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40 <br />• ANALYSIS OF MINE WATERS <br />The chemical composition of mine waters has to be known <br />first to understand the nature of the water, second to comply <br />with state and federal regulations, and third to maintain <br />quality control on effluent treatment operations. The usual <br />opinion is that the chemical analyses have to be done by <br />outside laboratories, however, this is not the case if a <br />careful analytical program is established. If a mining <br />operation can establish such a program, its primary benefit <br />is a better knowledge of the operation. With that knowledge, <br />a convincing case can be made to government agencies concern- <br />ing effluent problems. The testing program suggested below <br />• is not expensive or difficult and the operators of the mine <br />have control over the program. The chief difficulty with <br />an analysis program is that someone will have to take care <br />in being clean, careful and tidy in an environment where <br />these qualities are hard to practice. The technical basis <br />for the analysis program is given in this chapter. No <br />descriptions of the analyses are contained in the Appendix. <br />THE BASIC TESTS <br />Are there a few basic tests that can answer most questions <br />concerning mine effluents? Wentz (32) looked at this question <br />by applying statistical tests to weigh the correlation between <br />the parameters usually measured in water analyses and mine <br />0 drainages that didn't meet the drinking water standards. He