Groundwater Retrieval Network (GRN)

The following are terms used in the Groundwater Retrieval Network (GRN).

C.A.S.#

A unique number assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service to every uniquely identifiable substance.

Enforcement Standard (ES)

The standard for the concentration of a substance in groundwater as listed in ch. NR 140, Wisconsin Administrative Code. The enforcement standard serves as both a minimum cleanup standard and a maximum concentration allowed in groundwater before action must be taken.

FID (PWSID)

Facility identification number (public water system identification number); the number assigned to the facility or water system for the well.

Health Advisory Level (HAL)

The health advisory levels (HALs) provided in GRN are lifetime HALs, established by the Wisconsin Dept. of Health Services (WI DHS) or the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), for substances in groundwater and drinking water. The WI DHS and US EPA establish HALs at the concentration of a substance in drinking water at which adverse health effects are not anticipated to occur with daily water consumption. HALs are not regulatory standards, but serve as guidance levels to inform the public about the safety of their drinking water supply.

HAL Units

Units associated with the Health Advisory Level (HAL).

HUC 12 Watershed

A subwatershed associated with a unique 12-digit hydrologic unit code (HUC).

Limit of Detection (LOD)

The lowest concentration of a substance that can be determined to be significantly different from zero.

Limit of Quantitation (LOQ)

The level above which a quantifiable concentration can be measured in a sample with a specific degree of confidence.

Preventive Action Limit (PAL)

The limit for the concentration of a substance in groundwater as listed in ch. NR 140, Wisconsin Administrative Code. The PAL serves as a cleanup goal, as a means to inform agencies of potential groundwater contamination problems and as a basis for facility design and management criteria to minimize and prevent groundwater contamination.

Reporting Limit

An estimate or the lower end of the reporting range for a given test. This is used when there is no LOD or LOQ.

Sample Analytical Data

Shows detailed information about the groundwater sample that was collected from a well. Groundwater samples are usually analyzed only for those substances that are of interest or concern to the person collecting or requesting the sample.

Sample Analytical Qualifier

A code or text that further describes a sample analytical result.

Sample Analytical Result

The concentration of a substance in a groundwater sample as measured by a laboratory or field instrument. The concentration is expressed as a unit of measure such as milligrams per liter (mg/L) or micrograms per liter (ug/L).

Sample Description

The description of the sample, its purpose or other general information about the sample.

Sample Collection Date

The date on which the well sample was collected.

Sample ID/Labslip #

The identification number or code assigned by a lab to a sample for unique identification.

Static Water Level

The level of the surface of the water in a well or water pressure at the top of a well, when no water flows or is being pumped. For flowing wells with a positive water pressure at the top of a well, the static water elevation is determined by a stilling pipe or pressure gauge. Water levels are referenced to the elevation of the top of the well or the established ground surface at the well.

Storet Parameter Description

Name/description of a chemical compound.

Storet Parameter Code

Five-character numeric code assigned by the EPA for each chemical compound.

Survey Range

Ranges run north and south of the Principal Meridian, numbered to 20 West in Polk and Burnette counties and 30 East on the eastern half of Washington Island in Lake Michigan.

Survey Range Direction

Direction indicator for east or west of the Principal Meridian in Wisconsin. The Principal Meridian vertical line starts at the junction of the current counties of Grant and Lafayette at the Illinois border and extends north going through the Outer Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. Valid entries are E or W.

Survey Section

Sections are roughly one square mile. Thirty six sections make up a one township. Valid numbers are 1 - 36.

Survey Township

Townships are in 53 bands running east and west across Wisconsin. Townships in Wisconsin are always measured north of the baseline.

Units

Units of measurement associated with the sample result.

Well Use:

· Municipal Community (MC) - a public system that serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. These systems include cities, villages and sanitary districts.

· Other-Than-Municipal Community (OC) - an OC public water system serves at least 15 service connections used by year-round residents or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents but is not a municipal system. These include mobile home parks, apartment buildings and condominium complexes.

· Non-transient Non-community (NN) - a NN public water system is not a community water system and regularly serves at least 25 of the same people over six months per year. These include schools, daycare centers and factories.

· Transient Non-community (TN) - a TN public water system is not a community water system and serves at least 25 people at least 60 days of the year. These include motels, restaurants, parks, taverns, churches and campgrounds.

· Non-community - a public water system that is not a community water system. Examples include schools, waysides and restaurants.

· Private Potable - a private water system supplying water for human consumption, sanitary use or for the preparation of food or pharmaceutical products.

· Private Non-potable - a private water system supplying water for purposes other than human consumption, sanitary use or for the preparation of food or pharmaceutical products.

· Loop - a type of heat exchange well.

· Anode - a well used for cathodic protection. Extremely uncommon.

· Test well - a temporary well used to determine suitability of aquifer for production, water quality, or to determine geology.

· Industrial - a well that supplies water for industrial uses such as water coolers and HVAC.

· Heat Exchange - a well made for the purpose of installing a geothermal closed-loop heat exchange system.

· Groundwater Extraction Well - a well installed for the purpose of pumping contaminated groundwater out of the ground or for pumping groundwater to lower the water table (also known as de-watering) to install a pipeline in a trench.

· Monitoring Well - a well or drill hole constructed for the purpose of obtaining information on the physical, chemical, radiological or biological characteristics of the groundwater.

· Piezometer - a groundwater monitoring well sealed below the water table installed for the specific purpose of determining either the elevation of the potentiometric surface or the physical, chemical, biological or radiological properties of groundwater at some point within the saturated zone, or both.

· Other/Unknown - wells for which GRN is unable to determine a well use.

WI Unique Well Number

A number assigned to new wells in Wisconsin since 1988. The number is used to keep track of groundwater quality in a specific well over time and is tied to well location and construction information. It is made up of two or three alphabetic characters followed by three numeric characters (e.g. AB123).

Watershed

A geographic unit delineated by surface water drainage.