Water quality is a measure of the suitability of water for a particular use based on selected physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Water-quality monitoring is used to help water-resource managers understand and avert potential negative effects of man-made and natural stresses on water resources, evaluate trends, and compare to water-quality criteria.
One of our primary functions at the MD-DE-DC Water Science Center is to collect and analyze water to assess human and natural impacts on aquatic environments. Automated continuous and distinct data collection methods are used to assess the quality of our water; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how natural features and human activities affect those conditions.
Hydrogeology and Shallow Groundwater Quality in Tidal Anacostia River
The quality of groundwater within the tidal Anacostia River watershed of Washington, D.C. are related to natural and human influences. The flow and interaction of shallow groundwater is affected by human activities in this highly urbanized area.
Hydrologic Study at Farm Creek Marsh, Dorchester County Maryland
In 2015, the USGS began a 1-year study to investigate the extent and cause of inundation at Farm Creek Marsh. The combination of water-quality, hydrologic, and soils data show inundation is caused by tide and storm events rather groundwater discharge
Spatial and Temporal BMP Patterns in Chesapeake Watershed
Spatial and temporal patterns of BMP implementation across the Chesapeake Bay watershed from 1985 through 2014. Methods to estimate BMP on nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads are described and individual BMP types on nutrient loads is estimated.
As one of our key functions, we consistently monitor the quality of groundwater, surface water, and aquatic ecosystems in Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, using USGS protocols, employing ultra-clean techniques with a strong attention to data accuracy and precision.
Chemical and biological constituents include nutrients, trace metals, bacteria, suspended sediment, major ions, and organic wastewater compounds such as pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, and industrial compounds. For selected sites, continuous data sets exist for up to 40 years. The Water Quality capabilities team is in pursuit of precise continuous water quality monitoring for physical conditions including water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and turbidity. New technology has enhanced realtime-data collection with measurements of nitrate and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM).
As a leader in water quality investigations, the MD-DE-DC WSC conducts interpretive studies that combine discrete and continuous water quality data to model stream processes and impacts from land use and climate change. Continuous data are also used to compute and assess status, trends, yields, and loads for nutrients and sediment. These data can be evaluated to rapidly alert public-water suppliers of events that may adversely affect water supplies.
These projects were conceived and produced, at least in part, by scientists based at the USGS MD-DE-DC WSC, utilizing water quality data collected, analyzed, and maintained (either physically or virtually) at the USGS MD-DE-DC WSC.
To see more, please see the USGS Publications Warehouse at this link (listed as Maryland Water Science Center) and this link (listed as MD-DE-DC Water Science Center).
Quality of Water Resources
Agriculture and the Quality of the Nation's Waters
Contaminant Exposure, Food Web Transfer and Potential Health Effects on Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay Waterbirds
Enhanced hydrologic and geomorphic monitoring in Ten Mile Creek, Montgomery County, Maryland
Bioremediation in Wetland Areas, Standard Chlorine of Delaware Inc. Superfund Site, Delaware City, Delaware
Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrologic (SWaTH) Network in Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia
Excess manure and fertilizer are worsening water-quality conditions on Eastern Shore of Chesapeake
The below FAQs have been compiled by water quality scientists, hydrologic technicians, and Water Qualities Capabilities Crew communications liaisons. Most of the applicable inline Q/A's are redirected links from the AskUSGS pages
Feel free to email the Water Quality Capabilities Crew lead (Brenda Majedi — blfeit@usgs.gov) or the Capabilities Technical Liaison (Lonnie Lanham — lrlanahm@usgs.gov)
How do we benefit from USGS streamgages?
Information on the flow of rivers is a vital national asset that safeguards lives, protects property, and ensures adequate water supplies for the future. The USGS is the federal agency responsible for operating a network of about 7,000 streamgages nationwide. Data from this network are used by water managers, emergency responders, utilities, environmental agencies, universities, consulting firms...
If the ground filters water, is groundwater always clean?
Water drawn from a well was once precipitation that fell onto Earth's surface. It seeped into the ground and, over time, occupied the porous space in some subsurface material. Big particles that are in surface streams, such as leaf chunks, will not be seen in groundwater. So, yes, big particles are filtered out by the ground, along with some minerals and chemicals that are too small to see. But...
Where can I get my well water tested?
Contact your county or state health department, check with your State Certification Officer, or use this EPA website for a list of state certified laboratories in your area that do water testing. The cost will vary, depending on the laboratory and the test(s), but people usually consider the cost to be reasonable. Also try using your browser's search engine to do a search on "well owner resources"...
Do you have information about water hardness in the United States?
See our map of water hardness (as calcium carbonate) in surface water of the United States. Hardness data (reflecting mostly calcium, plus a little magnesium) for individual drinking-water suppliers is at the EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water website. It is important to note that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not set a legal limit or standard for hardness in water...
- Overview
Water quality is a measure of the suitability of water for a particular use based on selected physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Water-quality monitoring is used to help water-resource managers understand and avert potential negative effects of man-made and natural stresses on water resources, evaluate trends, and compare to water-quality criteria.
One of our primary functions at the MD-DE-DC Water Science Center is to collect and analyze water to assess human and natural impacts on aquatic environments. Automated continuous and distinct data collection methods are used to assess the quality of our water; whether conditions are getting better or worse over time; and how natural features and human activities affect those conditions.
Hydrogeology and Shallow Groundwater Quality in Tidal Anacostia River
The quality of groundwater within the tidal Anacostia River watershed of Washington, D.C. are related to natural and human influences. The flow and interaction of shallow groundwater is affected by human activities in this highly urbanized area.
Hydrologic Study at Farm Creek Marsh, Dorchester County Maryland
In 2015, the USGS began a 1-year study to investigate the extent and cause of inundation at Farm Creek Marsh. The combination of water-quality, hydrologic, and soils data show inundation is caused by tide and storm events rather groundwater discharge
Spatial and Temporal BMP Patterns in Chesapeake Watershed
Spatial and temporal patterns of BMP implementation across the Chesapeake Bay watershed from 1985 through 2014. Methods to estimate BMP on nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads are described and individual BMP types on nutrient loads is estimated.
As one of our key functions, we consistently monitor the quality of groundwater, surface water, and aquatic ecosystems in Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia, using USGS protocols, employing ultra-clean techniques with a strong attention to data accuracy and precision.
Chemical and biological constituents include nutrients, trace metals, bacteria, suspended sediment, major ions, and organic wastewater compounds such as pharmaceuticals, personal-care products, and industrial compounds. For selected sites, continuous data sets exist for up to 40 years. The Water Quality capabilities team is in pursuit of precise continuous water quality monitoring for physical conditions including water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and turbidity. New technology has enhanced realtime-data collection with measurements of nitrate and fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM).
As a leader in water quality investigations, the MD-DE-DC WSC conducts interpretive studies that combine discrete and continuous water quality data to model stream processes and impacts from land use and climate change. Continuous data are also used to compute and assess status, trends, yields, and loads for nutrients and sediment. These data can be evaluated to rapidly alert public-water suppliers of events that may adversely affect water supplies.
- Science
These projects were conceived and produced, at least in part, by scientists based at the USGS MD-DE-DC WSC, utilizing water quality data collected, analyzed, and maintained (either physically or virtually) at the USGS MD-DE-DC WSC.
To see more, please see the USGS Publications Warehouse at this link (listed as Maryland Water Science Center) and this link (listed as MD-DE-DC Water Science Center).
Quality of Water Resources
Science to monitor and evaluate biological, chemical, and environmental factors affecting water quality.Agriculture and the Quality of the Nation's Waters
Intensive studies by the USGS National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project in agricultural areas provide insight into how agricultural activities have altered the natural flow of water and the way that agricultural chemicals enter streams and aquifers, and in particular how nutrients affect algal and invertebrate communities in agricultural streams.Contaminant Exposure, Food Web Transfer and Potential Health Effects on Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay Waterbirds
Chesapeake and Delaware Bays are the largest estuaries on the east coast of the United States. They support extensive fisheries and provide critical habitat for many species of wildlife. These Bays are surrounded by vast agricultural andindustrialized regions, with urbanized areas, all of which are a source of pollution that can affect natural resources. We have long monitored contaminants in this...Enhanced hydrologic and geomorphic monitoring in Ten Mile Creek, Montgomery County, Maryland
Ten Mile Creek is a small, predominantly agricultural and forested watershed located to the west of Clarksburg, Maryland, in an area that has experienced land-use change and urban development over the past decade. Additional development extending into the Ten Mile Creek watershed is planned over the next several years.This planned development in the Ten Mile Creek watershed presents an opportunity...Bioremediation in Wetland Areas, Standard Chlorine of Delaware Inc. Superfund Site, Delaware City, Delaware
Major releases of chlorinated benzenes and benzene are known to have occurred at the Standard Chlorine of Delaware Inc. Superfund Site from 1966-2002, resulting in contamination of the groundwater underlying the site and the wetlands surrounding Red Lion Creek.Although installation of a groundwater interception and treatment system has been completed around the main facility, wetland and sediment...Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrologic (SWaTH) Network in Maryland, Delaware, and the District of Columbia
Many U.S. Geological Survey Water Science Centers have responsibilities for coastal regions within their mission areas. The integrated Surge, Wave, and Tide Hydrologic (SWaTH) Network has been developed in the wake of Hurricane Sandy to support model development and verification for coastal regions, detection of hydrologic trends, and early warning of hydrologic hazards in the northeast from...Excess manure and fertilizer are worsening water-quality conditions on Eastern Shore of Chesapeake
Excess fertilizer and manure applied to the Chesapeake Bay’s Eastern Shore are causing poor water-quality in streams that flow into the Bay, according to a new publication by the U.S. Geological Survey. - Publications
- FAQ
The below FAQs have been compiled by water quality scientists, hydrologic technicians, and Water Qualities Capabilities Crew communications liaisons. Most of the applicable inline Q/A's are redirected links from the AskUSGS pages
Feel free to email the Water Quality Capabilities Crew lead (Brenda Majedi — blfeit@usgs.gov) or the Capabilities Technical Liaison (Lonnie Lanham — lrlanahm@usgs.gov)
How do we benefit from USGS streamgages?
Information on the flow of rivers is a vital national asset that safeguards lives, protects property, and ensures adequate water supplies for the future. The USGS is the federal agency responsible for operating a network of about 7,000 streamgages nationwide. Data from this network are used by water managers, emergency responders, utilities, environmental agencies, universities, consulting firms...
If the ground filters water, is groundwater always clean?
Water drawn from a well was once precipitation that fell onto Earth's surface. It seeped into the ground and, over time, occupied the porous space in some subsurface material. Big particles that are in surface streams, such as leaf chunks, will not be seen in groundwater. So, yes, big particles are filtered out by the ground, along with some minerals and chemicals that are too small to see. But...
Where can I get my well water tested?
Contact your county or state health department, check with your State Certification Officer, or use this EPA website for a list of state certified laboratories in your area that do water testing. The cost will vary, depending on the laboratory and the test(s), but people usually consider the cost to be reasonable. Also try using your browser's search engine to do a search on "well owner resources"...
Do you have information about water hardness in the United States?
See our map of water hardness (as calcium carbonate) in surface water of the United States. Hardness data (reflecting mostly calcium, plus a little magnesium) for individual drinking-water suppliers is at the EPA Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water website. It is important to note that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not set a legal limit or standard for hardness in water...
- Partners