Well Selection Information for Homeowners and PWS Personnel
Well Selection Information for Homeowners and PWS Personnel
Homeowner/PWS FAQ's
Why is my well a candidate?
Homeowners - If you received a letter from the USGS about sampling your well, it is a candidate because a well completion report was filed with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation when your well was constructed. The well completion report contains basic information about the well, for example, how deep it is, and what kind of rock it is drilled into. This information helps us understand the results of the water quality tests.
Public Water Suppliers - All public supplies that use ground water in the study area are candidates for sampling.
What is the USGS sampling for?
Because we want a general overview of the ground-water quality, we sample a wide range of properties and compounds, including pH, nutrients, major ions, mercury, volatile organic compounds, trace elements, pesticides, and PFAS. Altogether, we sample more than 100 different compounds.
What information does the USGS need in order to sample my well?
We need to know basic information about the well, such as how deep it is and whether it has a screen or not.
Homeowners - we need to know if your well is the same well, we have a completion report for; this is why we ask when it was drilled and who it was drilled by, etc.
Public Water Suppliers - sometimes we have information from a USGS database and need to try to match this to the wells currently in use. Sometimes we have no information at all and need basic information such as how many wells the WD has and corresponding construction data (depth, diameter, screen placement, etc.) for the wells we are likely to sample. Construction logs are very helpful if they exist. If your town or village is close to the borders of our study area, we need to know the general location of the wells to make sure they are in the study area.
We need to know if we can sample untreated water, preferably as close to the well as possible.
Homeowners - a drain valve (usually a garden-hose type spigot) is almost always installed very close to the pressure tank. There may also be a point of access at the well head or a garden hose spigot outside of the house; these areas are usually where we sample.
Public Water Suppliers - we usually sample at the same location you would use to collect raw samples.
We need to know if there is somewhere to drain excess water. We need access to a drain, typically a sink, sump, or to the ground outside if there a door or window near the spigot (for example a bilco door out of the basement).
What information will I get?
You will get the water quality sample results for your well. When all the data comes in, the NYSDEC will provide a contextualized data report which will include comparisons to the water quality standards and statewide distribution.
Will it cost me anything?
No. All analytical costs are paid for by USGS and NYSDEC. All we need from you is access to the water.
How does the USGS decide which wells to sample?
We choose wells for sampling based on the well information (unconfined, shallow wells) and the surrounding land use.
What will the USGS do with the data?
The USGS will publish the data on Water Data for the Nation (https://waterdata.usgs.gov/) and a USGS ScienceBase data release for PFAS data (https://www.usgs.gov/tools/sciencebase). The data will also be published in an analysis report compiled several years later. Your name will not be included in any of the published data or reports and the wells are only identified by the sequential number on the well completion report.
How long will it take to collect the sample?
USGS personnel will collect the sample, and sampling usually takes 1 to 2 hours. Part of the reason it takes so long is that we need to remove the water that is already in the well. This is because we want to sample ambient groundwater, not water that has been sitting in the well casing.
How do you collect the sample?
The sample is collected using standard USGS protocols. Click here for a general overview of how samples are collected.
When do you collect the sample?
We usually sample Monday through Thursday, from morning through early afternoon.
I have more questions. Who do I contact?
Contact Kaitlyn Finkelstein (USGS Troy) or Sabina Gifford (USGS Troy) if you have more questions.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Analytes 2018
Groundwater Sample Collection Methods
Well Selection Information for Homeowners and PWS Personnel
Homeowner/PWS FAQ's
Why is my well a candidate?
Homeowners - If you received a letter from the USGS about sampling your well, it is a candidate because a well completion report was filed with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation when your well was constructed. The well completion report contains basic information about the well, for example, how deep it is, and what kind of rock it is drilled into. This information helps us understand the results of the water quality tests.
Public Water Suppliers - All public supplies that use ground water in the study area are candidates for sampling.
What is the USGS sampling for?
Because we want a general overview of the ground-water quality, we sample a wide range of properties and compounds, including pH, nutrients, major ions, mercury, volatile organic compounds, trace elements, pesticides, and PFAS. Altogether, we sample more than 100 different compounds.
What information does the USGS need in order to sample my well?
We need to know basic information about the well, such as how deep it is and whether it has a screen or not.
Homeowners - we need to know if your well is the same well, we have a completion report for; this is why we ask when it was drilled and who it was drilled by, etc.
Public Water Suppliers - sometimes we have information from a USGS database and need to try to match this to the wells currently in use. Sometimes we have no information at all and need basic information such as how many wells the WD has and corresponding construction data (depth, diameter, screen placement, etc.) for the wells we are likely to sample. Construction logs are very helpful if they exist. If your town or village is close to the borders of our study area, we need to know the general location of the wells to make sure they are in the study area.
We need to know if we can sample untreated water, preferably as close to the well as possible.
Homeowners - a drain valve (usually a garden-hose type spigot) is almost always installed very close to the pressure tank. There may also be a point of access at the well head or a garden hose spigot outside of the house; these areas are usually where we sample.
Public Water Suppliers - we usually sample at the same location you would use to collect raw samples.
We need to know if there is somewhere to drain excess water. We need access to a drain, typically a sink, sump, or to the ground outside if there a door or window near the spigot (for example a bilco door out of the basement).
What information will I get?
You will get the water quality sample results for your well. When all the data comes in, the NYSDEC will provide a contextualized data report which will include comparisons to the water quality standards and statewide distribution.
Will it cost me anything?
No. All analytical costs are paid for by USGS and NYSDEC. All we need from you is access to the water.
How does the USGS decide which wells to sample?
We choose wells for sampling based on the well information (unconfined, shallow wells) and the surrounding land use.
What will the USGS do with the data?
The USGS will publish the data on Water Data for the Nation (https://waterdata.usgs.gov/) and a USGS ScienceBase data release for PFAS data (https://www.usgs.gov/tools/sciencebase). The data will also be published in an analysis report compiled several years later. Your name will not be included in any of the published data or reports and the wells are only identified by the sequential number on the well completion report.
How long will it take to collect the sample?
USGS personnel will collect the sample, and sampling usually takes 1 to 2 hours. Part of the reason it takes so long is that we need to remove the water that is already in the well. This is because we want to sample ambient groundwater, not water that has been sitting in the well casing.
How do you collect the sample?
The sample is collected using standard USGS protocols. Click here for a general overview of how samples are collected.
When do you collect the sample?
We usually sample Monday through Thursday, from morning through early afternoon.
I have more questions. Who do I contact?
Contact Kaitlyn Finkelstein (USGS Troy) or Sabina Gifford (USGS Troy) if you have more questions.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Analytes 2018