Overview of USGS Groundwater Quality Assessment Activities and Related Data in

Alabama2011 Alabama Water Resources Conference

September 9, 2011, Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach, AlabamaRichard Moreland, USGS, Montgomery, Alabama

Groundwater Projects

National Studies National Water Quality Assessment Program

(NAWQA)

Cooperative Programs Occurrence of Pesticides in Groundwater in Areas

of Intense Row Crop Production in Alabama, 2009• Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries

Capitol City Plume EPA

USGS Alabama WSC

Groundwater Projects

Cooperative Programs – cont. Groundwater networks

Active ground-water levels Real-time data Climate Response Network

National Water Quality Assessment Program

Montgomery Urban Land Use Study• 30 wells sampled in 1999

• Tape downs annually on all wells

• Subset of five wells plus one reference well sampled biannually for trend analysis

Mobile Urban Land Use Study 31 wells drilled in 2010 Sampled in 2011 – full suite of QW constituents

(Nutrients, trace metals, pesticides, VOCs, bacteria)

Lower Tennessee River Basin Agricultural groundwater study 30 wells originally sampled in 1999 Subset of 5 wells sampled biannually for

trend analysis

National Water Quality Assessment Program

Montgomery Urban Land Use Study

Resampled this past May.

Waiting for results.

21

3

10

2017

5

Mobile Urban Land Use Study

30 wells targeting residential/light commercial land use.

First round of sampling ongoing

VOC’s, pesticides, nutrients, major ions, trace elements, DOC, age dating.

Occurrence of Pesticides in GW in Areas of Intense Row Crop Production

Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries – Pesticide Management Branch

Occurrence of Pesticides in GW in Areas of Intense Row Crop Production

Purpose and Scope Multi-year study – initial sampling in FY09 Evaluate trends in detection frequencies and

concentrations of pesticides in GW near areas of high-intensity row crop production.

Sample 15 wells in three areas of state.• Northern Alabama

• Southeast Alabama

• Baldwin County

Samples analyzed for temperature, specific conductance, DO, pH, and pesticides.

Sampling sites – Southeast Alabama

Occurrence of Pesticides in GW in Areas of Intense Row Crop Production

Results Samples analyzed for 87 filtered pesticides and

pesticide degradates using GC/MS Three most frequently detected cpds

• Atrazine -- in 9 wells

• CIAT 2-Chloro-4-isopropylamino-6-amino-s-triazine - 9 wells

• Metolachor – in 8 wells

Highest number of pesticides detected Well 1 and 4 (13 cpd), Well 5 (10 cpd), Well 3 (9 cpd), & Well 2

and Well 6 (8cpd)

Occurrence of Pesticides in GW in Areas of Intense Row Crop Production

Results – continued

Highest concentration for any analyte – 4.30 ug/L for metolachlor in well 15 in Baldwin Co. (4.08 ug/L 2009)

Capitol City Plume MonitoringU.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Capitol City Plume Monitoring

• Capitol City Plume is an area of groundwater contamination identified in downtown Montgomery, Alabama.

• The main contaminant of concern in the plume is tetrachloroethylene (PCE). PCE is an organic compound commonly used in dry-cleaning and degreasing.

• The site is listed on the National Priorities List and is currently being evaluated for potential remediation strategies by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• USGS has provided Capitol City Plume monitoring data to the USEPA in support of the remediation investigation, led by Dr. James Landmeyer South Carolina WSC.

Capitol City Plume Monitoring• USGS collected samples for analysis of

dissolved gases for assessment of groundwater age.

• Samples were collected from the same 13 wells sampled in 2009.

• In 2011 numerous GORE passive vapor sampling modules were installed.

• Five nested soil vapor monitor wells installed near one of suspected sources.

Capitol City Plume Monitoring

• 13 existing monitoring wells were sampled in spring 2010

• Samples collected for age dating

Atmospheric mixing ratios of CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113, and SF6 in North American air.

SF6 and CFC data show groundwater ages range from 1952 to 2009.

PCE

BTEX

Groundwater Networks

Active Ground-Water Level Network

Active Well Count

Real-Time: 1,222 Daily: 1,185 Periodic: 16,833

Active Ground-Water Level Network

Real-Time Ground-Water Level Network

Real-Time Ground-Water Level Network

Real-Time Ground-Water Level Network Well Count: 1,222

Alabama Real-Time Network

Alabama Climate Response Network

Alabama Real-Time NetworkMadison County

Alabama Real-Time NetworkMontgomery 3 Well

Montgomery Water Works and Sanitary Sewer Board

Daily Ground-Water Data Most recent Provisional daily data value: 30.12 on 09/05/11

Montgomery 3 Well

Well Depth: 270 feet

Local Aquifer: Eutaw Formation

Current water level: 30.12 ft. below land surface (9-5-2011)

Record low: 30.77 ft. below land surface

Period of Record :

August, 1952 to Present

Questions??

Annual Data Reports http://wdr.water.usgs.gov/

Alabama WSC Web Addresshttp://al.water.usgs.gov

Richard MorelandUSGS Alabama Water Science Center

rsmore@usgs.gov