The impact of urban groundwater upon surface water - eTheses ...

MONITORING NETWORKS AND METHODS
The riverbed piezometers formed a series of 18 lateral profiles, comprising 2-5 piezometers,
so that variations in the water quality and head across the channel could be studied. Five
multilevel piezometers were installed to examine changes vertically through the riverbed
across the groundwater-surface water interface. Groundwater quality data were also obtained
by sampling a series of shallow piezometers (5-20m) adjacent to the riverbanks and across the
northern section of the Tame Valley. This was supplemented by data on the deeper
groundwater from the sampling of industrial abstraction wells (Shepherd, 2002). As a
comparison with the urban water quality study, a background survey was undertaken in the
natural undeveloped area (6 km 2 ) of Sutton Park to the north of Birmingham. Water samples
were collected from springs, surface waters, 12 specifically installed riverbed piezometers and
4 shallow piezometers (Figure 4.3).
Inorganic sample analyses were for a full suite of cations and anions, plus the measurement of
field parameters, including dissolved oxygen, pH, Eh, conductivity and alkalinity. Organic
analyses were for a full suite of volatile organic compounds including the chlorinated solvents
and, for a few samples, vinyl chloride. During the course of the research a total of 324 water
samples were collected and analysed (Table 4.1). Temporal variability in water quality was
assessed by repeated sampling over the three-year period.
Sample Type Number of samples analysed
Surface Water 128
Riverbed Piezometers 139
Shallow Groundwater 43
Abstraction Wells 14
Table 4.1 The number and type of samples collected during the research.
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