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