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- Individuals and organizations involved in water-related studies,
pilot projects and applied research are invited to submit information
for this section.
- Monitoring water quality along the U.S.-Mexico
border may be more consistent and uniform in the future with the
publication of a bilingual handbook describing proper sampling
techniques. The
Field Manual for Water Quality Sampling/Manual de Campo para el
Muestreo de la Calidad del Agua presents a sampling protocol
consistent with the practices of Mexican and U.S. federal and
state agencies. Developed over a two-year period, the handbook
represents the cooperative efforts of numerous agencies and organizations
in both countries.
- Growing economic ties between Mexico and the U.S. have increased
economic activity in the border area. The Water Resources Research
Center, College of Agriculture, The University of Arizona (WRRC),
in cooperation with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
(ADEQ) developed
the publication in response to growing concern about public health
and environmental conditions along the border.
- In 1992, the WRRC identified three serious obstacles to environmental
monitoring and remediation efforts along the U.S.-Mexico border: 1)
absence of a single agreed-upon protocol for taking water quality samples;
2) inadequate training for some persons working in the field taking
water quality samples; and 3) technical and bureaucratic barriers to
sharing the results of water quality testing. This field manual is intended
to address the first of these problems.
- The manual outlines a step-by-step process, from siting a water sampling
station to shipping collected samples to analytical laboratories. Beginning
with a section on safeguarding samplers' health and safety, the manual
covers planning stages, including selecting and establishing sampling
stations, and making preparations prior to going into the field. The
majority of the handbook is devoted to describing correct procedures
for sampling both groundwater and surface water for nearly all types
of potential contaminants, including volatile organics, heavy metals,
radionuclides, bacteria and viruses. Illustrations, check lists, and
step-by-step instructions are provided, as well as post-sampling instructions,
reference and glossary information and a full index.
- Preparation of this document was made possible by the Water Quality
Division, ADEQ, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The drafting, translation and review process lasted over a year
and included meetings with Mexican and U.S. governmental officials
and researchers from universities on both sides of the border.
State agencies in Arizona, Sonora, Texas and California also participated,
along with the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC),
and its Mexican counterpart, Comisión Internacional de Límites
y Aguas (CILA).
- Up to two copies of the bilingual manual are available free of charge
to agencies and organization with water quality sampling interests;
additional copies are available at the cost of printing and distribution,
or between $8 and $10 each, depending on quantities and method of shipping.
- For further information on the bilingual field manual, contact
Gary Woodard at the WRRC, 520-792-9591, or Mario
Castañeda at ADEQ, 800-234-5677, ext. 4409; those with access
to the World Wide Web will find the field manual and related information
on the WRRC's home page at http://ag.arizona.edu/.
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