Ammonium - the nitrogen cation NH4 and is a usable form for plants

Aquifer - underground layer of saturated, permeable rock that can store and transmit groundwater.

Attenuation - when a contaminant is immobilized in the soils. For example, ammonium is a positively charged ion which binds with negatively charged soil particles. This attraction immobilizes ammonium.

Dissolved Oxygen - the measure of how much oxygen is dissolved in water. It can tell us if the water is aerobic or anerobic.

Electrical Conductivity - The conductivity of water is a measure of the capability of water to pass an electrical current. This indicates the relative ion concentration, or salts, in the water.

Equipment blank - This quality assurance sample measures how well we clean our equipment after sampling a well. We pour laboratory grade distilled water through the cleaned equipment and send the sample to the laboratory for analysis.

GWMA - Groundwater Management Area

Groundwater - is the water present below the land surface that flows between the pore space of soil and rocks.

Leaching - is the process where nitrate moves through the soil, below the root zone, and into groundwater.

Nitrate + Nitrite - Analytical method which we used in this study. In this report we discuss our findings as Nitrate. Nitrite is an unstable form of nitrogen in the environment and typically is not detected when sampled by itself.

ORP (oxidation reduction potential) - measure of how likely a solution is to give or receive electrons. Molecules that receive electrons are reduced, and molecules that give electrons are oxidized.

pH - measure of the acidity or alkalinity of water.

Replicate - two or more samples collected at the same site. Replicate samples provide quality assurance information on precision, or the measure of variability between results that is due to random error.

Screened interval - the portion of the well that has tiny openings which allow water to enter the borehole, but prevent sediments from getting in. This allows the driller to target the underground zone where they want water from the well.

Temperature - a physical measurement of hotness or coldness.

Travel blank - a quality assurance sample which is filled at the laboratory in a sealed bottle and travels in the field in the cooler during sampling and is returned to the laboratory for analysis.

Water table - top of the surficial aquifer