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Oklahoma Water Science Center

Water Chemistry Near the Closed Norman Landfill, Cleveland County, Oklahoma, 1995

By Jamie L. Schlottmann

Water-Resources Investigations Report 2000-4238

This report is available as a pdf.


Abstract

The Norman Landfill was selected for study as part of the U.S.Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program in 1994. The landfill islocated south of the City of Norman on alluvial deposits of the Canadian River. Type of waste deposited in the landfill from 1922 to 1973 was largely unrestricted and may include substance snow recognized as hazardous. Dissolved and suspended substances leached from wastes in the closed and capped landfill are now in ground water extending toward the Canadian River as a plume of leachate.

Water samples were collected from two stock wells, onedomestic well, temporary drive-point wells, the Canadian River, and a small intermittent stream hydraulically down gradient of the capped landfill known as the slough. Most constituent concentrations were greater in groundwater down gradient from the capped landfill than in background ground water and were greater in the slough than in the Canadian River. Concentrations of most constituents in the Canadian River, other than sulfate, manganese, and iron, were similar to concentrations in back-ground ground water.

Some constituents measured in ground-water for this investigation are potential in dicators of leachate contamination. Potential indicators that could be used to differentiate leachate contaminated water from uncontaminated ground water of the alluvial aquifer include specific conductance, chloride, alkalinity, dissolved organic carbon, boron, anddD. Specific conductance and chloride were greater in water from wells down gradient of the landfill than water from background wells. Dissolved organic carbon and boronal so were greater in the leachate contaminated ground water than in background ground water.

Contents

Abstract
Introduction
      Purpose and Scope
      Description of the Norman Landfill Area
      Hydrogeologic setting
      Site History
      Acknowledgments
Method of Investigation
      Selection of Sampling Sites
      Quality Assurance
      Sample Collection and Preservation
      Analytical Methods
      Statistical Method
Quality Assurance Results
Ground- and Surface-Water Chemistry
      Physical Properties
      Major Ions
      Nutrients
      Organic Carbon
      Iron and Manganese
      Trace Elements
      Stable isotopes
Indicators of the Leachate Plume
Summary
Selected References


This report is available as a pdf. (3.1MB)

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For information about water-resource studies in the State of Oklahoma, please visit our Web site at http://ok.water.usgs.gov/.



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