AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION CONTROL PROJECT
STRENGTHENING CAPACITY IN CALARASI JUDET FOR
SOIL AND WATER QUALITY MONITORING
1
ROMANIA AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION CONTROL PROJECT
Environmental Consultants Report on Soil and Water Quality Monitoring Program
by
Ms. Stefania Chiriac, Romanian Consultant and Ramesh Kanwar, International Consultant
A. Objectives
The overall objective of this project is to reduce the discharge of nutrients (nitrogen and
phosphorous), bacteria, and other agricultural pollutants into the Danube River and Black Sea
through integrated management of better on-the-farm agricultural and livestock management
practices in the Calarasi region, specifically in the polder area along the Danube River. The
project is designed as a pilot activity in the Calariasi county in the southern part of Romania and,
if successful, will be replicated at similar sites in Romania resulting in substantial benefits to the
Romanian surface and ground waters and the Black Sea. The specific objectives of the soil and
water monitoring component would be:
i)
to establish a soil and water monitoring program in the project area to monitor the
current status of soil and water (surface and ground water) quality in the project area.
This monitoring program will develop a schedule to collect monthly surface and
ground water samples from selected drinking water wells, piezometers, surface drains,
experimental plots, and Danube River for nitrate, phosphate, pesticides, and bacteria.
ii)
to assess the institutional capacities of the Romanian Environmental Protection Agency
and the Directorate of Public Health, Calarasi to undertake the work on soil and water
sampling and analyses and make recommendations for capacity building, and
iii)
identify measures to control soil and water pollution and specific activities that could
be supported through GEF and other grants.
B. Background
Recent studies for the Black Sea watersheds have indicated that nutrient loads carried primarily
by the Danube River to the have been responsible for the serious eutriphication problem of the
northwestern part of the Black Sea. Studies made by the Black Sea Environmental Program
(BSEP) have indicated that 58 % of the total nitrogen and 66 % of the total phosphorous flowing
into the Black Sea come from the Danube River basin with more than 50% all nutrient loads
coming from agriculture, about 25% from domestic waste and 10 13 % from industry. The
major pathways into the Danube basin for phosphorous are direct discharges of runoff water, soil
erosion, and sewage plant effluents (33% of P with surface water flow from agricultural areas, 31
% of P from soil erosion mainly from agriculture, and 30% of P from sewage effluents). Nitrogen
loads to the Danube River come from direct discharges, erosion/runoff and sewage treatment
plant effluents in more or less equal shares of 35% each, again agriculture being the source for
2
more than half the total nitrogen run-offs in many countries of the Danube River Basin. The
Trans-boundary Diagnostic Analysis carried out on the basis of a pollution source inventory for
the BSEP reveals that Romania is the biggest contributor of nutrients to the Black Sea as its
entire territory drains into the Black Sea. In 1994, Romania discharged about 284 306 kilo tons
of N and 39 40 kilo tons of P to Danube River. This includes about 44 % of the total N input
from agriculture, whereas agriculture contributed about 58 % of total P. Groundwater pollution
with nitrate and microbial organisms from agriculture is a major social concern in Romania.
Between 1996-1999, forty-five cases of acute nitrate poisoning were reported in the proposed
project area (Calarasi Judet) as a result of high nitrate levels in drinking water supplies. In 1997, a
number of infants (less than one year of age) were diagnosed and hospitalized with acute nitrates
poisoning. In fact, all cases of acute nitrate poisoning in 1997 in Romania were in the Calarasi
Judet. Between 1996 and 1999, 59 samples from public wells and other water supplies in
Calarasi were analyzed for quality. Of this, 45 samples (76.2%) exceeded bacteriological
standards for drinking water and 47 samples (79%) exceeded the drinking water standard for
nitrate. Twenty samples (39.9%) of the 45 samples that did not meet the drinking water criteria
for Fecal Streptococus and 29 samples did not meet the criteria for Fecal Coliforms. Also, in the
Calarasi region there is another health related epidemic from drinking water, spread of Viral
Hepatitis type A. Approximately 90% of all cases are in the population group of school and pre-
school children. Main reason is the lack of hygiene and good quality drinking water.
Romanian government has accepted on-the-farm environmental management an integral part of
its strategic plan. About 80% of the arable land has been returned to previous owners and their
heirs. However, only a select few new farm owners have farming experience, therefore measures
are needed to provide support services on agricultural technologies and practices for increasing
productivity and promoting conservation practices to preserve the quality of natural resources
(soil and water). In response to this, the Romanian Ministry of Waters, Forests, and
Environmental Protection (MWFEP) has proposed a pilot project on Agricultural Pollution
Control to the GEF for funding to reduce the transport of nutrients and bacteria to Danube River.
C. Pilot Project Area
Project Site: The pilot project area consists of seven communas in the Calarasi Judet and is
situated in the Southeastern part of Romania in Calarasi County. This area has about 74,200 ha
of which 64,000 are arable land. About 40,000 ha of the arable land are in the terrace area above
the Danube river. The remaining 24,000 ha of the arable land are in the Boianu-Sticleanu polder
area, formerly a floodplain area. This area was drained in the late sixties and was converted into
an agricultural polder. Now this area contains large areas of cultivated land, small areas of forests
and degraded lands, and a small area of Iezer Lalarasi water body. 25,664 people reside within
the project area most of whom are directly involved in agriculture.
Farmers in the project area practice intensive agriculture and drive major share of their income
from agriculture. From the field observations it was very clear that agriculture is a thriving
business in the pilot project area and farmers have indicated to use more fertilizers and pesticides
to increase their productivity as their incomes grow. If current agricultural management practices
are allowed continue, there is a great likely hood of further degradation of soil and water
resources. Therefore, there is an immediate need of introducing better conservation tillage and
crop rotation practices to reduce the leaching of nutrients from fertilizers and animal manure,
pesticides, and bacteria to shallow groundwater and drainage/irrigation ditches.
Soils: The soils in the Boianu-Sticleanu Polder area are alluvial formed in stages during silting
process of fines and sands within the floodplain and range from silt loam to sandy loam in texture
3
and are light colored indicating low organic matter contents. The polder soils have increased
levels of salinity and acidity at several locations affecting crop yields. The soils on the terrace
above the Danube river are carbon based chernozems, cambic chernozems, and clayed
chernozems all of which are dark brown to reddish in color. These soils were formed on a loess
base, with their texture being fine to medium. These soils are gently sloping, fine textured, with
approximately 2 meters of soil over a layer of calcium carbonate leached from the topsoil. These
soils are highly productive. Inherent fertility is high, but continuous deep tillage is obviously
depleting the organic matter. There is further need to promote residue management and crop
rotation practices, including the use legume crops, to maintain and increase organic matter by
incorporating crop residue and animal manure.
Hydrology and Water Pollution: The climate in the project area is characterized by hot and dry
summers and cold winters with frequent blizzards alternating with short defrosted intervals. A
temperate climate exists along the Danube River with hotter summers and warmer winter months
than expected in the terrace area above the polder. The average annual rainfall in the project area
ranges from 500 mm to 600. The highest monthly average rainfall for June varies from 75.9 mm
in Oltnita and 72.2 in Calarasi Judets. The average minimum rainfall month is February which
brings only 30.1 mm in Calarasi and 30.8 mm. Most of the rainfall occurs during the summer
months with frequent thunderstorms. Snow fall occurs in December through February with
average January snow fall of about 90-100 mm. The water depth in the polder area varies from
1.5 m to 5.0 m whereas in the terrace area is deep sometimes going as deep as 15 m to 20 m. The
major sources of surface and ground water pollution are: animal manure and waste handling
facilities, agricultural fertilizers and pesticides, human waste from homes and municipalities, and
domestic garbage and manure piles stored in the front yards near the individual village drinking
wells. The potential for ground water contamination exist from poorly managed animal manure
and waste handling facilities on the farms, nonpoint sources of pollution such as agricultural
fertilizers and pesticides in intensively farmed agriculturally areas, and poor disposal mechanisms
of human waste from homes and municipalities. Garbage and manure piles stored in the front
yards, near the drinking wells, have been found to be another common source of ground water
pollution affecting underground hydrology of the area. Most of the shallow ground water supplies
in villages are contaminated with the presence high levels of nitrate. Some surface waters are
showing signs of eutrophication with growth of water plants drainage ditches and streams, an
indication of phosphorus pollution.
Water Management: Soil water management is an issue and concern for Romanian farmers
which one of the major limiting factors affecting crop yields. During the 1980's irrigation was
widely practiced in project area but since the changes in the political system in 1990, irrigation
systems have become more or less ineffective. There is a need to rehabilitate these irrigation
systems back. The Boianu-Sticleanu Polder area was artificially drained in sixties and was
provided with dual drainage and irrigation systems using water from the Danube River. The water
table depths in the polder area are very shallow ranging from 1.5m to 5m depths. During 1960's
to 1980's, farmers were using very high application rates of fertilizers and pesticides and
irrigation and drainage systems in the project area were considered a major source of nitrate and
pesticide pollution of groundwater and Danube River through open ditch water system draining
into the Danube River. Farmers would like to improve their water management systems by using
irrigation practices and conserving all types of precipitation including rain and snow without.
Conservation tillage systems could help increase soil moisture contents because of increased
infiltration and reduced evapotranspiration. Keeping snow in the fields during winter months is
another important practice to increase soil moisture contents from snow melt. This can be
achieved by constructing shelter-belts and windbreaks along farm boundaries perpendicular to the
direction of winter winds.
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D. Soil and Water Quality Monitoring Program
Monitoring Program: An extensive soil and water quality monitoring program will be
established for the proposed project area consisting of seven communas in the Calarasi Judet
in Romania to monitor the changing quality of surface and ground water bodies that
eventually are draining into the Danube River. Standardized water quality efforts are
needed to provide decision-makers in Romania and the public with reliable data on
problems and trends in water quality of the Danube River and its tributaries and the Black
Sea. The Department of Environmental Quality (EPA) in Calarasi has a ongoing water
monitoring program to monitor the quality Danube river at ten locations along Romanian
border. EPA is collecting data on nitrate and phosphorus levels in addition to eight other
parameters. The Directorate of Public Health in Calarasi collects weekly/monthly data on
bacteria in several drinking water wells in the Cararasi Judet and the Danube River.
Current ongoing efforts on collecting soil and water quality data are hampered by the lack
of adequate financial resources, state-of-the-art laboratory and monitoring equipment and
chemicals needed for the various analyses and maintenance of the existing water quality
laboratories. In addition, there is a need to develop a standardized reporting system on
soil and water quality data that makes the information available to all interested parties.
Table1 gives a listing of various parameters to be included in the water quality
monitoring program. Table 3 gives the proposed environmental assessment plan for the
GEF Environmental Pollution Control project.
In addition to the ongoing efforts by the EPA and Directorate of Health in Calarasi,
following will be the specific soil and water monitoring activities of this project:
i)
A total of 20 new piezometers in the polder and terrace area of Calarasi Judet
to sample ground water quality for nitrate, phosphorus, bacteria
and pesticides; depth of these piezometers will be decided after ground water aquifer
survey is completed which will include the depth of the water table aquifers, direction
of groundwater flow and possible sources of groundwater contamination and at each of
the 20 piezometer sites soil samples will be collected for nitrate and phosphorus
analyses. The decision on the selection of these piezometer sites will be made after
obtaining the hydrologic and land use maps.
The selection of piezometers sites was made by the local consultant, Ms.
Stefania Chiriac, based on several criteria related to land use in the project area,
the geohydrology of the underground soils and the groundwater flow direction
towards the Danube River. On the basis of these criterion, following decisions
were made on piezometer selection sites in the project area.
- A total of 5 piezometers will be installed on the up-gradient side of the
northernmost boundary. Water quality data from these five piezometers will
help us determine if groundwater pollution is occurring in the project area
from areas located outside the project area. Essentially, data from these
piezometers would serve the need of baseline data for groundwater quality.
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- Another 9 piezometers will be installed down-gradient of the residential areas
in the middle of the project area to survey the impact of combined activities
carried out in the residential areas and the surrounding agricultural land between
the northern boundary and the upper border of the lower polder zone.
- Last set of 6 piezometers will be installed on the down-gradient side in the
polder area along the Danube River to determine the impact of the agricultural
activities carried out in the polder area, which is located in the lowest part of
the project area.
ii)
Three drainage/irrigation canals and one natural open drain in the Boianu-
Sticleanu polder area (near the Danube River and drain into the Black Sea) will be
selected for extensive water sampling for nitrate and phosphorus analyses. A
total of three to four sampling points will be selected on each of the four
drainage/irrigation canals.
iii)
A total of 20 drinking water wells will be selected (in selected villages of the
project area) on farmer's farmsteads where cistern of drinking water wells near
the surface will be modified to stop the seepage from surface water containing
animal waste water near the wells.
Ms. Stefania Chiriac, Local Consultant conducted a detailed survey of the
project area and decided locations of drinking water wells for sampling. The
selection was performed on the basis of following criteria: i) based on the
geographical location within the project area, ii) a maximum of one well in per
village except the Ceacu village within the Cuza Voda comuna, and iii) the
number of animals owned by an individual farmer(like cattle, pigs, sheep etc.).
On the attached map, location of the these wells are shown by the letter C as
given below:
- 4 water wells in the Northern part of the piloted area (C 09, C 10, C 18, C 17)
- 6 water wells in the middle of the project area (C 11 C 14, C 19, C 20)
- 10 water wells along the upper border of the polder area (C 01 C 08, C 15, C
16).
In addition to the selection of wells, for each of the selected well location, a
specific checklist (Water Point Inventory Form) was completed giving data on
some basic analytical analyses (electrical conductivity, TDS, temperature, pH)
were performed and the static water level was measured. These data are
presented in table 1.
Relevant pictures were taken for each of the well locations giving an indication
of the potential pollution sources and the condition of the well cistern.
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Table 2. Location of drinking water wells in the project area and some of the well water physical and chemical well characteristics.
Site Village
Owner
Toposheet Elevation
pH
Cond
Temp
TDS
C01
Andolina
RAIU
Petre
L-35-139-A
19.0 7.2 3130 13.0 1570
C02
Sirbi PAVEL
Grigore
L-35-139-A
20.0 4350 14.5 2230
C03
Margineni
STAN
Stefan
L-35-139-A
20.0 7.56 4450 15.0 2280
C04
Smirdan
TRIFAN
Petre
L-35-139-A
20.0 8.03 4900 15.0 2540
C05 Bogota
FOGOROS
Nicolaie
L-35-139-A
16.0
8.13
1800
16.0
890
C06 Rasa
STANCU
L-35-139-A
20.0
8.56
1865
15.0
920
C07
Cunesti ANDREI
Aurel
L-35-139-A
19.5 8.64 4800 14.0 2470
C08
Gradistea
CRAIA
Mihai
L-35-139-A
20.5 8.6 4360 13.5 2220
C09 Mihai
Viteazul
SANDU
Andrei
L-35-127-C
40.0 1900
13.1
930
C10
Vlad
Tepes
DIONISIE
Constantin
L-35-127-C
40.0 2140 11.1 1050
C11
Nicolae Balcescu
MAGEARU Virgil
L-35-139-A
38.0
1820
11.2
874
C12 Alexandru
Odobescu PETCU
Ggeorghe
L-35-139-A
25.0 2420 11.5 1180
C13
Galatui DOBRE
Florea
L-35-139-A
21.0 2960 11.4 1450
C14 Potcoava
MIHAI
Vasile
L-35-139-A
25.0
1950
10.1
970
C15 Calarasii
Vechi
CIRJILA
Dumitru
L-35-139-B
15.0
7.42
1743
9.9
841
C16
Cuza Voda
ARPASANU Eftimie
L-35-139-B
20.0
7.45
1906
10.4
921
C17
Floroaica MUSAT
Dumitru
L-35-127-C
42.5 7.55 3010 10.0 1490
C18
Vilcele GRUIA
Gheorghe
L-35-127-C
42.5 7.26 2140 10.8 1040
C19
Independenta
SIRBU
N.Ion
L-35-139-A
25.0 7.29 3030 10.2 1500
C20
Visini
PUISOR
I.Niculaie
L-35-139-A
38.0 7.57 2230 10.0 1080
Note:
SWL
- Static
Water
Level
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iv)
Three demonstration site will be established in the project area to promote the use of
better manure storage and handling facilities, and the use of conservation tillage and
nutrient management plans to increase soil organic matter and carbon sequestration; at
these three demonstration sites weekly/monthly samples for surface runoff, ground water,
and soil quality will be collected to determine the impacts of the better agricultural
management practices on soil and water quality and production. For fertilizer and manure
management studies, the nutrient contents in the manure and soil profile must be
analyzed so that calculations can be made on how many tons of manure or kg of fertilizer
can be applied per hectare to achieve the desired application rates of N, P, and K from
manure or fertiler to meet the N and P uptake needs of the crop. Any shortfall in the
nutrient supply from manure can be compensated by applying mineral fertilizers. Efforts
will be made to develop a soil test for Romanian soils to improve soil quality and
maximizing the efficiency of ferilizer/manure use. The demonstration study site will
analyze surface and groundwater water samples for NO3-N, PO4-P, pesticide residues. In
case of manure application, water samples will be analyzed for E-Coli and fecal-coliform
bacteria. Also, quantification will be made in terms of tons of soil lost per hectare from
each BMP evaluated in the study. Chemical loss in terms of kg/ha loss of NO3-N, PO4-P
and pesticides should be calculated for all the evaluated BMP's in these studies.
v)
Water samples will be collected at two different sites on the Danube River for
nitrate, phosphorus, pesticides and bacteria analyses (Table 2).
Table2. Monitoring parameters and laboratory analyses for soil and surface and ground waters
quality for the GEF Romania Project
Purpose of Analysis
Analytical Parameters
Soils Surface and ground water
General Characterization Organic matter
pH
color
Turbidity
texture
Odor
hydraulic conductivity of soil
Dissolved solids
profiles
suspended solids
Water and soil quality
Organic-N, TKN
NO3-N, ortho and total P,
hazard
NO3-N, total P,
herbicides and other selected
herbicide residues
pesticides used in the area,
fecal coliform/total coliform
bacteria
Salinity Hazard
Ec, Ca, Mg, Na, CO3
Ec, Ca, Mg, Na, CO3
HCO3, SO4, Cl
HCO3, SO4, Cl
Table 3. Environmental Assessment Plan for Romania Project: Environmental Impacts
Issues
Anticipated Potential Impacts
Effects
Actions
Surface water
i) Deterioration in quality as
i) Decreased quality and
i)develop and implement
quality
runoff waters from swine and availability of Danube
improved manure
cattle manure disposal sites,
River water and Black Sea management and
agricultural areas treated with coastal waters will result
environmental sound
manure and agricultural
in less use of beaches by
agricultural management
chemicals, natural streams/
public and decreased
practices Calarasi County
river/open drains & other
harvest of good quality
of Danube River watershed
surface water bodies, which
fish
ii)Undertake a rigorous
eventually drain to Danube
ii) Decreased utility of
surface water quality
River.
water for downstream
monitoring plan of Danube
ii)Runoff waters containing
users and fisheries if any. River and other surface
unknown chemicals and
iii) drinking water
water bodies that drain into
pathogens from villages and
supplies will get
Danube River (which
city sewage water join
contaminated and could
eventually drains into the
irrigation/drainage canals and have health related effects Black Sea) to establish a
Danube River to deteriorate
as city of Calarasi uses
baseline database of the
the quality.
Danube River water for
quality of surface waters,
Probability of occurrence:
drinking supplies
lakes and Danube River as
High
affected by better
agricultural and manure
management practices.
Groundwater
i) Groundwater quality
i) Decreased quality and
i) Develop and implement
deterioration as a result of
availability of
environmentally sound
leaching of nitrogen,
groundwater for human
and sustainable agricultural
phosphorus, pesticides and
and animal consumption
and manure management
bacteria from manure and
and irrigation.
practices in the project
human waste
ii) Groundwater is the
area.
ii)groundwater water quality
main source of drinking
ii) Implement wellhead
deterioration from leaching
for rural population and
protection programs for
of salts from the selected
increased levels of nitrate
rural drinking water wells
areas .
and bacteria in water
iii) Establish monitoring of
Probability of occurrence:
could cause water borne
groundwater resources
High
diseases in humans and
used for drinking in highly
animals.
intensive agricultural and
animal production areas.
iii)Monitor groundwater
quality in piezometers and
wells in areas with
improved agriculture and
animal waste management
systems
Soil Quality
With the introduction of
Better productive lands
Undertake soil monitoring
better farming systems, soil
with increased organic
of selected areas to
quality will improve
matter and carbon
establish the effect of better
Probability of occurrence:
sequestration
farming systems on soil
high
and water quality
Biodiversity Increased biodiversity will
Increased biodiversity
Observe impact on new
occur because of better
plant and animal
manure management
populations, and soil worm
systems, introduction of
and microbial activity.
conservation tillage systems,
Measure
forest areas, buffer strips etc.
effects on soil organic
Probability of occurrence:
matter and carbon contents,
high
and possibly water quality.
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vi)
In order to assess the impacts of GEF investments in the project area through the
introduction better tillage, crop rotation, and manure management practices on
the water quality of Danube River, SWAT computer simulation model will be
calibrated and tested on selected sites in the project area and simulations will be
conducted to predict the overall effect of management systems on the transport of
nitrate, phosphorus, and bacteria to Danube River. Once tested using this project
data, this model will be applied to other landuse areas of Romania to predict the
effect of agriculture on chemical loadings to Danube River and the Black Sea.
vii)
Project will purchase one centrifuger and the state-of-the-art equipment for nitrate
analyses to strengthen the existing capacity of EPA for analysis of soil and water samples
as well as to support the monitoring work. Also, several other pieces of equipment would
be bought to strengthen EPI and PHD laboratories in Calarasi. The project will coordinate
this activity with other GEF projects in the Black Sea.
Frequency of Sampling: The frequency for collecting soil and water samples will depend on the
weather and cropping pattern in the areas. A minimum of one water sample should be collected
each month from each of the surface water monitoring stations (rivers, irrigation/drainage canal)
piezometers, and drinking water wells). Water samples will be collected after every major rain
storm of greater than 7.5 cm per day or of greater intensity for water quality analyses (the greater
likelihood of transport of fertilizers, pesticides, soil and manure to surface water bodies will be
with major rains and surface water must be sampled for agricultural and bacteria pollutants).
Quality Control and Quality Assurance The project will develop a quality control/quality
assurance (QC/QA) operational manual to give detailed methodology on sample collection,
transport, preservation, storage, and laboratory analytical procedures for chemical and bacteria
analyses. Local consultant in coordination with the international consultant will prepare the first
draft of this manual by November 30, 2000. In the April 2001 mission, it was agreed that a
translated copy of the manual in Romanian will be given the EPI and PHD laboratories for
making changes and a copy of the revised manual would be prepared by May 30, 2001. A
translated copy of this revised manual in english will be sent to Ramesh Kanwar, International
Consultant by June 15, 2001.
Data Analyses: Statistical methods must be developed to analyze and interpret soil and water
quality data collected from rivers, drinking water wells, piezometers, and from demonstration
study plots. Water quality data must be analyzed quarterly and reports be written and submitted to
the International Environmental Consultant for evaluations
Training: It is recommended that one chemist from the EPA laboratory, who will be responsible
for analytical analyses for soil and water be sent abroad for a short term training to update
himself/herself on latest advances in the analytical procedures and new laboratory equipment.
Also, one environmental engineer will be trained on the use of SWAT Computer simulation
model and on QC/QA protocols required for various soil and water monitoring activities in this
project.
Installation of Piezometers: It is frequently necessary and economical to install piezometers or
groundwater wells for water quality monitoring. These wells/piezometers can also be used to
collect data on saturated hydraulic conductivity of the aquifer media and conduct pumping tests.
The wells and piezometers used throughout this project will be a 50 mm i.d. schedule
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40 PVC pipe with a 0.25 - 0.5 mm width slot in the well screen. Slotted openings in the PVC
screen will be comprised of horizontally cut 0.25 - 0.5 mm openings spaced 3.4 mm apart. Each
0.76 m length of PVC screen will be slotted for 0.61 m at the center of its length. The bottom
sections of the screen will be capped and the top will be threaded into 1.2 m lengths of PVC
standpipe of the same diameter. Holes for piezometer installations will be advanced using a
hollow-stem auger. Each piezometer will be plugged with a sealed plug at the bottom and each
section will be sealed with an O-ring and threaded. The annular space between the slotted PVC
openings and the walls of the borehole will be filled with 40-60 mesh silica sand to 0.3 m above
the top of the slotted openings. A 0.4 m layer of bentonite pellets will be place as a seal above the
sand pack. The remaining annular space to the surface will be grouted with a cement-bentonite
mixture. After installation of the wells and piezometers, caps and locking covers will be added. A
deflection plate or a concrete pad will be installed just below the surface to prevent any direct
movement of surface water along the edges of the pipe. Each piezometer casing will be encased
in a metal pipe with a lock and key mechanism. This metal pipe will be embedded into the ground
to a depth of about 0.3 m and sealed with concrete near the ground surface. The key of the lock
for each piezometer will stay with the environmental monitoring engineer/specialist. All materials
for piezometer construction will be purchased from the Romanian Government approved vendors.
During the well installation cores will be taken to characterize the geologic structure and physical
characteristics of the profile. Changes in lithology, color, strata, and carbonate structure will be
recorded in the field notebook. The exact location of piezometer installation will be selected
after obtaining hydro-geology, topographic, and land use maps of the project area. We plan
to install 10 piezometers in the polder and another 10 in the terraced area of the project.
All piezometers will be developed immediately after installation. The best way to develop these
piezometers/wells would be to purge them several times before use.
For groundwater monitoring, shallow piezometers (less than 7 m) and will be used to monitor the
water table in the saturated zone. Other piezometers will range in depth from 8-20 m. and will be
installed in accordance with the procedures for well installation. These wells will be located
throughout the watershed and surrounding the experimental plots in selected villages to provide a
measure of pesticides, nitrate, bacteria, and other parameters such as phosphorus at various levels
within the saturated groundwater zone.
Shallow ground water wells/piezometers ( less than 7 m in depth) will be sampled once a month.
Deeper piezomers ( > 7 m in depth) will be sampled once a month for water quality analyses.
Before ground water sample is collected for analysis, entire water column in the piezometer will
be pumped out one day before the sample is collected. Once the piezometer pipe is filled with
fresh ground water from the saturated zone, water samples will be collected for analytical
analyses. Piezometers will be sampled with contamination-free pumps. A zero contamination
pump will be used to collect samples in 1-liter amber glass bottles. For bacteria and herbicide
analyses, the water samples will be collected in sterile glass bottles.
E. Cost Analysis
Table 4 gives the estimated costs for various activities in the soil and water monitoring program
in the Romania Agricultural Pollution Control Project.
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Table 4. Romania APCP Cost Table for Soil and Water Monitoring Program
Activity
unit
unit cost
year 1
year 2
year 3
year 4
year 5
Total
Piezometer 20
plus
$600
$12,000
-
-
-
-
$12,000
56 for
$400 for
$22,400
$22,400
platfor
manure
ms
platforms
Equipment
Lachet AE
1
$35,000
$35,000
-
-
-
-
$35,000
Centrifuger
2
$5,000
$5,000
-
-
-
-
$10,000
Elec. Balance
2
$4,000
$4,000
-
-
-
-
$4,000
Soil Sampler
2
$1,000
$1,000
-
-
-
-
$1,000
Technical
Asst
International
1
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
$5,000
$25,0000
Local
1
$6,000/mo
$6,000
$6,000
$6,000
$6,000
$6,000
$30,000
Workshops
2
$1000
-
-
$1,000
-
$1,000
$2,000
Pumping Syst.
2
$1,000
$1,000
-
-
-
-
$1,000
Lab Analyses
$80,500
$80,500
$80,500
$80,500
$80,500
$302,000
EPA and DPH
(lump-sum)
Training
4
$5,000
$10,000
$10,000
-
-
-
$20,000
(overseas)
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