Filling the teflon churn with water sampled from Laramie River near Laramie
Where can I find detailed sampling methods for surface water and groundwater?
The National Field Manual for the Collection of Water-Quality Data (National Field Manual) provides guidelines and standard procedures for USGS personnel who collect data used to assess the quality of the Nation’s surface water and groundwater resources. The manual is published as separate chapters.
Learn more: Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations Reports
Related
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...
Why does my drinking water look cloudy sometimes?
Once in a while you get a glass of water that looks cloudy; maybe milky is a better term. After a few seconds it miraculously clears up! The cloudiness is due to tiny air bubbles in the water. Like any bubbles, the air rises to the top of the water and goes into the air, clearing up the water. The water in the pipes coming into your house might be under a bit of pressure. This causes gases (air)...
Where can I find information about my local drinking water supply?
The best way to learn about your local drinking water quality is to read the annual drinking water quality report/consumer confidence report that water suppliers now send out by July 1 of each year. The reports are often sent out with water bills, but they may be sent separately. The reports tell where drinking water comes from, what contaminants are in it, and at what levels. The U.S...
What can cause our water to have an earthy odor or to smell like rotten eggs?
Naturally-occurring organic compounds are created when plant material decays in lakes and reservoirs. Those organic compounds frequently cause musty, earthy odors, especially toward the end of summer. The odors can be objectionable, but generally are not harmful to health. However, odors can be caused by other constituents as well, so you might want to call your local Health Department and mention...
How is the salinity of Great Salt Lake measured?
The salinity of Great Salt Lake is measured by taking specific gravity and temperature measurements and comparing them to standardized values reported in a table. Specific gravity is measured in the field by testing a water sample with a device very similar to a battery or antifreeze tester. Learn more: Great Salt Lake, Utah
Does the use of pesticides affect our Nation's water quality?
Pesticide use in the United States has increased because not only must we supply our exploding population with food, but crops and food are also grown for export to other countries. The United States has become the largest producer of food products in the world, partly owing to our use of modern chemicals (pesticides) to control the insects, weeds, and other organisms that attack food crops. But...
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...
Filling the teflon churn with water sampled from Laramie River near La
Filling the teflon churn with water sampled from Laramie River near Laramie
A water sample is prepped to be tested for environmental DNA
Laboratory technician Amelia Ulmer filters water collected in the field, to be analyzed for environmental DNA in the laboratory of Dr. Margaret Hunter. This sample was tested for Burmese python eDNA, in a process similar to that developed by Dr. Hunter for manatee eDNA.
Laboratory technician Amelia Ulmer filters water collected in the field, to be analyzed for environmental DNA in the laboratory of Dr. Margaret Hunter. This sample was tested for Burmese python eDNA, in a process similar to that developed by Dr. Hunter for manatee eDNA.
Collecting water samples
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientist collects water samples on Little Lake Butte des Morts, Wisconsin, for contaminants testing.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientist collects water samples on Little Lake Butte des Morts, Wisconsin, for contaminants testing.
USGS scientist collecting a water sample from Boulder Creek, Colorado.
A USGS scientist collecting a water-quality sample from Boulder Creek, Colorado.
A USGS scientist collecting a water-quality sample from Boulder Creek, Colorado.
Water Sampling at Mount Rushmore
USGS scientists take samples of Lafferty Gulch surface water, which was analyzed for perchlorate and metals.
USGS scientists take samples of Lafferty Gulch surface water, which was analyzed for perchlorate and metals.
Water Sampling with a Kemmerer
Sampling surface waters on Lake Michigan using a Kemmerer Water Sampler
Sampling surface waters on Lake Michigan using a Kemmerer Water Sampler
Why Some Public-Supply Wells are More Vulnerable to Contamination Than Others
This video discusses how scientists have tracked what, when, and how contaminants may reach public-supply wells in four aquifers in California, Connecticut, Nebraska, and Florida.
This video discusses how scientists have tracked what, when, and how contaminants may reach public-supply wells in four aquifers in California, Connecticut, Nebraska, and Florida.
Water Sampling at Little River Reservoir, Durham County, NC, 2009.
Ryan Rasmussen and Cassandra Pfeifle, Hydrologic Technicians, collect samples at Little River Reservoir, 2009.
Ryan Rasmussen and Cassandra Pfeifle, Hydrologic Technicians, collect samples at Little River Reservoir, 2009.
Spring Water Sampling
A USGS geologist samples spring water near a gold prospect in the Shotgun Hills, Alaska.
A USGS geologist samples spring water near a gold prospect in the Shotgun Hills, Alaska.
Groundwater sampling
Groundwater sampling on Long Island
Scientist Taking Water Samples
Todd Preston, USGS contract scientist, collecting a surface-water sample from a Prairie Pothole wetland.
Todd Preston, USGS contract scientist, collecting a surface-water sample from a Prairie Pothole wetland.
Related
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...
Why does my drinking water look cloudy sometimes?
Once in a while you get a glass of water that looks cloudy; maybe milky is a better term. After a few seconds it miraculously clears up! The cloudiness is due to tiny air bubbles in the water. Like any bubbles, the air rises to the top of the water and goes into the air, clearing up the water. The water in the pipes coming into your house might be under a bit of pressure. This causes gases (air)...
Where can I find information about my local drinking water supply?
The best way to learn about your local drinking water quality is to read the annual drinking water quality report/consumer confidence report that water suppliers now send out by July 1 of each year. The reports are often sent out with water bills, but they may be sent separately. The reports tell where drinking water comes from, what contaminants are in it, and at what levels. The U.S...
What can cause our water to have an earthy odor or to smell like rotten eggs?
Naturally-occurring organic compounds are created when plant material decays in lakes and reservoirs. Those organic compounds frequently cause musty, earthy odors, especially toward the end of summer. The odors can be objectionable, but generally are not harmful to health. However, odors can be caused by other constituents as well, so you might want to call your local Health Department and mention...
How is the salinity of Great Salt Lake measured?
The salinity of Great Salt Lake is measured by taking specific gravity and temperature measurements and comparing them to standardized values reported in a table. Specific gravity is measured in the field by testing a water sample with a device very similar to a battery or antifreeze tester. Learn more: Great Salt Lake, Utah
Does the use of pesticides affect our Nation's water quality?
Pesticide use in the United States has increased because not only must we supply our exploding population with food, but crops and food are also grown for export to other countries. The United States has become the largest producer of food products in the world, partly owing to our use of modern chemicals (pesticides) to control the insects, weeds, and other organisms that attack food crops. But...
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...
Filling the teflon churn with water sampled from Laramie River near La
Filling the teflon churn with water sampled from Laramie River near Laramie
Filling the teflon churn with water sampled from Laramie River near Laramie
A water sample is prepped to be tested for environmental DNA
Laboratory technician Amelia Ulmer filters water collected in the field, to be analyzed for environmental DNA in the laboratory of Dr. Margaret Hunter. This sample was tested for Burmese python eDNA, in a process similar to that developed by Dr. Hunter for manatee eDNA.
Laboratory technician Amelia Ulmer filters water collected in the field, to be analyzed for environmental DNA in the laboratory of Dr. Margaret Hunter. This sample was tested for Burmese python eDNA, in a process similar to that developed by Dr. Hunter for manatee eDNA.
Collecting water samples
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientist collects water samples on Little Lake Butte des Morts, Wisconsin, for contaminants testing.
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service scientist collects water samples on Little Lake Butte des Morts, Wisconsin, for contaminants testing.
USGS scientist collecting a water sample from Boulder Creek, Colorado.
A USGS scientist collecting a water-quality sample from Boulder Creek, Colorado.
A USGS scientist collecting a water-quality sample from Boulder Creek, Colorado.
Water Sampling at Mount Rushmore
USGS scientists take samples of Lafferty Gulch surface water, which was analyzed for perchlorate and metals.
USGS scientists take samples of Lafferty Gulch surface water, which was analyzed for perchlorate and metals.
Water Sampling with a Kemmerer
Sampling surface waters on Lake Michigan using a Kemmerer Water Sampler
Sampling surface waters on Lake Michigan using a Kemmerer Water Sampler
Why Some Public-Supply Wells are More Vulnerable to Contamination Than Others
This video discusses how scientists have tracked what, when, and how contaminants may reach public-supply wells in four aquifers in California, Connecticut, Nebraska, and Florida.
This video discusses how scientists have tracked what, when, and how contaminants may reach public-supply wells in four aquifers in California, Connecticut, Nebraska, and Florida.
Water Sampling at Little River Reservoir, Durham County, NC, 2009.
Ryan Rasmussen and Cassandra Pfeifle, Hydrologic Technicians, collect samples at Little River Reservoir, 2009.
Ryan Rasmussen and Cassandra Pfeifle, Hydrologic Technicians, collect samples at Little River Reservoir, 2009.
Spring Water Sampling
A USGS geologist samples spring water near a gold prospect in the Shotgun Hills, Alaska.
A USGS geologist samples spring water near a gold prospect in the Shotgun Hills, Alaska.
Groundwater sampling
Groundwater sampling on Long Island
Scientist Taking Water Samples
Todd Preston, USGS contract scientist, collecting a surface-water sample from a Prairie Pothole wetland.
Todd Preston, USGS contract scientist, collecting a surface-water sample from a Prairie Pothole wetland.
Updated Date: March 25, 2025