Soil & Water Sampling

Soil and Water Sampling Guidelines

• The United States Environmental Protection Agency publishes sampling guidelines that you can follow for soil and water sampling. Individual states also produce sampling guidelines that you can use to ensure that you collect quality samples. These guidelines typically are available on the state's and EPA's websites. The sampling guidelines provide detailed information on best practices for sampling methods, equipment use and choosing protective clothing.

Soil Sampling

• Collecting samples of the surface and subsurface soil requires tools such as a spoon, shovel, hand auger or drill rig, depending on the depth of the sample. You can collect surface soil samples from the top 6 inches of the land surface using a spoon and subsurface samples to depths of approximately 10 to 15 feet using a shovel or hand auger. These sample depths are appropriate for garden nutrient testing or shallow contamination testing. Sample depths greater than 10 to 15 feet generally require a drill rig and are necessary if a large chemical spill occurs on the property and you suspect that the material will migrate downward in the soil, or for geotechnical tests.

  Most analytical parameters require that you submit a jar of soil to the laboratory. However, volatile organic compounds such as benzene or vinyl chloride in fuels and solvents require special handling. If you plan to sample VOCs, your laboratory can provide the sampling tools and specific directions.

Groundwater Sampling

• You can collect groundwater samples using two methods. If the property has a drinking-water well, you can collect a sample directly from the tap. For a tap sample, remove any water filters and strainers and disinfect the faucet. Allow the water to run from the tap for five minutes, then collect the water in a sample jar. For sites without a water well, you can collect a sample using either a direct-push drill rig or by installing a monitoring well. If it is necessary to collect groundwater or soil samples by drill rig, you can hire a state-licensed contractor in your area.

Surface Water Sampling

• Property owners may decide to collect a sample of surface water to check the overall health of on-site ponds or streams. You can collect surface water samples by dipping the sample bottle into the water body and allowing the bottle to fill slowly. Some analytes require that the bottle have a preservative, such as an acid, so you must fill the bottle so that the preservative does not spill out of the jar. The laboratory can tell you if your bottles have preservative.