Cooperative Water Program
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Water Quality and Drinking Water Products by Subject
All General Water Quality Products
Statewide Assessment of Groundwater Quality in West Virginia –USGS, in cooperation with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Water and Waste Management, developed the most comprehensive assessment of West Virginia groundwater quality to date. The study indicates the water quality of West Virginia's groundwater is generally good; in the majority of cases raw-water samples met primary drinking water-criteria. However, some constituents, notably iron and manganese, exceeded the secondary drinking criteria in more than half the samples. Approximately 42 percent of all West Virginians rely on groundwater for their domestic water supply. However, prior to 2008, the quality of the West Virginia's groundwater resource was largely unknown. USGS sampled 300 wells, of which 80 percent were public-supply wells, over a 10-year period, 1999-2008. All samples were analyzed for field measurements (water temperature, pH, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen), major ions, trace elements, nutrients, volatile organic compounds, fecal indicator bacteria, and radon-222. Sub-sets of samples were analyzed for pesticides or semi-volatile organic compounds; site selection was based on local land use. (Full report)
Water Quality Trends in New Jersey Streams –USGS, in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, assessed geographic variations and trends in dissolved solids, selected nutrients, and chloride from 1998-2009 at 371 surface-water sites throughout New Jersey. In general, median concentrations increased, except for total phosphorus, which varied significantly but in an inconsistent pattern during water years 1998–2009. The amount of water flowing in the stream can affect water quality; extreme values of water-quality constituents generally followed inverse patterns of streamflow. (Full report)
Water-quality super station in Florence, Illinois –A "multi-parameter, water-quality super station" has been recently implemented on the Illinois River at Florence, Illinois in cooperation with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The station measures river stage, water temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, nitrate, suspended solids, backscatter for sediment, sediment size and quantity, and phosphate. Much of the data are in real time; access data at: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/il/nwis/uv/?site_no=05586300&PARAmeter_cd=00400,00095,00010,00300,99133 (Contact: Paul Terrio, pjterrio@usgs.gov, (217) 328-9736 and Gary Johnson, gjohnson@usgs.gov, (217) 328-9720)
Ambient groundwater across New York –USGS, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, released a report on groundwater quality in the Eastern Lake Ontario Basin (part of a series of reports supported by New York’s statewide groundwater ambient monitoring program).
Groundwater resources in selected parishes in Louisiana –USGS, in cooperation with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, published a series of fact sheets on water resources in parishes across Louisiana. The most recent publication, written for the non-technical audience, describes water resources in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, including information on groundwater and surface-water availability, quality, development, use, and trends.
Groundwater quality in the Virginia Coastal Plain aquifers –USGS, in cooperation with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, released a regional perspective of the hydrogeology of the Virginia Coastal Plain, which incorporated updated information on groundwater quality in the area. Groundwater is a heavily used water-supply resource throughout the study area, and its suitability for various uses is largely determined by its chemical quality.
Roadside dry wells and groundwater quality on the Island of Hawaii –USGS, in cooperation with the County of Hawai‘i Department of Public Works, used semi-generic numerical models of groundwater flow and contaminant transport to assess the potential effect of dry wells on groundwater quality on the Island of Hawaii. (Full report)
Groundwater Quality Data in the Northern Coast Ranges, California –USGS, in cooperation with the California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment Program’s Priority Basin Project (PBP), released groundwater quality data in a 633-square mile area in the Northern Coast Ranges in Napa, Lake, Mendocino, Glenn, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties, California. In total, 239 natural and man-made compounds and 12 field groundwater-quality indicators were measured. This study represents the thirtieth study area in the State of California sampled as part of the Program’s Priority Basin Project.
Water-quality monitoring in Baltimore, Maryland – USGS, in cooperation with the City of Baltimore, Baltimore County, and Carroll County, Maryland, released a retrospective review of monitoring data from 1981 through 2007 to help identify possible improvements in monitoring for the Baltimore Reservoir system, including Loch Raven, Liberty, and Prettyboy Reservoirs that serve the City of Baltimore, Maryland, and parts of five surrounding counties. Management of the watershed conditions for each reservoir is a shared responsibility by agreement among City, County, and State jurisdictions. The most recent (2005) Baltimore Reservoir Watershed Management Agreement (RWMA) called for continued and improved water-quality monitoring in the reservoirs and selected watershed tributaries.
