Sandra Eberts
Sandra Eberts is the Director, Earth Systems Processes Division for the USGS Water Resources Mission Area.
Sandra Eberts is the USGS representative to the Source Water Collaborative—30 national organizations united to protect America's sources of drinking water. She is a member of the American Water Works Association Groundwater Committee, the International Joint Commission Science Advisory Board - Research Coordination Committee, and the Great Lakes Coordinating Committee Executive Support Group.
Sandy is a Professional Hydrogeologist. She holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Geology from The Ohio State University and a Certificate in Legislative Studies from Georgetown University. She has been with the USGS for more than 35 years.
Science and Products
The quality of our Nation's waters: factors affecting public-supply-well vulnerability to contamination: understanding observed water quality and anticipating future water quality
TracerLPM (Version 1): An Excel® workbook for interpreting groundwater age distributions from environmental tracer data
Assessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination: Rio Grande aquifer system in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Assessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination—Edwards aquifer near San Antonio, Texas
Modeling the potential impact of seasonal and inactive multi-aquifer wells on contaminant movement to public water-supply wells
Effects of human-induced alteration of groundwater flow on concentrations of naturally-occurring trace elements at water-supply wells
Using Cl/Br ratios and other indicators to assess potential impacts on groundwater quality from septic systems: A review and examples from principal aquifers in the United States
Depth-dependent sampling to identify short-circuit pathways to public-supply wells in multiple aquifer settings in the United States
Assessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination: Glacial aquifer system in Woodbury, Connecticut
Assessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination: Floridan aquifer system near Tampa, Florida
Assessing the Vulnerability of Public-Supply Wells to Contamination: Central Valley Aquifer System near Modesto, California
An Excel Workbook for Identifying Redox Processes in Ground Water
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
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The quality of our Nation's waters: factors affecting public-supply-well vulnerability to contamination: understanding observed water quality and anticipating future water quality
As part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program, a study was conducted from 2001 to 2011 to shed light on factors that affect the vulnerability of water from public-supply wells to contamination (referred to hereafter as “public-supply-well vulnerability”). The study was designed as a follow-up to earlier NAWQA studies that found mixtures of contaminants atAuthorsSandra M. Eberts, Mary Ann Thomas, Martha L. JaguckiTracerLPM (Version 1): An Excel® workbook for interpreting groundwater age distributions from environmental tracer data
TracerLPM is an interactive Excel® (2007 or later) workbook program for evaluating groundwater age distributions from environmental tracer data by using lumped parameter models (LPMs). Lumped parameter models are mathematical models of transport based on simplified aquifer geometry and flow configurations that account for effects of hydrodynamic dispersion or mixing within the aquifer, well bore,AuthorsBryant C. Jurgens, J.K. Böhlke, Sandra M. EbertsAssessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination: Rio Grande aquifer system in Albuquerque, New Mexico
This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well in Albuquerque, New Mexico (hereafter referred to as “the study well”). The study well produces about 3,000 gallons of water per minute from the Rio Grande aquifer system. Water samples were collected at the study well, at two other nearby public-supply wells, and at monitoring wells installed in or near the sAuthorsMartha L. Jagucki, Laura M. Bexfield, Charles E. Heywood, Sandra M. EbertsAssessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination—Edwards aquifer near San Antonio, Texas
This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well field in San Antonio, Texas. The well field consists of six production wells that tap the Edwards aquifer. Typically, one or two wells are pumped at a time, yielding an average total of 20-21 million gallons per day. Water samples were collected from public-supply wells in the well field and from monitoring weAuthorsMartha L. Jagucki, MaryLynn Musgrove, Richard J. Lindgren, Lynne Fahlquist, Sandra M. EbertsModeling the potential impact of seasonal and inactive multi-aquifer wells on contaminant movement to public water-supply wells
Wells screened across multiple aquifers can provide pathways for the movement of surprisingly large volumes of groundwater to confined aquifers used for public water supply (PWS). Using a simple numerical model, we examine the impact of several pumping scenarios on leakage from an unconfined aquifer to a confined aquifer and conclude that a single inactive multi-aquifer well can contribute nearlyAuthorsR.L. Johnson, B.R. Clark, M.K. Landon, L. J. Kauffman, S. M. EbertsEffects of human-induced alteration of groundwater flow on concentrations of naturally-occurring trace elements at water-supply wells
The effects of human-induced alteration of groundwater flow patterns on concentrations of naturally-occurring trace elements were examined in five hydrologically distinct aquifer systems in the USA. Although naturally occurring, these trace elements can exceed concentrations that are considered harmful to human health. The results show that pumping-induced hydraulic gradient changes and artificialAuthorsJ. D. Ayotte, Z. Szabo, M. J. Focazio, S. M. EbertsUsing Cl/Br ratios and other indicators to assess potential impacts on groundwater quality from septic systems: A review and examples from principal aquifers in the United States
A detailed review was made of chemical indicators used to identify impacts from septic tanks on groundwater quality. Potential impacts from septic tank leachate on groundwater quality were assessed using the mass ratio of chloride–bromide (Cl/Br), concentrations of selected chemical constituents, and ancillary information (land use, census data, well depth, soil characteristics) for wells in princAuthorsB. G. Katz, S. M. Eberts, L. J. KauffmanDepth-dependent sampling to identify short-circuit pathways to public-supply wells in multiple aquifer settings in the United States
Depth-dependent water-quality and borehole flow data were used to determine where and how contamination enters public-supply wells (PSWs) at study sites in different principal aquifers of the United States. At each of three study sites, depth-dependent samples and wellbore flow data were collected from multiple depths in selected PSWs under pumping conditions. The chemistry of these depth-dependenAuthorsMatthew K. Landon, Bryant C. Jurgens, Brian G. Katz, Sandra M. Eberts, Karen R. Burow, Christy A. CrandallAssessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination: Glacial aquifer system in Woodbury, Connecticut
This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well in Woodbury, Connecticut. The well typically produces water at the rate of 72 gallons per minute from the glacial aquifer system in the Pomperaug River Basin. Water samples were collected at the public-supply well and at monitoring wells installed in or near the simulated zone of contribution to the supply welAuthorsMartha L. Jagucki, Craig J. Brown, J. Jeffrey Starn, Sandra M. EbertsAssessing the vulnerability of public-supply wells to contamination: Floridan aquifer system near Tampa, Florida
This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well in Temple Terrace, Florida, northeast of Tampa. The well selected for study typically produces water at the rate of 700 gallons per minute from the Upper Floridan aquifer. Water samples were collected at the public-supply well and at monitoring wells installed in or near the simulated zone of contribution to tAuthorsMartha L. Jagucki, Brian G. Katz, Christy A. Crandall, Sandra M. EbertsAssessing the Vulnerability of Public-Supply Wells to Contamination: Central Valley Aquifer System near Modesto, California
This fact sheet highlights findings from the vulnerability study of a public-supply well in Modesto, California. The well selected for study pumps on average about 1,600 gallons per minute from the Central Valley aquifer system during peak summer demand. Water samples were collected at the public-supply well and at monitoring wells installed in the Modesto vicinity. Samples from the public-supplyAuthorsMartha L. Jagucki, Bryant C. Jurgens, Karen R. Burow, Sandra M. EbertsAn Excel Workbook for Identifying Redox Processes in Ground Water
The reduction/oxidation (redox) condition of ground water affects the concentration, transport, and fate of many anthropogenic and natural contaminants. The redox state of a ground-water sample is defined by the dominant type of reduction/oxidation reaction, or redox process, occurring in the sample, as inferred from water-quality data. However, because of the difficulty in defining and applying aAuthorsBryant C. Jurgens, Peter B. McMahon, Francis H. Chapelle, Sandra M. EbertsNon-USGS Publications**
Landon, M.K., Jurgens, B.C., Katz, B.G., Eberts, S.M., Burow, K.R., and Crandall, C.A., 2010, Depth-dependent sampling to identify short-circuit pathways to public-supply wells in multiple aquifer settings in the United States: Hydrogeology Journal, v. 18, no. 3, p. 577-593.Eberts, S.M., Harvey, G.J., Beckman, S.W., and Jones, S.A., 2003, Multiple process assessment for a chlorinated-solvent plume, In Phytoremediation: Transformation and Control of Contaminants, McCutcheon, S.C. and Schnoor, J.L., eds.: New York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc.Eberts, S., Schalk, C., Vose, J. and Harvey, G., 2000, Hydrologic effects of cottonwood trees on a shallow aquifer containing trichloroethene: Hydrological Science and Technology, v. 15, p. 115-121.Bair, E.S., Sheets, R.A., and Eberts, S.M., 1990, Particle-tracking Analysis of flow paths and traveltimes from hypothetical spill sites within the capture area of a wellfield: Ground Water, 28: 884-892. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.1990.tb01724.x.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.