WHAT S IN YOUR WATER? GET WET! The University of Maine 2014 http://www.ukrivers.net/pollutionpics.html
WHERE DO WE GET DRINKING WATER? Groundwater Sources: Aquifers Water Table Surface Waters: Springs Streams Lakes Ponds Rivers http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.esrs.wmich.edu/mo%2520aquifer%2520discharge.jpg
Threats to Groundwater Increasing development and demand Road salt, nitrates, historical contaminants, etc. Climate change Precipitation changes http://spacing.ca/votes/?cat=42 Saltwater intrusion in coastal communities Chemically concentrated, scarce groundwater (decreased recharge) Natural contaminants http://facstaff.unca.edu/chennon/images/ocean.jpg 4
Private Well Water In the US, 15 million homes use private wells Limited to no regulations or enforcement for water quality testing Little incentive for homeowners to test wells 5
CONTAMINATION OF DRINKING WELLS All well types can be effected.
CONTAMINATION in Drinking Water
riversphere.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html
THE CONE OF DEPRESSION
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WHAT CAN YOU DO?
GET WET! Groundwater Education Through Water Evaluation and Testing GOALS: Collect data on groundwater quality (students). Build interest in the community (schools). Educate public to the need for private well testing Establish groundwater monitoring network. -Through random sampling of wells 12
GET WET! EDUCATIONAL GOALS: Students: -Field sampling techniques -Laboratory skills -Computer competence in Excel, Word, PowerPoint and a GIS program -Internet research capabilities -Mapping abilities -Water chemistry -An understanding why conservation and commitment to a healthy environment takes an entire community 13
GET WET! The Numbers: 9 years old 7 states 44+ towns, 23+ schools 100+ teachers and pre-service teachers 1000 s of 5th-12th students 100 s of Professional and Community Volunteers 14
GET WET! K-12 Students (and indirectly their household members) Teachers Administrators State Employees Watershed associations, conservation commissions, & ENGOs County or town employees Local business owners College professors & undergraduate students Parents, retirees, and other community members 15
MAINE Penobscot Watershed (3 towns) Androscoggin Watershed (3 towns) Frenchman Bay Watershed (4 towns) Nezinscot River Watershed ( 3 towns) Acton Watershed Androscoggin County Sagadahoc County GET WET! Locations NEW HAMPSHIRE Connecticut River Watershed (4 towns) Ossipee Watershed (6 towns) Wakefield Watershed VERMONT Connecticut River Watershed (2 towns) RHODE ISLAND Scituate Watershed (4 towns) CONNECTICUT Pawcatuck Watershed (3 towns) NEW YORK WallKill River Watershed (4 towns) Pine Bush Watershed Valley Central Watersheds Enlarged City School District of Middletown Watersheds Port Jervis Watersheds FLORIDA Okeechobee Watershed (3 towns) 16
GET WET! Step 1: Full day training for educators & local citizen volunteers 17
GET WET! Step 2: Educate and train Students http://www.usawaterquality.org/newengland/focus_areas/well/ 18
SAMPLING PROCEDURE Remove aerators from faucet Run COLD water for 10 minutes www.wemaketheworldgreen.com/ www.rayshousehelp.com/ Fill bottle to the TOP & cap tight Place in paper bag in refrigerator Bring to school! www.legionnaires-disease.com www.ehow.com
DON T FORGET THE PAPER WORK! He s got his bottle AND the information sheets in his backpack!
GET WET! Students pre-visit presentation includes: Drinking water sources Hydrologic cycle Private well types How a well can become contaminated Potential contamination sources Testing parameters Student s role in GET WET! How to sample well water 21
GET WET! Step 3a: Field sampling and testing 22
GET WET! Parameters students test for: Chloride Nitrates Total Iron or Total Metals Hardness (CaCO 3 ) Conductivity ph 23
NITRATES If nitrogen is found in your drinking water it means that fertilizers or septic systems have leached into your well water. The Nitrate Cycle http://www.nsac.ns.ca/envsci/s...dents/snelson/nitratecycle.jpg
http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/conservation/images/livestock2.gif
Hardness: Calcium, magnesium, and other minerals form hard water. Hardwater does not suds and makes white deposits on pipes and fixtures. Acidity/pH Measure of how much acid is in your water. Water with low ph is acidic. Water with a high ph is basic and may also have a high hardness. Average ph Range: 6.5-8.2
Chloride found in groundwater can have different causes. 1. Two possible inputs of chloride into groundwater in a coastal area are from seawater intrusion and marine aerosols 2. Seawater can be trapped and buried in the soils near sea level through either tidal or geologic changes. 3. The soluble product from swimming pools 4. From septic systems
Total Metals Some contaminants are natural and come from the bedrock, aerosols, or old sea bottom that are now soils Others come from man-made products
CONDUCTIVITY Conductivity in water is the measurement of ions or stuff in solution. It does not differentiate the ions, it only gives a reading of how much is there. It measures the conductivity by the strength of the charge moving through the water. Example: Salt water is more conductive of electricity than freshwater because it contains more ions.
Get Wet! Groundwater Education Through Water Evaluation & Testing Laboratory Station Sampling Sheet CHLORIDE TEST Sample Result: Number of drops = Multiply the above by 5= mg/l Maximum Safe Limit or Range 250 mg/l NITRATE TEST Sample Result mg/l Multiply by 4.4 mg/l 10 mg/l ph TEST Sample Result 6.5-8.5 HARDNESS TEST Sample Result grains per gallon (hard)multiply the above by 17.1 mg/l TOTAL METALS Sample Result μg/l Multiply by 0.001 mg/l CONDUCTIVITY TEST Sample Result µs/cm < 75 (soft)-300 0.3 mg/l 625 µs/cm
GET WET! Step 3b: Data analysis and mapping 31
GET WET! Step 4: Students analyze results and create PowerPoint presentation 32
GET WET! Parameters of PowerPoint: Land-use issues Local geology Groundwater inputs Specific local water concerns Results in graph form and mapped in a GIS program Parameters we did NOT test 33
GET WET! Step 5: Presentation at public meeting Date, time, and location determined by teacher http://livingindryden.org/2005/03/ 34
GET WET! Website Activities and curriculum Forms and PowerPoints 35
HOW CAN WE TELL YOUR TESTING IS VALID?
Conductivity Comparison 1200 1000 Student Conductivity 800 600 400 200 0 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 Lab Conductivity
ph Comparison 9.0 8.5 8.0 Student ph 7.5 7.0 6.5 6.0 5.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 6.5 7.0 7.5 8.0 8.5 Lab ph
Chloride Comparison 180 160 140 Student Chloride 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 0 100 200 300 400 Lab Chloride
Nitrate Comparison 6 5 Student Nitrate 4 3 2 1 0 0 5 10 15 20 25 Lab Nitrate
Measurable Actions Towards Groundwater Protection Increased awareness of drinking water concerns (all states) Measureable Actions Community Based Environmental Monitoring Research (CBEMR) networks continue to grow: NH, RI, CT, ME, NY, FL Continued GET WET! and added towns: NH, RI, CT, ME, NY, FL Salt storage moved and covered: NH, NY, RI Septic system modifications: RI (grant), ME, NY, NH, FL Historic contaminants previously unknown to community: VT, RI, ME, NH, FL Seasonal flooding effects: CT New well testing laws: RI *2013 FL Communicate the need to properly use filtration systems 41
ANY QUESTIONS?
CARPE DIEM! BE AN AGENT OF CHANGE! THANK YOU
REFERENCES www.sprouthouse.org/images/streamstudy.jpg http://riversphere.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html http://www.uprct.nsw.gov.au/html/info%20sheets/enviro%20issues/e7%20 Water%20Pollution_files/creek%20grate.jpg http://images.google.com/images?q=water+pollution&svnum=10&um=1&hl= en&rls=com.google:en-us:official&start=20&sa=n&ndsp=20 http://images.google.com/images?ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gfns=1&sourceid=navclient&rls=com.google:en-us: official&q=stream+studies&um=1&sa=n&tab=wi
HAVE FUN!!!