Water quality of the glacial-outwash aquifer in the Great Miami River Basin, Ohio

The present water-quality conditions of the highly productive glacial-outwash aquifer in the Great Miami River basin of southwestern Ohio are documented by analyses of water from 98 sampling sites.  Localized high concentrations of iron up to 5600 micrograms per liter, ammonia nitrogren as nitrogen up to 11 milligrams per liter, nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen as nitrogen up to 9.8 milligrams per liter, total organic carbon up to 71 milligrams per liter, and dissolved solids up to 1260 milligrams per liter were recorded.  Chloride concentrations in the vicinity of Dayton are higher than those of the surrounding area but do not exceed 100 milligrams per liter.

Changes in the chemical character of the water with time are apparent at some sites, but definitive trends are difficult to establish due to lack of consistent, documented data.  Maps depicting the present distribution of dissolved solids, dissolved iron, dissolved mangenese and total organic carbon are presented.