Overview
EN ISO 5667-14:2016 - Water quality - Sampling - Part 14 provides guidance on quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) for the manual sampling and handling of environmental waters. Aligned with ISO 5667-14:2014, it covers QA/QC techniques applicable to surface, potable, waste, marine and groundwater sampling. The standard also notes that its general principles may sometimes apply to sludge and sediment sampling. Use this document to establish robust sampling protocols, reduce sampling error, and ensure reliable water quality data.
Key Topics
- Scope and objectives: Guidance on selection and use of QC methods to detect contamination, loss of determinand and sampling instability.
- Sources of sampling error: Identification and description of common field and handling error sources that affect analytical results.
- Sampling quality management: Technical and personnel requirements, development of a sampling manual, and staff training.
- Strategy and organisation: Planning of sampling time, frequency, duration and selection of sampling locations.
- Sample collection and handling: Pre-field checks, field preparation, in-situ measurements, sampling techniques, sample identification, transport and storage.
- Quality control techniques: Practical QC tools such as replicate (duplicate) samples, field blanks, rinsate blanks, filtration recovery checks, spiked and spiked environmental samples.
- Data analysis: Use of control charts (e.g., Shewhart charts), duplicate control charts and interpretation of QC data.
- Independent audits: Recommendations for external review and verification of sampling quality systems.
Applications
EN ISO 5667-14:2016 is used where reliable water quality data are required and sampling error must be controlled:
- Environmental and regulatory monitoring programmes (surface water, groundwater, marine).
- Drinking water and wastewater utilities establishing QA/QC for routine sampling.
- Environmental consultancies and field teams developing sampling manuals and training materials.
- Laboratories verifying sample integrity prior to analysis and interpreting field QC data.
- Incident response and rapid sampling operations where abbreviated QA/QC is needed (e.g., pollution events).
Practical outcomes include improved sampling repeatability, documented chain-of-custody and minimized contamination - all supporting defensible environmental decisions and regulatory compliance.
Related standards
Part 14 is one in the ISO 5667 series (Water quality - Sampling). Relevant companion documents include:
- ISO 5667-1 (design of sampling programmes)
- ISO 5667-3 (preservation and handling)
- Parts addressing specific matrices: ISO 5667-5 (drinking water), -6 (rivers), -9 (marine waters), -10 (waste water), -11 (groundwater), -12/13/15 (sediments, sludges)
Refer to the series for full sampling programme design and matrix-specific procedures.
Keywords: EN ISO 5667-14:2016, water quality sampling, quality assurance, quality control, environmental water sampling, sampling protocols, field quality control, sample handling, ISO 5667.