Open-File Report 2007–1049
Open-File Report 2007–1049
By Kirk P. Smith
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The covers are available in PDF Format (1,443 KB)
Records of water quantity, water quality, and meteorological parameters were continuously collected from three reservoirs, two primary streams, and four subbasin tributaries in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, drinking-water source area during water year 2005 (October 2004 through September 2005). Water samples were collected during base-flow conditions and storms in the subbasins of the Cambridge Reservoir and Stony Brook Reservoir drainage areas and analyzed for selected elements, organic constituents, suspended sediment, and Escherichia coli bacteria. These data were collected to assist watershed administrators in managing the drinking-water source area and to identify potential sources of contaminants and trends in contaminant loading to the water supply.
Monthly reservoir capacities for the Cambridge Reservoir varied from about 59 to 98 percent during water year 2005, while monthly reservoir capacities for the Stony Brook Reservoir and the Fresh Pond Reservoir were maintained at capacities greater than 84 and 96 percent, respectively. Assuming a water demand of 15 million gallons per day by the city of Cambridge, the volume of water released from the Stony Brook Reservoir to the Charles River during the 2005 water year is equivalent to an annual water surplus of about 119 percent. Recorded precipitation in the source area for the 2005 water year was within 2 inches of the total annual precipitation for the previous 2 water years.
The monthly mean specific conductances for the outflow of the Cambridge Reservoir were similar to historical monthly mean values. However, monthly mean specific conductances for Stony Brook near Route 20, in Waltham (U.S. Geological Survey station 01104460), which is the principal tributary feeding the Stony Brook Reservoir, were generally higher than the medians of the monthly mean specific conductances for the period of record. Similarly, monthly mean specific conductances for a small tributary to Stony Brook (U.S. Geological Survey station 01104455) were generally higher than the medians of the monthly mean specific conductances for the period of record. The annual mean specific conductance for Fresh Pond Reservoir increased from 514 microsiemens per centimeter (µS/cm) in the 2004 water year to 553 µS/cm for the 2005 water year.
Water samples were collected from four tributaries during base-flow and stormflow conditions in December 2004, and July, August, and September 2005 and analyzed for suspended sediment, 6 major dissolved ions, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, 8 total metals, 18 polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 61 pesticides and metabolites, and Escherichia coli bacteria. Concentrations for most dissolved constituents in samples of stormwater were generally lower than the concentrations observed in samples collected during base flow; however, concentrations of total phosphorus, PAHs, suspended sediment, and some total recoverable metals were substantially greater in stormwater samples.
Concentrations of dissolved chloride and total recoverable manganese in water samples collected during base-flow conditions from three tributaries exceeded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) secondary drinking water standards of 250 and 0.05 milligrams per liter (mg/L), respectively. Concentrations of total recoverable manganese exceeded the secondary drinking water standard in samples of stormwater from each tributary. Concentrations of total recoverable iron in water samples exceeded the (USEPA) secondary drinking water standard of 0.3 mg/L periodically in water samples collected at (USEPA) stations 01104415, 01104455, and 01104475, and consistently in all water samples collected at USGS station 01104433.
Concentrations of Escherichia coli bacteria in water samples collected during base flow ranged from 4 to 1,400 colony-forming units per 100 milliliters (col/100mL). Concentrations of Escherichia coli bacteria in composite samples of stormwater ranged between 1,700 to 43,000 col/100mL with the highest concentrations measured at USGS station 01104475.
Fluoranthene and pyrene were the most commonly detected PAHs in water samples collected during base flow. Concentrations of PAH compounds observed in composite samples of stormwater were often as much as an order of magnitude or more than concentrations measured in water samples collected during base flow. Fluoranthene, phenanthrene, and pyrene were the only PAH compounds found in a water sample collected from the Fresh Pond Reservoir intake structure. Concentrations of 16 pesticides and caffeine were measured in water samples collected in four subbasins and in Fresh Pond Reservoir. Caffeine, imidacloprid, and siduron were the most frequently detected compounds. Each of these compounds also was detected in water collected from the Cambridge water-treatment facility raw-water intake at the Fresh Pond Reservoir. Compounds including 3-ketocarbofuran, carbaryl, MCPA, propoxur, siduron, and triclopyr were only detected in water samples of stormwater.
Abstract
Introduction
Purpose and Scope
Description of Monitoring Network
Continuous Data Collection and Computation
Hydrologic Data
Water-Quality Data
Meteorological Data
Sample Collection and Analysis
Presentation of Data
Station History
Streamflow Data
Data Table of Daily Mean Values
Annual Summary Statistics
Reservoir Data
Meteorological and Water-Quality Data
Water-Quality Data
Data for the Cambridge Drinking-Water Source Area
Surface-Water Data
Water-Quality Data
Water Samples
Meteorological Data
References Cited
Glossary
1. Map showing the monitoring network for the Cambridge, Massachusetts, drinking-water source area for water year 2005, eastern Massachusetts
2–10. Graphs showing:
2. The percentage of water supplied from the Hobbs Brook basin relative to the total water entering the Stony Brook Reservoir compared to the percentage of water discharged from the Stony Brook Reservoir to the Charles River relative to the total inflow for water year 2005, eastern Massachusetts
3. Monthly mean reservoir-storage capacities for water year 2005 shown as percent capacity for the Cambridge Reservoir, Stony Brook Reservoir, and Fresh Pond Reservoir, eastern Massachusetts
4. Monthly mean specific conductance for water year 2005 for USGS station 01104430, Hobbs Brook below Cambridge Reservoir near Kendal Green, Massachusetts, compared to the period-of-record maximum and minimum monthly mean specific conductance, and the median monthly specific conductance for water years 1997–2004
5. Monthly mean specific conductance for water year 2005 for USGS station 01104460, Stony Brook at Route 20 at Waltham, Massachusetts, compared to the period-of-record maximum and minimum monthly mean specific conductance, and the median monthly specific conductance for water years 1997–1998 and 2002–2004
6. Daily mean specific-conductance values for USGS station 422302071083801, Fresh Pond Reservoir at Cambridge, Massachusetts, for water year 2005
7. (A) Daily total flows greater than 0.01 million gallons per day, and (B) daily maximum and daily minimum specific conductance values for USGS station 01104415, Cambridge Reservoir, unnamed tributary 2, near Lexington, Massachusetts, for water year 2005
8. Monthly mean specific conductance for water year 2005 for USGS station 01104455, Stony Brook, unnamed tributary 1, near Waltham, Massachusetts, compared to the period-of-record maximum and minimum monthly mean specific conductance, and the median monthly specific conductance for water years 1998–2004
9. Monthly precipitation totals for the Cambridge Reservoir, Stony Brook Reservoir, and Fresh Pond Reservoir in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, drinking-water source area for water year 2005
10. Monthly mean air temperatures for water year 2005 for the Cambridge Reservoir, compared to the period-of-record maximum and minimum monthly mean air temperatures and the median monthly air temperatures for water years 2002–2004, eastern Massachusetts
1. Names, locations, drainage areas, and periods of record for U.S. Geological Survey monitoring stations in the drinking-water source area for Cambridge, Massachusetts, for water year 2005
2. Hydrological, water-quality, and meteorological parameters measured at each continuous-monitoring station during water year 2005, eastern Massachusetts
3. Rating classifications for continuous records of hydrologic, water quality, and meteorological parameters
4. Extreme measurements of physical parameters for U.S. Geological Survey stations in the drinking-water source area for Cambridge, Massachusetts
5. Extreme and median constituent concentrations measured in water samples for U.S. Geological Survey monitoring stations in the drinking-water source area for Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the period of record
6. Characteristics of selected pesticides detected in base-flow and stormflow water samples collected in the Hobbs Brook and Stony Brook Reservoir basins, eastern Massachusetts, for water year 2005
7. Frequency of detection and maximum concentration of selected pesticides detected in base-flow and stormflow water samples collected in the Hobbs Brook and Stony Brook Reservoir basins, eastern Massachusetts, for water year 2005
8. Daily, monthly, and annual statistics for discharge for U.S. Geological Survey stations in the drinking-water source area for Cambridge, Massachusetts, for water year 2005
9. Daily, monthly, and annual statistics for reservoir altitude for U.S. Geological Survey station numbers 01104430, Cambridge Reservoir near Kendal Green, 01104480, Stony Brook Reservoir in Waltham, and 422302071083801, Fresh Pond Reservoir at Cambridge, Massachusetts, for water year 2005.
10. Daily, monthly, and annual statistics for reservoir capacity for U.S. Geological Survey stations 01104430, Hobbs Brook below Cambridge Reservoir near Kendal Green; 01104480, Stony Brook Reservoir in Waltham; and 422302071083801, Fresh Pond Reservoir at Cambridge, Massachusetts, for water year 2005.
11. Daily, monthly, and annual statistics for precipitation for U.S. Geological Survey station numbers 01104430, Cambridge Reservoir near Kendal Green, 01104480, Stony Brook Reservoir in Waltham, and 422302071083801, Fresh Pond Reservoir at Cambridge, water year 2005
12. Daily, monthly, and annual statistics for air temperature for U.S. Geological Survey stations 01104430, Cambridge Reservoir near Kendal Green; 01104480, Stony Brook Reservoir in Waltham; and 422302071083801, Fresh Pond Reservoir at Cambridge, Massachusetts, for water year 2005
13. Daily, monthly, and annual statistics for water temperature for U.S. Geological Survey stations in the drinking-water source area for Cambridge, Massachusetts, for water year 2005
14. Daily, monthly, and annual statistics for specific conductance for U.S. Geological Survey stations in the drinking-water source area for Cambridge, Massachusetts, for water year 2005
15. Physical properties and concentrations of major inorganic constituents, nutrients, trace metals, suspended sediments, Escherichia coli bacteria, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and polar pesticides and metabolites for base-flow and stormflow water samples collected in four subbasins and the Fresh Pond intake structure in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, drinking-water source area for water year 2005
16. Concentrations of Escherichia coli for water samples collected during base flow and storms in four subbasins in the Cambridge, Massachusetts, drinking-water source area for water year 2005
Smith, K.P., 2007, Hydrologic, water-quality, and meteorological data for the Cambridge, Massachusetts, drinking-water source area, water year 2005: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2007–1049, 119 p.
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Director
U.S. Geological Survey,
Massachusetts-Rhode Island Water Science Center
Massachusetts Office
U.S. Geological Survey
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