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U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Open-File Report 2008–1165

Field Methods and Quality-Assurance Plan for Quality-of-Water Activities, U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

Prepared in cooperation with the
U.S. Department of Energy DOE/ID-22206

By LeRoy L. Knobel, Betty J. Tucker, and Joseph P. Rousseau

Introduction

Water-quality activities conducted by the staff of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Project Office coincide with the USGS mission of appraising the quantity and quality of the Nation’s water resources. The activities are conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Idaho Operations Office. Results of the water-quality investigations are presented in various USGS publications or in refereed scientific journals. The results of the studies are highly regarded, and they are used with confidence by researchers, regulatory and managerial agencies, and interested civic groups.

In its broadest sense, quality assurance refers to doing the job right the first time. It includes the functions of planning for products, review and acceptance of the products, and an audit designed to evaluate the system that produces the products. Quality control and quality assurance differ in that quality control ensures that things are done correctly given the “state-of-the-art” technology, and quality assurance ensures that quality control is maintained within specified limits.

Contents

Introduction
Field Methods for Quality-of-Water Activities
Quality Assurance for Quality-of-Water Activities
Selected References
Appendix A. Field schedule showing well and pump information and sampling schedules for selected wells and streamflow sites
Appendix B. Data-quality objectives for routine water samples analyzed by the National Water Quality Laboratory
Appendix C. Data-quality objectives for radionuclides in water samples analyzed by the Radiological and Environmental Sciences Laboratory
Appendix D. Data-quality objectives for water samples analyzed by Test America Laboratories
Appendix E. Inventory of water-quality field equipment
Appendix F. Auditor’s checklist for quality-assurance field audits

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Send questions or comments about this report to the author, R.C. Bartholomay, (208) 526-2157.