PROCEDURES

There are many types of equipment and kits available for testing water quality. However, due to a lack of budgetary information concerning the 98-99 school year, the exact type of equipment and procedures to be used are not known at this time. The type of equipment chosen will use analytical methods that involve standard reagents and color changes and will be compatible for use in the field as well as in the laboratory. The samples will be collected on a bimonthly basis by secondary level students. Collection of this data is a work in progress.

Water testing kits such as the LaMotte limnology test kit model AM-02 or the shirt pocket water test kit from Carolina Biological Supply Company are two adequate examples.

The tests desired to be performed and their optimum ranges will be as follows:

• Total chlorine calculated from readings of free chlorine
• Free chlorine recommended above 0.2 ppm yet lower that 4.0 ppm
• Copper recommended at 1.3 ppm or less
• Iron recommended at lower than 0.3 ppm
• Total hardness recommended between 50 and 125 ppm
• Total alkalinity recommended at 50 ppm or higher
• pH recommended between 6.4 and 8.5
• Nitrate and nitrite-nitrogen standards of 1.0 ppm for nitrite-nitrogen and 10.0 ppm for nitrate-nitrogen
• Phosphates recommended at not more than 0.1 ppm

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