PROGRAMS AND PLANS - Establishment of Quality-of-Water Network for Aquifers UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WATER RESOURCES DIVISION WASHINGTON 25, D. C. October 14, 1963 4056 0001 GROUND WATER BRANCH MEMORANDUM NO. 64.11 To: District Chiefs and Staff Officials (GW) From: Chief, Ground Water Branch Subject: PROGRAMS AND PLANS - Establishment of Quality-of-Water Network for Aquifers The Federal program for the next fiscal year will have increased emphasis on the basic records phases of water resources investigations. An important part of this program will be the determination of the quality-of-water in the important aquifers of the nation. It will be an attempt to tag those waters that occur naturally and those which have been altered by man's activities. It also will provide the basis for evaluations of the quality-of-water in aquifers that transcend political boundaries. The objective of the quality program can be met only through the establishment of a network of wells and springs to be sampled periodically. We would appreciate your assistance in determining the number of sampling points (wells and springs) required in the network. Please give us an estimate of the number of points that would provide adequate coverage of the aquifers in your district or project area. Inasmuch as a cost estimate for this quality program also is needed, we would appreciate your opinion as to the frequency with which these points should be sampled and the manpower effort necessary for collection of the samples. We plan to store all quality-of-water data on punch cards for ease of data retrieval. We are in the process of designing punch cards which when used in a print-out machine will present material in a form suitable for direct publication. This will be extremely helpful in putting out reports that provide current quality data with little effort on the part of field personnel. (s) A. H. Lang for O. M. Hackett WRD Distribution: A, B3, S3, FO3, SL