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.

A patented automated ground-water monitoring technology has been developed and tested by the U.S.Geological Survey (USGS) under a grant from the USGS Technology Enterprise Office. This USGS automated ground-water monitoring process was developed and tested by the USGS to provide a method for monitoring ground-water quality that meets accepted manual sampling protocols without incurring high labor and laboratory costs associated with frequent manual sampling efforts. Since December 1994, six prototype monitoring-units have been developed and tested at one time or another. The units have sampled water during all four seasons of the year under various hydrogeologic conditions, well designs, and geochemical environments. This automated ground-water monitoring technology has been tested and proven in several applications for interpretive projects in the Massachusetts District of the USGS, and for projects in the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program. The automated process, the equipment used to implement the prototype systems, and results of a quality-assurance and quality-control (QA/QC) program are described using three case studies from diverse study sites in Massachusetts. Project publications and information about technology transfer opportunities are available on the internet at http://ma.water.usgs.gov/automon/

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