Water-quality Changes Caused By Riverbank Filtration Between The Missouri River And Three Pumping Wells Of The Independence, Missouri, Well Field 2003-05

Abstract

The city of Independence, Missouri, operates a well field in the Missouri River alluvial aquifer. About 250,000 people in several communities were supplied water from the 29 million gallons per day average daily production from the well field in 2004. In 2005, the Independence Water Department followed source-water treatment rules established by the State of Missouri for ground water that include maximum contaminant levels for disinfection by-products, minimum residual disinfectant levels in finished water, and specific goals for removal and (or) inactivation of bacteria, protozoa, and viruses.

Study results indicate riverbank filtration substantially improves the source-water quality of the Independence well field. Samples analyzed from the Missouri River near the Independence well field, two vertical wells, and a collector well indicate riverbank filtration decreased dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, dissolved organic carbon, ultraviolet absorption at 254 nanometers, chlorophylla, tannin and lignin, and dissolved ammonia nitrogen in two wells. Dissolved nitrite nitrogen, dissolved nitrate nitrogen, dissolved orthophosphorous, total coliform bacteria, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, total culturable viruses, total haloacetic acid formation, and total trihalomethane formation potential decreased between the Missouri River and three wells of the Independence well field.

Total coliform bacteria, Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and total culturable viruses were detected in the Missouri River, but were below minimum reporting levels in all samples from wells. Total coliform bacteria decreased 100 percent, Cryptosporidium decreased between 96 and 100 percent, Giardia decreased between 97 and 100 percent, and total culturable viruses decreased between 85 and 100 percent between the Missouri River and wells, using minimum reporting levels for non-detections in water samples. Log removals between the Missouri River and wells were greater than 1.60 for turbidity, greater than 4.57 for total coliform bacteria, greater than 1.67 for Cryptosporidium, greater than 1.67 for Giardia, and greater than 1.15 for total culturable virus.

Approximate ground-water traveltimes from the river to the wells based on water temperature profiles ranged from 1 to 9 months. The rate of ground-water flow from the Missouri River to the wells ranged between 1.2 and 6.7 feet per day. These rates are less than rates typical of slow sand filters. Slower flow rates result in greater filtration and indicate river ank filtration at this site may be comparable to or more effective than a slow sand filter.

Water-quality changes between samples from the Missouri River and samples collected from wells at times that approximated the traveltime from the Missouri River to wells indicate no clear relation between changes in water quality in the Missouri River and in wells for almost all constituents. The absence of any trends in water quality between the Missouri River and the pumping wells indicates the strong influence of riverbank filtration.

Minimum log removals were calculated between samples from the Missouri River and wells based on ground-water traveltime and were infinite for total coliform bacteria, and range from 0.8 to 3.5 for turbidity, from 1.5 to 2.1 for Giardia, and from 0.4 to 2.6 for total culturable viruses. Log removals for Cryptosporidium were not included because it was detected only once at the end of the sampling period and no corresponding well samples were collected.

For water samples from the Missouri River, haloacetic acid formation potential was related positively to ultraviolet absorption at 254 nanometers (R2 = 0.94), tannin and lignin (R2 = 0.93), and turbidity (R2 = 0.97), and trihalomethane formation potential was related positively to dissolved organic carbon (R2 = 0.89), ultraviolet absorption at 254 nanometers (R2 = 0.85), tannin and lignin (R2 = 0.90), and turbidity (R2 = 0.89). These would likely be good indicators of haloacetic acid and trihalomethane formation potentials in water from the Missouri River. Haloacetic acid formation potential and trihalomethane formation potential were not well related to any of these organic materials, organic indicators, or turbidity for water samples from wells.

Organic wastewater compounds were detected in samples collected from a cross section of the Missouri River and all sampled wells. Synoptic measurements of dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, temperature, and turbidity in the Missouri River adjacent to the Independence well field were used to create maps of their distribution in the river. Results of analyses for organic wastewater compounds and the distribution of dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, and temperature indicate that Missouri River water quality on the south side of the river was moderately influenced by the south bank inflows to the river just upstream from the Independence well field.

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Publication Status

Public Domain

Comments

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.

Recommened Citation: Kelly, B.P., and Rydlund, P.H., Jr., 2006. Estimated Flood-Inundation Mapping for the Lower Blue River in Kansas City, Missouri, 2003–05: U.S. Geologic al Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5089, 27 p.

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

978-1-243-59943-8

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2328-0328

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2026 U.S. Geological Survey, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2006

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