How to Conduct Water Quality Monitoring

Water-quality monitoring provides data for scientists who work with groundwater and drinking water systems. Field technicians collect samples from groundwater monitoring wells, surface water bodies, and drinking water wells for laboratory analysis. Federal and state regulations govern the sampling and analysis methods. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and individual states have established water-quality standards for streams, rivers, lakes, groundwater and public water supplies. Private water-well owners often are on their own for monitoring quality and correcting problems, but states offer some information and help with testing.

Things You'll Need

• Sample bottles
• Peristaltic pump, for well sampling
• Cooler
• Ice
• Pen

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Instructions

• 1

  Choose a laboratory to analyze your samples and determine the analytical methods they will use with the samples. For example, you may analyze a residential well for drinking water parameters or a groundwater monitoring well at a service station for the presence of the volatile organics in gasoline. Your state health department may help with information and collection bottles for testing a private water well, and also may send the collected water to a lab for basic testing for a modest fee. Your state environmental department can provide a list of certified laboratories in your area for other types of testing. If you do not know what analyses to request, ask a laboratory representative to help you. Once you determine the analytical methods, the laboratory should supply you with the sampling bottles and chain of custody forms.

• 2

  Collect a sample from a well, surface water, or drinking water tap. Use state and EPA standard operating procedures for collecting the sample either from the well or as a grab. In general, sample a groundwater monitoring well using a peristaltic pump with tubing placed near the screen in the well and sample a surface water body by slowly dipping the sample container into the water. Sample drinking water wells directly from the tap or a sampling port if one is available. Place the sample containers in a cooler with ice and fill out the information on the chain of custody.

• 3

  Ship the samples and the chain of custody form to the laboratory immediately after you collect the samples. Some analyses must be performed within a certain time after collection for the results to be valid.

• 4

  Review the test results. If the laboratory identified any constituent above the method detection limit, compare the results to Regional Screening Levels and Maximum Contaminant Levels established by the EPA and to state standards if they are different. Ask the laboratory to explain any elevated detection limits if the limit is higher than a RSL or MCL.