Surface Water Map

About the project: 

Pacific Western Technology measures Arsenic and Lead levels produced in Pueblo, CO due to a surrounding old smelter. This project covers measuring Arsenic and Lead levels in surface water in a set Site Wide Ecological Risk Boundary. The surface water was important to test to see any ecological changes from the smelter. 

Surface water locations, sediment sample locations, and residential areas (OU1) and underdeveloped areas (OU2). OU2 was the location of the smelter, which no longer exists, and the property has since undergone changes to revitalize the area.

My work

I worked on creating a map that displayed the Site Wide Ecological Risk Boundary that was set in partnership with the EPA. I worked with the field crew in Pueblo, CO to map each of the test results from the surface water samples. We selected a control sample location on the waterfront, upstream of the smelter, to compare the values of Arsenic and Lead.

Map shows what surface water locations were sampled and depicts the Arsenic and Lead concentrations. These concentration values were measured against our control sample location values of 0.612 µg/L for Arsenic and 0.255 µg/L for Lead.

If a sample location exceeded the maximum Arsenic and Lead allowance (1.34 µg/L for arsenic and 0.422 µg/L for Lead), the location would require a cleanup.  This testing was used to see the effects the smelter had on the surface water across these different stream locations.

Conclusion

The sampled locations closest to the smelter had greater impacts on the surface water. Testing the surface water is key to measure so we can begin to track and understand any negative ecological effects.