Groundwater Sampler Operating Procedure

The Groundwater Sampler is assembled with the expendable drive point, the drive head, the protective sheath, the inner stainless steel screen (or PVC) and the O-ring seal. A drive rod is added to the top of the sampler and the entire assembly is driven into the subsurface using the percussion of the direct push rig. By adding a series of hardened steel, hollow drive rods, the sampler is advanced to the desired depth. Once the desired depth is achieved, extension rods are placed down the center of the drive rods to knock the expendable point loose and to hold the screen in position as the rods are retracted approximately 4 feet. The stainless steel screen is exposed to the aquifer and fills with groundwater. The groundwater is extracted using tubing which is inserted down the center of the rods into the stainless screen sampler. The most common methods of extracting the groundwater are a bailer, a check valve, or a peristaltic pump, depending upon the contaminant, the volume desired, and the local protocols.