Triangle Area, NC, Water Supply Monitoring Active
The Research Triangle area, located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River basins, is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the Nation. Growth has increased demand for water from public suppliers, the majority of which draw water from streams and lakes in the region. Growth also brings the threat of greater loads of contaminants and new contaminant sources that, if not properly managed, could adversely affect water quality.
In 1988, several local governments, with assistance from Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), formed the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project. With cooperative assistance from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Project has tracked water-quality conditions and trends in many of the area's water-supply reservoirs, rivers, and selected tributaries since October 1988.
Background:
Concerns about lake eutrophication and contaminants that affect drinking-water quality have remained major priorities since the Project began. Additional concerns have been addressed as they arose. For example, pesticides and PCBs, pharmaceutical compounds, disinfection by-products, microbial pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, mercury, and cyanotoxins have all been investigated during previous phases, and a series of USGS reports have been published to summarize the results. The sustainability of water supplies depends on water availability as well as water quality; therefore, 10 streamflow-gaging stations are also supported by the Project.
New public health concerns have recently emerged in the Triangle area related to probable carcinogens in drinking water. Higher levels of bromide, 1,4-dioxane, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been previously reported in portions of the Cape Fear River basin; however, information is lacking for many of the water-supply sources in the Triangle area. Bromide supports the formation of brominated trihalomethanes. 1,4-dioxane is an organic solvent that is a probable human carcinogen, and evidence is emerging regarding the negative health impacts of PFAS exposure as well. Water suppliers need additional information about these constituents; therefore, the USGS is investigating their occurrence and distribution in Triangle area water supplies while continuing the long-term monitoring program for conventional water-quality constituents.
Objective:
The project currently is in Phase IX, which spans the period July 2022-June 2027. Water-quality and hydrologic monitoring from Phase VIII will continue, with the addition of constituents of current concern to municipal water suppliers. Specific objectives for Phase IX are to:
- Continue monitoring major ions, nutrients, suspended sediment, and chlorophyll-a to document water-quality conditions throughout the study area and to provide data that can be used in the future to quantify loads to water-supply reservoirs and evaluate water-quality trends.
- Investigate additional constituents of concern to local water suppliers, including bromide, 1,4-dioxane, and PFAS.
- Operate a network of 10 continuous-streamflow stations and make the data available in real time.
Approach:
The USGS samples nine water-supply reservoir sites and four stream sites six times per year. Dissolved oxygen, pH, water temperature, specific conductance, turbidity, nutrients, major ions (including bromide), 1,4-dioxane, and PFAS are sampled at all sites (PFAS sampling will be conducted for one year only). In addition, suspended sediment is monitored at stream sites. Chlorophyll, water clarity, iron, and manganese are measured at water-supply reservoir sites. Eight additional streams in the study area are sampled by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as part of their Ambient Monitoring System. The USGS samples 12 of these sites during selected storm events on a rotational basis to quantify concentrations at high flows. As part of this project, the USGS also operates continuous-record streamflow gaging stations at 10 stream sites.
Quality-assurance measures include the use of clean sampling techniques, collection of numerous quality-control samples, and extensive data review. Samples are analyzed by the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, and the USGS Eastern Region Sediment Laboratory in Louisville, Kentucky. All data are permanently stored and made available to the public online through the USGS National Water Information System.
Awards:
The project received a 2017 National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Innovation Award, which honors creative approaches to advancing regional community and economic development and improved quality of life. (2017 NADO Innovation Award Winners)
Sampling Locations:
Release Date: 1/26/2017
Below are data releases associated with this project.
Associated data for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina, October 2019 - September 2022
Associated data for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina, October 2017 - September 2019
Associated Data for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina, October 2015 - September 2017
Below are publications associated with this project.
Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Overview of hydrologic and water-quality monitoring activities and data quality assurance
Phytoplankton, taste-and-odor compounds, and cyanotoxin occurrence in four water-supply reservoirs in the Triangle area of North Carolina, April–October 2014
Occurrence and distribution of mercury in streams and reservoirs in the Triangle Area of North Carolina, July 2007–June 2009
Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Summary of monitoring activities, quality assurance, and data, October 2017–September 2019
Triangle area water supply monitoring project, North Carolina-Summary of monitoring activities, quality assurance, and data, October 2015–September 2017
Trends in water quality of selected streams and reservoirs used for water supply in the Triangle area of North Carolina, 1989–2013
Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Summary of monitoring activities, quality assurance, and data, October 2013–September 2015
Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle Area of North Carolina, water years 2012–13
Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water years 2010-11
Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water year 2009
Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water year 2008
Occurrence of Organic Wastewater Compounds in Selected Surface-Water Supplies, Triangle Area of North Carolina, 2002-2005
Below is a map and data links associated with this project.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
The Research Triangle area, located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River basins, is one of the most rapidly developing areas in the Nation. Growth has increased demand for water from public suppliers, the majority of which draw water from streams and lakes in the region. Growth also brings the threat of greater loads of contaminants and new contaminant sources that, if not properly managed, could adversely affect water quality.
In 1988, several local governments, with assistance from Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG), formed the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project. With cooperative assistance from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the Project has tracked water-quality conditions and trends in many of the area's water-supply reservoirs, rivers, and selected tributaries since October 1988.
Background:
Concerns about lake eutrophication and contaminants that affect drinking-water quality have remained major priorities since the Project began. Additional concerns have been addressed as they arose. For example, pesticides and PCBs, pharmaceutical compounds, disinfection by-products, microbial pathogens such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, mercury, and cyanotoxins have all been investigated during previous phases, and a series of USGS reports have been published to summarize the results. The sustainability of water supplies depends on water availability as well as water quality; therefore, 10 streamflow-gaging stations are also supported by the Project.
New public health concerns have recently emerged in the Triangle area related to probable carcinogens in drinking water. Higher levels of bromide, 1,4-dioxane, and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been previously reported in portions of the Cape Fear River basin; however, information is lacking for many of the water-supply sources in the Triangle area. Bromide supports the formation of brominated trihalomethanes. 1,4-dioxane is an organic solvent that is a probable human carcinogen, and evidence is emerging regarding the negative health impacts of PFAS exposure as well. Water suppliers need additional information about these constituents; therefore, the USGS is investigating their occurrence and distribution in Triangle area water supplies while continuing the long-term monitoring program for conventional water-quality constituents.
Objective:
The project currently is in Phase IX, which spans the period July 2022-June 2027. Water-quality and hydrologic monitoring from Phase VIII will continue, with the addition of constituents of current concern to municipal water suppliers. Specific objectives for Phase IX are to:
- Continue monitoring major ions, nutrients, suspended sediment, and chlorophyll-a to document water-quality conditions throughout the study area and to provide data that can be used in the future to quantify loads to water-supply reservoirs and evaluate water-quality trends.
- Investigate additional constituents of concern to local water suppliers, including bromide, 1,4-dioxane, and PFAS.
- Operate a network of 10 continuous-streamflow stations and make the data available in real time.
Approach:
The USGS samples nine water-supply reservoir sites and four stream sites six times per year. Dissolved oxygen, pH, water temperature, specific conductance, turbidity, nutrients, major ions (including bromide), 1,4-dioxane, and PFAS are sampled at all sites (PFAS sampling will be conducted for one year only). In addition, suspended sediment is monitored at stream sites. Chlorophyll, water clarity, iron, and manganese are measured at water-supply reservoir sites. Eight additional streams in the study area are sampled by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) as part of their Ambient Monitoring System. The USGS samples 12 of these sites during selected storm events on a rotational basis to quantify concentrations at high flows. As part of this project, the USGS also operates continuous-record streamflow gaging stations at 10 stream sites.
Quality-assurance measures include the use of clean sampling techniques, collection of numerous quality-control samples, and extensive data review. Samples are analyzed by the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, and the USGS Eastern Region Sediment Laboratory in Louisville, Kentucky. All data are permanently stored and made available to the public online through the USGS National Water Information System.
Awards:
The project received a 2017 National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Innovation Award, which honors creative approaches to advancing regional community and economic development and improved quality of life. (2017 NADO Innovation Award Winners)
Sampling Locations:
Release Date: 1/26/2017
- Data
Below are data releases associated with this project.
Associated data for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina, October 2019 - September 2022
The U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments in North Carolina have partnered together to track water quality and quantity conditions in several of the area’s water-supply reservoirs and streams, known as the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project (TAWSMP). This data release contains the associated data described in the Open-File Report, "Triangle Area Water Supply MonitAssociated data for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina, October 2017 - September 2019
These datasets contain information used to compile the report (USGS OFR 2020-xxxx). It contains water-quality data, analytical results of field blanks, and analytical results for environmental and replicate sample sets for surface-water samples collected during water years 2018 and 2019 for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Program (TAWSMP).Associated Data for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina, October 2015 - September 2017
These datasets contain information used to compile the report (USGS OFR 2019-xxxx). It contains water-quality data, analytical results of field blanks, and analytical results for environmental and replicate sample sets for surface-water samples collected during water years 2016 and 2017 for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Program (TAWSMP). - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 18Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Overview of hydrologic and water-quality monitoring activities and data quality assurance
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have participated in a cooperative effort, known as the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, to track water-quality and quantityAuthorsJ.C. Diaz, R.M. FanelliPhytoplankton, taste-and-odor compounds, and cyanotoxin occurrence in four water-supply reservoirs in the Triangle area of North Carolina, April–October 2014
Prior to 2014, local utilities and State agencies monitored for cyanotoxins and taste-and-odor (T&O) compounds and reported occasional detections in three water-supply reservoirs in Wake County, North Carolina. Comparable data for cyanotoxins and T&O compounds were lacking for other water-supply reservoirs in the Triangle area of North Carolina. This report assesses whether cyanotoxins and T&O comAuthorsCeleste A. Journey, Anna M. McKee, Jessica C. DiazOccurrence and distribution of mercury in streams and reservoirs in the Triangle Area of North Carolina, July 2007–June 2009
During the time period 2001–2006, the U.S. Geological Survey reported mercury-concentration measurements that exceeded the North Carolina water-quality criterion (NCWQC) of 0.012 microgram per liter for total recoverable mercury in streams and reservoirs across the Triangle Area of North Carolina. Mercury data were sparse, however, generally consisting of only one or two water samples per year. AdAuthorsAnna M. McKee, Sharon Fitzgerald, Mary J. GiorginoTriangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Summary of monitoring activities, quality assurance, and data, October 2017–September 2019
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collAuthorsCassandra A. Pfeifle, Jessica L. Cain, Ryan B. RasmussenTriangle area water supply monitoring project, North Carolina-Summary of monitoring activities, quality assurance, and data, October 2015–September 2017
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collAuthorsCassandra A. Pfeifle, Jessica L. Cain, Ryan B. RasmussenTrends in water quality of selected streams and reservoirs used for water supply in the Triangle area of North Carolina, 1989–2013
As the population of the Triangle area in central North Carolina increases, the demand for good quality drinking water from streams and lakes within the upper Neuse and upper Cape Fear River Basins also increases. The Triangle area includes Raleigh, Cary, Research Triangle Park, Durham, Chapel Hill, and the surrounding communities. The U.S. Geological Survey examined temporal trends in water qualiAuthorsMary J. Giorgino, Thomas F. Cuffney, Stephen L. Harden, Toby D. FeasterTriangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, North Carolina—Summary of monitoring activities, quality assurance, and data, October 2013–September 2015
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collAuthorsC.A. Pfeifle, J.L. Cain, R.B. RasmussenQuality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle Area of North Carolina, water years 2012–13
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collAuthorsC.A. Pfeifle, J.L. Cain, R.B. RasmussenQuality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water years 2010-11
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collAuthorsC.A. Pfeifle, J.L. Cain, R.B. RasmussenQuality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water year 2009
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collectedAuthorsC. A. Pfeifle, M. J. Giorgino, R. B. RasmussenQuality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water year 2008
Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area's water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collectedAuthorsM. J. Giorgino, R.B. Rasmussen, C.A. PfeifleOccurrence of Organic Wastewater Compounds in Selected Surface-Water Supplies, Triangle Area of North Carolina, 2002-2005
Selected organic wastewater compounds, such as household, industrial, and agricultural-use compounds, sterols, pharmaceuticals, and antibiotics, were measured at eight sites classified as drinking-water supplies in the Triangle Area of North Carolina. From October 2002 through July 2005, seven of the sites were sampled twice, and one site was sampled 28 times, for a total of 42 sets of environmentAuthorsM. J. Giorgino, R.B. Rasmussen, C.M . Pfeifle - Web Tools
Below is a map and data links associated with this project.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.