oSIST prEN ISO 5667-1:2026

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-februar-2026
Kakovost vode - Vzorčenje - 1. del: Navodilo za načrtovanje programov in tehnik
vzorčenja (ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025)
Water quality - Sampling - Part 1: Guidance on the design of sampling programmes and
sampling techniques (ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025)
Wasserbeschaffenheit - Probenahme - Teil 1: Anleitung zur Erstellung von
Probenahmeplänen und Probenahmetechniken (ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025)
Qualité de l'eau - Échantillonnage - Partie 1: Recommandations relatives à la conception
des programmes et des techniques d’échantillonnage (ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN ISO 5667-1
ICS:
13.060.45 Preiskava vode na splošno Examination of water in
general
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
International
Standard
ISO/DIS 5667-1
ISO/TC 147/SC 6
Water quality — Sampling —
Secretariat: BSI
Part 1:
Voting begins on:
Guidance on the design of sampling 2025-12-19
programmes and sampling
Voting terminates on:
2026-03-13
techniques
Qualité de l'eau — Échantillonnage —
Partie 1: Recommandations relatives à la conception des
programmes et des techniques d’échantillonnage
ICS: 13.060.45
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Reference number
ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
DRAFT
ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
International
Standard
ISO/DIS 5667-1
ISO/TC 147/SC 6
Water quality — Sampling —
Secretariat: BSI
Part 1:
Voting begins on:
Guidance on the design of sampling
programmes and sampling
Voting terminates on:
techniques
Qualité de l'eau — Échantillonnage —
Partie 1: Recommandations relatives à la conception des
programmes et des techniques d’échantillonnage
ICS: 13.060.45
THIS DOCUMENT IS A DRAFT CIRCULATED
FOR COMMENTS AND APPROVAL. IT
IS THEREFORE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
AND MAY NOT BE REFERRED TO AS AN
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD UNTIL
PUBLISHED AS SUCH.
This document is circulated as received from the committee secretariat.
IN ADDITION TO THEIR EVALUATION AS
BEING ACCEPTABLE FOR INDUSTRIAL,
© ISO 2025
TECHNOLOGICAL, COMMERCIAL AND
USER PURPOSES, DRAFT INTERNATIONAL
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Published in Switzerland Reference number
ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
ii
ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
Contents Page
Foreword .vi
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 General safety precautions . 1
4.1 General .1
4.2 Safety of personnel .1
4.3 General environmental considerations .2
5 Design of sampling programmes . 3
5.1 General .3
5.2 Sampling personnel .3
5.3 Broad objectives for the design of sampling programmes .3
5.4 Specific considerations in relation to variability .5
5.5 Identifying the sampling location . .5
6 Characteristics and conditions affecting sampling . 6
6.1 General .6
6.2 Variations from normal sampling conditions .6
7 Standards for sampling from water . 7
7.1 Introduction .7
7.2 General standards within the ISO 5667 series .7
7.2.1 General .7
7.2.2 ISO 5667-3, Preservation and handling of water samples.7
7.2.3 ISO 5667-14, Guidance on quality assurance and quality control of
environmental water sampling and handling .7
7.2.4 ISO 5667-15, Preservation and handling of samples of sludge, sediment and
suspended matter .7
7.2.5 ISO 5667-16, Guidance on biotesting of samples .7
7.2.6 ISO 5667-20, Guidance on the use of sampling data for decision making —
Compliance with thresholds and classification systems .8
7.2.7 ISO 5667-24, Guidance on the auditing of water quality sampling .8
7.2.8 ISO/TS 5667-25, Guideline on the validation of the storage time of water samples .8
7.3 Standards outside the ISO 5667 series that provide guidance on sampling programmes
in specific areas .9
7.3.1 General .9
7.3.2 ISO 19458, Water quality — Sampling for microbiological analysis .9
7.4 Standards within the ISO 5667 series providing specific guidance on the sampling of a
range waters .9
7.4.1 General .9
7.4.2 ISO 5667-4, Guidance on sampling from lakes, natural and man-made .9
7.4.3 ISO 5667-5, Guidance on sampling of drinking water from treatment works and
piped distribution systems .9
7.4.4 ISO 5667-6, Guidance on sampling of rivers and streams .9
7.4.5 ISO 5667-7, Guidance on sampling of water and steam in boiler plants.10
7.4.6 ISO 5667-8, Guidance on the sampling of wet deposition .10
7.4.7 ISO 5667-9, Guidance on sampling from marine waters .10
7.4.8 ISO 5667-10, Guidance for sampling on waste water .11
7.4.9 ISO 5667-11, Guidance on sampling of groundwaters .11
7.4.10 ISO 5667-12, Guidance on sampling of bottom sediments from rivers, lakes and
estuarine areas .11
7.4.11 ISO 5667-13, Guidance on sampling of sludges .11
7.4.12 ISO 5667-17, Guidance on sampling of bulk suspended solids . 12
7.4.13 ISO 5667-19, Guidance on sampling in marine sediments . 12

iii
ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
7.4.14 ISO 5667-21, Guidance on sampling of drinking water distributed by tankers or
means other than distribution pipes . 12
7.4.15 ISO 5667-22, Guidance on the design of installation of groundwater monitoring
plants . 13
7.4.16 ISO 5667-26, Guidance on sampling for the parameters of the oceanic carbon
dioxide system . 13
7.4.17 ISO 5667-27, Guidance on sampling for microplastics in water . 13
8 Time and frequency of sampling .13
8.1 General . 13
8.2 Water quality management programmes .14
8.3 Quality characterization programmes .14
8.4 Programmes for investigation of causes of contamination .14
8.5 Statistical considerations . .14
8.5.1 Establishment of sampling programmes .14
8.5.2 Random and systematic variations of water quality . 15
8.6 Duration of sampling occasion and composite samples .16
9 Flow measurements and situations justifying flow measurements for water quality
purposes .16
9.1 General .16
9.2 Direction of flow .16
9.3 Velocity of flow .17
9.4 Discharge rate .17
9.5 Flow profile.17
9.6 Cross-sectional area .17
9.7 Justification for flow measurements in water quality control management .17
9.7.1 Treatment plant loads .17
9.7.2 Dilution effects (flux calculations) .17
9.7.3 Mass flow calculations .17
9.7.4 Transport of contaminants and rates of recovery .18
9.7.5 Flow-related parameters .18
9.7.6 Groundwaters .18
9.8 Methods available for flow measurement .18
10 Current sampling techniques . 19
10.1 General .19
10.2 Spot samples .19
10.3 Periodic samples (discontinuous) . 20
10.3.1 Periodic samples taken at fixed time-intervals (time-dependent) or constant
time constant volume (CTCV) sampling . 20
10.3.2 Periodic samples taken at fixed flow-intervals (volume-dependent) or constant
time variable volume (CTVV) sampling . 20
10.3.3 Periodic samples taken at fixed flow-intervals (flow-dependent) or constant
volume variable time (CVVT) sampling . 20
10.4 Continuous samples . 20
10.4.1 Continuous samples taken at fixed flow rates (time-continuous sampling) . 20
10.4.2 Continuous samples taken at variable flow rates (flow-continuous sampling) . 20
10.5 Series sampling .21
10.6 Composite samples .21
10.7 Large-volume samples .21
11 Passive sampling .21
12 Sampling equipment of physical or chemical characteristics .22
12.1 General . 22
12.2 Sampling containers . 22
12.2.1 General . 22
12.2.2 Types of sample container . 23
12.3 Equipment for spot sampling . .24
12.4 Sampling equipment for sediments .24

iv
ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
12.4.1 Grab or dredge sampling .24
12.4.2 Core samplers . . 25
12.5 Sampling equipment for dissolved gases and volatile materials . 25
12.6 Sampling equipment for radioactivity characteristics . 25
12.7 Sampling equipment for biological and microbiological characteristics . 25
12.8 Automatic sampling equipment . 25
12.9 Sampling equipment for passive sampling . 26
12.10 Sampling equipment for suspended sediments . 26
13 Quality assurance and quality control of environmental water sampling and handling .27
13.1 General .27
13.2 Sources of contamination .27
13.3 Control or prevention of contamination .27
14 Transport to, and storage of samples at, the depot or laboratory .28
15 Sample identification and records . .28
15.1 General . 28
15.2 Data management . 29
15.3 Samples that can be used for legal purposes . 29
Annex A (informative) Diagrams illustrating types of periodic and continuous sampling .30
Annex B (informative) Diagram illustrating types of field paperwork and labels .33
Annex C (informative) Alternative and emerging sampling techniques .35
Annex D (informative) Preparation of sampling equipment .37
Bibliography .38

v
ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee
has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations,
governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely
with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
ISO draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). ISO takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent
rights in respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, ISO [had/had not] received notice of
(a) patent(s) which may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that
this may not represent the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at
www.iso.org/patents. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation of the voluntary nature of standards, the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions
related to conformity assessment, as well as information about ISO's adherence to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 147, Water quality, Subcommittee SC 6,
Sampling (general methods), in collaboration with the European Committee for Standardization (CEN)
Technical Committee CEN/TC 230, Water analysis, in accordance with the Agreement on technical
cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna Agreement).
This fifth edition cancels and replaces the fourth edition (ISO 5667-1:2023).
The main changes are as follows:
— potential measures to be taken to minimize any potential environmental or climate change contributors
have been added to Clause 4 and Clause 12;
— subclauses have been included and adjusted in Clause 7 referring to the most recent revisions in and
additions to the ISO 5667 series.
A list of all parts in the ISO 5667 series can be found on the ISO website.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.

vi
DRAFT International Standard ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
Water quality — Sampling —
Part 1:
Guidance on the design of sampling programmes and
sampling techniques
1 Scope
This document sets out the general principles for, and provides guidance on, the design of sampling
programmes and sampling techniques for all aspects of sampling of water (including waste waters, sludges,
effluents, suspended solids and sediments).
This document does not include detailed instructions for specific sampling instructions, which are covered
[1]
in various other parts of the ISO 5667 series and in ISO 19458 .
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
There are no terms and definitions listed in this document.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http:// www .iso .org/ obp
4 General safety precautions
4.1 General
Attentions is drawn to the requirements of national and/or regional health and safety regulations.
The following are general examples of safety considerations.
4.2 Safety of personnel
The enormously wide range of conditions encountered in sampling water bodies and bottom sediments can
subject sampling personnel to a variety of safety and health risks. Precautions should be taken to avoid
inhalation of toxic gases and ingestion of toxic materials through the nose, mouth and skin. Personnel
responsible for the design of sampling programmes and for carrying out sampling operations should ensure
that sampling personnel are informed of the necessary precautions to be taken in sampling operations.
Weather conditions should be taken into account in order to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment
and it is essential that life jackets and lifelines should be worn when sampling large masses of water. Before
sampling from ice-covered waters, the location and extent of weak ice should be carefully checked. If self-
contained underwater breathing apparatus or other diving equipment is used, it should always be checked
and maintained in accordance with relevant ISO or national standards to ensure reliability.

ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
Boats or platforms used for sampling purposes should be capable of being maintained in a stable condition.
In all waters, precautions should be taken in relation to commercial ships and fishing vessels; for example,
the correct signal flags should be flown to indicate the nature of the work being undertaken.
Sampling from unsafe sites, such as unstable river banks, should be avoided wherever possible. If this is not
possible, the operation should be conducted by a team using appropriate precautions rather than by a single
operator. Wherever possible, sampling from bridges should be used as a substitute for bank sampling unless
bank conditions are the specific subject of the sampling study.
Safe access to sampling sites in all weather is essential for frequent routine sampling. Where relevant,
precautions should be taken where additional natural hazards are present, such as fauna or flora, that can
endanger the health or safety of personnel.
Hazardous materials (e.g. bottles containing concentrated acids) should be properly labelled.
If instruments or other items of equipment are to be installed on a river bank for sampling purposes,
locations that are susceptible to flooding or vandalism should be avoided or appropriate precautions taken.
Many other situations arise during the sampling of water when special precautions should be taken to
avoid accidents. For example, some industrial effluents can be corrosive or can contain toxic or flammable
materials. The potential dangers associated with contact with sewage should also not be overlooked; these
can be gaseous, microbiological, radiological, virological or zoological, such as from amoebae or helminthes.
Gas protection equipment, breathing apparatus, resuscitation apparatus and other safety equipment should
be available when sampling personnel need to enter sampling locations containing hazardous atmospheres.
In addition, the concentration of oxygen and of any likely toxic or asphyxiating vapour or gas likely to be
present should be measured before personnel enter enclosed spaces.
In the sampling of steam and hot discharges, special care is necessary, and recognized sampling techniques
designed to remove hazards should be applied.
The handling of radioactive samples requires special care, and the special techniques required should be
strictly applied.
The use of electrically operated sampling equipment in or near water can present special electrocution
hazards. Work procedures, site design and equipment maintenance should be planned so as to minimize
these hazards. Where appropriate, specific materials and equipment, for example, ‘atmosphere explosible’
equipment, should be used.
4.3 General environmental considerations
While working in the field environmental protection should be observed. In any sampling activity there
should be measures taken to minimize any potential environmental or climate change contributors, such as
the following:
a) carbon impact by minimizing distance travelled and volume of sample transported;
b) considering use of electric or non-fossil fuel vehicles;
c) minimizing, if possible, use of single use plastics;
d) considering re-usable containers;
e) avoiding of environmental impacts on the sample surroundings and the working space;
f) avoiding transfer of species between sites (e.g. by disinfecting equipment or using several equipments).
Measures should be designed to avoid any harm to flora and fauna when installing equipment using
machinery (subsoil compaction) or when developing the access en egress form the site.
Avoid spillage of chemicals into the environment (e.g. as a preservative already put in sampling bottles).

ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
5 Design of sampling programmes
5.1 General
Whenever a volume of water, suspended solids, bottom sediment or sludge is to be characterized, it is
generally impossible to examine the whole and it is therefore necessary to take samples.
Samples are collected and examined primarily for the following reasons:
a) to determine the concentration of associated physical, chemical, microbiological, biological and
radiological parameters in space and time;
b) with bottom sediments, to obtain a visual indication of their nature;
c) to estimate the flux of material;
d) to assess trends over time or over space;
e) for conformance with, or attainment of, criteria, standards or objectives.
Sampling programmes, the outcome of which will be estimates of summary statistics and trends, should
be designed in full awareness of the issues of statistical sampling error and the techniques by which these
errors are quantified and how they are used to take decisions.
The samples collected should be as representative as possible of the whole to be characterized, and all
precautions should be taken to ensure that, as far as possible, the samples do not undergo any changes in
[2]
the interval between sampling and analysis (see ISO 5667-3 for additional guidance). The sampling of
multiphase systems, such as water containing suspended solids or immiscible organic liquids, can present
special problems and in such cases, specific advice should be sought (see Clause 6).
5.2 Sampling personnel
Attention is drawn to the fact that certification and accreditation of the sampling process and the individuals
[3]
implementing it can be required or recommended at national level. Also refer to 7.2.6, ISO 5667-14 and
[4]
ISO 5667-24 .
5.3 Broad objectives for the design of sampling programmes
Before any sampling programme is devised, it is very important that the objectives of the programme
are carefully established since they are the major factors in determining the position of sampling sites,
frequency of sampling, duration of sampling, sampling procedures, subsequent treatment of samples and
analytical requirements. The degree of accuracy and precision necessary for the estimation of parameter
concentrations sought should also be taken into account, as should the manner in which the results are
to be expressed and presented, for example, as concentrations or mass loads, maximum and/or minimum
values, arithmetic means, median values, etc. The sampling programme should be designed to be capable of
estimating the error in such values as affected by statistical sampling error and errors in chemical analysis.
Additionally, a list of parameters of interest should be compiled and the relevant analytical procedures
consulted since these can give guidance on precautions to be observed during sampling and subsequent
[2]
handling (general guidance on handling of samples is given in ISO 5667-3 ).
It can often be necessary to carry out a preliminary sampling and analysis programme before the final
objectives can be defined. It is important to take into account all relevant data from previous programmes
at the same or similar locations and other information on local conditions. Previous personal experience of
similar programmes or situations can also be very valuable when setting up a new programme for the first
time. Putting sufficient effort in time and money into the design of a proper sampling programme is a good
investment that will ensure that the required information is obtained both efficiently and economically;
failure to put proper effort into this aspect can result in either failure of the programme to achieve its
objectives and/or over-expenditure of time and money.

ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
Three broad objectives can be distinguished as follows (these are covered in more detail in 8.2, 8.3 and 8.4):
— quality control measurements within water or waste water treatment plants used to decide when short-
term process corrections are required;
— quality characterization measurements used to estimate quality, perhaps as a part of a research project,
for setting and measuring performance targets against regulatory targets, for long-term control purposes
or to indicate long-term trends;
— identification and control of sources of contamination.
The purpose of the programme can change from quality characterization to quality control and viceversa.
For example, a longer-term programme for nitrate characterization can become a short-term quality control
programme requiring increased frequency of sampling as the nitrate concentration approaches a critical value.
No single sampling study can satisfy all possible purposes. It is therefore important that specific sampling
programmes are optimized for specific study purposes, such as the following:
a) to determine the suitability of water for an intended use and, if necessary, to assess any treatment
or control requirements, for example, to examine borehole water for cooling, boiler feed or process
purposes or, if a natural spring, as a possible source of water intended for human consumption;
b) to study the effect of waste discharges, including accidental spillages, on a receiving water;
c) to assess the performance and control of water, sewage and industrial effluent plants, for example
1) to assess the variations and long-term changes in load entering a treatment works,
2) to determine the efficiency of each stage in a treatment process,
3) to provide evidence of quality of treated water,
4) to control the concentration of treated substances including those which can constitute a health
hazard or which can inhibit a bacteriological process, and
5) to control substances which can damage the fabric of plant or equipment;
d) to study the effects of fresh and saline water flows on estuarine conditions in order to provide information
on mixing patterns and associated stratification with variations in tides and freshwater flow;
e) to identify and quantify products lost from industrial processes; this information is required when
product balances across the plant are to be assessed and when effluent discharges are to be measured;
f) to establish the quality of boiler water, steam condensate and other reclaimed water, enabling its
suitability for a particular intended purpose to be assessed;
g) to control the operation of industrial cooling water systems; this enables the use of water to be optimized
and, at the same time, the problems associated with scale formation and corrosion to be minimized;
h) to study the effects of atmospheric contaminants on the quality of rainwater; this provides useful
information on air quality and also indicates if problems are likely to arise, for example, on exposed
electrical contacts;
i) to assess the effect of inputs from the land on water quality from naturally occurring materials, or
contamination by fertilizers, pesticides and chemicals used in agriculture, or both;
j) to assess the effect of the accumulation and release of substances by bottom sediments on the aquatic
biota in the water mass or bottom sediment;
k) to study the effect of abstraction, river regulation and river-to-river transfers on natural watercourses;
for example, varying proportions of waters of different quality can be involved in river regulation and
the quality of the resulting blend can fluctuate;

ISO/DIS 5667-1:2025(en)
l) to assess changes in water quality which occur in distribution systems for water for human consumption;
these changes can occur for a number of reasons, for example, contamination, introduction of water
from a new source, biological growths, deposition of scale or dissolution of metal;
m) to gather information for compiling pollution load estimations of river catchment areas as well as
information about the significance of different pollution sources:
n) to assess the effect of anthropogenic changes (global warming, ocean acidification, eutrophication, dust
storms, etc.) on the water quality in marine environments and long-term variations in biogeochemical
cycling and spatio-temporal distribution of environmentally important components (nutrients,
dissolved gases, contaminants, suspended solids, etc).
On some occasions, the conditions can be sufficiently stable and the forms of variability understood fo
...