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Onsite Water Quality Monitoring
NTS drinking water and wastewaters are monitored routinely to ensure
that water quality standards and State of Nevada permit requirements are
met. Such monitoring includes sampling and analyzing water for coliform
bacteria and chemical contaminants (see
Offsite Radiological Monitoring for radionuclides or
radioactivity detected in NTS drinking water).
Three
public water systems
[
PDF, 15 MB] comprised of 6 NTS wells are permitted by the State of
Nevada. Monitoring results indicate that the public water systems and
permitted water hauling trucks used to transport drinking water on the
NTS comply with all drinking water standards (see data table link
below).
To properly manage wastewaters generated on the NTS, the NNSA/NSO
operates several
commercial septic and sewage lagoon systems
[
PDF, 15 MB] permitted by the State of Nevada. Septic systems are
periodically inspected for sediment loading and pumped as required by a
state permitted septic pumping contractor. Waters flowing into permitted
sewage lagoon systems (i.e., influent waters) and standing water in
their lagoons are sampled and analyzed for toxic chemicals. No concentrations
of toxic contaminants in sewage lagoon water have exceeded permit limits. No
toxic contaminants or radionuclides have leached into the groundwater from the
Area 23 Mercury sewage lagoons.
Refer to the most recently published published
Nevada Test Site Environmental Report [
PDF, 15 MB] for a description of all NTS water quality assessment activities and
results.
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