Author Archives: Tricia Lane

Reclaiming And Remediating Abandoned Mine Drainage For Clean Water Use

Coal mining began in Pennsylvania over 250 years ago, and today it still supplies 60 per cent of the fuel for the state’s electric power generation—the fourth largest coal-producing state in the U.S. Despite efforts such as the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA, 1977), over 5000 miles of Pennsylvania’s streams remain polluted by… Continue Reading »

Planting 51 Trees Speeds Up Toluene Cleanup Efforts

High-Res Groundwater Monitoring Tracks its Success: Over 40 years ago, a former industrial site in the City of Guelph, Ontario, was contaminated by toluene; the chemical plume has since leached into the underlying fractured bedrock aquifer. Today, the site is home to a unique research project headed by the University of Guelph Morwick G360 Groundwater… Continue Reading »

5 Tips For Getting The Most Accurate Readings From A Sonic Water Level Meter

The Solinst Sonic Water Level Meter works by a probe at surface transmitting a low frequency sound wave into a pipe, tube, or well, and measuring the time it takes for the pulse to return after making contact with water. The depth to water is calculated using the speed of sound and time. The depth to static water level is displayed on the LCD screen of the control unit after just a few seconds… Continue Reading »

Review Of No-Purge Groundwater Sampling

Changes in legislation, combined with improved and lower cost sampling instrumentation, have encouraged consultants, researchers, and government agencies to obtain higher quality groundwater samples. No-purge, also known as passive or grab sampling, is one method that is gaining acceptance by many regulatory agencies for obtaining representative groundwater samples. The ITRC (Interstate Technology… Continue Reading »

Solinst Low Pressure Pneumatic Packer Test Setup With Levelogger

Packer Tests Using Low Pressure Pneumatic Packers

Estimating aquifer properties, such as hydraulic conductivity (K) and permeability is an essential part of site characterization and creating accurate conceptual site models during site investigations. The data gained through aquifer characterizations help to plan further monitoring programs and remediation efforts. Packer Tests are a great way to obtain these aquifer characteristics… Continue Reading »

Water Level Data Helps To Understand The Effects Of Climate Change On Alpine Lakes

The Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks are designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites for their “exceptional natural beauty”. The seven parks – Banff, Jasper, Kootenay, Yoho, Mount Robson, Mount Assiniboine, and Hamber – are known for their scenic mountain peaks, meadows, canyons, caves, hot springs, and glaciers. Their pristine alpine lakes also draw millions of visitors to the parks each year. But as we hear so often… Continue Reading »