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S. J. Grady

Publications and source records attributed to S. J. Grady.

11 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2001

Occurrence and distribution of methyl tert-butyl ether and other volatile organic compounds in drinking water in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States, 1993-98

Data on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in drinking water supplied by 2,110 randomly selected community water systems (CWSs) in 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States indicate 64 VOC analytes were detected at least once during 1993-98. Selection of the 2,110 CWSs inventoried for this study targeted 20 percent of the 10,479 active CWSs in the region and represented a random subset of the total distribution by State, source of water, and size of system. The data include 21,635 analyses of drinking water collected for compliance monitoring under the Safe Drinking Water Act; the data mostly represent finished drinking water collected at the pointof- entry to, or at more distal locations within, each CWS?s distribution system following any watertreatment processes. VOC detections were more common in drinking water supplied by large systems (serving more than 3,300 people) that tap surface-water sources or both surface- and groundwater sources than in small systems supplied exclusively by ground-water sources. Trihalomethane (THM) compounds, which are potentially formed during the process of disinfecting drinking water with chlorine, were detected in 45 percent of the randomly selected CWSs. Chloroform was the most frequently detected THM, reported in 39 percent of the CWSs. The gasoline additive methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was the most frequently detected VOC in drinking water after the THMs. MTBE was detected in 8.9 percent of the 1,194 randomly selected CWSs that analyzed samples for MTBE at any reporting level, and it was detected in 7.8 percent of the 1,074 CWSs that provided MTBE data at the 1.0-?g/L (microgram per liter) reporting level. As with other VOCs reported in drinking water, most MTBE concentrations were less than 5.0 ?g/L, and less than 1 percent of CWSs reported MTBE concentrations at or above the 20.0-?g/L lower limit recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency?s Drinking-Water Advisory. The frequency of MTBE detections in drinking water is significantly related to high- MTBE-use patterns. Detections are five times more likely in areas where MTBE is or has been used in gasoline at greater than 5 percent by volume as part of the oxygenated or reformulated (OXY/RFG) fuels program. Detection frequencies of the individual gasoline compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX)) were mostly less than 3 percent of the randomly selected CWSs, but collectively, BTEX compounds were detected in 8.4 percent of CWSs. BTEX concentrations also were low and just three drinkingwater samples contained BTEX at concentrations exceeding 20 ?g/L. Co-occurrence of MTBE and BTEX was rare, and only 0.8 percent of CWSs reported simultaneous detections of MTBE and BTEX compounds. Low concentrations and cooccurrence of MTBE and BTEX indicate most gasoline contaminants in drinking water probably represent nonpoint sources. Solvents were frequently detected in drinking water in the 12-State area. One or more of 27 individual solvent VOCs were detected at any reporting level in 3,080 drinking-water samples from 304 randomly selected CWSs (14 percent) and in 206 CWSs (9.8 percent) at concentrations at or above 1.0 ?g/L. High co-occurrence among solvents probably reflects common sources and the presence of transformation by-products. Other VOCs were relatively rarely detected in drinking water in the 12-State area. Six percent (127) of the 2,110 randomly selected CWSs reported concentrations of 16 VOCs at or above drinking-water criteria. The 127 CWSs collectively serve 2.6 million people. The occurrence of VOCs in drinking water was significantly associated (p<0.0001) with high population- density urban areas. New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, States with substantial urbanization and high population density, had the highest frequency of VOC detections among the 12 States. More than two-thirds of the randomly selected CWSs in New Jersey reported detecting VOC concentrations in drinking water at or above 1

Water-Resources Investigations Report↗
USGS1993

Effects of land use on quality of water in stratified-drift aquifers in Connecticut

Activities associated with agricultural, residential, commercial, and industrial land uses have affected water quality in 4 stratified-drift aquifers in Connecticut. Water-quality data from 116 shallow wells were segregated by land use. Nonparametric statistical analysis indicate that 27 water-quality variables differ at the 0.05 significance level for samples from at least one land-use area. Most constituent concentrations or detection frequencies are lowest in samples from undeveloped areas. Groundwater quality is more adversely affected in tilled than untilled agricultural areas. Twenty percent of wells in tilled areas yielded water with nitrogen concentrations > 10 mg/L. Atrazine was detected in one-third of the wells in tilled areas. Median concentrations of most inorganic constituents are higher in sewered than in unsewered residential areas. One or more of 17 volatile organic compounds were detected in 62 percent of wells in unsewered areas. Chloroform was detected in sewered areas significantly more often than in undeveloped, tilled agricultural, and unsewered residential areas. Water beneath commercial areas is most adversely affected. Median sodium, chloride, and dissolved solids concentrations are highest in samples from commercial areas. Tetrachloroethylene was detected in 50 percent of wells in commercial areas at concentrations up to 1,300 microg/L. Trichloroethylene and 1,2-transdichloroethylene were found in more than 40 percent of wells in commercial areas. In industrial areas, 91% of the wells sampled contained 1 or more of 12 volatile organic compounds. Chloroform was the most commonly detected compound followed by tetrachloroethylene and 1,1,1-trichloroethane. (USGS)

Connecticut↗
USGS1988

Preliminary appraisal of the effects of land use on water quality in stratified-drift aquifers in Connecticut

The stratified-drift aquifers that underlie 7.9 sq mi of the Potatuck and 12.7 sq mi of the Pomperaug River valley, CT, consist primarily of sand and gravel deposits up to 150 ft thick. Average horizontal hydraulic conductivity of the stratified drift ranges from 20 to 170 ft/day, and groundwater flows through the aquifers at an average rate of 2 to 3 ft/day. Land use in the study areas is changing from primarily undeveloped or agricultural lands to expanding residential, commercial, and light-industrial uses. Water quality data for 1923-82, that include 127 partial chemical analyses of groundwater samples from 38 wells in the two aquifers, were augmented by sampling during 1985 from 21 new stainless-steel wells for selected major inorganic constituents, trace elements, and organic chemicals. Nonparametric statistical procedures were used to compare the water quality data from four land use areas, for the two sampling periods, and between the two aquifers. Human activities associated with agricultural, residential, and industrial/commercial land uses have affected the quality of water in the stratified-drift aquifers underlying these land use areas. Statistical comparisons of water quality data between land use areas show significant differences, with the apparent relations between land use and groundwater being: (1) Median concentrations of most groundwater constituents are smallest in undeveloped areas; (2) Groundwater in agricultural areas has the largest median sulfate and total ammonia plus organic nitrogen concentrations. Agricultural areas are also characterized by groundwater with significantly greater median specific conductance, noncarbonate hardness, carbon dioxide, and magnesium concentrations relative to undeveloped areas; (3) Median concentrations of most major inorganic constituents, excluding potassium, sulfate, and total ammonia plus organic nitrogen, are greater in groundwater in residential areas than in undeveloped and agricultural areas. (4) Groundwater in industrial/commercial areas has the greatest median specific conductance, pH, carbon dioxide, calcium, magnesium, chloride bicarbonate, dissolved solids, boron, and strontium concentrations. (Author 's abstract)

Connecticut↗
USGS1983

Hydrogeologic evaluation of selected stratified-drift deposits in Connecticut

Test borings at 28 sites and seismic-refraction profiles at 16 sites provide data on the saturated thickness and grain-size characteristics of stratified-drift deposits in five areas of Connecticut. These data, together with information on the areal extent of the deposits and their proximity to sources of induced recharge, can be used to estimate the water-yielding potential of the stratified-drift deposits. Individual wells could potentially yield moderate to possibly very large quantities of water (50 to 2000 gallons per minute) at some locations in all five areas where saturated, dominantly coarse-grained stratified drift is 40 feet thick or greater and hydraulically connected to nearby surface-water bodies. Coarse-grained stratified drift is most extensive in the Glastonbury, Haddam, and Simsbury, Connecticut areas. Saturated thickness exceeds 150 feet in parts of the Glastonbury and Haddam areas, but is less than 100 feet in most places. The best sites for developing large quantities of water are in the Glastonbury and Haddam areas where thick, saturated, coarse-grained stratified drift is hydraulically connected to the Connecticut River. Water in the stratified drift is generally of good chemical quality except for excessive iron (0.64 to 20 mg/L) and manganese (0.1 to 10 mg/L) in some samples.

Connecticut↗