Groundwater Quality Research Active
Groundwater—Our Invisible, Vital Resource
What’s in Our Groundwater?—Current Conditions and Changes
Learn about groundwater quality in Principal Aquifers across the Nation and how it's changed over time
Predicting Groundwater Quality in Unmonitored Areas
See where a contaminant is likely to occur and at what concentration
Is Groundwater Quality Getting Better or Worse?
Use the web-based tool to see how groundwater quality across the Nation has changed over the decades
Every day, millions of gallons of groundwater are pumped to supply drinking water for about 140 million people, almost one-half of the Nation’s population. Learn about the quality and availability of groundwater for drinking, where and why groundwater quality is degraded, and where groundwater quality is changing.
Featured: 3-D Models of As and Mn in the Glacial Aquifer System
New 3-D models from the USGS National Water Quality Program predict where high concentrations of arsenic and manganese likely occur in the glacial aquifer system, groundwater supply for 30 million. Redox conditions and pH are controlling factors.
Groundwater is our invisible, vital resource. The USGS National Water Quality Program (NWQP) is focusing on studies of principal aquifers, regionally extensive aquifers that are critical sources of groundwater used for public supply. The studies have two main thrusts:
- Current conditions and changes through time. These assessments characterize groundwater quality in principal aquifers, comparing concentrations of inorganic constituents, such as arsenic and nitrate, and organic constituents, such as pesticides and volatile organic compounds, to benchmarks established for the protection of human health. Tracking changes in groundwater quality through time and investigating the reasons for these changes is crucial for informing management decisions to protect and sustain our valuable groundwater resources. See how concentrations of metals, nutrients, pesticides, and organic contaminants in groundwater are changing during decadal periods across the Nation, and view real-time fluctuations in groundwater quality.
- Predicting groundwater quality. Statistical models and 3-D characterizations predict where a contaminant is likely to occur in groundwater, at what depth, and at what concentration. These forecasts anticipate water quality in areas where groundwater has not been sampled.
From 1991 to 2010, about 6,600 wells were sampled by the NWQP to document where contaminants occur and to develop an understanding of the natural and human factors that affect the occurrence of contaminants in the Nation’s groundwater. Learn about groundwater quality in the Nation’s principal aquifers, 1991–2010.
Explore USGS science on topics related to groundwater quality:
National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project
Contaminants in groundwater
Arsenic and Drinking Water
Chloride, Salinity, and Dissolved Solids
Emerging Contaminants
Metals and Other Trace Elements
Nutrients and Eutrophication
Pesticides and Water Quality
Radionuclides
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Hydraulic Fracturing
Drinking and source-water quality
Corrosivity
Domestic (private) supply wells
Public-supply wells
Drinking-water taste and odor
Water-Quality Benchmarks for Contaminants
Processes affecting groundwater quality
Groundwater Age
Oxidation/Reduction (Redox)
How do we do it? Access USGS publications and manuals on National Water-Quality Project sampling methods.
Looking for information on surface-water quality as well? Explore these links:
Surface-Water Quality and Ecology
Groundwater/Surface-Water Interaction
Access our most recent groundwater-quality data.
Below, you’ll find the latest in peer-reviewed journal articles and USGS reports on groundwater water-quality issues.
Tritium as an indicator of modern, mixed, and premodern groundwater age
Methane and benzene in drinking-water wells overlying the Eagle Ford, Fayetteville, and Haynesville Shale hydrocarbon production areas
Prediction and visualization of redox conditions in the groundwater of Central Valley, California
Large decadal-scale changes in uranium and bicarbonate in groundwater of the irrigated western U.S
Groundwater quality data from the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, May 2012 through December 2013
Groundwater quality in the Basin and Range Basin-Fill Aquifers, southwestern United States
Groundwater quality in the Coastal Lowlands aquifer system, south-central United States
Groundwater quality in the Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system, southeastern United States
Groundwater quality in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system, eastern United States
Groundwater quality in the Valley and Ridge and Piedmont and Blue Ridge carbonate-rock aquifers, eastern United States
Contaminants present in many parts of the Glacial aquifer system
Are you one of 30 million Americans whose drinking-water supply relies on groundwater from the glacial aquifer system? A new USGS study assesses the quality of untreated groundwater from this critical water resource, which underlies parts of 25 northern U.S. states.
- Overview
Every day, millions of gallons of groundwater are pumped to supply drinking water for about 140 million people, almost one-half of the Nation’s population. Learn about the quality and availability of groundwater for drinking, where and why groundwater quality is degraded, and where groundwater quality is changing.
Featured: 3-D Models of As and Mn in the Glacial Aquifer SystemNew 3-D models from the USGS National Water Quality Program predict where high concentrations of arsenic and manganese likely occur in the glacial aquifer system, groundwater supply for 30 million. Redox conditions and pH are controlling factors.
Groundwater is our invisible, vital resource. The USGS National Water Quality Program (NWQP) is focusing on studies of principal aquifers, regionally extensive aquifers that are critical sources of groundwater used for public supply. The studies have two main thrusts:
- Current conditions and changes through time. These assessments characterize groundwater quality in principal aquifers, comparing concentrations of inorganic constituents, such as arsenic and nitrate, and organic constituents, such as pesticides and volatile organic compounds, to benchmarks established for the protection of human health. Tracking changes in groundwater quality through time and investigating the reasons for these changes is crucial for informing management decisions to protect and sustain our valuable groundwater resources. See how concentrations of metals, nutrients, pesticides, and organic contaminants in groundwater are changing during decadal periods across the Nation, and view real-time fluctuations in groundwater quality.
- Predicting groundwater quality. Statistical models and 3-D characterizations predict where a contaminant is likely to occur in groundwater, at what depth, and at what concentration. These forecasts anticipate water quality in areas where groundwater has not been sampled.
From 1991 to 2010, about 6,600 wells were sampled by the NWQP to document where contaminants occur and to develop an understanding of the natural and human factors that affect the occurrence of contaminants in the Nation’s groundwater. Learn about groundwater quality in the Nation’s principal aquifers, 1991–2010.
Explore USGS science on topics related to groundwater quality:
National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project
Contaminants in groundwater
Arsenic and Drinking Water
Chloride, Salinity, and Dissolved Solids
Emerging Contaminants
Metals and Other Trace Elements
Nutrients and Eutrophication
Pesticides and Water Quality
Radionuclides
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
Hydraulic FracturingDrinking and source-water quality
Corrosivity
Domestic (private) supply wells
Public-supply wells
Drinking-water taste and odor
Water-Quality Benchmarks for ContaminantsProcesses affecting groundwater quality
Groundwater Age
Oxidation/Reduction (Redox)How do we do it? Access USGS publications and manuals on National Water-Quality Project sampling methods.
Looking for information on surface-water quality as well? Explore these links:
Surface-Water Quality and Ecology
Groundwater/Surface-Water Interaction
- Science
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- Data
Access our most recent groundwater-quality data.
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- Publications
Below, you’ll find the latest in peer-reviewed journal articles and USGS reports on groundwater water-quality issues.
Tritium as an indicator of modern, mixed, and premodern groundwater age
Categorical classification of groundwater age is often used for the assessment and understanding of groundwater resources. This report presents a tritium-based age classification system for the conterminous United States based on tritium (3H) thresholds that vary in space and time: modern (recharged in 1953 or later), if the measured value is larger than an upper threshold; premodern (recharged prAuthorsBruce D. Lindsey, Bryant C. Jurgens, Kenneth BelitzFilter Total Items: 45Methane and benzene in drinking-water wells overlying the Eagle Ford, Fayetteville, and Haynesville Shale hydrocarbon production areas
Water wells (n = 116) overlying the Eagle Ford, Fayetteville, and Haynesville Shale hydrocarbon production areas were sampled for chemical, isotopic, and groundwater-age tracers to investigate the occurrence and sources of selected hydrocarbons in groundwater. Methane isotopes and hydrocarbon gas compositions indicate most of the methane in the wells was biogenic and produced by the CO2 reductionAuthorsPeter B. McMahon, Jeannie R. B. Barlow, Mark A. Engle, Kenneth Belitz, Patricia B. Ging, Andrew G. Hunt, Bryant C. Jurgens, Yousif K. Kharaka, Roland W. Tollett, Timothy M. KressePrediction and visualization of redox conditions in the groundwater of Central Valley, California
Regional-scale, three-dimensional continuous probability models, were constructed for aspects of redox conditions in the groundwater system of the Central Valley, California. These models yield grids depicting the probability that groundwater in a particular location will have dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations less than selected threshold values representing anoxic groundwater conditions, or wiAuthorsCelia Z. Rosecrans, Bernard T. Nolan, JoAnn M. GronbergLarge decadal-scale changes in uranium and bicarbonate in groundwater of the irrigated western U.S
Samples collected about one decade apart from 1105 wells from across the U.S. were compiled to assess whether uranium concentrations in the arid climate are linked to changing bicarbonate concentrations in the irrigated western U.S. Uranium concentrations in groundwater were high in the arid climate in the western U.S, where uranium sources are abundant. Sixty-four wells (6%) were above the U.S. EAuthorsKaren R. Burow, Kenneth Belitz, Neil M. Dubrovsky, Bryant C. JurgensGroundwater quality data from the National Water-Quality Assessment Project, May 2012 through December 2013
Groundwater-quality data were collected from 748 wells as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Project of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Program from May 2012 through December 2013. The data were collected from four types of well networks: principal aquifer study networks, which assess the quality of groundwater used for public water supply; land-use study networks, whiAuthorsTerri Arnold, Leslie A. DeSimone, Laura M. Bexfield, Bruce D. Lindsey, Jeannie R. B. Barlow, Justin T. Kulongoski, MaryLynn Musgrove, James A. Kingsbury, Kenneth BelitzGroundwater quality in the Basin and Range Basin-Fill Aquifers, southwestern United States
Groundwater provides nearly 50 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. To help protect this vital resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project assesses groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water. The Basin and Range basin-fill aquifers constitute one of the important areas being evaluated. One or more inorganic consAuthorsMaryLynn Musgrove, Kenneth BelitzGroundwater quality in the Coastal Lowlands aquifer system, south-central United States
Groundwater provides nearly 50 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. To help protect this vital resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project assesses groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water. The Coastal Lowlands aquifer system constitutes one of the important areas being evaluated. One or more inorganic constitAuthorsJeannie R.B. Barlow, Kenneth BelitzGroundwater quality in the Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system, southeastern United States
Groundwater provides nearly 50 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. To help protect this vital resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project assesses groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water. The Southeastern Coastal Plain aquifer system constitutes one of the important areas being evaluated. One or more inorganAuthorsJeannie Barlow, Bruce D. Lindsey, Kenneth BelitzGroundwater quality in the Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system, eastern United States
Groundwater provides nearly 50 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. To help protect this vital resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project assesses groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water. The Northern Atlantic Coastal Plain aquifer system constitutes one of the important areas being evaluated. One or more inAuthorsBruce D. Lindsey, Kenneth BelitzGroundwater quality in the Valley and Ridge and Piedmont and Blue Ridge carbonate-rock aquifers, eastern United States
Groundwater provides nearly 50 percent of the Nation’s drinking water. To help protect this vital resource, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Project assesses groundwater quality in aquifers that are important sources of drinking water. The Valley and Ridge and Piedmont and Blue Ridge carbonate-rock aquifers constitute two of the important areas being evalAuthorsBruce D. Lindsey, Kenneth Belitz - Web Tools
- News
Contaminants present in many parts of the Glacial aquifer system
Are you one of 30 million Americans whose drinking-water supply relies on groundwater from the glacial aquifer system? A new USGS study assesses the quality of untreated groundwater from this critical water resource, which underlies parts of 25 northern U.S. states.
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