WFD-GW Trend

Formatfor groundwater quality data exchange

Format for groundwater quality data exchange

Based on the discussions at the Workshop on 3 /4 April this year we developed together with quo data tables containing the required information for both sampling sites and quality data. In the meantime the database for the storage of this information has been almost finalised by quo data, hence we can now provide the requirements for data delivery. It was tried to keep the requirements simple and flexible.

As discussed at the workshop, the format will be mainly based on Excel.

FormatUse the Excel Format Win95/5.0

For NL where Excel is not in use, we will discuss the format bilaterally.

Template:The template for submitting quality data and an explanation document is placed on CIRCA in subsection Quality data requirements, templates:

Type of codes: Use only alphanumeric characters without space or special characters.

The first character should not be a numeric character, if alpha-characters follow.

Country codes: Please use the following country codes:

AT / Austria / ES / Spain / NL / The Netherlands
BE / Belgium / FR / France / PT / Portugal
DE / Germany / GR / Greece / UK / United Kingdom
DK / Denmark / IE / Ireland

Date & Comma: please use the same format as is standard (default) in your Excel version.

How to submit: Please upload the completed tables into our Interest Group of CIRCA.

For this the subsection D A T A in the library has been set up. You will get there by a click on the following link

Here you find a country-specific subsection with your country code, please open this subsection and upload your quality data. The country-specific subsections are invisible for other partners and they are protected by your password when you login in CIRCA.

The second possibility for data transfer is to send an e-mail attachment (to Johannes, Karin or Andreas) and we will put it onto CIRCA.

DeadlineAs agreed at the workshop: End of July 2000

HelpWe hope that the provisions can be met by you and that the data transfer will be possible in the way proposed. If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Tables

The required information is divided into four tables (see enclosed file: TEMPLATE-Quality data.xls).

T1 - groundwater body

T2 - Sampling site

T3 - quality data

T4 - vertical code

The particular columns are described in the Excel-file Explanation_of_template.xls. The following sections provide some additional information.

T1 - groundwater body

Since the clarification of the effects of data aggregation procedures over time and over area is one of the objectives of our project it was decided at the workshop to collect information on sub-units of groundwater bodies which can be assessed as single units or groups. For that reason the codes for sub-bodies are essential for all groundwater bodies.

-The code for the groundwater body (WB_CODE) shall not be longer than 20 characters and shall begin with the country code (e.g.: AT250, …).

-The code for the sub-body (SB_CODE) is essential, it shall not be longer than 4 characters and shall begin with the country code (e.g.: AT53, AT31, …)

 if no sub-body exists then please insert the following code: country code + 00 (e.g.: AT00) 

Example: T1 – groundwater body

Table T2 - sampling site

For the description of the sampling sites the following information is essential:

-The code for the sampling station (EB_STATION_CODE) shall not be longer than 20 characters and shall begin with the country code (e.g.: AT10000562, …).

-The code of the groundwater body (WB_CODE) and the code of the sub-body(SB_CODE) are essential too and have already been described in section 1.1.

-The name of the sampling station (EB_NAME) is an optional information.

-The type of sampling site (EB_TYPE) should be characterised as follows:

W…for well

S…for spring

 Please try to use these codes only (as far as possible). 

-Additionally, information shall be provided on the use of the sampling site (ES_CODE) and be characterised as follows:

drw…drinking water

irr…irrigation

ind…industrial supply

mos…monitoring site

oth…other

 Please try to use these codes only (as far as possible). 

-Since the material of the sampling site (tubes, screens, etc.) might have impacts on the quality, information can be provided as far as available in column EB_MATERIAL.

-If available information about the location of the sampling site can be provided in EB_COUNTRY which relates to a region, federal country etc. and in EB_CITY which provides the name of the village or city where the well/spring is situated.

Example: T2 – sampling site

Table T3 - quality data

This table contains the concentrations for the particular parameters at a certain point and a certain time.

-The code for the sampling station (EB_STATION_CODE) is already described in Table T2.

-Information about the sampling methodology respectively the sampling depth (VT_CODE) is essential. The code is not longer than 10 characters and shall be explained in the following table T4-vertical type if the used codes are not self explaining (e.g.: mixed, top, medium, bottom,…)

-The sampling date (DV_STARTDATE) shall be a numeric value which is the case when any Excel date format is used.

-A concentration value for a parameter is defined by a combination of two columns a p#Value and a p#Status column.

The currently inserted headers of the columns p#Value and p#Status are free definable parameters and shall be replaced by your reported parameters in the following way:

p1 etc. indicates the parameter; _V (value) and _S (status) provides information on the value itself.

Example:

p1Value, p1Status  nitrate_V, nitrate_S

p2Value, p2Status  ammonium_V, ammonium_S

......

Please specify the headers for "your" parameters in the same way.

The column p#Status shall solely contain the following information: it is empty or LOQ (limit of quantification) or LOD (limit of detection). The following table gives an explanation how quality information shall be given.

nitrate _V / nitrate _S / comments
17.5 / the concentration is 17.5 mg/l
0.5 / LOQ / the concentration is below the limit of quantification of 0.5 mg/l
0.3 / LOD / Nitrate could not be detected, the limit of detection was 0.3 mg/l

Example: T3 – quality data

As decided at the meeting, the concentrations shall be given in accordance with the "Council Directive 98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water intended for human consumption"

Parameters discussed so far are:

Dissolved Oxygen (not specified in the Directive; proposal: mg/l)

pH-Value ...... pH-units

el. conductivity ...µS/cm (at 20°C)

Nitrate...... mg/l

Ammonium.....mg/l

Chloride...... mg/l

Pesticides...... µg/l

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons (e.g. Tetrachloroethylene, Trichloroethylene) … µg/l

Metals (Chromium, Lead,....) …µg/l

 Please take care that only the proposed units for the parameters are used 

Table T4 - vertical code

Since we discussed at our meeting possible effects on the depths of which the samples are taken or if e.g. mixed samples are taken, this table has been introduced.

Since we do not know all the specifications of monitoring strategies, partners are invited to fill in this table in accordance with the applied strategy. This table is necessary in order to explain the codes which are used in VT_CODE of table T3-quality data.

Example: T4 – vertical code

date19/06/2000

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