Skip to main content

EPA's New Unified Guidance: Statistical Analysis of Groundwater Monitoring Data

This two and a half day course discusses the core elements of the EPA's first major revision to its groundwater statistical guidance in almost 20 years. Presented by the primary author of the revision, this course will showcase new features of the guidance, as well as recommended changes to current statistical practice. In addition to reviewing the design and evaluation of statistical programs for groundwater monitoring, participants will also learn the benefits of checking their assumptions in order to run the most effective statistical tests.

California Department of Public Health, CDPH, Approved for contact hours

Please wait to receive a course confirmation email, roughly one month prior to the class, before making any non-refundable travel arrangements.

Reduced tuition is available to employees of Native American tribes, government agencies, nonprofits, students and NAEP, NEBC, NWAEP members. You may register online or by calling the Northwest Environmental Training Center at 425-270-3274.

Intended audience

This course is intended for RCRA regulators, site operators and/or consultants responsible for compliance with regulations for groundwater monitoring. It may also be useful to parties responsible for statistical treatment of environmental data in other regulatory programs.

Prerequisites

A background in statistics, RCRA, and previous EPA guidance are helpful, though not required.
 

CEUs
1.60
Course Topics

Key Assumptions in Groundwater Testing

  • Normality, stationarity, data independence


RCRA Groundwater Statistical Framework

  • Monitoring stages
  • Balancing statistical errors
  • Statistically significant increases (SSI)
  • Power Curves


Importance of Background

  • Establishing and implementing background


Strategies for Compliance Monitoring

  • Testing under unstable conditions
  • Comparisons to background data
 

Statistical Design in Detection Monitoring

  • Multiple comparisons, site-wide false positive rates
  • Parametric vs. Non-parametric tests
  • Interwell vs. Intrawell tests
  • Incorporating Retesting


What to do with Difficult Data

  • Outliers, non-detects
  • Spatial variation, temporal correlation


Recommended statistical methods

  • Prediction limits, control charts
  • Trend tests
  • Confidence intervals
Course Materials

Attendees will receive a book containing workshop proceedings and reference material.

What to bring

Please bring a pen or pencil, and notepad if you would like to take notes (you may also choose to take notes in your book). Lunch will be on your own, but drinks and snacks will be provided throughout the day.

No upcoming sessions are currently scheduled. To be notified when new sessions are added, please contact us.

Cancellations

  • With 31 or more days notice, we will offer a 100% refund or credit towards a future course. The credit is good for one year and may be applied to any course.
  • With 30–8 days notice, we will offer a course credit towards a future course. The credit is good for one year and may be applied to any course.
  • With fewer than 8 days notice, there is no course credit available.

Please note that attendee replacement is welcome at any time.