Standard Operating Procedures for Surface Water Sampling

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR SURFACE WATER QUALITY SAMPLING10.3.1 Logging into the Database............................................................................................................19110.3.2 Navigating through the WQDB.....................................................................................................19210.3.2.1 Inquiry Menu ........................................................................................................................................... 19510.3.2.1.1 Single Site Detailed ............................................................................................................................ 19510.3.2.1.2 Multiple Site Menu............................................................................................................................. 19610.3.2.1.3 Test Results ........................................................................................................................................ 19710.3.2.2 Report Menu ............................................................................................................................................ 19810.3.2.3 Lookup Table Menu................................................................................................................................. 19810.3.2.4 Supervisor Menu...................................................................................................................................... 19910.4 ENTERING DATA .....................................................................................................................................19910.4.1 Electronic Uploads .......................................................................................................................19910.4.1.1 Electronic Upload Process ....................................................................................................................... 20010.4.1.2 What Parameters are Electronically Uploaded? ....................................................................................... 20110.4.1.3 How to Avoid Electronically Uploading Data ......................................................................................... 20110.4.2 Manual Data Entry .......................................................................................................................20210.4.2.1 Navigating to the Site Visit Screen .......................................................................................................... 20210.4.2.2 Adding a New Visit ................................................................................................................................. 20310.4.2.3 Adding a Sample to an Existing Visit ...................................................................................................... 20310.4.2.4 Updating an Existing Sample................................................................................................................... 20310.4.3 Entering Data Using a Template ..................................................................................................20410.4.4 Entering Data by Hand.................................................................................................................20810.5 CREATING NEW SITES .............................................................................................................................21410.5.1 Procedure to Create a New Site....................................................................................................21410.5.2 How Sites are Named....................................................................................................................21410.5.2.1 Stream Code Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... 21510.5.2.2 Lake Code Abbreviations......................................................................................................................... 21610.5.2.3 Canal IDing and Code Abbreviations ...................................................................................................... 21610.6 DATA MANAGEMENT QUALITY CONTROL ..............................................................................................21710.6.1 Overview and Timeframes ............................................................................................................21710.6.2 Data Review Process ....................................................................................................................21810.6.2.1 Determine and Report Surface Water Quality Standard Exceedances ..................................................... 22110.6.2.2 Comparing Hardness Dependent Standards............................................................................................. 22210.6.2.2 Review for Errors, Omissions, and Dubious or Unusual Data ................................................................. 22310.6.2.3 Compare Results from Split and Duplicate Samples................................................................................ 22410.6.2.4 Determine if Equipment Blanks were “Clean.” ....................................................................................... 22510.6.2.5 QC Ratios................................................................................................................................................. 22510.6.2.5.1 Lab and Field Specific Conductivity Ratio......................................................................................... 22710.6.2.5.2 Lab and Field pH Ratio....................................................................................................................... 22710.6.2.5.3 TDS and Specific Conductivity Ratio................................................................................................. 22710.6.2.5.4 TDS and Calculated Sum of Constituent Ratios ................................................................................. 22810.6.2.5.5 Cation and Anion Balance .................................................................................................................. 22810.6.3 Data Approval...............................................................................................................................22910.7 SITE FILES ...............................................................................................................................................22910.7.1 Site File Contents..........................................................................................................................22910.7.2 Filing System.................................................................................................................................23010.7.3 Site File Security ...........................................................................................................................23110.7.4 Signing Out Files ..........................................................................................................................23110.7.5 Public Review of Site Files............................................................................................................23110.7.6 Records Retention and Archiving Files.........................................................................................231APPENDIX ACHECKLISTS........................................................................................................................233AMBIENT STREAMS ...............................................................................................................................................233LAKES ...................................................................................................................................................................234TMDL - GENERAL.................................................................................................................................................235TMDL - AUTOSAMPLER ........................................................................................................................................237SURVEYING EQUIPMENT........................................................................................................................................238APPENDIX BMACROINVERTEBRATE LAB REQUIREMENTS........................................................240SAMPLE RECEIPT ...................................................................................................................................................240REVISED SEPTEMBER 2012xi