USGS AUTOMATED GROUND-WATER MONITORING PROCESS

AUTOMATED PROCESS FOR MONITORING GROUND - WATER QUALITY USING ESTABLISHED MANUAL SAMPLING PROTOCOLS

(Robowell Patent Award February 8, 2000)

(Robowell Phase II Patent Award August 30, 2005)

ABSTRACT

An automated process for monitoring selected ground-water-quality properties and constituents, by pumping a well or multilevel sampler, was developed and tested to provide a cost effective monitoring system that met protocols expected for manual sampling. This technology has been proven to be a successful alternative to or supplement to manual ground-water quality sampling programs for several applications. Detection of substantial changes or trends in measured water-quality properties and constituents by such a monitoring system could be used to prompt manual measurements to verify changes in water-quality. The automated process can identify changes in ground-water quality on a real-time basis by making measurements on a frequent basis without the cost of sample collection, processing, and analysis.

A prototype is monitoring salt-water intrusion in cooperation with the Provincetown Water Department, the USGS Technology Enterprise Office, and the USGS MA-RI Water Science Center project for Analysis of Water Resources in the Lower Cape Cod Aquifer System. This prototype has been in operation since December 20, 2000.

A prototype was emplaced at Walden Pond State Park, Concord, MA to monitor a potential nutrient plume in ground water. This prototype was in operation between August 1998 and August 1999.

Another prototype was emplaced downgradient of a ground-water remediation site near the Massachusetts Military reservation, Cape Cod MA to monitor geochemical changes caused by the experimental remediation technique. This prototype was in operation between June 1998 and October 1999.

One prototype was installed on sewage-treatment plant infiltration beds that overlie a well-studied unconfined sand and gravel aquifer. The prototype was operated from May 10 to November 13, 1996, and quality-assurance/quality-control measurements demonstrated that the data obtained by the automated method was equivalent to data obtained by manual sampling methods using the same sampling protocols. The prototype detected geochemical changes resulting from the disposal of a pulse of partially treated sewage effluent, and a pulse of sludge-press water that had been limed to immobilize metals as part of the decommissioning of the sewage plant.

INFORMATION

PUBLICATIONS

Barlow, P.M., 2003, Ground water in freshwater-saltwater environments of the Atlantic Coast: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1262, 113 p. Report on-line html version Robowell box

Granato, G.E., and Smith, K.P., 2002, Robowell - Providing accurate and current water-level and water-quality data in real time for protecting the Nation’s ground-water resources: U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-053-02, 6 p. Report On-Line (815 K) PDF File

Granato, G.E., and Smith, K.P., 2001, Automated groundwater monitoring with Robowell--case studies and potential applications: in Jensen, J.O., and Burggraf, L.W., (eds.) Chemical and biological early warning monitoring for water, food, and ground proceedings 4574: Bellingham WA, Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers, Photonics Boston, 28 October 2001, p. 32-41. Report On-Line (205K) PDF File

Granato, G.E., and Smith, K.P., 2000, Robowell--Groundwater Monitoring Technology: in National Environmental Monitoring Technology Conference, Boston, Mass., September, 2000, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (abstract), variously paged. (abstract on line)

Granato, G.E., and Smith, K.P., 1999, Robowell: An automated process for monitoring ground water quality using established sampling protocols: Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation Fall 1999 Issue, v. 19, no. 4, p. 81-89. Report On-Line a (329K) PDF file.

Granato G.E., and Smith, K.P., 1999, Robowell: A reliable and accurate automated data collection process applied to reactive wall monitoring on Cape Cod at the Massachusetts Military Reservation: In Morganwalp, D.W., and Buxton, H.T., eds., 1999, U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program--Proceedings of the Technical Meeting, Charleston, South Carolina, March 8-12, 1999--
Volume 3 -- Subsurface Contamination from Point Sources: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 99-4018C, p. 447-455. Report On-Line a (184K) PDF file.

Masterson, J.P., 2004, Simulated interaction between freshwater and saltwater and effects of ground-water pumping and sea-level change, Lower Cape Cod aquifer system, Massachusetts: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5014, 78 p. Report on-line

Savoie, J.G., Kent, D.B., Smith, R.L., LeBlanc, D.R., Hubble, D.W., 2004, Changes in Ground-Water Quality near Two Granular-Iron Permeable Reactive Barriers in a Sand and Gravel Aquifer, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, 1997–2000: U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 03-4309, 84 p. Report on-line

Smith, K.P., and Granato G.E., 1998. Technology transfer opportunities: Automated ground-water monitoring, a proven technology. U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-122-98, 2 p. Report on-line a (53K) PDF file.

Smith, K.P., and Granato G.E., 1997. Technology transfer opportunities: Automated ground-water monitoring, a proven technology. U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet FS-112-97, 2 p. Report on-line a (14K) PDF file.

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