January 1994 through June 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torikai, J.D.

1996-01-01

This report describes the status of ground-water resources at U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia. Data presented are from January 1994 through June 1996, with a focus on data from April through June 1996 (second quarter of 1996). A complete database of ground-water withdrawals and chloride-concentration records since 1985 is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. Cumulative rainfall for April through June 1996 was 22.64 inches, which is 12 percent more than the mean cumulative rainfall of 20.21 inches for April through June. The period April through June is part of the annual dry season. Ground-water withdrawal during April through June 1996 averaged 1,048,000 gallons per day. Withdrawal for the same 3 months in 1995 averaged 833,700 gallons per day. Withdrawal patterns during the second quarter of 1996 did not change significantly since 1991, with the Cantonment and Air Operations areas supplying about 99 percent of total islandwide pumpage. At the end of June 1996, the chloride concentration of water from the elevated tanks at Cantonment and Air Operations were 52 and 80 milligrams per liter, respectively. The chloride data from all five production areas showed no significant upward or downward trends throughout the second quarter of 1996. Potable levels of chloride concentrations have been maintained by adjusting individual pumping rates, and also because of the absence of long-term droughts. Chloride concentration of ground water in monitoring wells at Cantonment and Air Operations also showed no significant trends throughout the second quarter of 1996. Chloride concentrations have been about the same since the last quarter of 1995. A fuel-pipeline leak at Air Operations in May 1991 decreased total islandwide withdrawals by 15 percent. This lost pumping capacity is being offset by increased pumpage at Cantonment. Six wells do not contribute to the water supply because they are being used to hydraulically divert fuel migration away from water-supply wells by a program of ground-water withdrawal and injection.

Status of ground-water resources at U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia; summary of hydrologic and climatic data, January 1994 through March 1996

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torikai, J.D.

1996-01-01

This report describes the status of ground-water resources at U.S. Navy Support Facility, Diego Garcia. Data presented are from January 1994 through March 1996, with a focus on data from January through March 1996 (first quarter of 1996). A complete database of ground-water withdrawals and chloride-concentration records since 1985 is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey. Cumulative rainfall for January through March 1996 was about 30 inches, which is 9 percent less than the mean cumulative rainfall of about 33 inches for January through March. The period January through February is the end of the annual wet season, while March marks the start of the annual dry season. Ground-water withdrawal during January through March 1996 averaged 970,300 gallons per day. Withdrawal for the same 3 months in 1995 averaged 894,600 gallons per day. With- drawal patterns during the first quarter of 1996 did not change significantly since 1991, with the Cantonment and Air Operations areas supplying about 99 percent of total islandwide pumpage. At the end of March 1996, the chloride concentration of water from the elevated tanks at Cantonment and Air Operations were 47 and 80 milligrams per liter, respectively. The chloride data from all five production areas showed no significant upward or downward trends throughout the first quarter of 1996. Potable levels of chloride concentrations have been maintained by adjusting individual pumping rates, and also because of the absence of long-term droughts. Chloride concentration of ground water in monitoring wells at Cantonment and Air Operations also showed no significant trends throughout the first quarter of 1996. Chloride concentrations have been about the same since the last quarter of 1995. A fuel-pipeline leak at Air Operations in May 1991 decreased total islandwide withdrawals by 15 percent. This lost pumping capacity is being offset by increased pumpage at Cantonment. Six wells do not contribute to the water supply because they are being used to hydraulically divert fuel migration away from water-supply wells by a program of ground-water withdrawal and injection.

US EPA OPTIMAL WELL LOCATOR (OWL): A SCREENING TOOL FOR EVALUATING LOCATIONS OF MONITORING WELLS

EPA Science Inventory

The Optimal Well Locator (OWL): uses linear regression to fit a plane to the elevation of the water table in monitoring wells in each round of sampling. The slope of the plane fit to the water table is used to predict the direction and gradient of ground water flow. Along with ...

Designing a monitoring network for contaminated ground water in fractured chalk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nativ, R.; Adar, E.M.; Becker, A.

1999-01-01

One of the challenges of monitoring network design in a fractured rock setting is the heterogeneity of the rocks. This paper summarizes the activities and problems associated with the monitoring of contaminated groundwater in porous, low-permeability fractured chalk in the Negev Desert, Israel. Preferential flow documented in the study area required siting the monitoring boreholes in the predominant fracture systems. Lineaments traced from aerial photographs were examined in the field to sort out the large-extension, through-going, multilayer fracture systems crossing the study area. At each proposed drilling site, these fractures were exposed below the sediment cover using trenches. Slanted boreholesmore » were drilled at a distance from the fracture systems so that each borehole would intersect the targeted fracture plane below the water table. Based on their short recovery period and contaminated ground water, these newly drilled, fracture-oriented boreholes appeared to be better connected to preferential flowpaths crossing the industrial site than the old boreholes existing on site. Other considerations concerning the drilling and logging of monitoring boreholes in a fractured media were: (1) coring provides better documentation of the vertical fracture distribution, but dry augering is less costly and enables immediate ground water sampling and the sampling of vadose rock for contaminant analysis; (2) caliper and TV camera logs appear to provide only partial information regarding the vertical fracture distribution; and (3) the information gained by deepening the monitoring boreholes and testing fractures crossing their uncased walls has to be carefully weighed against the risk of potential cross-contamination through the monitoring boreholes, which is enhanced in fractured media.« less

COMPILATION OF SATURATED AND UNSATURATED ZONE MODELING SOFTWARE

EPA Science Inventory

The full report provides readers an overview of available ground-water modeling programs and related software. It is an update of EPA/600/R-93/118 and EPA/600/R-94/028, two previous reports from the same program at the International Ground Water Modeling Center (IGWMC) in Colora...

Groundwater Quality Data in the Mojave Study Unit, 2008: Results from the California GAMA Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mathany, Timothy M.; Belitz, Kenneth

2009-01-01

Groundwater quality in the approximately 1,500 square-mile Mojave (MOJO) study unit was investigated from February to April 2008, as part of the Priority Basin Project of the Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program. The GAMA Priority Basin Project was developed in response to the Groundwater Quality Monitoring Act of 2001 and is being conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). MOJO was the 23rd of 37 study units to be sampled as part of the GAMA Priority Basin Project. The MOJO study was designed to provide a spatially unbiased assessment of the quality of untreated ground water used for public water supplies within MOJO, and to facilitate statistically consistent comparisons of groundwater quality throughout California. Samples were collected from 59 wells in San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties. Fifty-two of the wells were selected using a spatially distributed, randomized grid-based method to provide statistical representation of the study area (grid wells), and seven were selected to aid in evaluation of specific water-quality issues (understanding wells). The groundwater samples were analyzed for a large number of organic constituents [volatile organic compounds (VOCs), pesticides and pesticide degradates, and pharmaceutical compounds], constituents of special interest (perchlorate and N-nitrosodimethylamine [NDMA]) naturally occurring inorganic constituents (nutrients, dissolved organic carbon [DOC], major and minor ions, silica, total dissolved solids [TDS], and trace elements), and radioactive constituents (gross alpha and gross beta radioactivity, radium isotopes, and radon-222). Naturally occurring isotopes (stable isotopes of hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon, stable isotopes of nitrogen and oxygen in nitrate, and activities of tritium and carbon-14), and dissolved noble gases also were measured to help identify the sources and ages of the sampled ground water. In total, over 230 constituents and water-quality indicators (field parameters) were investigated. Three types of quality-control samples (blanks, replicates, and matrix spikes) each were collected at approximately 5-8 percent of the wells, and the results for these samples were used to evaluate the quality of the data for the groundwater samples. Field blanks rarely contained detectable concentrations of any constituent, suggesting that contamination was not a significant source of bias in the data for the groundwater samples. Differences between replicate samples generally were within acceptable ranges, indicating acceptable analytical reproducibility. Matrix spike recoveries were within acceptable ranges for most compounds. This study did not attempt to evaluate the quality of water delivered to consumers; after withdrawal from the ground, untreated groundwater typically is treated, disinfected, or blended with other waters to maintain water quality. Regulatory thresholds apply to water that is served to the consumer, not to untreated ground water. However, to provide some context for the results, concentrations of constituents measured in the untreated ground water were compared with regulatory and non-regulatory health-based thresholds established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and thresholds established for aesthetic and technical concerns by CDPH. Comparisons between data collected for this study and thresholds for drinking-water are for illustrative purposes only, and are not indicative of compliance or non-compliance with those thresholds. Most constituents that were detected in groundwater samples in the 59 wells in MOJO were found at concentrations below drinking-water thresholds. In MOJO's 52 grid wells, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were detected in 40 percent of the wells, and pesticides and pesticide degradates were detected in 23 percent of the grid wel

Water-management models in Florida from ERTS-1 data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Higer, A. L. (Principal Investigator); Rogers, R. H.; Coker, A. E.; Cordes, E. H.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. The usefullness of ERTS 1 to improving the overall effectiveness of collecting and disseminating data was evaluated. ERTS MSS imagery and in situ monitoring by DCS were used to evaluate their separate and combined capabilities. Twenty data collection platforms were established in southern Florida. Water level and rainfall measurements were collected and disseminated to users in less than 2 hours, a significant improvement over conventional techniques requiring 2 months. ERTS imagery was found to significantly enhance the utility of ground measurements. Water stage was correlated with water surface areas from imagery in order to obtain water stage-volume relations. Imagery provided an economical basis for extrapolating water parameters from the point samples to unsampled data and provided a synoptic view of water mass boundaries that no amount of ground sampling or monitoring could provide.

National Water-Quality Assessment Program--Southern High Plains, Texas and New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodward, Dennis G.; Diniz, Cecilia G.

1994-01-01

BACKGROUND In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program. The long-term goals of the NAWQA program are to describe the status of, and trends in, the quality of a large, representative part of the Nation's surface- and ground-water resources and to identify the major natural and human factors that affect the quality of these resources. In addressing these goals, the program will produce a wealth of water-quality information that will be useful to policy makers and managers at the National, State, and local levels. The NAWQA program emphasis is on regional water-quality problems. The program will not diminish the need for smaller studies and monitoring designed and currently being conducted by Federal, State, and local agencies to meet their individual needs. The NAWQA program, however, will provide a large-scale framework for conducting many of these activities and an understanding about National and regional water-quality conditions that cannot be acquired from individual, small-scale programs and studies. Studies of 60 hydrologic systems that include parts of most major river basins and aquifer systems (study-unit investigations) are the building blocks of the National assessment. The 60 study units range in size from 1,000 mi 2 (square miles) to more than 60,000 mi 2 and represent 60 to 70 percent of the Nation's water use and population served by public water supplies. Twenty study-unit investigations were started in 1991, 20 additional are starting in 1994, and 20 more are planned to start in 1997. The Southern High Plains study unit was selected as one of 20 study units to begin assessment activities in 1994. This study will be run from the New Mexico District office of the USGS in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Adaptive Management of Land Subsidence and Ground Fissuring in the Chino Groundwater Basin, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malone, A.; Rolfe, T.; Wildermuth, M.; Kavounas, P.

2014-12-01

The Chino Basin, located in southern California, is a large alluvial groundwater basin with storage in excess of five million acre-feet. The basin has a long history of groundwater development for various uses dating back to the early 1900s. As a result, piezometric heads declined basin-wide during the past century - in some areas by more than 200 feet. Declines of this magnitude typically cause irreversible aquifer-system compaction, which in turn results in subsidence at the ground surface. In portions of Chino Basin, land subsidence has been differential and accompanied by ground fissuring, which damaged existing infrastructure and poses concerns for new and existing development.Chino Basin Watermaster, the agency responsible for groundwater basin management, has recognized that land subsidence and ground fissuring should be minimized to the extent possible. At the same time, Watermaster is implementing aggressive groundwater-supply programs that include controlled overdraft and the possibility of causing head declines in areas prone to subsidence and fissuring. The groundwater-supply programs must also address the subsidence and fissuring phenomena.From 2001 to 2005, Watermaster conducted a technical investigation to characterize the extent, rate, and mechanisms of subsidence and fissuring. The investigation employed InSAR and ground-level surveying of benchmarks to monitor ground-surface deformation, and borehole extensometers and piezometric monitoring to establish the relationships between groundwater production, piezometric levels, and aquifer-system deformation. Based on the results of the investigation, Watermaster developed: (i) subsidence-management criteria for the areas experiencing acute subsidence and fissuring, and (ii) an adaptive management program to minimize the potential for future subsidence and fissuring across the entire Chino Basin. The science-based program includes ongoing monitoring, which now includes sophisticated fissure-monitoring techniques, data analysis, annual reporting, and adjustment to the program as warranted by the data.

Quality of ground water used for public supply in Florida, 1983-84

USGS Publications Warehouse

Irwin, G.A.; Kirkland, R.T.; Pruitt, J.B.

1985-01-01

From October 1983 through March 1984, a chemical sampling reconnaissance was made of ground water used for public supply for 91 communities throughout Florida. Public supply wells present an excellent network for collecting baseline water-quality information on the quality of ground water prior to any treatment because they are located throughout the State, are in the most populated areas, usually have continuous and often high pumpage, and have great health and economic significance. The reconnaissance was part of several project tasks sponsored by the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation to develop guidelines and data bases for use in the design and implementation of a statewide ground-water monitoring network as mandated by the recent enactment of Florida 's Water Quality Assurance Act of 1983. (USGS)

Analytical solutions for one-, two-, and three-dimensional solute transport in ground-water systems with uniform flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wexler, Eliezer J.

1992-01-01

Analytical solutions to the advective-dispersive solute-transport equation are useful in predicting the fate of solutes in ground water. Analytical solutions compiled from available literature or derived by the author are presented for a variety of boundary condition types and solute-source configurations in one-, two-, and three-dimensional systems having uniform ground-water flow. A set of user-oriented computer programs was created to evaluate these solutions and to display the results in tabular and computer-graphics format. These programs incorporate many features that enhance their accuracy, ease of use, and versatility. Documentation for the programs describes their operation and required input data, and presents the results of sample problems. Derivations of selected solutions, source codes for the computer programs, and samples of program input and output also are included.

GROUND WATER ISSUE: DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR CONVENTIONAL PUMP-AND-TREAT SySTEMS

EPA Science Inventory

Containment and cleanup of contaminated ground water are among the primary objectives of the CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; also known as Superfund) and RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) remediation programs. Ground-...

40 CFR 265.92 - Sampling and analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sampling and analysis. 265.92 Section... FACILITIES Ground-Water Monitoring § 265.92 Sampling and analysis. (a) The owner or operator must obtain and... follow a ground-water sampling and analysis plan. He must keep this plan at the facility. The plan must...

40 CFR 265.92 - Sampling and analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 26 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Sampling and analysis. 265.92 Section... FACILITIES Ground-Water Monitoring § 265.92 Sampling and analysis. (a) The owner or operator must obtain and... follow a ground-water sampling and analysis plan. He must keep this plan at the facility. The plan must...

SIX YEARS OF INTENSIVE MONITORING OF THE 1ST PRB TO TREAT A MIXED WASTE PLUME: USCG SITE IN ELIZABETH CITY, NC

EPA Science Inventory

Permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) for the restoration of contaminated ground water are no longer innovative. PRBs have evolved from innovative to accepted, standard practice, for the containment and treatment of a variety of contaminants in ground water. Like any remedial tech...

Monitored Natural Attenuation of Inorganic Contaminants in Ground Water Volume 1 – Technical Basis for Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

This document represents the first volume of a set of three volumes that address the technical basis and requirements for assessing the potential applicability of MNA as part of a ground-water remedy for plumes with non-radionuclide and/or radionuclide inorganic contaminants. Vo...

Natural Attenuation of Chlorinated Solvents and Fuel Components (BTEX and MTBE) in Ground Water

EPA Science Inventory

Monitored Natural Attenuation is widely used in the USA to deal with ground water contamination from fuel components such as the BTEX compounds or MTBE or TBA and from chlorinated solvents such as PCE, TCE, and TCA. This presentation reviews the theory and practice of MNA in the...

MONITORING TO ASSOCIATE A PLUME OF MTBE IN GROUNDWATER WITH A VAPOR RELEASE

EPA Science Inventory

There is a class of MTBE plumes in ground water that have little of the BTEX compounds. It has been proposed that these MTBE plumes are caused by release of gasoline vapors from underground storage tanks. However, a mechanism to carry MTBE vapors into ground water has not been ...

INDIRECT MEASUREMENT OF BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY TO MONITOR NATURAL ATTENUATION

EPA Science Inventory

The remediation of ground water contamination by natural attenuation, specifically biodegradation, requires continual monitoring. This research is aimed at improving methods for evaluating the long-term performance of Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA), specifically changes in ...

Records of wells, water levels, and chemical quality of ground water in the French Prairie-Mission Bottom area, northern Willamette Valley, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Price, Don

1961-01-01

An investigation of the ground-water resources of the northern Willamette Valley was begun in 1960 as a cooperative program between the Ground Water Branch, U.S. Geological Survey, and the Oregon State Engineer. The northern Willamette Valley area is one of the fastest growing areas of ground-water use within the state. The purpose of the investigation is to obtain an understanding of the availability, movement, and chemical quality of the ground-water resources of the area. This information is needed to attain an optimum development of the ground-water resources of the area and to aid in the prevention of problems of overdevelopment and pollution. The first phase of the program was the collection of well records, water level records, and chemical quality data in the central part of this area, which is known as the French Prairie-Mission Bottom area. The records collected in this phase of the study are essential in the preparation of an interpretive report describing the occurrence and movement of ground-water in the French Prairie-Mission Bottom area. These records, which will not be included in the interpretive report that is being prepared at this time, are being made available in this publication to aid in the location and the development of the ground-water resources of the area, and to serve as a supplement to the forthcoming interpretive report.

Selected natural attenuation monitoring data, Operable Unit 1, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Keyport, Washington, June 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dinico, Richard Steven

2003-01-01

Previous investigations have shown that natural attenuation and biodegradation of chlorinated volatile organic compounds (CVOCs) are substantial in shallow ground water beneath the 9-acre former landfill at Operable Unit 1 (OU 1), Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), Division Keyport, Washington. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has continued to monitor ground-water geochemistry to assure that conditions remain favorable for contaminant biodegradation. This report presents the ground-water geochemical and selected CVOC data collected at OU 1 by the USGS during June 11-14, 2001 in support of the long-term monitoring for natural attenuation. Overall, the June 2001 data indicate that redox conditions in the upper aquifer remain favorable for reductive dechlorination of CVOCs because strongly reducing conditions persisted beneath much of the former landfill. Redox conditions in the intermediate aquifer down gradient of the landfill appear to have become more favorable for reductive dechlorination because June 2001 dissolved hydrogen concentrations indicated strongly reducing conditions there for the first time. Although changes in redox conditions were observed at certain wells during 2001, a longer monitoring period is needed to ascertain if phytoremediation activities are affecting the ground-water chemistry. A minor change to future monitoring is proposed. Filtered organic carbon (previously referred to as dissolved, and defined as that which passes through a 0.45-micrometer membrane filter) should be analyzed in the future rather than unfiltered (previously referred to as total) organic carbon because the filtered analysis may be a better measure of bioavailable organic carbon. Unfiltered and filtered organic carbon data were collected during June 2001 for comparison. Filtered organic carbon data collected in the future could be reasonably compared with historical unfiltered organic carbon data by multiplying the historical data by a factor of about 0.9.

High Plains regional ground-water study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dennehy, Kevin F.

2000-01-01

Over the last 25 years, industry and government have made large financial investments aimed at improving water quality across the Nation. Significant progress has been made; however, many water-quality concerns remain. In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began implementing a full-scale National Water-Quality Assessment Program to provide consistent and scientifically sound information for managing the Nation's water resources. The goals of the NAWQA Program are to (1) describe current water-quality conditions for a large part of the Nation's freshwater streams and aquifers, (2) describe how water quality is changing over time, and (3) improve our understanding of the primary natural and human factors affecting water quality. Assessing the quality of water in every location in the Nation would not be practical; therefore, NAWQA Program studies are conducted within a set of areas called study units (fig. 1). These study units are composed of more than 50 important river and aquifer systems that represent the diverse geography, water resources, and land and water uses of the Nation. The High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study is one such study area, designed to address issues relevant to the High Plains Aquifer system while supplementing water-quality information collected in other study units across the Nation. Implementation of the NAWQA Program for the High Plains Regional Ground-Water Study area began in 1998.

Evaluation of the ground-water resources of coastal Georgia: preliminary report of the data available as of July 1983

USGS Publications Warehouse

Krause, Richard E.

1984-01-01

A compilation of ground-water data that have been collected for nearly 100 years in the coastal area of Georgia is presented in this report. The compilation of pertinent data indicates what information is available for use in the evaluation of the ground-water resources of the 13 counties of coastal Georgia. Also included in this report is a fairly complete discussion of previous and ongoing investigations and monitoring networks, and an extensive list of references. Maps at 1:24,000 and 1:1,000,000 scales contain well locations and identifiers for all wells in the Ground Water Site Inventory (GWSI) data base of the National Water Data Storage and retrieval System (WATSTORE). Tabular summaries of selected site information from GWSI, including well identifiers and names, latitude-longitude location, depth of well, altitude of land surface, and use of water are presented. Water-use data from the National Water Use Data System, and water use for irrigation from the University of Georgia, Department of Agriculture survey, also are tabulated. Also included are pertinent information on geophysical surveys and data obtained, and proposed project activities, particularly test-monitor well drilling. The data in this report were collected and compiled as part of the cooperative activities between the U.S. Geological Survey and other agencies.

Use of ground penetrating radar for determination of water table depth and subsurface soil characteristics at Kennedy Space Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hengari, Gideon M.; Hall, Carlton R.; Kozusko, Tim J.; Bostater, Charles R.

2013-10-01

Sustainable use and management of natural resources require strategic responses using non-destructive tools to provide spatial and temporal data for decision making. Experiments conducted at John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) demonstrate ground penetrating radar (GPR) can provide high-resolution images showing depth to water tables. GPR data at KSC were acquired using a MALÅ Rough Terrain 100 MHz Antenna. Data indicate strong correlation (R2=0.80) between measured water table depth (shallow monitoring wells and soil auger) and GPR estimated depth. The study demonstrated the use of GPR to detect Holocene and Pleistocene depositional environments such as Anastasia Formation that consists of admixtures of sand, shell and coquinoid limestone at a depth of 20-25 ft. This corresponds well with the relatively strong reflections from 7.5 to 13 m (125-215 ns) in GPR images. Interpretations derived from radar data coupled with other non-GPR data (wells data and soil auger data) will aid in the understanding of climate change impacts due to sea level rise on the scrub vegetation composition at KSC. Climate change is believed to have a potentially significant impact potential on near coastal ground water levels and associated water table depth. Understanding the impacts of ground water levels changes will, in turn, lead to improved conceptual conservation efforts and identifications of climate change adaptation concepts related to the recovery of the Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) and other endangered or threatened species which are directly dependent on a healthy near coastal scrub habitat. Transfer of this inexpensive and non-destructive technology to other areas at KSC, Florida, and to other countries, may prove useful in the development of future conservation programs.

Ground water in the San Joaquin Valley, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kunkel, Fred; Hofman, Walter

1966-01-01

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be invited to attend this Irrigation Institute conference and to describe the Geological Survey's program of ground-water studies in the San Joaquin Valley. The U.S. Geological Survey has been making water-resources studies in cooperation with the State of California and other agencies in California for more than 70 years. Three of the earliest Geological Survey Water-Supply Papers--numbers 17, 18, and 19--published in 1898 and 1899, describe "Irrigation near Bakersfield," "Irrigation near Fresno," and "Irrigation near Merced." However, the first Survey report on ground-water occurrence in the San Joaquin Valley was "Ground Water in the San Joaquin Valley," by Mendenhall and others. The fieldwork was done from 1905 to 1910, and the report was published in 1916 as U.S. Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 398.The current series of ground-water studies in the San Joaquin Valley was begun in 1952 as part of the California Department of Water Resources-U.S. Geological Survey cooperative water-resources program. The first report of this series is Geological Survey Water-Supply Paper 1469, "Ground-Water Conditions and Storage Capacity in the San Joaquin Valley." Other reports are Water-Supply Paper 1618, "Use of Ground-Water Reservoirs for Storage of Surface Water in the San Joaquin Valley;" Water-Supply Paper 1656, "Geology and Ground-Water Features of the Edison-Maricopa Area;" Water-Supply Paper 1360-G, "Ground- Water Conditions in the Mendota-Huron Area;" Water-Supply Paper 1457, "Ground-Water Conditions in the Avenal-McKittrick Area;" and an open-file report, "Geology, Hydrology, and Quality of Water in the Terra Bella-Lost Hills Area."In addition to the preceding published reports, ground-water studies currently are being made of the Kern Fan area, the Hanford- Visalia area, the Fresno area, the Merced area, and of the clays of Tulare Lake. Also, detailed studies of both shallow and deep subsidence in the southern part of the San Joaquin Valley are being made by the Subsidence Research Section at Sacramento, and research on permeability and specific yield in the San Joaquin Valley is being done by our hydrologic laboratory at Denver. 

Long Term 2 Second Round Source Water Monitoring and Bin Placement Memo

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Long Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule (LT2ESWTR) applies to all public water systems served by a surface water source or public water systems served by a ground water source under the direct influence of surface water.

USING DIRECT-PUSH TOOLS TO MAP HYDROSTRATIGRAPHY AND PREDICT MTBE PLUME DIVING

EPA Science Inventory

Conventional wells for monitoring MTBE contamination at underground storage tank sites are screened a few feet above and a few feet below the water table. At some sites, a plume of contamination in ground water may dive below the screen of conventional monitoring wells and escap...

76 FR 2374 - Tentative Approval and Solicitation of Request for a Public Hearing for Public Water System...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-13

... revising its approved Public Water System Supervision Program to adopt EPA's National Primary Drinking..., 24th Floor Drinking Water Ground Water Protection Section, 290 Broadway, New York, New York 10007-1866. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael J. Lowy, Drinking Water Ground Water Protection Section, U.S...

U.S. EPA OPTIMAL WELL LOCATOR (OWL): A SCREENING TOOL FOR EVALUATING LOCATIONS OF MONITORING WELLS (ROCKY GAP, MD)

EPA Science Inventory

The Optimal Well Locator (OWL): uses linear regression to fit a plane to the elevation of the water table in monitoring wells in each round of sampling. The slope of the plane fit to the water table is used to predict the direction and gradient of ground water flow. Along with ...

77 FR 38319 - Open Meeting of the Advisory Committee on Water Information

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-27

... Survey's National Water Information System; an update on the National Ground Water Monitoring Network Data Portal; a report on the Hydrologic Frequency Analysis Work Group's progress on revising Bulletin...

Geochemistry of Surface and Ground Water in Cement Creek from Gladstone to Georgia Gulch and in Prospect Gulch, San Juan County, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Raymond H.; Wirt, Laurie; Manning, Andrew H.; Leib, Kenneth J.; Fey, David L.; Yager, Douglas B.

2007-01-01

In San Juan County, Colo., the effects of historical mining continue to contribute metals to ground water and surface water. Previous research by the U.S. Geological Survey identified ground-water discharge as a significant pathway for the loading of metals to surface water in the upper Animas River watershed from both acid-mine drainage and acid-rock drainage. In support of this ground-water research effort, Prospect Gulch was selected for further study and the geochemistry of surface and ground water in the area was analyzed as part of four sampling plans: (1) ten streamflow and geochemistry measurements at five stream locations (four locations along Cement Creek plus the mouth of Prospect Gulch from July 2004 through August 2005), (2) detailed stream tracer dilution studies in Prospect Gulch and in Cement Creek from Gladstone to Georgia Gulch in early October 2004, (3) geochemistry of ground water through sampling of monitoring wells, piezometers, mine shafts, and springs, and (4) samples for noble gases and tritium/helium for recharge temperatures (recharge elevation) and ground-water age dating. This report summarizes all of the surface and ground-water data that was collected and includes: (1) all sample collection locations, (2) streamflow and geochemistry, (3) ground-water geochemistry, and (4) noble gas and tritium/helium data.

Beach science in the Great Lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nevers, Meredith B.; Byappanahalli, Murulee N.; Edge, Thomas A.; Whitman, Richard L.

2014-01-01

Monitoring beach waters for human health has led to an increase and evolution of science in the Great Lakes, which includes microbiology, limnology, hydrology, meteorology, epidemiology, and metagenomics, among others. In recent years, concerns over the accuracy of water quality standards at protecting human health have led to a significant interest in understanding the risk associated with water contact in both freshwater and marine environments. Historically, surface waters have been monitored for fecal indicator bacteria (fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, enterococci), but shortcomings of the analytical test (lengthy assay) have resulted in a re-focusing of scientific efforts to improve public health protection. Research has led to the discovery of widespread populations of fecal indicator bacteria present in natural habitats such as soils, beach sand, and stranded algae. Microbial source tracking has been used to identify the source of these bacteria and subsequently assess their impact on human health. As a result of many findings, attempts have been made to improve monitoring efficiency and efficacy with the use of empirical predictive models and molecular rapid tests. All along, beach managers have actively incorporated new findings into their monitoring programs. With the abundance of research conducted and information gained over the last 25 years, “Beach Science” has emerged, and the Great Lakes have been a focal point for much of the ground-breaking work. Here, we review the accumulated research on microbiological water quality of Great Lakes beaches and provide a historic context to the collaborative efforts that have advanced this emerging science.

Estimates of ground-water recharge based on streamflow-hydrograph methods: Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

Risser, Dennis W.; Conger, Randall W.; Ulrich, James E.; Asmussen, Michael P.

2005-01-01

This study, completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey (T&GS), provides estimates of ground-water recharge for watersheds throughout Pennsylvania computed by use of two automated streamflow-hydrograph-analysis methods--PART and RORA. The PART computer program uses a hydrograph-separation technique to divide the streamflow hydrograph into components of direct runoff and base flow. Base flow can be a useful approximation of recharge if losses and interbasin transfers of ground water are minimal. The RORA computer program uses a recession-curve displacement technique to estimate ground-water recharge from each storm period indicated on the streamflow hydrograph. Recharge estimates were made using streamflow records collected during 1885-2001 from 197 active and inactive streamflow-gaging stations in Pennsylvania where streamflow is relatively unaffected by regulation. Estimates of mean-annual recharge in Pennsylvania computed by the use of PART ranged from 5.8 to 26.6 inches; estimates from RORA ranged from 7.7 to 29.3 inches. Estimates from the RORA program were about 2 inches greater than those derived from the PART program. Mean-monthly recharge was computed from the RORA program and was reported as a percentage of mean-annual recharge. On the basis of this analysis, the major ground-water recharge period in Pennsylvania typically is November through May; the greatest monthly recharge typically occurs in March.

Installation restoration research program: Assessment of geophysical methods for subsurface geologic mapping, cluster 13, Edgewood Area, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Butler, D.K.; Sharp, M.K.; Sjostrom, K.J.

1996-10-01

Seismic refraction, electrical resistivity, and transient electromagnetic surveys were conducted at a portion of Cluster 13, Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Seismic refraction cross sections map the topsoil layer and the water table (saturated zone). The water table elevations from the seismic surveys correlate closely with water table elevations in nearby monitoring wells. Electrical resistivity cross sections reveal a very complicated distribution of sandy and clayey facies in the upper 10 - 15 m of the subsurface. A continuous surficial (topsoil) layer correlates with the surficial layer of the seismic section and nearby boring logs. The complexity andmore » details of the electrical resistivity cross section correlate well with boring and geophysical logs from nearby wells. The transient electromagnetic surveys map the Pleistocene-Cretaceous boundary, the saprolite, and the top of the Precambrian crystalline rocks. Conducting the transient electromagnetic surveys on a grid pattern allows the construction of a three-dimensional representation of subsurface geology (as represented by variations of electrical resistivity). Thickness and depth of the saprolitic layer and depth to top of the Precambrian rocks are consistent with generalized geologic cross sections for the Edgewood Area and depths projected from reported depths at the Aberdeen Proving Ground NW boundary using regional dips.« less

Installation Restoration Program. Phase 1: Records Search, Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-08-01

AFB LOCATION OFI 0 LS U FC MIDDLE S RA EWATER MARKER MONITORING SITESI SL *LEGEND S SURFACE WATER QUALITY IMONITORING SITEI. iJ I WASTEWATER PLANTr j...burning is scored in a small above ground tank located near the FPTA. The extinguishing agent used during this time period was AFFF (aqueous film...receptors, "aste caracte,stics, and pst .ways. Receptors 54 Waste Char’acteristics 54 Pathways 74 Total 183 div~ied by 3 E ’I 3,’osi : --e E. P

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Imes, J.L.; Kleeschulte, M.J.

Ground-water-level measurements to support remedial actions were made in 37 piezometers and 19 monitoring wells during a 19-month period to assess the potential for ground-water flow from an abandoned quarry to the nearby St. Charles County well field, which withdraws water from the base of the alluvial aquifer. From 1957 to 1966, low-level radioactive waste products from the Weldon Spring chemical plant were placed in the quarry a few hundred feet north of the Missouri River alluvial plain. Uranium-based contaminants subsequently were detected in alluvial ground water south of the quarry. During all but flood conditions, lateral ground-water flow inmore » the bedrock from the quarry, as interpreted from water-table maps, generally is southwest toward Little Femme Osage Creek or south into the alluvial aquifer. After entering the alluvial aquifer, the ground water flows southeast to east toward a ground-water depression presumably produced by pumping at the St. Charles County well field. The depression position varies depending on the Missouri River stage and probably the number and location of active wells in the St. Charles County well field.« less

Gravity changes, soil moisture and data assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, J.; Grayson, R.; Rodell, M.; Ellet, K.

2003-04-01

Remote sensing holds promise for near-surface soil moisture and snow mapping, but current techniques do not directly resolve the deeper soil moisture or groundwater. The benefits that would arise from improved monitoring of variations in terrestrial water storage are numerous. The year 2002 saw the launch of NASA's Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, which are mapping the Earth's gravity field at such a high level of precision that we expect to be able to infer changes in terrestrial water storage (soil moisture, groundwater, snow, ice, lake, river and vegetation). The project described here has three distinct yet inter-linked components that all leverage off the same ground-based monitoring and land surface modelling framework. These components are: (i) field validation of a relationship between soil moisture and changes in the Earth's gravity field, from ground- and satellite-based measurements of changes in gravity; (ii) development of a modelling framework for the assimilation of gravity data to constrain land surface model predictions of soil moisture content (such a framework enables the downscaling and disaggregation of low spatial (500 km) and temporal (monthly) resolution measurements of gravity change to finer spatial and temporal resolutions); and (iii) further refining the downscaling and disaggregation of space-borne gravity measurements by making use of other remotely sensed information, such as the higher spatial (25 km) and temporal (daily) resolution remotely sensed near-surface soil moisture measurements from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR) instruments on Aqua and ADEOS II. The important field work required by this project will be in the Murrumbidgee Catchment, Australia, where an extensive soil moisture monitoring program by the University of Melbourne is already in place. We will further enhance the current monitoring network by the addition of groundwater wells and additional soil moisture sites. Ground-based gravity measurements will also be made on a monthly basis at each monitoring site. There will be two levels of modelling and monitoring; regional across the entire Murrumbidgee Catchment (100,000 km2), and local across a small sub-catchment (150 km2).

Ground-water quality and vulnerability to contamination in selected agricultural areas of southeastern Michigan, northwestern Ohio, and northeastern Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, Mary Ann

2000-01-01

Ground-water quality was assessed in the northeastern part of the Corn Belt, where tile-drained row crops are underlain by fractured glacial till. Data were collected from 30 shallow monitor wells and 18 co-located domestic wells as part of the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water-Quality Assessment in the Lake Erie-Lake St. Clair Basin. Pesticides or pesticide degradates were detected in 41 percent of the monitor wells and 6 percent of the domestic wells. The pesticides detected closely correspond to those most heavily applied?herbicides used on corn and soybeans. Pesticide degradates were detected three times more frequently, and at higher concentrations, than were parent compounds. No pesticide concentration exceeded a USEPA Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), but MCL?s have not been established for 9 of the 11 compounds detected. Thirty-seven percent of monitor-well samples had nitrate concentrations indicative of human influences such as fertilizer, manure or septic systems. Nitrate was the only chemical constituent detected at a concentration greater than an MCL. The MCL was exceeded in 7 percent of samples from monitor wells which were too shallow to be used as a source of drinking water. Pesticide and nitrate concentrations in the study area are low relative to other agricultural areas of the Nation. Several authors have suggested that ground water in parts of the Upper Mid-west is minimally contaminated because it is protected by the surficial glacial till or tile drains. These ideas are examined in light of the relations between concentration, well depth, and ground-water age in the study area. Most of the shallow ground water is hydraulically connected to the land surface, based on the observations that 83 percent of waters from monitor wells were recharged after 1953, and 57 percent contained a pesticide or an elevated nitrate concentration. Fractures or sand-and-gravel stringers within the till are the probable pathways. In some areas, deeper parts of the ground-water-flow system are also hydraulically connected to the land surface. Almost half the waters from wells 50 to 100 feet deep were recharged after 1953. Anthropogenic constituents were detected in samples from three domestic wells 60 to 121 feet deep, in areas where the till is relatively coarse-grained. The hydrogeologic system has several geochemical characteristics conducive to transformations or sorption of nitrate or pesticides: (1) the till is clay-rich, has a high organic-carbon content, and contains an abundance of pyrite-rich shale fragments, (2) the ground water has low dissolved-oxygen concentrations, and (3) iron and manganese oxides and oxyhyroxides line the faces of fractures in the unsaturated zone. Although the aquifer system appears be protected from contamination in some areas, the fact that the surficial till is heterogeneous and of variable thickness suggests that the protection is not uniform. The protection can be breached by fractures or sand-and-gravel stringers, which are apparent in core samples but not noted on domestic-well logs.

Ground-Water Age and Quality in the High Plains Aquifer near Seward, Nebraska, 2003-04

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stanton, Jennifer S.; Landon, Matthew K.; Turco, Michael J.

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Seward, Nebraska, conducted a study of ground-water age and quality to improve understanding of: (1) traveltimes from recharge areas to public-supply wells, (2) the effects of geochemical reactions in the aquifer on water quality, and (3) how water quality has changed historically in response to land-use practices. Samples were collected from four supply wells in the Seward west well field and from nine monitoring wells along two approximate ground-water flow paths leading to the well field. Concentrations of three different chlorofluorocarbons (CFC-12, CFC-11, and CFC-113), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), and ratios of tritium (3H) to helium-3 (3He) isotope derived from radioactive decay of 3H were used to determine the apparent recharge age of ground-water samples. Age interpretations were based primarily on 3H/3He and CFC-12 data. Estimates of apparent ground-water age from tracer data were complicated by mixing of water of different ages in 10 of the 13 ground-water samples collected. Apparent recharge dates of unmixed ground-water samples or mean recharge dates of young fractions of mixed water in samples collected from monitoring wells ranged from 1985 to 2002. For monitoring-well samples containing mixed water, the fraction of the sample composed of young water ranged from 26 to 77 percent of the sample. Apparent mean recharge dates of young fractions in samples collected from four supply wells in the Seward west well field ranged from about 1980 to 1990. Estimated fractions of the samples composed of young water ranged from 39 to 54 percent. It is implicit in the mixing calculations that the remainder of the sample that is not young water is composed of water that is more than 60 years old and contains no detectable quantities of modern atmospheric tracers. Estimated fractions of the mixed samples composed of 'old' water ranged from 23 to 74 percent. Although alternative mixing models can be used to interpret the results, the mean age and mixing fractions from the primary mixing models used were fairly similar. Relations of ground-water age and nitrate concentrations to depth were not consistent across the study area. In some well nests, more young water and nitrate were present near the bottom than in the middle of the aquifer. These results probably reflect pumping from irrigation and supply wells, which are screened primarily in the lower part of the aquifer, and draw younger water downward in the aquifer. Substantial mixing probably occurs because the aquifer is relatively thin (50 feet) and has a relatively high density of wells (about five pumping wells per square mile). The most reliable estimate of horizontal traveltimes based on differences in ground-water ages between a shallow monitoring well at the upgradient end of the northwest well transect and the deep well at the downgradient end of the well transect was 9 years to travel a distance of about 2 miles. The general similarity of ages at similar depths between different well nests is consistent with the fact that horizontal flow in the aquifer is relatively rapid. Concentrations of nitrate (as nitrogen) in untreated ground-water samples from supply wells in the well field were larger than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water of 10 mg/L (milligrams per liter), ranging from 11.3 to 13.5 mg/L. It is unlikely that nitrate concentrations in the aquifer near the Seward west well field are decreased by denitrification in the aquifer due to oxic geochemical conditions that preclude this reaction. Nitrate concentrations coupled with water recharge dates were compared to historical estimated fertilizer application in an attempt to reconstruct historical trends in ground-water nitrate concentrations and their relation to land-use practices. Nitrate concentrations in young-water fractions, after adjustment for mixing, may be decreasing over apparent recharg

U-tube based near-surface environmental monitoring in the Shenhua carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) project.

PubMed

Li, Qi; Song, Ranran; Shi, Hui; Ma, Jianli; Liu, Xuehao; Li, Xiaochun

2018-04-01

The CO 2 injected into deep formations during implementation of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) capture and storage (CCS) technology may leak and migrate into shallow aquifers or ground surfaces through a variety of pathways over a long period. The leaked CO 2 can threaten shallow environments as well as human health. Therefore, almost all monitoring programs for CCS projects around the world contain near-surface monitoring. This paper presents a U-tube based near-surface monitoring technology focusing on its first application in the Shenhua CCS demonstration project, located in the Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia, China. First, background information on the site monitoring program of the Shenhua CCS demonstration project was provided. Then, the principle of fluid sampling and the monitoring methods were summarized for the U-tube sampler system, and the monitoring data were analyzed in detail. The U-tube based monitoring results showed that the U-tube sampler system is accurate, flexible, and representative of the subsurface fluid sampling process. The monitoring indicators for the subsurface water and soil gas at the Shenhua CCS site indicate good stratification characteristics. The concentration level of each monitoring indicator decreases with increasing depth. Finally, the significance of this near-surface environmental monitoring technology for CO 2 leakage assessments was preliminarily confirmed at the Shenhua CCS site. The application potential of the U-tube based monitoring technology was also demonstrated during the subsurface environmental monitoring of other CCS projects.

A Two-Year Water Quality Monitoring Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glazer, Richard B.; And Others

The Environmental Protection Agency developed this curriculum to train technicians to monitor water quality. Graduates of the program should be able to monitor municipal, industrial, and commercial discharges; test drinking water for purity; and determine quality of aquatic environments. The program includes algebra, communication skills, biology,…

MODFLOW-2005 : the U.S. Geological Survey modular ground-water model--the ground-water flow process

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harbaugh, Arlen W.

2005-01-01

This report presents MODFLOW-2005, which is a new version of the finite-difference ground-water model commonly called MODFLOW. Ground-water flow is simulated using a block-centered finite-difference approach. Layers can be simulated as confined or unconfined. Flow associated with external stresses, such as wells, areal recharge, evapotranspiration, drains, and rivers, also can be simulated. The report includes detailed explanations of physical and mathematical concepts on which the model is based, an explanation of how those concepts are incorporated in the modular structure of the computer program, instructions for using the model, and details of the computer code. The modular structure consists of a MAIN Program and a series of highly independent subroutines. The subroutines are grouped into 'packages.' Each package deals with a specific feature of the hydrologic system that is to be simulated, such as flow from rivers or flow into drains, or with a specific method of solving the set of simultaneous equations resulting from the finite-difference method. Several solution methods are incorporated, including the Preconditioned Conjugate-Gradient method. The division of the program into packages permits the user to examine specific hydrologic features of the model independently. This also facilitates development of additional capabilities because new packages can be added to the program without modifying the existing packages. The input and output systems of the computer program also are designed to permit maximum flexibility. The program is designed to allow other capabilities, such as transport and optimization, to be incorporated, but this report is limited to describing the ground-water flow capability. The program is written in Fortran 90 and will run without modification on most computers that have a Fortran 90 compiler.

Bibliography of Regional Aquifer-System Analysis Program of the US Geological Survey, 1978-91

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sun, Ren Jen; Weeks, John B.

1991-01-01

The Regional Aquifer-System Analysis (RASA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey was initiated in 1978. The purpose of this program is to define the regional geohydrology and establish a framework of background information on geology, hydrology, and geochemistry of the Nation's important aquifer systems. This information is critically needed to develop an understanding of the Nation's major ground-water flow systems and to support better management of ground-water resources.As of May 1991, 28 of the Nation's major aquifer systems have been identified for study under this program. Of these, 17 regional aquifer-system studies have been completed, and 8 studies are ongoing. Starting in 1988, the program devoted part of its resources to compilation of a Nationwide ground-water atlas that presents a comprehensive summary of the Nation's major ground-water resources. The atlas, which is designed in a graphical format supported by descriptive text, will serve as a basic reference for the location, geography, geology, and hydrologic characteristics of the major aquifers in the Nation.This bibliography lists the published 876 reports resulting from various studies of the program, from 1978 through May 1991. The list of reports for each study is placed after a brief description of that study.

An update of the distribution of selected radiochemical and chemical constituents in perched ground water, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho, Emphasis 1999-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Davis, Linda C.

2006-01-01

Radiochemical and chemical wastes generated at facilities at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) were discharged since 1952 to infiltration ponds at the Reactor Technology Complex (RTC) (known as the Test Reactor Area [TRA] until 2005), and the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center (INTEC) and buried at the Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC). Disposal of wastewater to infiltration ponds and infiltration of surface water at waste burial sites resulted in formation of perched ground water in basalts and in sedimentary interbeds above the Snake River Plain aquifer. Perched ground water is an integral part of the pathway for waste-constituent migration to the aquifer. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, maintains ground-water monitoring networks at the INL to determine hydrologic trends, and to monitor the movement of radiochemical and chemical constituents in wastewater discharged from facilities to both perched ground water and the aquifer. This report presents an analysis of water-quality and water-level data collected from wells completed in perched ground water at the INL during 1999-2001, and summarizes historical disposal data and water-level-and water-quality trends. At the RTC, tritium, strontium-90, cesium-137, dissolved chromium, chloride, sodium, and sulfate were monitored in shallow and deep perched ground water. In shallow perched ground water, no tritium was detected above the reporting level. In deep perched ground water, tritium concentrations generally decreased or varied randomly during 1999-2001. During October 2001, tritium concentrations ranged from less than the reporting level to 39.4?1.4 picocuries per milliliter (pCi/mL). Reportable concentrations of tritium during July-October 2001 were smaller than the reported concentrations measured during July-December 1998. Tritium concentrations in water from wells at the RTC were likely affected by: well's distance from the radioactive-waste infiltration ponds (commonly referred to as the warm-waste ponds); water depth below the ponds; the amount of tritium discharged to radioactive-waste infiltration ponds in the past; discontinued use of radioactive-waste infiltration ponds; radioactive decay; and dilution from disposal of nonradioactive water. During 1999-2001, the strontium-90 concentrations in two wells completed in shallow perched water near the RTC exceeded the reporting level. Strontium-90 concentrations in water from wells completed in deep perched ground water at the RTC varied randomly with time. During October 2001, concentrations in water from five wells exceeded the reporting level and ranged from 2.8?0.7 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) in well USGS 63 to 83.8?2.1 pCi/L in well USGS 54. No reportable concentrations of cesium-137, chromium-51, or cobalt-60 were present in water samples from any of the shallow or deep wells at the RTC during 1999-2001. Dissolved chromium was not detected in shallow perched ground water at the RTC during 1999-2001. Concentrations of dissolved chromium during July-October 2001 in deep perched ground water near the RTC ranged from 10 micrograms per liter (?g/L) in well USGS 61 to 82 ?g/L in well USGS 55. The largest concentrations were in water from wells north and west of the radioactive-waste infiltration ponds. During July-October 2001, dissolved sodium concentrations ranged from 7 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in well USGS 78 to 20 mg/L in all wells except well USGS 68 (413 mg/L). Dissolved chloride concentrations in shallow perched ground water ranged from 10 mg/L in wells CWP 1, 3, and 4 to 53 mg/L in well TRA A 13 during 1999-2001. Dissolved chloride concentrations in deep perched ground water ranged from 5 mg/L in well USGS 78 to 91 mg/L in well USGS 73. The maximum dissolved sulfate concentration in shallow perched ground water was 419 mg/L in well CWP 1 during July 2000. Concentrations of dissolved sulfate in water from wells USGS 54, 60

Analytical solutions for one-, two-, and three-dimensional solute transport in ground-water systems with uniform flow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wexler, Eliezer J.

1989-01-01

Analytical solutions to the advective-dispersive solute-transport equation are useful in predicting the fate of solutes in ground water. Analytical solutions compiled from available literature or derived by the author are presented in this report for a variety of boundary condition types and solute-source configurations in one-, two-, and three-dimensional systems with uniform ground-water flow. A set of user-oriented computer programs was created to evaluate these solutions and to display the results in tabular and computer-graphics format. These programs incorporate many features that enhance their accuracy, ease of use, and versatility. Documentation for the programs describes their operation and required input data, and presents the results of sample problems. Derivations of select solutions, source codes for the computer programs, and samples of program input and output also are included.

Activities of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program in the upper Snake River Basin, Idaho and western Wyoming, 1991-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Low, Walton H.

1997-01-01

In 1991, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a full-scale National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The long-term goals of the NAWQA Program are to describe the status and trends in the water quality of a large part of the Nation's rivers and aquifers and to improve understanding of the primary natural and human factors that affect water-quality conditions. In meeting these goals, the program will produce water-quality, ecological, and geographic information that will be useful to policy makers and managers at the national, State, and local levels. A major component of the program is study-unit investigations, upon which national-level assessment activities are based. The program's 60 study-unit investigations are associated with principal river basins and aquifer systems throughout the Nation. Study units encompass areas from 1,200 to more than 65,000 mi2 (square miles) and incorporate about 60 to 70 percent of the Nation's water use and population served by public water supply. In 1991, the upper Snake River Basin was among the first 20 NAWQA study units selected for implementation. From 1991 to 1995, a high-intensity data-collection phase of the upper Snake River Basin study unit (fig. 1) was implemented and completed. Components of this phase are described in a report by Gilliom and others (1995). In 1997, a low-intensity phase of data collection began, and work continued on data analysis, report writing, and data documentation and archiving activities that began in 1996. Principal data-collection activities during the low-intensity phase will include monitoring of surface-water and ground-water quality, assessment of aquatic biological conditions, and continued compilation of environmental setting information.

MONITORED NATURAL ATTENUATION OF MTBE AS A RISK MANAGEMENT OPTION AT LEAKING UNDERGROUND STORAGE TANK SITES

EPA Science Inventory

This report reviews the current state of knowledge on the transport and fate of MTBE in ground water, with emphasis on the natural processes that can be used to manage the risk associated with MTBE in ground water or that contributes to natural attenuation of MTBE as a remedy. I...

Earth-Science Research for Addressing the Water-Energy Nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Healy, R. W.; Alley, W. M.; Engle, M.; McMahon, P. B.; Bales, J. D.

2013-12-01

In the coming decades, the United States will face two significant and sometimes competing challenges: preserving sustainable supplies of fresh water for humans and ecosystems, and ensuring available sources of energy. This presentation provides an overview of the earth-science data collection and research needed to address these challenges. Uncertainty limits our understanding of many aspects of the water-energy nexus. These aspects include availability of water, water requirements for energy development, energy requirements for treating and delivering fresh water, effects of emerging energy development technologies on water quality and quantity, and effects of future climates and land use on water and energy needs. Uncertainties can be reduced with an integrated approach that includes assessments of water availability and energy resources; monitoring of surface water and groundwater quantity and quality, water use, and energy use; research on impacts of energy waste streams, hydraulic fracturing, and other fuel-extraction processes on water quality; and research on the viability and environmental footprint of new technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration and conversion of cellulosic material to ethanol. Planning for water and energy development requires consideration of factors such as economics, population trends, human health, and societal values; however, sound resource management must be grounded on a clear understanding of the earth-science aspects of the water-energy nexus. Information gained from an earth-science data-collection and research program can improve our understanding of water and energy issues and lay the ground work for informed resource management.

Observation-well network for collection of ground-water level data in Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Socolow, Roy S.

1994-01-01

Aquifers--water-bearing deposits of sand and gravel, glacial till, and fractured bedrock--provide an extensive and readily accessible ground-water supply in Massachusetts. Ground water affects our everyday lives, not just in terms of how much water is available, but also in terms of the position of ground-water levels in relation to land surface. Knowledge of ground-water levels is needed by Federal, State, and local agencies to help plan, manage, and protect ground-water supplies, and by private construction companies for site planning and evaluation. A primary part of the mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Water Resources Division, is the systematic collection of ground-water, surface-water, and water-quality data. These data are needed to manage and protect the nation's water resources. The Massachusetts-Rhode Island District of the USGS, in cooperation with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Management (DEM), Office of Water Resources, and county and town environmental agencies, has maintained a network of observation wells throughout the Commonwealth since the mid 1930's. The purpose of this network is to monitor seasonal and long-term changes in groundwater storage in different lithologic, topographic, and geographic settings. These data are analyzed to provide a monthly index of ground-water conditions to aid in water-resources management and planning, and to define long-term changes in water levels resulting from manmade stresses (such as pumping and construction-site drainage) and natural stresses (such as floods and droughts).

PERFORMANCE MONITORING FOR NATURAL ATTENUATION REMEDIES IN GROUND WATER

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental monitoring is the major component of any remedy that relies on natural attenuation processes. The objective of this document is to identify data needs and evaluation methods useful for designing monitoring networks and determining remedy effectiveness. Effective mon...

Relations of Water Quality to Streamflow, Season, and Land Use for Four Tributaries to the Toms River, Ocean County, New Jersey, 1994-99

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baker, Ronald J.; Hunchak-Kariouk, Kathryn

2006-01-01

The effects of nonpoint-source contamination on the water quality of four tributaries to the Toms River in Ocean County, New Jersey, have been investigated in a 5-year study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). The purpose of the study was to relate the extent of land development to loads of nutrients and other contaminants to these streams, and ultimately to Barnegat Bay. Volumetric streamflow (discharge) was measured at 6 monitoring sites during 37 stormflow and base-flow sampling events over a 5-year period (May 1994-September 1999). Concentrations and yields (area-normalized instantaneous load values) of nitrogen and phosphorus species, total suspended solids, and fecal coliform bacteria were quantified, and pH, dissolved oxygen, and stream stage were monitored during base-flow conditions and storms. Sufficient data were collected to allow for a statistical evaluation of differences in water quality among streams in subbasins with high, medium, and low levels of land development. Long Swamp Creek, in a highly developed subbasin (64.2 percent developed); Wrangle Brook, in a moderately developed subbasin (34.5 percent); Davenport Branch, in a slightly developed subbasin (22.8 percent); and Jakes Branch, in an undeveloped subbasin (0 percent) are the subbasins selected for this study. No point-source discharges are known to be present on these streams. Water samples were collected and analyzed by the NJDEP, and discharge measurements and data analysis were conducted by the USGS. Total nitrogen concentrations were lower in Davenport Branch than in Long Swamp Creek and Wrangle Brook during base flow and stormflow. Concentrations of total nitrogen and nitrate were highest in Wrangle Brook (as high as 3.0 mg/L and 1.6 mg/L, respectively) as a result of high concentrations of nitrate in samples collected during base flow; nitrate loading from ground-water discharge is much higher in Wrangle Brook than in any of the other streams, possibly as a result of an experimental wastewater-(secondary effluent) disposal site that was in operation during the 1980's. Ammonia concentrations were higher in samples from Long Swamp Creek than in those from the other two monitoring sites under all flow conditions, and ammonia yields were higher during stormflow than base flow at all monitoring sites. Concentrations and yields of fecal coliform bacteria and total suspended solids were higher during stormflow than during base flow at all monitoring sites. Concentrations and yields were significantly higher in Long Swamp Creek, a highly developed subbasin and Wrangle Brook, a moderately developed subbasin than in Davenport Branch, a slightly developed subbasin. Concentrations and yields of phosphate species, which also are strongly related to stormflow, were higher during stormflow in Long Swamp Creek than in the other subbasins. Base-flow separation techniques were used on hydrographs generated for storms to distinguish the fraction of discharge and constituent loading attributable to storm runoff (overland flow) from the fraction contributed by ground-water discharge. Precipitation records were used to determine the total annual volumes of ground-water discharge and runoff at each monitoring site. These volumes were used in conjunction with water-quality data to calculate total annual loads of each constituent at each monitoring site, separated into ground-water discharge and runoff fractions. It was determined that loads of ammonia, nitrate, organic nitrogen, total nitrogen, and orthophosphate in ground-water discharge were significantly higher in the moderately developed Wrangle Brook subbasin than in the highly developed Long Swamp Creek subbasin, and that no relation was apparent between the percent of land development and constituent loads from ground-water discharge. The loading of each constituent contributed by ground-water discharge is specific

Geohydrology and water quality of the North Platte River alluvial aquifer, Garden County, Western Nebraska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steele, Gregory V.; Cannia, James C.

1995-01-01

In 1993, a 3-year study was begun to describe the geohydrology and water quality of the North Platte River alluvial aquifer near Oshkosh, Garden County, Nebraska. The study's objectives are to evaluate the geohydrologic characteristics of the alluvial aquifer and to establish a network of observation wells for long-term monitoring of temporal variations and spatial distributions of nitrate and major-ion concentrations. Monitor wells were installed at 11 sites near Oshkosh. The geohydrology of the aquifer was characterized based on water-level measurements and two short-term aquifer tests. Bimonthly water samples were collected and analyzed for pH, specific conductivity, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients that included dissolved nitrate. Concentrations of major ions were defined from analyses of semiannual water samples. Analyses of the geohydrologic and water-quality data indicate that the aquifer is vulnerable to nitrate contamination. These data also show that nitrate concentrations in ground water flowing into and out of the study area are less than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Maximum Concentration Level of 10 milligrams per liter for drinking water. Ground water from Lost Creek Valley may be mixing with ground water in the North Platte River Valley, somewhat moderating nitrate concentrations near Oshkosh.

Volatile organic compounds detected in vapor-diffusion samplers placed in sediments along and near the shoreline at Allen Harbor Landfill and Calf Pasture Point, Davisville, Rhode Island, March-April 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lyford, F.P.; Kliever, J.D.; Scott, Clifford

1999-01-01

Volatile organic compounds are present in ground water at the Allen Harbor Landfill and the Calf Pasture Point sites on the former Naval Construction Battalion Center in Davisville, R.I. Vapor-diffusion samplers were used at the two sites during March-April 1998 to identify possible discharge points for contaminants along the shore of Allen Harbor and in two wetland areas near the shore. Results from vapor-diffusion samplers will be used in conjunction with other site information to evaluate proposed ground-water monitoring programs. Volatile organic compounds were detected in 41 of 115 samplers placed along the shoreline at the Allen Harbor Landfill. Trichloroethylene was the principal volatile organic compound detected of eight target compounds. The highest vapor concentration measured exceeded 300,000 parts per billion by volume in an area where TCE was detected in groundwater from nearby monitoring wells. Other chemicals detected in vapor-diffusion samplers included tetrachloroethylene, toluene, and benzene. Concentrations of individual volatile organic compounds were less than 100 parts per billion by volume in most samplers. Volatile organic compounds, principally trichloroethylene, were detected in 7 of 30 samplers placed along the shoreline at Calf Pasture Point; the highest trichloroethylene concentration was 1,900 parts per billion by volume. A trace concentration of tetrachloroethylene was detected in one of the samplers. One of 24 samplers placed in two wetland areas near the shore (suspected discharge areas for ground-water containing volatile organic compounds) detected trichloroethylene at a vapor concentration of 14 parts per billion by volume.

Issuance of a final RCRA Part B Subpart X permit for open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) of explosives at Eglin AFB, Florida

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, G.E.; Culp, J.C.; Jenness, S.R.

1997-12-31

Treatment and disposal of explosives and munitions items have represented a significant management challenge for Department of Defense (DOD) facilities, particularly in light of increased regulatory scrutiny under the Federal Facilities Compliance Act provisions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Subpart X of the RCRA regulations for storage, treatment, and disposal of hazardous wastes was drafted specifically to address explosive wastes. Until just recently, any DOD facility that was performing open burning/open detonation (OB/OD) of explosives was doing so under interim status for RCRA Part B Subpart X. In August 1996, Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida becamemore » the first Air Force facility to be issued a final Part B Subpart X permit to perform OB/OD operations at two Eglin AFB active test ranges. This presentation will examine how Eglin AFB worked proactively with the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and EPA Region IV to develop permit conditions based upon risk assessment considerations for both air and ground-water exposure pathways. It will review the role of air emissions and air dispersion modeling in assessing potential exposure and impacts to both onsite and offsite receptors, and will discuss how air monitoring will be used to assure that the facility remains in compliance during OB/OD activities. The presentation will also discuss the soil and ground-water characterization program and associated risk assessment provisions for quarterly ground-water monitoring to assure permit compliance. The project is an excellent example of how a collaborative working relationship among the permittee, their consultant and state, and EPA can result in an environmentally protective permit that assures operational flexibility and mission sensitivity.« less

McKenzie River Focus Watershed Coordination: Year-End Report 2000.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thrailkil, Jim

2000-01-01

This report summarizes accomplishments of the McKenzie River Focus Watershed Council (MWC) in the areas of coordination and administration during Fiscal Year 2000. Coordination and administration consist of prioritization and planning for projects; project management and implementation; procurement of funding for long-term support of the Council; and watershed education/outreach program for residents and local schools. Key accomplishments in the area of project planning include coordinating: monthly Council and executive committee meetings; staffing the Upper Willamette Spring Chinook Working Group; staffing the water quality technical committee; and guiding education and stewardship projects. Key accomplishments in the area of project management includemore » the completion of the McKenzie-Willamette Confluence Assessment; securing funds for project planning in the confluence area; near completion of the BPA funded McKenzie sub-basin assessment; development of a framework for a McKenzie Watershed Conservation Strategy; an evaluation of Council's monitoring programs - ambient water quality, storm-event water quality, Tier III water quality, and macroinvertebrate monitoring. The Council, in cooperation with the McKenzie River Cooperative, completed habitat enhancements in the Gate Creek and Deer Creek sub-watersheds. This partnership recently submitted Bring Back the Natives grant for initiation of projects in other McKenzie tributaries. The Council will also be working with a local business to develop a river-side riparian enhancement and native landscaping project on the lodge grounds. This will serve as a demonstration project for blending fish and wildlife habitat concerns with maintaining grounds for business opportunities. Accomplishments in the area of procurement of funding included developing the FY2000 Scope of Work and budget for approval by the Council and BPA; providing quarterly budget and work program progress reports to the Council; and securing additional funding from Council partner organizations and foundations. Highlights in the area of watershed education/outreach include the MWC's lead role in convening the Watershed Education Network for teachers as part of its educational mission; production of newsletters and brochures; and coordination of media coverage of watershed-related issues.« less

Monitoring and Modeling Crop Health and Water Use via in-situ, Airborne and Space-based Platforms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCabe, M. F.

2014-12-01

The accurate retrieval of plant water use, health and function together with soil state and condition, represent key objectives in the management and monitoring of large-scale agricultural production. In regions of water shortage or stress, understanding the sustainable use of available water supplies is critical. Unfortunately, this need is all too often limited by a lack of reliable observations. Techniques that balance the demand for reliable ground-based data with the rapid retrieval of spatially distributed crop characteristics represent a needed line of research. Data from in-situ monitoring coupled with advances in satellite retrievals of key land surface variables, provide the information necessary to characterize many crop health and water use features, including evaporation, leaf-chlorophyll and other common vegetation indices. With developments in UAV and quadcopter solutions, the opportunity to bridge the spatio-temporal gap between satellite and ground based sensing now exists, along with the capacity for customized retrievals of crop information. While there remain challenges in the routine application of autonomous airborne systems, the state of current technology and sensor developments provide the capacity to explore the operational potential. While this presentation will focus on the multi-scale estimation of crop-water use and crop-health characteristics from satellite-based sensors, the retrieval of high resolution spatially distributed information from near-surface airborne and ground-based systems will also be examined.

Satellite gravity measurement monitoring terrestrial water storage change and drought in the continental United States.

PubMed

Yi, Hang; Wen, Lianxing

2016-01-27

We use satellite gravity measurements in the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) to estimate terrestrial water storage (TWS) change in the continental United States (US) from 2003 to 2012, and establish a GRACE-based Hydrological Drought Index (GHDI) for drought monitoring. GRACE-inferred TWS exhibits opposite patterns between north and south of the continental US from 2003 to 2012, with the equivalent water thickness increasing from -4.0 to 9.4 cm in the north and decreasing from 4.1 to -6.7 cm in the south. The equivalent water thickness also decreases by -5.1 cm in the middle south in 2006. GHDI is established to represent the extent of GRACE-inferred TWS anomaly departing from its historical average and is calibrated to resemble traditional Palmer Hydrological Drought Index (PHDI) in the continental US. GHDI exhibits good correlations with PHDI in the continental US, indicating its feasibility for drought monitoring. Since GHDI is GRACE-based and has minimal dependence of hydrological parameters on the ground, it can be extended for global drought monitoring, particularly useful for the countries that lack sufficient hydrological monitoring infrastructures on the ground.

Thirty Years of Participatory Watershed Research: Engaging Citizen Scientists Through the NH Lakes Lay Monitoring Program (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schloss, J. A.

2009-12-01

While it began as a citizen water quality monitoring program to document long-term trends and find problem areas impacting lake watersheds the New Hampshire Lakes Lay Monitoring Program soon evolved into a model effort for engaging the participants to help investigate a wide range of scientific questions primarily derived through their concerns. As a true participatory effort, community members were involved in the design as well as the implementation of the research and also in the interpretation of the results. The research outcomes have provided benefits to both the local and scientific communities. In many cases productive partnerships between the research community and participants were initiated that continue to last to this day. In addition, participants have been empowered through their experience and have become local experts and community leaders. Collaborative research projects to date have explored fish condition, recreational impacts, nutrient loadings from watershed land use, morphometric determinants of lake productivity, ground truth for remote sensing of water quality, biological controls for invasive aquatic plants, in-lake resource co-occurrences, and cyanobacteria bloom toxin ecology. Participants were also instrumental in confirming a more accurate method for water clarity measurement. Results have not only provided the community with the information they require for the informed local stewardship of their resources but also have been useful to state agencies and decision-makers. Our success can be attributed to the development of quality assured methods acceptable to regional and state agencies, the cost efficiencies of using volunteer scientists, support from the University and Cooperative Extension, capturing the "local expertise" of our participants, providing timely feedback and support, and making sure the study results are reported back to the local community through the participants involved.

A simple pore water hydrogen diffusion syringe sampler

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vroblesky, D.A.; Chapelle, F.H.; Bradley, P.M.

2007-01-01

Molecular hydrogen (H2) is an important intermediate product and electron donor in microbial metabolism. Concentrations of dissolved H 2 are often diagnostic of the predominant terminal electron-accepting processes in ground water systems or aquatic sediments. H2 concentrations are routinely measured in ground water monitoring wells but are rarely measured in saturated aquatic sediments due to a lack of simple and practical sampling methods. This report describes the design and development (including laboratory and field testing) of a simple, syringe-based H 2 sampler in (1) saturated, riparian sediments, (2) surface water bed sediments, and (3) packed intervals of a fractured bedrock borehole that are inaccessible by standard pumped methods. ?? 2007 National Ground Water Association.

Geochemical Trends and Natural Attenuation of RDX, Nitrate, and Perchlorate in the Hazardous Test Area Fractured-Granite Aquifer, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, 1996-2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langman, Jeff B.; Robertson, Andrew J.; Bynum, Jamar; Gebhardt, Fredrick E.

2008-01-01

A fractured-granite aquifer at White Sands Missile Range is contaminated with the explosive compound RDX, nitrate, and perchlorate (oxidizer associated with rocket propellant) from the previous use of the Open Burn/Open Detonation site at the Hazardous Test Area. RDX, nitrate, and perchlorate ground-water concentrations were analyzed to examine source characteristics, spatial and temporal variability, and the influence of the natural attenuation processes of dilution and degradation in the Hazardous Test Area fractured-granite aquifer. Two transects of ground-water wells from the existing monitoring-site network - one perpendicular to ground-water flow (transect A-A') and another parallel to ground-water flow (transect B-B') - were selected to examine source characteristics and the spatial and temporal variability of the contaminant concentrations. Ground-water samples collected in 2005 from a larger sampling of monitoring sites than the two transects were analyzed for various tracers including major ions, trace elements, RDX degradates, dissolved gases, water isotopes, nitrate isotopes, and sulfate isotopes to examine the natural attenuation processes of dilution and degradation. Recharge entrains contaminants at the site and transports them downgradient towards the Tularosa Basin floor through a poorly connected fracture system(s). From 1996 to 2006, RDX, nitrate, and perchlorate concentrations in ground water downgradient from the Open Burn/Open Detonation site have been relatively stable. RDX, nitrate, and perchlorate in ground water from wells near the site indicate dispersed contaminant sources in and near the Open Burn/Open Detonation pits. The sources of RDX and nitrate in the pit area have shifted with time, and the shift correlates with the regrading of the south and east berms of each pit in 2002 and 2003 following closure of the site. The largest RDX concentrations were in ground water about 0.1 mile downgradient from the pits, the largest perchlorate concentrations were in ground water about 0.15 mile downgradient from the pits, and the largest nitrate concentrations were in ground water about 0.25 mile down-gradient from the pits. Strong and moderate correlation of water level and the contaminant concentrations near the source areas and low correlation outside and downgradient from the source areas indicates a diminishing of the water level/contaminant relation with downgradient flow. Ground water was not progressively older at all locations downgradient from the Open Burn/Open Detonation site indicating multiple recharge areas. Major ion and strontium concentrations and d2H and d18O values identified similar sources of recharge waters comprising the aquifer except along the basin periphery where recharge water may be influenced by dissolution of mineral assemblages associated with ore deposits that are present along the basin margins. Ground-water ages, dissolved-solids concentrations, and calcium-strontium concentrations indicate limited or partial connectivity between fractures and contributions of uncontaminated recharge water downgradient from the site that dilutes contaminant concentrations. Changes in RDX and nitrate concentration patterns, the presence of methane, changes in carbon dioxide concentrations and d15N and d34S values, and variable reduction-oxidation conditions suggest degradation of contaminants in the downgradient direction. Estimated values of electron potential were assigned to ground water collected in October 2005 from all monitoring sites at the Hazardous Test Area. Moderate to strong reducing conditions were present upgradient from the Open Burn/Open Detonation site, at the site, and at various locations downgradient from the site, but the aquifer contained well-oxygenated water between many of the reducing areas. The spatial variability of reduction-oxidation conditions in the aquifer exemplifies the partial connectivity of the fracture system(s). Dilution of the contaminants i

Overview of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leahy, P.P.; Thompson, T.H.

1994-01-01

The Nation's water resources are the basis for life and our economic vitality. These resources support a complex web of human activities and fishery and wildlife needs that depend upon clean water. Demands for good-quality water for drinking, recreation, farming, and industry are rising, and as a result, the American public is concerned about the condition and sustainability of our water resources. The American public is asking: Is it safe to swim in and drink water from our rivers or lakes? Can we eat the fish that come from them? Is our ground water polluted? Is water quality degrading with time, and if so, why? Has all the money we've spent to clean up our waters, done any good? The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program was designed to provide information that will help answer these questions. NAWQA is designed to assess historical, current, and future water-quality conditions in representative river basins and aquifers nationwide. One of the primary objectives of the program is to describe relations between natural factors, human activities, and water-quality conditions and to define those factors that most affect water quality in different parts of the Nation. The linkage of water quality to environmental processes is of fundamental importance to water-resource managers, planners, and policy makers. It provides a strong and unbiased basis for better decisionmaking by those responsible for making decisions that affect our water resources, including the United States Congress, Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental groups, and industry. Information from the NAWQA Program also will be useful for guiding research, monitoring, and regulatory activities in cost effective ways.

A finite-element model for simulation of two-dimensional steady-state ground-water flow in confined aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuniansky, E.L.

1990-01-01

A computer program based on the Galerkin finite-element method was developed to simulate two-dimensional steady-state ground-water flow in either isotropic or anisotropic confined aquifers. The program may also be used for unconfined aquifers of constant saturated thickness. Constant head, constant flux, and head-dependent flux boundary conditions can be specified in order to approximate a variety of natural conditions, such as a river or lake boundary, and pumping well. The computer program was developed for the preliminary simulation of ground-water flow in the Edwards-Trinity Regional aquifer system as part of the Regional Aquifer-Systems Analysis Program. Results of the program compare well to analytical solutions and simulations .from published finite-difference models. A concise discussion of the Galerkin method is presented along with a description of the program. Provided in the Supplemental Data section are a listing of the computer program, definitions of selected program variables, and several examples of data input and output used in verifying the accuracy of the program.

Science to Help Understand and Manage Important Ground-Water Resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nickles, James

2008-01-01

Throughout California, as pressure on water resources continues to grow, water-supply agencies are looking to the state?s biggest ?reservoir? ? its ground-water basins ? for supply and storage. To better utilize that resource, the Sweetwater Authority and other local partners, including the city of San Diego and Otay Water Districts, are working with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to develop the first comprehensive study of the coastal ground-water resources of southern San Diego County. USGS research is providing the integrated geologic and hydrologic knowledge necessary to help effectively utilize this resource on a coordinated, regional basis. USGS scientists are building a real-time well-monitoring network and gathering information about how the aquifers respond to different pumping and recharge-management strategies. Real-time ground-water levels are recorded every hour and are viewable on a project web site (http://ca.water.usgs.gov/sandiego/index.html). Data from the wells are helping to define the geology and hydrogeology of the area, define ground-water quality, and assess ground-water levels. The wells also are strategi-cally placed and designed to be usable by the local agencies for decades to come to help manage surface-water and ground-water operations. Additionally, the knowledge gained from the USGS study will help local, state, and federal agencies; water purveyors; and USGS scientists to understand the effects of urbanization on the local surface-water, ground-water, and biological resources, and to better critique ideas and opportuni-ties for additional ground-water development in the San Diego area.

Potential effects of the Hawaii Geothermal Project on ground-water resources on the island of Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sorey, M.L.; Colvard, E.M.

1994-01-01

In 1990, the State of Hawaii proposed the Hawaii Geothermal Project for the development of as much as 500 MW of electric power from the geothermal system in the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano. This report uses data from 31 wells and 8 springs to describe the properties of the ground-water system in and adjacent to the East Rift Zone. Potential effects of this project on ground-water resources are also discussed. Data show differences in ground-water chemistry and heads within the study area that appear to be related to mixing of waters of different origins and ground-water impoundment by volcanic dikes. East of Pahoa, the ground-water system within the rift is highly transmissive and receives abundant recharge from precipitation; therefore, the pumping of freshwater to support geothermal development in that part of the rift zone would have a minimal effect on ground-water levels. To the southwest of Pahoa, dike impoundment reduces the transmissivity of the ground-water system to such an extent that wells might not be capable of supplying sufficient fresh water to support geothermal operations. Contamination of ground-water resources by accidental release of geothermal fluids into shallow aquifers is possible because of corrosive conditions in the geothermal wells, potential well blowouts, and high ground-water velocities in parts of the region. Hydrologic monitoring of water level, temperature, and chemistry in observation wells should continue throughout development of geothermal resources for the Hawaii Geothermal Project for early detection of leakage and migration of geothermal fluids within the groundwater system.

Ground-Water Data for Indian Wells Valley, Kern, Inyo, and San Bernardino Counties, California, 1977-84

USGS Publications Warehouse

Berenbrock, Charles

1987-01-01

Ground water is the sole source of water in Indian Wells Valley. Since 1966, annual ground-water pumpage has exceeded estimates of mean annual recharge, and continued and increased stresses on the aquifer system of the valley are expected. In 1981 the U.S. Geological Survey began a 10-year program to develop a data base that could be used in evaluating future water-management alternatives for the valley. This report tabulates existing water-level and water-quality data in order to provide a basis for the design of a ground-water monitoring network for Indian Wells Valley. Water-levels were measured in 131 wells during 1977-84. About 62 percent of the wells that have water-level measurements spanning at least 3 years during the period 1977-84 show a net water-level decline; the decline in 23 percent of the wells is greater than 5 feet. Water-quality samples from 85 wells were analyzed for major dissolved constituents. At selected wells water samples were also analyzed for nutrients and trace metals. Seventy-nine of the wells sampled contained water with concentrations of one or more dissolved constituents that equaled or exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency primary or secondary maximum contaminant levels for drinking water. Dissolved-solids concentrations, which ranged from 190 to 67,000 milligrams per liter, equaled or exceeded 500 milligrams per liter (the Environmental Protection Agency secondary maximum contaminant level) in 85 percent of the sampled wells and 1,000 milligrams per liter in 59 percent. Water samples collected in 1984 from eight wells near the industrial-waste ponds of the China Lake Naval Weapons Center were analyzed for the presence of organic compounds designated 'priority pollutants' by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Priority pollutants were detected in three wells. Trichloroethylene, methylene chloride, vinyl chloride, and chloroform were identified; concentrations were less than 10 micrograms per liter except for trichloroethylene and chloroform, at 94 and 12 micrograms per liter, respectively. Trichloroethylene in one sample and vinyl chloride in another exceeded Environmental Protection Agency proposed maximum contaminant levels.

Fraser River watershed, Colorado : assessment of available water-quantity and water-quality data through water year 1997

USGS Publications Warehouse

Apodaca, Lori Estelle; Bails, Jeffrey B.

1999-01-01

The water-quantity and water-quality data for the Fraser River watershed through water year 1997 were compiled for ground-water and surface-water sites. In order to assess the water-quality data, the data were related to land use/land cover in the watershed. Data from 81 water-quantity and water-quality sites, which consisted of 9 ground-water sites and 72 surface-water sites, were available for analysis. However, the data were limited and frequently contained only one or two water-quality analyses per site.The Fraser River flows about 28 miles from its headwaters at the Continental Divide to the confluence with the Colorado River. Ground-water resources in the watershed are used for residential and municipal drinking-water supplies. Surface water is available for use, but water diversions in the upper parts of the watershed reduce the flow in the river. Land use/land cover in the watershed is predominantly forested land, but increasing urban development has the potential to affect the quantity and quality of the water resources.Analysis of the limited ground-water data in the watershed indicates that changes in the land use/land cover affect the shallow ground-water quality. Water-quality data from eight shallow monitoring wells in the alluvial aquifer show that iron and manganese concentrations exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secondary maximum contaminant level. Radon concentrations from these monitoring wells exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed maximum contaminant level. The proposed radon contaminant level is currently being revised. The presence of volatile organic compounds at two monitoring wells in the watershed indicates that land use affects the shallow ground water. In addition, bacteria detected in three samples are at concentrations that would be a concern for public health if the water was to be used as a drinking supply. Methylene blue active substances were detected in the ground water at some sites and are a possible indication of contamination from wastewater. Age of the alluvial ground water ranged from 10 to 30 years; therefore, results of land-management practices to improve water quality may not be apparent for many years.Surface-water-quality data for the Fraser River watershed are sparse. The surface-water-quality data show that elevated concentrations of selected constituents generally are related to specific land uses in the watershed. For one sample (about 2 percent; 1 of 53), dissolved manganese concentration exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secondary maximum contaminant level. Two samples from two surface-water sites in the watershed exceeded the un-ionized ammonia chronic criterion. Spatial distribution of nutrient species (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and total phosphorus) shows that elevated concentrations occur primarily downstream from urban areas. Sites with five or more years of record were analyzed for temporal trends in concentration of nutrient species. Downward trends were identified for ammonia and nitrite for three surface-water sites. For nitrate, no trends were observed at two sites and a downward trend was observed at one site. Total phosphorus showed no trend for the site near the mouth of the Fraser River. Downward trends in the nutrient species may reflect changes in the wastewater-treatment facilities in the watershed. Bacteria sampling completed in the watershed indicates that more bacteria are present in the water near urban settings.The limited ground-water and surface-water data for the Fraser River watershed provide a general assessment of the quantity and quality of these resources. Concentrations of most water-quality constituents generally are less than ground- and surface-water-quality standards, but the presence of bacteria, some volatile organic compounds, methylene blue active substances, and increased nutrients in the water may indicate that land use is affecting the water quality..

Municipal solid-waste disposal and ground-water quality in a coastal environment, west-central Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fernandez, Mario

1983-01-01

Solid waste is defined along with various methods of disposal and the hydrogeologic factors to be considered when locating land-fills is presented. Types of solid waste, composition, and sources are identified. Generation of municipal solid waste in Florida has been estimated at 4.5 pounds per day per person or about 7.8 million tons per year. Leachate is generated when precipitation and ground water percolate through the waste. Gases, mainly carbon dioxide and methane, are also produced. Leachate generally contains high concentrations of dissolved organic and inorganic matter. The two typical hydrogeologic conditions in west-central Florida are (1) permeable sand overlying clay and limestone and (2) permeable sand overlying limestone. These conditions are discussed in relation to leachate migration. Factors in landfill site selection are presented and discussed, followed by a discussion on monitoring landfills. Monitoring of landfills includes the drilling of test holes, measuring physical properties of the corings, installation of monitoring wells, and water-quality monitoring. (USGS)

Plan for assessment of the occurrence, status, and distribution of volatile organic compounds in aquifers of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lapham, W.W.; Tadayon, Saeid

1996-01-01

The occurrence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water is of national concern because of their relatively high aqueous solubility, mobility, and persistence, because many are known or suspected carcinogens, because of their widespread use, and because they have been found in drinking-water supplies. Because of this national concern, VOCs were selected for National investigation (hereafter termed "National Synthesis") by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program in 1994. The broad goals of this National Synthesis are to: (1) describe current water- quality conditions with respect to VOCs; (2) define trends, or lack of trends, in VOCs in surface and ground water; and (3) identify, describe, and explain causal relations among the occurrence and distribution of VOCs in surface water and ground water, and natural and human factors. The National Synthesis of VOCs in ground water has three objectives: (1) to describe their occurrence, status, and distribution; (2) to determine relations among VOCs in shallow ground water and natural and human factors; and (3) to determine, compare, and contrast the occurrence, transformation, transport, and fate of selected VOCs in the hydrologic cycle for several regionally or nationally important aquifer systems. The description of VOC occurrence, status, and distribution in ground water focuses on major aquifers of the United States. Occurrence describes the presence or absence of VOCs, their frequency of occurrence, and their ranges of concentrations. Status compares the concentrations of VOCs detected in relation to water-quality regulations or advisories, such as Maximum Contaminant Levels, Proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels, Maximum Contaminant Level Goals, and Health Advisories. Distribution describes the variability of VOCs in ground water, areally and by depth. This report describes the study design for conducting such an assessment. The assessment focuses on aquifers, or parts of aquifers, that are currently used or have the potential to be used as sources of water supplies, using data collected as part of local, State, and Federal ground-water monitoring programs since 1985. Assessment by aquifer and comparison of results among aquifers will be completed for those aquifers for which adequate spatial or depth-related data are available. Assessment of VOCs in aquifers also will be completed at regional and national scales. A set of criteria for well-network design, well construction, sample-collection methods, and methods of laboratory analysis must be met before VOC data are used for assessment. An appropriate well-network design will provide a generally unbiased, random, equal-area distribution of sampling sites throughout the aquifer, or part of the aquifer, of interest. Well-construction information must be sufficient to ensure that the hydrogeologic unit (or units) represented by the water level measured and the hydrologic unit (or units) contributing water to the well are known. In addition, the well construction and pumping equipment in the well need to be of a type that are not likely to affect concentrations of VOCs in the water sample. VOC data will be considered suitable for use in the occurrence assessment if nationally accepted methods for collection and analysis were used and if the quantitation level for VOC analytes was less than about 5 micrograms per liter; laboratory analysis was done by a laboratory certified by the U.S. Environ- mental Protection Agency; and the sample was collected from untreated (raw) water at or near the well head before being held in a pressure tank or holding tank.

Arsenic in Illinois ground water : community and private supplies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, Kelly L.; Martin, Angel; Arnold, Terri L.

2003-01-01

Assessing the distribution of arsenic in ground water from community-water supplies, private supplies, or monitoring wells is part of the process of determining the risk of arsenic contamination of drinking water in Illinois. Lifestyle, genetic, and environmental factors make certain members of the population more susceptible to adverse health effects from repeated exposure to drinking water with high arsenic concentrations (Ryker, 2001). In addition, such factors may have geographic distribution patterns that complicate the analysis of the relation between arsenic in drinking water and health effects. For example, arsenic may not be the only constituent affecting the quality of drinking water in a region (Ryker, 2001); however, determining the extent and distribution of arsenic in ground water is a starting place to assess the potential risk for persons drinking from a community or private supply. Understanding the potential sources and pathways that mobilize arsenic in ground water is a necessary step in protecting the drinking-water supply in Illinois.

Use of Passive Diffusion Samplers for Monitoring Volatile Organic Compounds in Ground Water

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harte, Philip T.; Brayton, Michael J.; Ives, Wayne

2000-01-01

Passive diffusion samplers have been tested at a number of sites where volatile organic compounds (VOC's) are the principal contaminants in ground water. Test results generally show good agreement between concentrations of VOC's in samples collected with diffusion samplers and concentrations in samples collected by purging the water from a well. Diffusion samplers offer several advantages over conventional and low-flow ground-water sampling procedures: * Elimination of the need to purge a well before collecting a sample and to dispose of contaminated water. * Elimination of cross-contamination of samples associated with sampling with non-dedicated pumps or sample delivery tubes. * Reduction in sampling time by as much as 80 percent of that required for 'purge type' sampling methods. * An increase in the frequency and spatial coverage of monitoring at a site because of the associated savings in time and money. The successful use of diffusion samplers depends on the following three primary factors: (1) understanding site conditions and contaminants of interest (defining sample objectives), (2) validating of results of diffusion samplers against more widely acknowledged sampling methods, and (3) applying diffusion samplers in the field.

Hydrogeology and simulation of ground-water flow in the Paluxy aquifer in the vicinity of Landfills 1 and 3, US Air Force Plant 4, Fort Worth, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuniansky, Eve L.; Hamrick, Stanley T.

1998-01-01

Two steady-state simulations using the computer program MODFLOW were analyzed using the particle-tracking computer program, MODPATH. One simulation is the calibration simulation using Paluxy aquifer water-level data for May 1993. The second simulation includes the installed recovery wells. A variably spaced grid was designed for the model. The smallest grid cells, 25 by 25 feet, are in the vicinity of landfills 1 and 3. The largest cells, 4,864.5 by 1,441.5 feet, are at the northwestern corner of the model grid near the Parker-Tarrant County line. The modeling was accomplished with three layers representing the upper, middle, and lower zones of the Paluxy aquifer. Particles, which represent contaminant molecules moving in solution with the ground water, were tracked from well P–22M and an area below landfill 1, at the top of the upper zone of the Paluxy aquifer, for 9 years (forward tracking). The forward tracking estimates where contaminants might move by advection from 1987 to 1996. Analysis of backward tracking from the new recovery wells indicates that the simulated contributing area to the recovery wells intercepts the contaminant plume, minimizing offsite migration of the west Paluxy plume. To determine the effectiveness of the recovery wells, monitoring wells southeast of Building 14 have been installed (1996–97) for sampling.

Hydrogeology and ground-water resources of Ngatik Island, Sapwuahfik Atoll, State of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anthony, S.S.

1996-01-01

The lens of fresh ground water on Ngatik Island contains about 509 million gallons of potable water. Recharge to the freshwater lens is estimated to be 990,000 gallons per day on the basis of an estimated mean annual rainfall of 160 inches. The long-term average sustainable yield is estimated to be about 280,000 gallons per day. The estimated demand for water is about 30,000 gallons per day. Shallow-vertical-tube-wells or horizontal-infiltration wells could be used to develop the freshwater lens. The effect of development on the lens can be determined by monitoring the chloride concentration of water from a network of shallow-water-table wells and deep driven wells. The ground-water resource on Ngatik can be used in conjunction with individual rainwater-catchment systems: rainwater can be used for drinking and cooking and ground water can be used for sanitary purposes. When rainwater- catchment systems fail during extended dry periods, ground water would be available to meet the total demand.

Hydrogeology and ground-water resources of Pingelap Island, Pingelap Atoll, State of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anthony, S.S.

1996-01-01

The lens of fresh ground water on Pingelap Island, Pingelap Atoll contains about 384 million gallons of potable water. Recharge to the freshwater lens is estimated to be 230,000 gallons per day on the basis of an average annual rainfall of 160 inches. The long-term average sustainable yield is estimated to be about 69,000 gallons per day. The estimated demand for water is about 50,000 gallons per day. Shallow-vertical-tube wells or horizontal-infiltration wells could be used to develop the freshwater lens. The effect of development on the lens can be determined by monitoring the chloride concentration of water from a network of shallow-water-table wells and deep driven wells. The ground-water resource on Pingelap can be used in conjunction with individual rainwater-catchment systems: rainwater can be used for drinking and cooking, and ground water can be used for sanitary uses. When rainwater-catchment systems fail during extended dry periods, ground water would be available to meet the total demand.

Hydrogeology and ground-water resources of Kahlap Island, Mwoakilloa Atoll, State of Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Anthony, S.S.

1996-01-01

The lens of fresh ground water on Kahlap Island contains about 21.3 million gallons of potable water. Recharge to the freshwater lens is estimated to be 125,000 gallons per day on the basis of a mean annual rainfall of 120 inches. The long-term average sustainable yield is estimated to be about 17,300 gallons per day. The estimated demand for water is about 13,500 gallons per day. Shallow-vertical-tube wells or horizontal- infiltration wells could be used to develop the freshwater lens. The effect of development on the lens can be determined by monitoring the chloride concentration of water from a network of shallow- water-table and deep driven wells. The ground- water resource on Kahlap can be used in conjunc- tion with individual rainwater-catchment systems: rainwater can be used for drinking and cooking, and ground water can be used for sanitary uses. When rainwater-catchment systems fail during extended dry periods, ground water would be available to meet the total demand.

Presence, distribution, and potential sources of nitrate and selected pesticides in the surficial aquifer along the Straight River in north-central Minnesota, 1992-93

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruhl, J.F.

1995-01-01

Upgradient to downgradient mean or individual nitrogen isotope δ15N values in %o (delta units in parts per thousand) determined for sampled monitoring wells along the direction of ground-water flow through the five land-use settings were: (1) 5.1 %o and 4.0 %o for the feedlot and adjacent manured field; (2) 1.1 %o and 0.9 %o for the cultivated croplands irrigated with waste water; (3) 3.8 %o and 2.7 %o for the cultivated croplands irrigated with ground water; (4) 3.4 %o and 4.9 %o for the residential development; and (5) 1.7 %o and 3.0 %o for the three waste-water lagoons. Nitrate from fertilizer appeared to have been present in ground water at the waste-water lagoons, cultivated croplands irrigated with waste water, and cultivated croplands irrigated with ground water. Nitrate from soil organic matter rather than from animal waste appeared to have been present in ground water at the feedlot and adjacent manured field.

Summary appraisals of the Nation's ground-water resources; California region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, H.E.; Phoenix, D.A.

1976-01-01

Of all the constraints on effective use of ground-water reservoirs, the most formidable may be the attitudes of people. Assurance of water supply is vital in areas of water deficiency, and Government has assumed increasing responsibility for the welfare of people in these areas. Unfortunately, when Government provides this assurance, most beneficiaries demand continued subsidy to the exclusion of perhaps cheaper private development. Indeed, as the water resources are presently segregated-with private rights predominant in ground water and public interest dominant in surface water-ground-water development has suffered for lack of public concern. The region has the scientific and technologic capability for effective use of groundwater reservoirs, as shown by the achievements and programs of several districts, but many districts are not organized or staffed for such comprehensive management and will need assistance and scientific expertise available from State and Federal agencies. Those agencies, in turn, may not have the scientific data that are essential to prevent haphazard activities and to enable programs to be organized for the most effective and attractive utilization of the water resources. In these days of increasing concern over pollution, existing data are generally inadequate to assess the natural deterioration of ground waters as a basis for defining pollution.

Stormwater runoff water quality evaluation and management program for hazardous chemical sites: Development issues

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, G.F.; Jones-Lee, A.

1998-12-31

The deficiencies in the typical stormwater runoff water quality monitoring from hazardous chemical sites and an alternative approach (Evaluation Monitoring) for monitoring that shifts the monitoring program from periodic sampling and analysis of stormwater runoff for a suite of chemical parameters to examining the receiving waters to determine what, if any, water quality use impairments are occurring due to the runoff-associated constituents is presented in this paper. Rather than measuring potentially toxic constituents such as heavy metals in runoff, the monitoring program determines whether there is aquatic life toxicity in the receiving waters associated with the stormwater runoff. If toxicitymore » is found, its cause is determined and the source of the constituents causing the toxicity is identified through forensic analysis. Based on this information, site-specific, technically valid stormwater runoff management programs can be developed that will control real water quality impacts caused by stormwater runoff-associated constituents.« less

Water quality of surficial aquifers in the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crandall, C.A.; Berndt, M.P.

1996-01-01

The National Water Quality Assessment Program of the U.S. Geological Survey established the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain study unit in 1991. The ground-water study-unit survey was conducted in 1993 to provide a broad over-view of water quality in surficial aquifers. Three land resource provinces were included in the Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain study-unit survey: the Central Florida Ridge, the Coastal Flatwoods, and the Southern Coastal Plain. The U.S. Geological Survey sampled 37 wells in surficial aquifers, 18 in the Coastal Flatwoods and 19 in the Southern Coastal Plain. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection sampled 27 wells tapping surficial aquifers in the Central Florida Ridge as part of the background ground-water quality monitoring network from 1985 through 1989. The data were used to characterize water quality in surficial aquifers of the Central Florida Ridge. Results of the study-unit survey indicated that dissolved solids concentrations in ground water were mostly less than 100 mg/L (milligrams per liter). Higher medians of pH, specific conductance, and concentrations of calcium, bicarbonate, and dissolved solids were measured in samples from the Central Florida Ridge compared to the Southern Coastal Plain and Coastal Flatwoods, probably because of a greater percentage of carbonate minerals in aquifer materials. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency secondary maximum contaminant level for iron of 300 ug/L (micrograms per liter) in drinking water was exceeded in 15 of 45 samples. Concentrations of nitrate as nitrogen were less than 3.0 mg/L in most samples (74 percent), indicating little or no influence from human activity. Only five samples (9 percent) had concentrations above 10 mg/L, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency maximum contaminant level for nitrate concentration in drinking water. Significantly lower median concentrations of nitrate were measured in samples from polyvinyl chloride monitoring wells with diameters less than 6 inches than in large diameter, uncased, or iron-cased wells. The median nitrate concentration was 0.05 mg/L in water from monitoring wells, 1.0 mg/L in samples from iron cased wells, and 2.0 mg/L in samples from uncased wells. Concentrations of volatile organic compounds were mostly less than the detection levels and exceeded 1 ug/L in only four samples. Compounds detected at concentrations greater than 1 ug/L were: tetrachloroethane (8.77 ug/L), toluene (23 ug/L) and chloromethane (21 ug/L). Atrazine, desethyl-atrazine, and metolachlor were the only pesticides detected; concentrations were less than 0.02 ug/L, except for metolachlor (2.5 ug/L). Detection of organic compounds in surficial aquifer may be associated with specific activities or sources near the well. Concentrations of radon exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed maximum contaminant level of 300 picocuries per liter (pCi/L) in 33 samples from wells on the Coastal Flatwoods and the Southern Coastal Plain. Concentrations as high as 13,000 pCi/L were detected in northern Florida. Although uranium concentrations were less than 1 ug/L in all but one sample (1.3 ug/L) from the Southern Coastal Plain, elevated radon concentrations indicate that uranium is present in aquifer material. Uranium is most likely sorbed to iron oxides and clays in subsurface materials. Tritium concentrations indicated that ground water was recharged by precipitation during the past 40 years. Higher concentrations of tritium in ground water were found in the northern part of the study area and may be related to Savannah River Nuclear Facility.

HYDROGEOLOGIC CASE STUDIES

EPA Science Inventory

Hydrogeology is the foundation of subsurface site characterization for evaluations of monitored natural attenuation (MNA). Three case studies are presented. Examples of the potentially detrimental effects of drilling additives on ground-water samples from monitoring wells are d...

Development of EPA Method 525.3 for the Analysis of Semivolatiles in Drinking Water

EPA Science Inventory

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW) collects nationwide occurrence data on contaminants in drinking water using the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Regulations (UCMRs). The unregulated contaminants, which ar...

Reconnaissance of surface-water quality in the North Platte Natural Resources District, western Nebraska, 1993

USGS Publications Warehouse

Steele, G.V.; Cannia, J.C.

1997-01-01

In 1993, the U.S. Geological Survey and the North Platte Natural Resources District began a 3-year study to determine the geohydrology and water quality of the North Platte River alluvial aquifer near Oshkosh, Garden County, Nebraska. The objectives of the study were to determine the geohydrologic properties of the North Platte River alluvial aquifer, to establish a well network for long- term monitoring of concentrations of agricultural chemicals including nitrate and herbicides, and to establish baseline concentrations of major ions in the ground water. To meet these objectives, monitor wells were installed at 11 sites near Oshkosh. The geohydrologic properties of the aquifer were estimated from water-level measurements at selected irrigation wells located in the study area and short- term constant-discharge aquifer tests at two monitor wells. Water samples were collected bimonthly and analyzed for specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients including dissolved nitrate. Samples were collected semiannually for analysis of major ions, and annually for triazine and acetamide herbicides. Evaluation of the aquifer-test data indicates the hydraulic conductivities of the North Platte River alluvial aquifer range between 169 and 184 feet per day and transmissivities ranged from 12,700 to 26,700 feet-squared per day. The average specific yield for the alluvial aquifer, based on the two aquifer tests, was 0.2. Additional hydrologic data for the alluvial aquifer include a horizontal gradient of about 0.002 foot per foot and estimated ground- water flow velocities of about 0.1 to 1.8 feet per day. Evaluation of the water-quality data indicates that nitrate concentrations exceed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Maximum Contamination Level of 10 milligrams per liter for drinking water in areas to the east and west of Oshkosh. In these areas, nitrate concentrations generally are continuing to rise. West of Oshkosh the highest concentrations are now exceeding 50 milligrams per liter. With the exception of one sample, nitrate concentrations exceeding the Maximum Contamination Level were not detected in three wells used to monitor the ground water flowing into and out of the study area, nor in a monitor well located near a municipal well. Results of the study also indicate that an influx of water from Lost Creek Valley, north of the study area, may be mixing with ground water near Oshkosh and diluting concentrations of nitrate.

Water Resources Data, Georgia, 2001, Volume 2: Continuous ground-water level data, and periodic surface-water- and ground-water-quality data, Calendar Year 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Coffin, Robert; Grams, Susan C.; Cressler, Alan M.; Leeth, David C.

2001-01-01

Water resources data for the 2001 water year for Georgia consists of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams; and the stage and contents of lakes and reservoirs published in two volumes in a digital format on a CD-ROM. Volume one of this report contains water resources data for Georgia collected during water year 2001, including: discharge records of 133 gaging stations; stage for 144 gaging stations; precipitation for 58 gaging stations; information for 19 lakes and reservoirs; continuous water-quality records for 17 stations; the annual peak stage and annual peak discharge for 76 crest-stage partial-record stations; and miscellaneous streamflow measurements at 27 stations, and miscellaneous water-quality data recorded by the NAWQA program in Georgia. Volume two of this report contains water resources data for Georgia collected during calendar year 2001, including continuous water-level records of 159 ground-water wells and periodic records at 138 water-quality stations. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System collected by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State and Federal agencies in Georgia. Note: Historically, this report was published as a paper report. For the 1999 and subsequent water-year reports, the Water Resources Data for Georgia changed to a new, more informative and functional format on CD-ROM. The format is based on a geographic information system (GIS) user interface that allows the user to view map locations of the hydrologic monitoring stations and networks within respective river basins. To obtain a copy of the CD version of this report, you may call the U.S. Geological Survey office in Atlanta at (770) 903-9100, or send e-mail to request the publication. Please include your name and mailing address in your e-mail.

Monitored Natural Attenuation of Inorganic Contaminants in Ground Water Volume 3 Assessment for Radionuclides IncludingTritium, Radon, Strontium, Technetium, Uranium, Iodine, Radium, Thorium, Cesium, and Plutonium-Americium

EPA Science Inventory

The current document represents the third volume of a set of three volumes that address the technical basis and requirements for assessing the potential applicability of MNA as part of a ground-water remedy for plumes with nonradionuclide and/or radionuclide inorganic contamina...

Monitored Attenuation of Inorganic Contaminants in Ground Water Volume 2 – Assessment for Non-Radionuclides Including Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Nickel, Nitrate, Perchlorate, and Selenium

EPA Science Inventory

This document represents the second volume of a set of three volumes that address the technical basis and requirements for assessing the potential applicability of MNA as part of a ground-water remedy for plumes with non-radionuclide and/or radionuclide inorganic contaminants. V...

Ground-Water Resources of Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Meriana Islands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carruth, Rob

2003-01-01

Introduction Saipan has an area of 48 mi2 and is the largest of the 14 islands in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The island is formed by volcanic rocks overlain by younger limestones. The island is situated in the western Pacific Ocean at latitude 15?12'N and longitude 145?45'E, about 3,740 mi west-southwest of Honolulu and midway between Japan and New Guinea (fig. 1). The climate on Saipan is classified as tropical marine with an average temperature of 80?F. The natural beauty of the island and surrounding waters are the basis for a growing tourist-based economy. The resulting rapid development and increases in resident and tourist populations have added stresses to the island's limited water supplies. Freshwater resources on Saipan are not readily observable because, aside from the abundant rainfall, most freshwater occurs as ground water. Fresh ground water is found in aquifers composed mainly of fragmental limestones. About 90 percent of the municipal water supply comes from 140 shallow wells that withdraw about 11 Mgal/d. The chloride concentration of water withdrawn from production wells ranges from less than 100 mg/L for wells in the Akgak and Capital Hill well fields, to over 2,000 mg/L from wells in the Puerto Rico, Maui IV, and Marpi Quarry well fields. The chloride concentrations and rates of ground-water production are not currently adequate for providing island residents with a potable 24-hour water supply and future demands are expected to be higher. To better understand the ground-water resources of the island, and water resources on tropical islands in general, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) entered into a cooperative program with the Commonwealth Utilities Corporation (CUC). The objective of the program, initiated in 1989, is to assess the ground-water resources of Saipan and to make hydrologic information available to the CUC in support of their ongoing efforts to improve the quality and quantity of the municipal water supply. This report presents some of the results of the program including descriptions of (1) the geography and geology, (2) the occurrence of fresh ground water in permeable limestones that extend to some distance below sea level where water-level elevation is affected by ocean tides (coastal aquifers) and in limestones that overlie volcanic basement rocks above sea level (high-level aquifers), (3) the water-table configuration and directions of ground-water flow, and (4) the rainfall, ground-water withdrawal, and chloride concentrations in well water. Also described is the relation of the changes in water-table elevations to changes in sea level, rainfall, and ground-water withdrawal.

State and territorial use of ground-water strategy grant funds (Section 106 Clean Water Act). Technical report (Final)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1987-05-01

This document reports on the activities of States in FY 85 and 86 in developing and implementing State ground-water protection strategies using Clean Water Act Section 106 funds. Every State and all but one territory has participated in the program. Strategies have included emphasis on the need to consolidate State and local agency efforts, and to provide clear policy direction, greater public awareness and education concerning ground-water protection.

Protocols for collection of streamflow, water-quality, streambed-sediment, periphyton, macroinvertebrate, fish, and habitat data to describe stream quality for the Hydrobiological Monitoring Program, Equus Beds Aquifer Storage and Recovery Program, city of Wichita, Kansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stone, Mandy L.; Rasmussen, Teresa J.; Bennett, Trudy J.; Poulton, Barry C.; Ziegler, Andrew C.

2012-01-01

The city of Wichita, Kansas uses the Equus Beds aquifer, one of two sources, for municipal water supply. To meet future water needs, plans for artificial recharge of the aquifer have been implemented in several phases. Phase I of the Equus Beds Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Program began with injection of water from the Little Arkansas River into the aquifer for storage and subsequent recovery in 2006. Construction of a river intake structure and surface-water treatment plant began as implementation of Phase II of the Equus Beds ASR Program in 2010. An important aspect of the ASR Program is the monitoring of water quality and the effects of recharge activities on stream conditions. Physical, chemical, and biological data provide the basis for an integrated assessment of stream quality. This report describes protocols for collecting streamflow, water-quality, streambed-sediment, periphyton, macroinvertebrate, fish, and habitat data as part of the city of Wichita's hydrobiological monitoring program (HBMP). Following consistent and reliable methods for data collection and processing is imperative for the long-term success of the monitoring program.