ASTM D5851-95(2011)
(Guide)Standard Guide for Planning and Implementing a Water Monitoring Program
Standard Guide for Planning and Implementing a Water Monitoring Program
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
The user of this guide is not assumed to be a technical practitioner in the water field. This guide is an assembly of the components common to all aspects of water monitoring and fulfills a need in the development of a common framework for a better coordinated and more unified approach to monitoring water.
Limitations— This guide does not establish a standard procedure to follow in all cases and it does not cover the details necessary to meet a particular monitoring objective.
SCOPE
1.1 Purpose—This guide is generic in its application to surface or ground water, rivers, lakes, or estuaries (quantity and quality). It proposes a series of options that offer direction without recommending a definite course of action and discusses the major elements that are common to all purposes of water monitoring.
1.2 The elements described are applicable whether the monitoring is only for one location or integrates multiple measurement sites for the purpose of assessing a whole watershed, estuary, or aquifer system.
1.3 This guide is intended to outline for planners and administrators the components, process, and procedures which should be considered when proposing, planning, or implementing a monitoring program. The guide is not a substitute for obtaining specific technical advice. The reader is not assumed to be a technical practitioner in the water field; however, practitioners will find it a good summary of practice and a handy checklist. Other standard guides have or will be prepared that address the necessary detail.
1.4 Monitoring Components—A water monitoring program is composed of a set of activities, practices, and procedures designed to collect reliable information of known accuracy and precision concerning a particular water resource in order to achieve a specific goal or purpose. The purposes may range in scope from tracking status and trends on a regional or national basis to gathering data to determine the effects of a specific management practice or pollution incident such as a spill. This guide suggests and discusses the following process and components:
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Standards Content (Sample)
NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or withdrawn.
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Designation: D5851 − 95(Reapproved 2011)
Standard Guide for
Planning and Implementing a Water Monitoring Program
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D5851; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
Water resource monitoring has taken place in many forms for scores of years. This monitoring has
been sponsored and performed by a variety of federal, state, and local public agencies; and perhaps
byanevenwidervarietyofprivate,quasi-publicandindustrialentities.Historically,muchoftheearly
datadealtwithquantitiesofflow,anddrinkingwaterqualitywasjudgedbythestandardsoftheperiod.
During the past several years the problems related to point and nonpoint sources of pollution of
water resources have become increasingly apparent. Technology has improved dramatically, as the
need for monitoring data has improved. There is a necessity for information on marine beaches and
estuarine areas, fresh water swamps, ground water, wetlands, streams, and sediment deposits, and to
better understand the entire hydrologic cycle.
The need for more and varied water quality information has expanded as rapidly as our
technological ability to generate the information. Further, it has become increasingly difficult and
sometimes impossible to understand and resolve conflicts among the different data sets available.
Much of the data have been collected at different times, in different geographic areas, and for different
purposes. The data have been collected by persons with varied training, using different methods, and
with vastly different analytical capabilities.As a consequence, we presently are at the stage where we
may know more about a given situation than we understand and workers in the field who receive the
data are unable to integrate the data available into a useful solution. The need for standardization of
monitoring programs is evident. Standardization does not herein mean everyone doing everything
exactly the same way. It does mean the use of methods and procedures, where applicable, that follow
recognized and documented protocols as well as the accurate recording and storage of the data in
accessible formats.
Realizing the difficulties in water monitoring, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) of the
federal government charged the Water Information Program (WICP), a program of the U.S.
Geological Survey’s Office ofWater Data Coordination, with studying water quality monitoring in the
United States and recommending improvements. The Intergovernmental Task Force on Monitoring
Water Quality (ITFM), a federal, state, and tribal partnership, was established under the WICP’s
Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data to carry out this study. The results of three years of
work by about 200 contributors have been captured in a series of three annual reports (1, 2, 3).
The following summarizes the conclusions from those reports:
(1) Monitoring programs shall keep pace with changing water-management programs.
(2) A collaborative strategy is needed to link the many separate monitoring programs.
(3) Agenuineappreciationoftheneedforcooperationcurrentlyexistsamongmonitoringagencies.
(4) Recent advances in technology provide opportunities for interaction and cooperation that
previously were impossible.
This guide is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee D19 on Water and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D19.02 on Quality Systems, Specification, and
Statistics.
Current edition approved May 1, 2011. Published May 2011. Originally approved in 1995. Last previous edition approved in 2006 as D5851 – 95 (2006). DOI:
10.1520/D5851-95R11.
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to a list of references at the end of this guide.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D5851 − 95 (2011)
Based upon those conclusions, the following recommendations were made:
(1) Implement an integrated, voluntary, nationwide strategy to improve water quality monitoring.
(2) Charter a permanent national body to guide the implementation of ITFM recommendations.
(3) Develop a framework for monitoring water quality that defines the components of a monitoring
program.
(4) Develop criteria with which to select parameters that measure progress in achieving water
quality goals.
(5) Recommend indicators to measure whether water quality uses designated by the state are being
met.
(6) Charter a Methods and Data Comparability Council to foster the development and use of
performance-based methods of collection and analysis.
(7) Use the ecoregions concept, reference conditions, and index calibration.
1. Scope 1.4.9 Program evaluation (see 6.8), and
1.4.10 Reporting (see 6.9).
1.1 Purpose—This guide is generic in its application to
See also Fig. X1.1 in Appendix X1 and the condensed list of
surfaceorgroundwater,rivers,lakes,orestuaries(quantityand
headings in Appendix X2.
quality). It proposes a series of options that offer direction
without recommending a definite course of action and dis-
1.5 Monitoring Purposes—Establishing goals defines the
cusses the major elements that are common to all purposes of
purpose for monitoring. Each purpose has some monitoring
water monitoring.
design needs specific to itself.There are six major purposes for
water monitoring. They are as follows:
1.2 The elements described are applicable whether the
1.5.1 Determining the Status and Trends of Water
monitoring is only for one location or integrates multiple
Conditions—This can require long term, regular monitoring to
measurement sites for the purpose of assessing a whole
determine how parameters change over time.
watershed, estuary, or aquifer system.
1.5.2 Detecting Existing and Emerging Problems—
1.3 This guide is intended to outline for planners and
Determining if, how, or where a substance may move through
administrators the components, process, and procedures which
an aquatic system, or if water quantities are changing.
shouldbeconsideredwhenproposing,planning,orimplement-
1.5.3 Developing and Implementing Management and
ing a monitoring program. The guide is not a substitute for
Regulatory Programs—Includes baseline and reconnaissance
obtaining specific technical advice. The reader is not assumed
monitoring to characterize existing conditions such as to
to be a technical practitioner in the water field; however,
identify critical areas or hot spots; implementation monitoring
practitioners will find it a good summary of practice and a
to assess whether activities were carried out as planned; and
handy checklist. Other standard guides have or will be pre-
compliancemonitoringtodetermineifspecificwaterqualityor
pared that address the necessary detail.
water use criteria were met.
1.4 Monitoring Components—A water monitoring program
1.5.4 Responding to an Emergency—Performed to provide
is composed of a set of activities, practices, and procedures
information in the near term.
designed to collect reliable information of known accuracy and
1.5.5 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Water Monitoring
precision concerning a particular water resource in order to
Programs—Is the monitoring able to achieve the stated goals?
achieve a specific goal or purpose. The purposes may range in
Also, monitoring to check on monitoring.
scope from tracking status and trends on a regional or national
1.5.6 Supporting research objectives or validating of simu-
basis to gathering data to determine the effects of a specific
lation models.
management practice or pollution incident such as a spill. This
1.6 This guide is applicable to these purposes and provides
guide suggests and discusses the following process and com-
ponents: guidanceonsomeofthespecificneedsofeach.Aftergoalsand
objectives have been established, a specialist can define the
1.4.1 Establishment of program goals and objectives and
recording of decisions in a written plan (see 6.1), type, frequency, and duration of sampling and measurements.
The specialist also will be able to forecast the data analysis
1.4.2 Developing background data and a conceptual model
needed to meet the objectives.
(see 6.1.12),
1.4.3 Establishment of data (quality, quantity, type) objec-
1.7 There are related standards currently available or under
tives (see 6.2),
development and several documents that prescribe protocols
1.4.4 Design of field measurement and sampling strategies
for water monitoring (4–5). See also Section 2.
and specification of laboratory analyses and data acceptance
1.8 This guide suggests that water monitoring programs use
criteria (see 6.3),
standardized documented protocols for all aspects of the
1.4.5 Data storage and transfer (see 6.6),
program. Where they are not available or appropriate, the
1.4.6 Implementation of sampling and analysis strategies
methods used should be documented.
(see 6.4),
1.4.7 Data quality assessment (see 6.5),
1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the
1.4.8 Assessment of data (see 6.7), safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
D5851 − 95 (2011)
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- 4.2 Limitations—This guide does not establish a standard
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- proceduretofollowinallcasesanditdoesnotcoverthedetails
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. necessary to meet a particular monitoring objective.
5. A Primer on Water Monitoring Programs
2. Referenced Documents
5.1 The Problem—Why is water monitoring difficult?
2.1 ASTM Standards:
5.1.1 The movement of water through the hydrologic cycle
D1129 Terminology Relating to Water
dwarfs other material cycles operating on the earth’s surface,
2.2 Other Documents:
such as the carbon and oxygen cycles. Water’s chemical and
Compilation of Scopes of ASTM Standards Relating to
physical properties enable it to dissolve many substances and
Environmental Monitoring, 1994, ASTM, Philadelphia,
4 physically remove and suspend others. Consequently, as water
PA. PCN: 13-600003-16 (700 standards)
encounters various substances in the atmosphere, on land
ASTM Standards on Ground Water and Vadose Zone
4 surfaces, and below ground, the water’s chemical composition
Investigations. PCN: 03-418094-38
changes, and the composition of materials suspended in the
2.3 EPA Documents:
water changes. Physical and chemical processes further change
U.S. EPA813/B-92-002 Definitions for the Minimum Set of
its composition as water moves through the hydrologic cycle.
Data Elements for Ground Water Quality
5.1.2 Human activities using land and water have greatly
U.S. EPA 910/9-91/001 Monitoring Guidelines to Evaluate
altered the kind and amount of substances that water encoun-
Effects of Forestry Activities on Streams in the Pacific
ters as it moves through the hydrological cycle. Often, some
Northwest and Alaska
substances, including those biological communities living
within water, are present at concentrations that impair various
3. Terminology
water uses. These substances are regarded as pollutants. Much
3.1 For definitions of terms used in this guide, refer to
of our effort to manage water resources is directed at reducing
Terminology D1129.
the addition of pollutants in water. Other management efforts
3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard: are directed toward altering local pathways of water flow and
3.2.1 analyze—to determine the relationship of parts or the maintaining or enhancing aquatic and marine habitats.
value of a particular parameter. 5.1.3 Across the globe or across a county there are large
spatial and temporal variations in water flows and volumes, in
3.2.2 assess—to determine importance of data.
the natural features, which impact water resources, and in the
3.2.3 evaluate—to determine significance or worth.
nature and extent of human land and water uses. Consequently,
3.2.4 measurement—determining the values of a character-
there can be large spatial and temporal variations in the
istic within a sample or in situ.
composition of water. The problem that must be addressed in
3.2.5 metadata—ancillary data that describe the natural water monitoring is how to spatially and temporally character-
izethecompositionofwaterandthesourceofthiscomposition
conditions under which an environmental data value is
measured, the purpose for collection, the methods and stan- with sufficient accuracy and precision to support local and
regional water uses and management efforts. Monitoring water
dards employed, and the organization responsible.
as it flows through the hydrologic cycle is not easy.
3.2.6 sampling—theremovalofaportionofthewaterwhich
5.1.4 Reading through the following list of procedures and
may or may not be representative of the whole. This is not
considerations will provide the administrator or planner with
monitoring.
insight into the details of needed expertise, complexity, and
3.2.7 water monitoring—water monitoring consists of sys-
work tasks in the design, implementation, and evaluation of a
tematic activities conducted to characterize the quantity or
monitoring project.
quality, or both, of water.
6. Procedure
4. Significance and Use
6.1 Establish Program Goals and Objectives:
4.1 The user of this guide is not assumed to be a technical
6.1.1 Define goals and objectives using a multidisciplinary
practitioner in the water field. This guide is an assembly of the
team. This requires a variety of professionals with special
components common to all aspects of water monitoring and
insights in order to prepare a sensible plan.
fulfills a need in the development of a common framework for
6.1.1.1 Review existing data.
a better coordinated and more unified approach to monitoring
6.1.2 Prepare a plan of work from the goals, objectives, and
water.
decisions. This will be an iterating process as progress is made
developing the components. The plan can use a pilot approach
or phased-in approach.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
6.1.2.1 Coordinate activities with other relevant agencies,
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
groups, and persons.
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
the ASTM website.
6.1.3 Develop a project schedule and budget.
Available from ASTM Headquarters, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West
6.1.3.1 Establish budgetary and personnel requirements.
Conshohocken, PA 19428–2959.
6.1.4 Set timelines.
Available from Superintendent of Documents, Governm
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