Statistical Tolerance Limits for Ground‐Water Monitoring

Abstract

AbstractStatistical tolerance limits can play a useful role in ground‐water detection monitoring programs at waste disposal facilities; however, their properties are often misunderstood or confused with statistical prediction limits. The purpose of this paper is to describe when, where, and why statistical tolerance limits should be used in ground‐water monitoring applications and how they relate to alternatives, such as statistical prediction limits. In addition, a two‐stage procedure that involves the use of both tolerance and prediction limits is described and is shown to have particularly desirable properties for waste disposal facilities for which large numbers of statistical comparisons are performed on a regular basis (e.g., 100 or more comparisons per quarter).