Relatively little data describing the quality of groundwater in New York State exists, yet groundwater is used as a source of drinking water by approximately one quarter of the population of the state. The objective of the 305(b) Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring project is to quantify and report on ambient groundwater quality from bedrock and glacial-drift aquifers in upstate New York. An ongoing cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), this study supports NYSDEC’s responsibilities under Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977. The project began in 2002 with a pilot study in the Mohawk River Basin and another in 2003 in the Chemung River Basin. Sampling completed in 2018 represented the conclusion of the third round of groundwater-quality sampling throughout upstate New York State, and the fourth round will be completed in 2023.
Approach
Groundwater-quality samples are collected and analyzed using consistent, standardized methods. Each year, samples are collected from existing domestic and public supply wells in two to three of the 14 major hydrologic basins in New York State (north of the New York City metropolitan area). The groundwater sampling parallels surface-water sampling done as part of the NYSDEC Rotating Integrated Basin Studies (RIBS) program, and each basin is resampled once every five years. Fifty to sixty groundwater samples are collected each year from existing domestic and public supply wells using standard USGS protocols. Wells are selected to represent an approximately equal number of public and private wells, an approximately equal number of bedrock and glacial-drift wells, and to provide a representative geographic distribution of samples. Most private wells selected for sampling are identified through NYSDEC’s Water Well Program.
Raw water samples are analyzed for more than 100 constituents, including physical parameters, dissolved gases (through 2018), nutrients, major ions, trace elements, bacteria, radiochemicals, total organic carbon, volatile organic compounds, and pesticides. As basins are sampled for the second, third, and fourth time, approximately 20 percent of samples are collected from wells that previously have been sampled as part of this study. At the completion of the 2022 sampling season, about 900 unique wells have been sampled as part of this project. The data are made available through the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), as well as USGS Open-File Reports for cycle years 2002 to 2016, and USGS Data Releases for cycle years 2017 to present.
Links
USGS Ground Water and the Rural Homeowner
USEPA Ground Water and Drinking Water
USEPA Private Drinking Water Wells
NYSDEC
NYSDEC Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring
Drinking water standards
USEPA Current Drinking Water Standards
NYSDOH Current Drinking Water Standards
Radon
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Well Selection Information for Homeowners and PWS Personnel
Analytes 2018
Groundwater Sample Collection Methods
305b Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring in New York
- Overview
Relatively little data describing the quality of groundwater in New York State exists, yet groundwater is used as a source of drinking water by approximately one quarter of the population of the state. The objective of the 305(b) Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring project is to quantify and report on ambient groundwater quality from bedrock and glacial-drift aquifers in upstate New York. An ongoing cooperative project between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), this study supports NYSDEC’s responsibilities under Section 305(b) of the Clean Water Act Amendments of 1977. The project began in 2002 with a pilot study in the Mohawk River Basin and another in 2003 in the Chemung River Basin. Sampling completed in 2018 represented the conclusion of the third round of groundwater-quality sampling throughout upstate New York State, and the fourth round will be completed in 2023.
New York State 305(b) Major Basins(Public domain.) Approach
Groundwater-quality samples are collected and analyzed using consistent, standardized methods. Each year, samples are collected from existing domestic and public supply wells in two to three of the 14 major hydrologic basins in New York State (north of the New York City metropolitan area). The groundwater sampling parallels surface-water sampling done as part of the NYSDEC Rotating Integrated Basin Studies (RIBS) program, and each basin is resampled once every five years. Fifty to sixty groundwater samples are collected each year from existing domestic and public supply wells using standard USGS protocols. Wells are selected to represent an approximately equal number of public and private wells, an approximately equal number of bedrock and glacial-drift wells, and to provide a representative geographic distribution of samples. Most private wells selected for sampling are identified through NYSDEC’s Water Well Program.
Raw water samples are analyzed for more than 100 constituents, including physical parameters, dissolved gases (through 2018), nutrients, major ions, trace elements, bacteria, radiochemicals, total organic carbon, volatile organic compounds, and pesticides. As basins are sampled for the second, third, and fourth time, approximately 20 percent of samples are collected from wells that previously have been sampled as part of this study. At the completion of the 2022 sampling season, about 900 unique wells have been sampled as part of this project. The data are made available through the USGS National Water Information System (NWIS), as well as USGS Open-File Reports for cycle years 2002 to 2016, and USGS Data Releases for cycle years 2017 to present.
Links
USGS Ground Water and the Rural Homeowner
USEPA Ground Water and Drinking Water
USEPA Private Drinking Water WellsNYSDEC
NYSDEC Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring
Drinking water standards
USEPA Current Drinking Water Standards
NYSDOH Current Drinking Water Standards
Radon
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Well Selection Information for Homeowners and PWS Personnel
Well Selection Information for Homeowners and PWS PersonnelAnalytes 2018
Samples are analyzed for a wide range of constituents, including physical parameters (such as pH and temperature), nutrients, major ions, trace elements including mercury and arsenic, Coliform bacteria, radon, total organic carbon, volatile organic compounds, and pesticidesGroundwater Sample Collection Methods
Collecting groundwater samples from a typical homeowner well...305b Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring in New York
Introduction Relatively little data describing the quality of groundwater in New York State exists, yet groundwater is used as a source of drinking water by approximately one quarter of the population of the state. The objective of the 305(b) Ambient Groundwater Quality Monitoring project is to quantify and report on ambient groundwater quality from bedrock and glacial-drift aquifers in upsta - Data
- Publications
- Partners