The Nuclear Industry Group for Land Quality (NIGLQ) has published a Nuclear Industry Code of Practice on Routine Water Quality Monitoring, the development of which was funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Direct Research Portfolio. It covers groundwater, open freshwater bodies, ‘in-pipe’ and ‘end of pipe’ surface water drainage and inter-tidal surface waters.
The focus is on routine (long-term) water quality monitoring, defined as “the collection of water quality data and related hydrometric data at regular intervals over time, in accordance with a documented protocol, with defined criteria for assessment of results, such that results that are not in line with expectations can be identified and appropriate actions initiated”.
The document concentrates on those aspects of routine water quality monitoring specific to nuclear sites and radioactive contaminants. It also provides summary guidance relating to non-radioactive contaminants and topics common to both radioactive and non-radioactive contamination, such as sampling point design, hydrochemistry and relevant hydrometric parameters, and signposts other guidance and standards where applicable, and as such may be useful outside the nuclear industry context.
The document is free to download from the NDA website and is also uploaded to the SAFEGROUNDS+ website via the ‘Guidance/NIGLQ’ webpage