USGS
Water Resources--Office of Water Quality


CHAPTER A4. (Version 2.0, 9/2006)
COLLECTION OF WATER SAMPLES

This document is available only online in pdf format:

Chapter A4 (Version 2.0, 9/2006) (3 MB)

(Download a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader for free.)

Abstract

Chapter A4 describes preparations and methods for the collection of surface-water, ground-water, and associated quality-control samples. Topics covered in this chapter include procedures to prevent sample contamination, establishing site files, instructions for collecting depth-integrated isokinetic and nonisokinetic samples at flowing-water and still-water sites, and guidelines for collecting formation water from wells having various types of construction and hydraulic and aquifer characteristics.

Contents

Introduction
Purpose and scope
Requirements and recommendations
Field manual review and revision
Acknowledgments

A4. Collection of Water Samples
Revised September 2006. Franceska D. Wilde, Managing Editor

4.0. Responsibilities, field preparations, and preventing sample contamination
4.0.1. Responsibilities and field preparations
4.0.2. Preventing sample contamination

4.1. Surface-water sampling

4.1.1. Site files
4.1.2. Selection of surface-water sampling sites
4.1.3. Sampling at flowing-water and still-water sites

4.2. Ground-water sampling

4.2.1. Site inventory and site files
4.2.2. Considerations for collecting representative samples at wells
4.2.3. Well purging
4.2.4. Steps for sampling at wells

4.3. Quality control
4.3.1. Blank samples
4.3.2. Replicate samples
4.3.3. Spike samples
4.3.4. Reference samples
4.3.5. Blind samples

Conversion factors, selected terms, and abbreviations

Selected references and documents

Appendixes
Appendix A4-A. Transit rate and volume guidelines for isokinetic sampling
Appendix A4-B. Instructions related to measuring water levels at wells, and a sample USGS ground-water-quality field form
Appendix A4-C. Quality-control samples collected by field personnel for water-quality studies
Appendix A4-D. Examples from the National Water-Quality Assessment Program related to protocols for collecting blank samples at ground-water sampling sites

upReturn to National Field Manual Complete Contents Page
nextReturn to Water Quality Information Pages

Submit a question or comment related to this National Field Manual.
Maintainer: Office of Water Quality
Last Modified: Monday, 14-Jan-2008 15:58:35 EST
Privacy Statement || Disclaimer || Accessibility
URL: http://water.usgs.gov/owq/FieldManual/chapter4/html/Ch4_contents.html