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Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water years 2010-11

Open-File Report 2016-1002
Prepared in cooperation with the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project Steering Committee
By: , , and 
https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161002

Links

  • Document: Report (2.65 MB pdf)
  • Appendixes:
    • Appendix 1 (26.9KB xlsx) Analytical results for blanks collected during surface-water sampling at the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project
      study sites, North Carolina, October 2009 through September 2011
    • Appendix 2 (31.9 KB xlsx) Analytical results for the environmental and replicate sample sets collected at the
      Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project study sites, North Carolina, October 2009 through September 2011
    • Appendix 3 (111 KB xlsx) Water-quality data for surface-water samples collected from October 2009 through September 2011
      at the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project study sites, North Carolina
    • Appendix 4 (24.5 KB xlsx) Chemical constituents and physical properties analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory
      for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, and the methods used for sample analyses, October 2009 through September 2011
    • Table 3 (72.1 KB xlsx) Summary of water-quality results for sampling sites in the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project,
      October 2009 through September 2011
  • Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core

Abstract

Surface-water supplies are important sources of drinking water for residents in the Triangle area of North Carolina, which is located within the upper Cape Fear and Neuse River Basins. Since 1988, the U.S. Geological Survey and a consortium of local governments have tracked water-quality conditions and trends in several of the area’s water-supply lakes and streams. This report summarizes data collected through this cooperative effort, known as the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project, during October 2009 through September 2010 (water year 2010) and October 2010 through September 2011 (water year 2011). Major findings for this data-collection effort include

  • Annual precipitation was approximately 4 percent above the long-term mean (average) annual precipitation in 2010 and approximately 6 percent below the long-term mean in 2011.
  • In water year 2010, streamflow was near the long-term mean for most of the period for the 10 project streamflow gaging stations. Streamflow was near or below the long-term mean at the same streamflow gaging stations during the 2011 water year.
  • More than 13,000 individual measurements of water quality were made at a total of 28 sites—17 in the Neuse River Basin and 11 in the Cape Fear River Basin. Forty-three water-quality properties or constituents were measured; North Carolina water-quality standards exist for 21 of these.
  • All observations met State water-quality standards for water temperature, hardness, chloride, fluoride, sulfate, nitrate plus nitrite, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, nickel, and selenium.
  • State water-quality standards were exceeded one or more times for dissolved oxygen, dissolved oxygen percent saturation, pH, copper, iron, manganese, mercury, silver, and zinc. Exceedances occurred at 27 sites—17 in the Neuse River Basin and 10 in the Cape Fear River Basin.
  • Stream samples collected during storm events contained elevated concentrations of 25 water-quality constituents relative to non-storm events.

Suggested Citation

Pfeifle, C.A., Cain, J.L., and Rasmussen, R.B., 2016, Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water years 2010–11: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1002, 20 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161002.

ISSN: 2331-1258 (online)

Study Area

Table of Contents

  • Abstract
  • Introduction
  • Monitoring Network
  • Precipitation and Streamflow
  • Water Quality
  • References
  • Appendix 1. Analytical results for field blanks collected during surface-water sampling at the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project study sites, North Carolina, October 2009 through September 2011.
  • Appendix 2. Analytical results for the environmental and replicate sample sets collected at the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project study sites, North Carolina, October 2009 through September 2011.
  • Appendix 3. Water-quality data for surface-water samples collected from October 2009 through September 2011 at the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project study sites, North Carolina.
  • Appendix 4. Chemical constituents and physical properties analyzed by the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Laboratory for the Triangle Area Water Supply Monitoring Project and the methods used for sample analyses, October 2009 through September 2011.
Publication type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Numbered Series
Title Quality of surface-water supplies in the Triangle area of North Carolina, water years 2010-11
Series title Open-File Report
Series number 2016-1002
DOI 10.3133/ofr20161002
Year Published 2016
Language English
Publisher U.S. Geological Survey
Publisher location Reston, VA
Contributing office(s) South Atlantic Water Science Center
Description Report: v, 20 p.; Appendixes 1-4; Table
First page 1
Last page 20
Country United States
State North Carolina
Online Only (Y/N) Y
Additional Online Files (Y/N) Y
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details