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At least 451 records · Page 25Linked to original sources
USGS1955

Reconnaissance of geology and ground water in the lower Grand River valley, South Dakota, with a section on Chemical quality of the ground water

The area described in this report is the flood plain of the Grand River and the bordering benchlands in Perkins and Corson Counties, S. Dak., from a point about 6 miles west of the town of Shadehill to the confluence of the Grand and Missouri Rivers near Mobridge. The exposed bedrock formations include the Pierre shale, the Fox Hills sandstone, and the Hell Creek formation of Late Cretaceous age, and-the Ludlow member of the Fort Union formation of Tertiary (Paleocene) age. Some stringers of the Cannonball formation probably interfinger with beds of the Ludlow member but none of the former was identified during the field investigations. The Pierre shale is exposed from the mouth of the Grand River to approximately the center of the area. Although a few wells in the area obtain water from this formation, it is not generally considered to be a source of supply. The Fox Hills sandstone, the Hell Creek formation, and the Ludlow member of the Fort Union formation are exposed successively upstream and, where saturated, yield small to moderate quantities of water to wells. Unconsolidated deposits of silt, sand, and gravel occur in several physiographic positions; they underlie the high benchland on both sides of the river, the poorly defined terraces along the river, and the flood plain throughout its entire length. Possibly all these unconsolidated deposits are water bearing; however, where the deposits on the benchland and in the terraces are dissected by streams, they probably contain little or no water. The average depth to ground water along the lower Grand River valley is about 17 feet. Probably, the flow of ground water in the bottom lands is nearly parallel to and slightly toward the surface stream. The measurements of the water level in observation wells for the period 1946-48 indicate that the fluctuations of the water table are small. The results of analyses of 13 samples of ground water from the alluvium and the Hell Creek formation show that the suitability of the ground water for use varies because of the considerable range in mineralization and composition. Dissolved solids ranged from 343 to 4,250 parts per million (ppm), hardness from 11 to 1,130 ppm, and percentage of sodium from 25 to 98. Concentrations of some of the individual constituents exceed standards of the United States Public Health Service. The water is moderately hard and contains undesirable amounts of iron and moderate to large amounts of dissolved solids. In general, the water quality ranges from excellent to unsuitable for irrigation use. The result of the mixing of the ground water with recharge water from Shadehill Reservoir cannot be predicted on the basis of available data. The geologic and hydrologic data in this report were obtained from earlier reports and from field observations during the period 1946-48. The report includes a geologic map and tabulated well records.

South Dakota↗
USGS1954

The industrial utility of public water supplies in the United States, 1952, part 1, States east of the Mississippi River

Public water supplies are utilized extensively by industries for processing, cooling, and steam generation. The requirements as to quality of water for each industry are specific, therefore information on the quality or chemical character of the water supply is essential not only in the location of industrial plants but also is an aid in the manufacture and distribution of products. Data are given in this report on the water supplies for 1,315 of the larger cities (or places) throughout the United States. The population of these cities represents 58. 3 percent of the total population (1950 census), and more than 90 percent of the total urban population, of the United States. Part 1 of the report contains data for 819 cities east of the Mississippi River, and part 2 includes data for 416 cities west of the river. All cities of 15,000 or more population and many cities of smaller population are included. The information given for each place includes, in most instances, population of the place; ownership, source, and treatment of supply; storage facilities for both raw and finished water; and chemical analyses of the supplies. The chemical quality of a water affects its industrial utility. A total of 2, 506 chemical analyses of the supplies for the places included are shown. Surface-water supplies, generally, are more variable in composition than ground-water supplies, but contain less mineral matter in solution. Many of the treated public supplies require further treatment to make them satisfactory for some industrial uses. Of the total of 1,315 places included in the report, 711 receive surface-water supplies; 472 receive ground-water supplies, and 132 receive mixed supplies. The population served by these supplies is about 88,000,000, of which about 71,000,000 receive surface-water supplies and 17,000,000 groundwater supplies. Hardness of water supplies with respect to industrial use is given much attention. The hardness of the large public supplies ranges from less than 5 parts per million to about 700 parts. About 52, 000, 000 people are furnished with water having hardness of 100 parts per million or less. The weighted average hardness (average hardness of supplies weighted according to the population served) of finished water of surface supplies is 82 parts per million; of ground supplies, 162 parts; and of all supplies, 97 parts. The weighted average hardness of raw water of surface, ground, and all supplies are 96,200, and 116 parts per million, respectively. The average hardness (based on the average hardness of each supply and the number of supplies) of finished water of surface supplies is 85 parts per million; of ground supplies, 164 parts; and of all supplies, 121 parts. The average hardness of the raw water supplies are 94, 192 and 139 parts per million, respectively. The median hardness of finished water of all supplies is 91 parts per million, and of the raw water supplies, 90 parts. The treatment of a public water supply is planned principally to give a water that is bacterially safe for public use, and to eliminate or minimize certain undesirable characteristics of the water; Of the supplies for the places in this report, a total of 117 (3 surface supplies and 114 ground supplies) receive no treatment; 393 supplies receive no treatment other than chlorination; and the remainder receive treatment in addition to chlorination. The supplies for 171 cities are softened. Rapid sand filter plants are in use for 533 cities, exclusive of those in use at places where the water is softened. Slow sand-filter plants are in use at 35 places. A population of about 40, 000, 000 is served with water from these filter plants. The total number of treatment plants, exclusive of facilities for chlorination, for most of the places in this report is 660. The total capacity of these plants in millions of gallons per day is 10, 694. A total of 693 places report raw-water storage facilities having a total capacity of 2, 460, 346 millions of gallons; a total of 1,081 places report finished-water storage facilities having a total capacity of 24, 557 millions of gallons. Investigations by others have shown that a definite relationship exists between fluoride in drinking water and the incidence of dental caries in the teeth of children. A total of about 85 percent of the population served from the large public supplies receive water having a fluoride concentration in the range of 0.0 to 0. 5 part per million. Few large public supplies contain fluoride in concentrations in excess of 3 parts per million. A total of 155 places of those included in the report received fluoridated water in 1955.

Water Supply Paper↗
USGS1954

The industrial utility of public water supplies in the United States, 1952; Part 2: States west of the Mississippi River

Public water supplies are utilized extensively by industries for processing, cooling, and steam generation. The requirements as to quality of water for each industry are specific, therefore information on the quality or chemical character of the water supply is essential not only in the location of industrial plants but also is an aid in the manufacture and distribution of products. Data are given in this report on the water supplies for 1,315 of the larger cities (or places) throughout the United States. The population of these cities represents 58.3 percent of the total population (1950 census), and more than 90 percent of the total urban population, of the United States. Part 1 of the report contains data for 819 cities east of the Mississippi River, and part 2 includes data for 416 cities west of the river. All cities of 15,000 or more population and many cities of smaller population are included. The information given for each place includes, in most instances, population of the place; ownership, source, and treatment of supply; storage facilities for both raw and finished water; and chemical analyses of the supplies.

Water Supply Paper↗