USGS Georgia Water Science Center
This report is available online in pdf format (1 MB): USGS WRIR 01-4272 ()
David C. Leeth
U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations Report 01-4272, 27 pages (Published 2002)
In 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of the Navy, began an investigation to determine background ground-water quality of the water-table zone of the surficial aquifer and soil chemistry at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Camden County, Georgia, and to compare these data to two abandoned solid-waste disposal areas (referred to by the U.S. Navy as Sites 5 and 16). The quality of water in the water-table zone generally is within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) drinking-water regulation. The pH of ground water in the study area ranged from 4.0 to 7.6 standard units, with a median value of 5.4. Water from 29 wells is above the pH range and 3 wells are within the range of the USEPA secondary drinking-water regulation (formerly known as the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level or SMCL) of 6.5 to 8.5 standard units. Also, water from one well at Site 5 had a chloride concentration of 570 milligrams per liter (mg/L,), which is above the USEPA secondary drinking-water regulation of 250 mg/L. Sulfate concentrations in water from two wells at Site 5 are above the USEPA secondary drinking-water regulation of 250 mg/L.
Of 22 soil-sampling locations for this study, 4 locations had concentrations above the detection limit for either volatile organic compounds (VOCs), base-neutral acids (BNAs), or pesticides. VOCs detected in the study area include toluene in one background sample; and acetone in one background sample and one sample from Site 16—however, detection of these two compounds may be a laboratory artifact. Pesticides detected in soil at the Submarine Base include two degradates of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT): 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (4,4'-DDD) in one background sample, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethene (4,4'-DDE) in one background sample and one sample from Site 16; and dibenzofuran in one sample from Site 16. BNAs were detected in one
Hypothesis testing, using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test (also known as the Mann-Whitney test), indicates no statistical difference between ground-water constituent concentrations from Sites 5 and 16, and background concentrations. Hypothesis testing, however, indicates the concentration of barium in background ground-water samples is greater than in ground-water samples collected at Site 16.
Abstract
Introduction
Purpose and scope
Previous investigations
Description of the study area
Well-naming system
Hydrogeology
Acknowledgments
Methods of investigation
Sampling methods
Laboratory methods
Quality assurance and control
Comparison between background and landfill ground-water quality
Ground-water-level and precipitation data collection
Configuration of the water table at Sites 5 and 16
Soil chemistry
Ground-water quality
Summary
Selected references
This report is available online in pdf format (1 MB): USGS WRIR 01-4272 ()
To view the PDF document, you need the Adobe Acrobat® Reader installed on your computer. (a free copy of the Acrobat® Reader may be downloaded from Adobe Systems Incorporated.)
Recent USGS publications on Georgia or Georgia Water-Resources Information
For more information, please contact webmaster-ga@usgs.gov .
Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices | |