Natural land cover can remove pollutants from runoff water by slowing water flow and physically trapping suspended particles. We identified natural land cover in the Southeast US potentially contributing to water purification due to its location in the flowpath between sources of nonpoint-source pollution and waterways. Version 2.0 provides an update to the previous version with the inclusion of data from 2013, 2016, and 2019.

Natural land cover can remove pollutants from runoff water by slowing water flow and physically trapping suspended particles. We identified natural land cover in the Southeast US potentially contributing to water purification due to its location in the flowpath between sources of nonpoint-source pollution and waterways.

Natural land cover can remove pollutants from runoff water by slowing water flow and physically trapping suspended particles. We identified natural land cover in the Southeast US potentially contributing to water purification due to its location in the flowpath between sources of nonpoint-source pollution and waterways.

Filtered water samples were collected by the USGS National Water Quality Program (NWQP) Southeastern Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA) from 59 perennial, wadeable (less than 10 m width and 1 m depth at base-flow) headwater stream sites in watersheds with varying degrees of urban land use in four states. Dataset includes sample site locations and information, analytical method information, water sample pharmaceutical concentrations and summary statistics, and corresponding watershed land-use-land-cover data and data dictionary.

Human-use pharmaceutical, pesticide, and wastewater indicator compounds were analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey, National Water Quality Laboratory, Denver, Colorado, in wadeable streams in 4 Regional Stream Quality Assessments: Northeast (NESQA), Southeast (SESQA), Pacific Northwest (PNSQA) and California (CSQA). Multiple (with few exceptions) samplings occurred at each site, during base flow, between 2014 and 2017. Sites were located in the headwaters of perennial, wadeable streams in urban and agricultural watersheds. Site selection and methodology for each assessment can be found in Van Meter and others (2015), Sheibley and others (2015), Van Meter and others (2017), Coles and others (2016), Van Meter and others (2016), Journey and others (2015), and Van Meter and others (2014). Additional results for this study can be found in Bradley and others, 2020 and Mahler and others, 2020. See cross-reference section for full citation information.

Human-use pharmaceutical, pesticide, and wastewater indicator compounds were analyzed at the U.S. Geological Survey, National Water Quality Laboratory, Denver, Colorado, in wadeable streams in 4 Regional Stream Quality Assessments: Northeast (NESQA), Southeast (SESQA), Pacific Northwest (PNSQA) and California (CSQA). Multiple (with few exceptions) samplings occurred at each site, during base flow, between 2014 and 2017. Sites were located in the headwaters of perennial, wadeable streams in urban and agricultural watersheds. Site selection and methodology for each assessment can be found in Van Meter and others (2015), Sheibley and others (2015), Van Meter and others (2017), Coles and others (2016), Van Meter and others (2016), Journey and others (2015), and Van Meter and others (2014). Additional results for this study can be found in Bradley and others, 2020 and Mahler and others, 2020. See cross-reference section for full citation information.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) developed a spatial water-quality model called SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) to estimate the major sources and environmental factors that affect the long-term supply, transport, and fate of contaminants in the Nation’s streams. The SPARROW model relates in-stream water-quality data to spatially referenced characteristics of watersheds, including contaminant sources and factors influencing terrestrial and aquatic transport. Based on SPARROW modeling, one of the main nutrient sources to streams is point-source facilities such as municipal waste-water treatment plants that discharge directly to streams. This dataset was developed to assist with SPARROW models developed to assess supply, transport and fate of total nitrogen and phosphorous in streams of the conterminous United States (2012). This dataset documents discharge information from point sources in the conterminous United States and was obtained from the EPA Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) and Permit Compliance System (PCS). When available, nutrient concentrations were used to calculate point source loads. However, in many cases measured concentration data were not available in the ICIS or PCS data base and so “typical pollutant concentrations” (TPC’s) were developed using data from similar facilities. A new method for calculating TPC’s was implemented that allows varying amounts of nutrient concentration data and/or varying numbers of facilities to determine TPC’s. This dataset contains the EPA facility, flow, and concentration data and all updates to the data, along with the TPC tables and resultant total nitrogen and phosphorous loads calculated from the input datasets.

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Health, conducted a study to determine the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in source and finished drinking waters throughout Minnesota. Minnesota relies on both groundwater and surface water sources for drinking water, which may be vulnerable to influences such as wastewater discharge and/or agricultural activities. Thus, drinking water facilities apply some form of treatment to source waters prior to distribution. Although drinking water treatment is mostly focused on satisfying regulatory requirements, it may provide secondary benefits for removal of unregulated contaminants. In 2019, 2021, and 2022, paired source and finished drinking water was collected from 100 facilities and characterized for select organic contaminants. Samples were analyzed for some combination of alkylphenols, benzotriazoles/benzothiazoles, hormones, illicit drugs, personal care products, pesticides, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pharmaceuticals, plasticizers, and wastewater indicators, depending on potential influences from the watershed.

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Minnesota Department of Health, conducted a study to determine the occurrence of unregulated contaminants in source and finished drinking waters throughout Minnesota. Minnesota relies on both groundwater and surface water sources for drinking water, which may be vulnerable to influences such as wastewater discharge and/or agricultural activities. Thus, drinking water facilities apply some form of treatment to source waters prior to distribution. Although drinking water treatment is mostly focused on satisfying regulatory requirements, it may provide secondary benefits for removal of unregulated contaminants. In 2019, 2021, and 2022, paired source and finished drinking water was collected from 100 facilities and characterized for select organic contaminants. Samples were analyzed for some combination of alkylphenols, benzotriazoles/benzothiazoles, hormones, illicit drugs, personal care products, pesticides, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, pharmaceuticals, plasticizers, and wastewater indicators, depending on potential influences from the watershed.

Water samples were collected by the USGS National Water Quality Program (NWQP) Southeastern Stream Quality Assessment (SESQA) from 76 perennial, wadeable (less than 10 m width and 1 m depth at base-flow) headwater stream sites in watersheds with varying degrees of urban land use in four states. Dataset includes sample site locations and information, water sample nutrient concentrations and statistics analyses, and corresponding watershed land-use-land-cover data and data dictionary.