Design of Monitor Wells, Hydrogeology, and Ground-Water Quality Beneath Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire U.S
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Design of Monitor Wells, Hydrogeology, and Ground-Water Quality beneath Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Open-File Report 95-465 ^^ Drive point and screen Prepared in cooperation with U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION I WASTE MANAGEMENT DIVISION and the NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES WASTE MANAGEMENT DIVISION Design of Monitor Wells, Hydrogeology, and Ground-Water Quality beneath Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire By Thomas J. Mack U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Open-File Report 95-465 Prepared in cooperation with U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION I WASTE MANAGEMENT DIVISION and the NEW HAMPSHIRE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES WASTE MANAGEMENT DIVISION Bow, New Hampshire 1995 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from: Chief, New Hampshire-Vermont District U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey Earth Science Information Center 525 Clinton Street Open-File Reports Section Bow, NH 03304 Box25286, MS 517 Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 CONTENTS Abstract.........................................................................................................^^ 1 Introduction..............................................................^ 1 Purpose and Scope.................................................................................................................................................. 3 Description of the Study Area................................................................................................................................ 3 Previous Investigations........................................................................................................................................... 3 Acknowledgments ................................................................ 3 Design of Monitor Wells.................................................................................................................................................... 3 Hydrogeology..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Water Levels.......................................................................................................................................................^ 7 Lake-Bottom Sediments......................................................................................................................................... 9 Stratified Drift.......................................................................................................................^ 9 Water Quality..............................................................................._ 9 Summary and Conclusions................................................................................................................................................. 14 References Cited.............................................................................................................................................................^ 16 FIGURES 1. Map showing location of the study area in Kingston, New Hampshire................................................................ 2 2. Figure showing a typical monitor-well design and installation beneath Country Pond, Kingston, New New Hampshire.................................................................................................................................................. 4 3-7. Maps showing: 3. Locations of monitor and temporary wells in Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire............................ 6 4. Depth to refusal beneath the bottom of Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire..................................... 8 5. Thickness of lake-bottom sediments beneath Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire............................ 10 6. Thickness of stratified drift beneath Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire.......................................... 11 7. Distribution of total volatile organic compounds in ground water beneath Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire, May 1993 ...................................................................................................... 15 TABLES 1. Description of monitor wells installed and hydrogeologic conditions in Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire, May 1993 .........................................^ 5 2. Summary of the detection limits of volatile organic compounds tested in the water samples from Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire.................................................................................................................................. 7 3. Potentiometric heads above the surface of Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire, May and November 1993.. 9 4. Results of water-quality analyses of ground and surface water, Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire............. 12 Contents Hi CONVERSION FACTORS, VERTICAL DATUM, AND ABBREVIATIONS Multiply By To Obtain acre 4,047 square meter foot (ft) 0.3048 meter inch (in) 25.4 millimeter mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer gallon (gal) 3.785 liter gallons per minute (gal/min) 0.06309 liter per second square foot (ft2) 929.0 square centimeter square mile (mi 2 ) 2.590 square kilometer Temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) can be converted to degrees Celsius (°C) as follows: °C = 5/9 (°F-32). Sea Level: In this report "sea level" refers to the National Geodetic Vertical Datum of 1929 (NGVD of 1929)-a geodetic datum derived from a general adjustment of the first-order level nets of both the United States and Canada, formerly called Sea Level Datum of 1929. Abbreviated Water-Quality and Geophysical Units Used in Report In this report, the concentration of a chemical in water is expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or micrograms per liter (fig/L). Milligrams per liter is a unit expressing the concentration of chemical constituents in solution as weight (milligrams) of solute per unit volume (liter) of water; 1,000 jig/L is equivalent to 1 mg/L. Specific conductance of water is expressed in microsiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (jiS/cm). This unit is equivalent to micromhos per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius (jimho/cm), formerly used by the U.S. Geological Survey. iv Design of Monitor Wells, Hydrogeology, and Ground-Water Quality beneath Country Pond, Kingston, New Hamsphlre Design of Monitor Wells, Hydrogeology, and Ground-Water Quality beneath Country Pond, Kingston, New Hampshire By Thomas J. Mack ABSTRACT quality analyses indicate that a plume of contami nated ground water extends at least 300 feet in a Ten monitor wells were installed in May 1993 northeast direction beneath the lake. in stratified-drift sediments to collect data on the hydrogeology and ground-water quality beneath Country Pond, a lake in Kingston, New Hampshire. INTRODUCTION The monitor wells were installed 14 to 48 feet beneath the lake surface in stratified-drift sedi Country Pond, a 280-acre lake in Kingston, New Hampshire, is 1/4 mi downgradient from a ments that were up to 42 feet thick. The stratified hazardous-waste U.S. Environmental Protection drift is overlain by up to 35 feet of fine-grained, Agency (USEPA) Superfund site (fig. 1). The lake is a predominantly organic, lake-bottom sediment. recreational resource for the area and is bordered by The potentiometric head in the stratified drift was homes and seasonal camps that use onsite wells for at or above the lake surface and up to 0.8 foot water supply. The extent and migration of above the lake surface at one location. ground-water contamination towards the lake is a concern for local residents and those using the lake for Water-quality analyses detected numerous recreational activities. The U.S. Geological Survey volatile organic compounds in the ground water, (USGS), in cooperation with the USEPA, Waste including chloroethane, benzene, dichloroben- Management Division, Region I, and the New zenes, and 1,1-dichloroethane, at maximum con Hampshire Department of Environmental Services centrations of 110, 43, 54, and 92 micrograms per (NHDES), installed 10 monitor wells during May 1993 liter, respectively. The maximum concentration of for periodic water-level measurements and total volatile organic compounds detected in ground-water-quality sampling at permanent locations. ground water from a monitor well was 550 micro- Previous investigations (Stekl, 1994; Paul Lincoln, grams per liter in November 1993. Ground-water New Hampshire Department of Environmental samples with concentrations of volatile organic Services, personal commun., 1994) detected total compounds above background levels also had ele volatile organic compounds (VOC's) in the ground vated specific conductances indicating the pres water immediately beneath the lake at concentrations up ence of other non-organic contaminants. Water- to 1,300 ng/L. Wells installed during previous Introduction 1 '.,:///-*h~ ^-,fl ( / '' s '-fii \V» . ->^iCedar « Swa/- mp ^ ! \ Substations ' Base from U.S. Geological Survey Hazardous waste site listed on the Kingston. N.H., 1:24.000.1981 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's 71' (photorevised 1989) National Priority List of Hazardous Waste Sites (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1986) 1000 2000 FEET 0 200 400 600 METERS CONTOUR INTERVAL 10 FEET DATUM IS NATIONAL GEODETIC VERTICAL DATUM OF 1929 Figure 1. Location of the study area in Kingston, New Hampshire. 2 Design of Monitor Weiis.