Overview
EN ISO 5667-1:2023 - "Water quality - Sampling - Part 1" (CEN adoption of ISO 5667-1:2023) provides general principles and guidance for the design of sampling programmes and sampling techniques for all aspects of water sampling. The scope covers surface waters, groundwaters, drinking water, waste waters, sludges, effluents, suspended solids and sediments. It gives high‑level direction on programme design, safety, environmental considerations and factors affecting sampling but does not give detailed, situation‑specific procedures (these are covered in other parts of the ISO 5667 series and ISO 19458).
Key topics and technical requirements
- Design of sampling programmes: objectives, duration, frequency, statistical considerations and how to define sampling occasions to represent variability in water quality.
- Sampling techniques and location: guidance on selecting sampling locations and techniques appropriate to the target matrix (water, sludge, sediments, suspended solids).
- Variability and representativeness: considerations for temporal, spatial and process-related variability; use of composite samples vs discrete samples.
- Flow measurement: when and how flow data are relevant for interpreting water quality results (direction, velocity, discharge rate, flow profile).
- Personnel, safety and environmental considerations: responsibilities, training, personnel safety and minimizing environmental impact during sampling.
- Quality assurance / quality control: reference to QA/QC principles for sampling and handling (see related standards).
- References to specific parts of ISO 5667 and other standards: links to preservation and handling (ISO 5667-3), QA/QC (ISO 5667-14), sludge/sediment handling (ISO 5667-15), microbiological sampling (ISO 19458), and other Parts (4–26) that give detailed methods for specific waters.
Applications and users
This standard is practical for organizations involved in environmental and drinking water assessment and monitoring:
- Water utilities and treatment operators
- Environmental and regulatory agencies
- Laboratories and field sampling teams
- Consultants, researchers and academics conducting water quality studies
- Industrial effluent monitoring programs
Use cases include designing monitoring programmes for compliance, trend analysis, incident investigation, site characterization and research studies where representativeness and data quality are essential.
Related standards
Relevant parts referenced in EN ISO 5667-1:2023 include (selection):
- ISO 5667-3 (preservation and handling)
- ISO 5667-14 (QA/QC of sampling and handling)
- ISO 5667-15 (preservation/handling of sludge and sediment)
- ISO 19458 (microbiological sampling)
- Multiple ISO 5667 Parts for specific water types (Parts 4–13, 16–26)
EN ISO 5667-1:2023 is a foundational guidance document for any water sampling programme and should be used alongside the specific part(s) of the ISO 5667 series relevant to the water type or analysis.
