Post on 07-May-2015
© H. Verheul
Sierra Club of Sierra Club of CanadaCanada
Atlantic ChapterAtlantic ChapterTesting the Testing the Waters: A Water Waters: A Water
Quality Quality WorkshopWorkshop
Sierra Club of Canada Atlantic Chapter
A member-based organization that empowers people to protect,
restore and enjoy a healthy and safe planet.
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Sierra Club of Canada Atlantic Chapter
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Main focus of Halifax office is education.This workshop is a reaction to member
interest in water quality testing.
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Overview of today’s workshop
• Sierra Club Presentation
• Community Based Environmental Monitoring Network
• Eastern Shore Forest Watch Presentation
• Water Quality Testing Workshop
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• Ecosystem integrity– ecosystem needs vary
• Drinking water quality
• Agricultural water quality
What is Water Quality
Ecosystem integrity and
drinking water quality are directly related. Drinking
water comes from somewhere…
Drawing by Sydney Smith (http://ecologyaction.ca/content/getting-know-your-watershed)
Drawing by Sydney Smith
Community-Based Water Community-Based Water Quality MonitoringQuality Monitoring
• builds community awareness of health and threats to water resources
• develops an understanding of day to day living impacts
• brings communities together by making them aware of their common water source
Community member participation in Community member participation in management of water resourcesmanagement of water resources
Drawing by M.C. Escher (http://www.skotforeman.co
m)
• Local community members
• Community groups and organizations
• Environmental stewardship groups
• Government agencies• Industry
Who can do water quality Who can do water quality monitoring? monitoring?
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• Local community members
• Community groups and organizations
• Environmental stewardship groups
Purposes for water quality Purposes for water quality monitoring monitoring
(World Health Organization, 1996)(World Health Organization, 1996)
• To guarantee that water is suitable…
• To help explain the impacts of our actions
• To record trends in water quality over time
• To monitor background quality of the water as a means to compare the results later on
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Definitions:• Groundwater: water that is underground and flows
through the pores in the soil, cracks in the bedrock, it supplies springs, wells and sometimes lakes, streams and rivers with water
• Leaching: process by which materials such as salts, pesticides, or other contaminants and chemicals are dissolved in water and carries along with the water flow• Lentic waters: standing water (not flowing, ie. ponds or lakes)
• Lotic waters: flowing water (ie. rivers, streams)
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What is a Watershed?
The area of land where all of the water that drains off it goes into the same
place.
Other names for watersheds are a catchment, catchment area, catchment
basin, drainage area, river basin and water basin.
(http://www.cwp.org)
http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/whatis.html
What is a Watershed?
Watersheds may vary in size
from a large river basin to less than an
acre.
Larger watersheds may contain smaller watersheds called sub-
basins.
What is a Watershed?
http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water.strategy/docs/WaterStrategy_NSWatershedMap.pdf
The integrity of a watershed ecosystem is directly linked to
water quality
Bedrock geology, soils, vegetation,
atmospheric deposition and land uses will all affect
the water quality of a lake or stream.
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The importance of a watershed
All living things in a
given watershed are linked by their common water
course. © H. Verheul
Definitions:• Water quality parameter: a characteristic which is
used to understand the quality of the water• Effluent: water that flows from a single source (such
as a sewage treatment plant) after it has been used or treated
• Runoff: the part of rainfall, snowmelt or irrigation that flow over the surface of the ground (doesn’t seep into the ground)• Point source: water entering a water body from a single point (ie. effluent)
• Non-point source: water entering a water body over a large area (ie. runoff)
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http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/images/nature/prop/hydrologic.htm
The Hydrologic Cycle
• The circuit of water movement from The circuit of water movement from the oceans to the atmosphere and to the oceans to the atmosphere and to the Earth and return to the the Earth and return to the atmosphere through various stages atmosphere through various stages or processes such as precipitation, or processes such as precipitation, interception, runoff, infiltration, interception, runoff, infiltration, percolation, storage, evaporation, percolation, storage, evaporation, and transportationand transportation (USGS, 2009). (USGS, 2009).
The Water CycleThe Water CycleThe earth acts as a big filtration
system. However, the filter cant be changed.
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Toxins and pollutants accumulate to have negative effects on the cycling
of water.
The Water Balance in a Lake
Water flows into lakes:
• through rivers and streams that may carry materials that are both artificial and natural
• from water and wastewater treatment plants and industry
• through agricultural drainage, rainfall and groundwater
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The Water Balance in a Lake
(World Health Organization, 1996)
Water flows out of lakes through:
• rivers and streams
• evaporation and groundwater
• removal for public, agricultural and industrial use
The Water Balance in a Lake: Scraggy Lake
http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/ea/MooseRiver/FocusReportTouquoyGoldProject.pdf
Designing a Water Quality Monitoring Designing a Water Quality Monitoring StrategyStrategyA strategy must include:
• objectives
• information required to meet these objectives
• description of the study area
• description of the sampling sites
• list of the water quality parameters to be measured
• frequency and timing of sampling
• list of materials, equipment, volunteers
• quality control and quality assurance plan
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(World Health Organization, 1996)
• to understand the effects that deteriorating water quality have on plant and aquatic life
• to develop measures that will prevent further deterioration of a water body
Examples of objectives include:
• to determine whether or not current discharges into a water body satisfy rules and regulations
Objectives: what are you interested in knowing? (World Health Organization, 1996)
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Understanding Your Watershed
(World Health Organization, 1996)A description of the monitoring
area should include:
• definition of the geographical extent of the area
• summary of the factors that may affect water quality (including human activities)
• water bodies descriptors (ie. lakes, rivers, streams, size, type, fast flowing, slow flowing, other visual descriptions)
• summary of what the water body is currently used for and will potential be used for
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Choosing Sampling Sites: Location on the
watershedRequires:• consideration of the monitoring objectives
– eg. to find a point source• knowledge of the geography of the water course• the uses of water
– location, direction of flow, rocky or sandy, etc• points on the watershed where water is removed or
returned to the water course after human uses
(Water on the Web 2004)
Sampling Station: Rivers
Should be placed:• at a point where the
water is well mixed both vertically and laterally
• where wastewater flows into rivers, complete mixing may not occur until some distance downstream
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Field Sampling Considerations• sample containers:
– may be supplied by the sampling laboratory
• record observations at sampling station in a notebook:– who sampled– where and when– what samples were
taken, what measurements were made, how they were made and the results
– weather and any unusual conditions at the site
(World Health Organization, 1996)
Field Sampling Considerations
Sampling procedures:• seek specific
procedures for equipment being used
• check for standard operating procedures
Sampling tips:• measure sampling depth from the surface to the
middle of the sampler• avoid touching or disturbing the bottom of the water
body, because this will cause particles to become suspended
Field Sampling
• correctly preserve the samples:– generally a clean, chilled
and dark environment is preferred
– be aware of maximum storage time
• consider transportation of samples:– coordinate drop-off time
with laboratory to ensure a short enough time between collection and analysis
(http://www.cdha.nshealth.ca/default.aspx?page=DocumentRender&doc.Id=2134)
Quality Assurance and Quality Control
Quality Assurance covers the
overall water quality
monitoring plan.
Quality control is measures that are taken to minimize
errors and maintain precision, accuracy, representativeness, completeness and
comparability of the data.
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Quality Assurance
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Guides :• the selection of parameters and methods,• how data will be managed, analyzed and
reported,• what steps will be used to determine validity
of the selected procedures Seek outside sources to check program and
data (ie. limnologist, university professor, other professionals, compare with other
monitoring programs and community groups, etc.)
Quality Assurance
Data management:• Tables
• can display all the data measured for each sample site
• can display date and time collected, site location, site code, samplers name, equipment used, site description, additional comments, etc.
(World Health Organization, 1996)
http://www.annapolisriver.ca/downloads/Annapolis_River_Guardians_2008.pdf
Quality Assurance
Data management:• Graphs
• over location (see right)• to compare values
at different locations
• over time (see below)• to evaluate changes
as time passes
http://www.annapolisriver.ca/downloads/Annapolis_River_Guardians_2008.pdf
• numerous ways to organize a graph to demonstrate useful information
• anomalous values may become evident
• useful method of reporting data
• can be created using microsoft excel
Quality Control
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Procedures that will help you minimize errors.
Precision (or repeatability):• if two samples are taken at the same place at
nearly the same time, how closely do they agree?
• minimizing human error can help maintain precision
Accuracy:• how close results are to a true or expected
value
Quality Control
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Representativeness:• do the samples represent the environmental
condition? Completeness:• was enough valid or usable data collected?• for example, if 100 samples were to be collected,
but only 90 were actually collected, then 90% completeness is documented
Comparability:• how data compares: between locations,
throughout time, or between the people who are monitoring
Quality Control
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Quality Control Measures• create a quality control plan that includes details
such as the calibration of sampling instruments, instrument details, sampling instructions, etc.
• this plan can be modified as new equipment is used or as new measures become apparent
• two sets of eyes are always better than one!• if two people can be part of the sampling
procedure, then the chance of error is reduced
Quality Control
Data checks:• check to see if the values
collected are scientifically possible or if the instruments used are capable of detecting such values• check with other data
if available• check instrument
capability in manual• does the instrument
have a range• check that the units you
are using are consistent• μg/L vs mg/L where μ
means 10-6and m means 10-3(World Health Organization,
1996)
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Does this make sense?
Quality Control
Data checks:• comparison of data
measured in a lab with data measured in field
• comparison of different data measured• do they work
together?• if anomalous values are
found, check all points where a mistake could have been made• from field book to
computer, from volunteer to volunteer, from database to report(World Health Organization,
1996)
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Can I fudge these?
NO!
Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment:
• Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines– includes guidelines for:
• drinking water quality (Health Canada)
•the protection of freshwater life
•agricultural water uses for irrigation and livestock
•recreational water quality and aesthetics
• industrial water supplies•marine water quality•marine and freshwater
sediment quality
Guidelines and RegulationsGuidelines and Regulations
http://ceqg-rcqe.ccme.ca/(CCME 1999)
Guidelines and RegulationsGuidelines and Regulations
http://ceqg-rcqe.ccme.ca/(CCME 1999)
Guidelines and RegulationsGuidelines and RegulationsProvincial government legislation:• Protected Water:
– may include restrictions on:• land use• recreational activities such as
bathing, swimming, fishing• fire restrictions• forestry restrictions• landfill prohibition• road construction and
sedimentation control
• Wilderness Area:– prohibits various activities such
as:• types of construction,• various modes of transportation• acquiring mineral and petroleum
rights• camping, tenting, littering, any
activities that may destroy or disturb the ecosystem
Guidelines and RegulationsGuidelines and Regulations
http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/regulations/regs/envpwpoc.htm
http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/legc/statutes/wildarea.htm
Search online to find legislation.
Guidelines and RegulationsGuidelines and RegulationsCanadian Federal Government:• Metal Mining Liquid Effluent Regulations and Guidelines
– includes maximum levels for harmful substances
http://www.ec.gc.ca/NOPP/docs/rpt/1mm9/en/c2.cfm
Delivering of Monitoring Outcomes to Decision Makers:
Strategy
(Wieler, 2007)
Delivering of Monitoring Outcomes to Decision Makers:
ReportingMethods of presenting data
and findings:• Report format: a report
could include:• program objectives• list, description and
interpretation of results• quality assurance and
quality control plan and data
• testing methodologies• site description• recommendations
A good example is that of the Clean Annapolis River Project which is posted on online, see:
http://www.annapolisriver.ca/downloads/Annapolis_River_Guardians_2008.pdf
Delivering of Monitoring Outcomes to Decision Makers:
ReportingMethods of presenting data and
findings: report card• includes:
• short description of objectives: why is the report important?
• short description of monitoring area
• short description of each parameter
• results: tabulated or on a graph
• grading scheme: could the results be better or worse? • poor, fair, good, excellentAnnapolis watershed report card at:
http://www.annapolisriver.ca/downloads/Report_Card_2008.pdf
Delivering of Monitoring Outcomes to Decision Makers:
ReportingBe sure to find effective ways to
distribute the results:• post reports online• make councillors/other
decision makers aware• include as part of an
environmental impact assessment
• distribute reports throughout community
• release finding through media such as newspapers or radio
(Wieler, 2007)
• AGAT Laboratories, Dartmouth• Environmental Services Lab, Queen
Elizabeth II Health Sciences, Halifax• Envirosphere Consultants Ltd., Windsor• Maxxam Analytics, Bedford
Water Testing Laboratories in Central Nova Scotia
(http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/waterlabs.asp)
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• Aberdeen Hospital, New Glasgow• Colchester Regional Hospital, Truro• Cumberland Regional Health Care
Centre, Cumberland Co.• NS Dep. of Agriculture and
Fisheries, Bible Hill• St. Martha’s Hospital, Antigonish
Water Testing Laboratories in Northern Nova Scotia
(http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/waterlabs.asp)
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• Cape Breton Health Care Complex, Sydney
• Maxxam Analytics, Sydney
Water Testing Laboratories in Eastern Nova Scotia
(http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/waterlabs.asp)
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• Nova West Laboratories Ltd., Digby County
• South Shore Regional Hospital, Bridgewater
• Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville• Yarmouth Regional Hospital, Yarmouth
Water Testing Laboratories in Western Nova Scotia
(http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/waterlabs.asp)
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Major Ions and Nutrients
Alkalinity NO3+NO2
Ammonia pH
Calcium Potassium
Chloride Silica
Color Sodium
Conductivity Sulfate
Hardness TKN
FluorideTotal
Nitrogen
Dissolved Organic Carbon
Total Phosphorous
Magnesium Turbidity
Trace Elements
Aluminum Manganese
Antimony Molybdenum
Arsenic Nickel
Barium Selenium
Beryllium Silver
Boron Strontium
Cadmium Thallium
Chromium Tin
Cobalt Titanium
Copper Uranium
Iron Vanadium
Lead Zinc
Lithium
QEII Environmental Services LaboratoryLab Testing Capabilities
Total Coliforms and E.coli
Funding Water Quality Monitoring
Funding opportunities:
To see funding opportunities through Environment Canada, see Green Source, an online guide:• http://www.environment-canada.ca/ecoaction/
default.asp?lang=En&n=910BBE65-1
A few options that may fund Water Quality Monitoring are:
• Environment Canada’s ecoAction Community Funding Program• Deadline: November 1, 2009
• Environmental Damages Fund• 3 deadlines per year: March 31st, August 31st, &
November 30th (draft proposal due November 17th)• Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk
• Deadline: November 6, 2009
Funding Water Quality Monitoring
Funding opportunities:• NS Species at Risk Conservation Fund
• Average of 10,000$ awarded• http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/habfund/
• Sage Environmental Program• provides funding to studies and projects geared
toward environmental protection • initial proposal (2-3 paragraphs) deadlines:
November 1st and May 1st
• full proposal deadlines: November 15th and May 15th • http://www.sagegreen.ca/grants.html
• HRM Community Grants Program• http://www.halifax.ca/Boardscom/bccgrants/
CommunityGrantsProgram.html• Salamander Foundation
• http://www.salamanderfoundation.org• TD Friends of the Environment Foundation
• http://www.fef.td.com/
Funding Water Quality Monitoring
Funding opportunities:• RBC Blue Water Project
• http://www.rbc.com/environment/bluewater/index.html
• Nova Scotia Salmon Association’s Adopt-a-Stream• provides funding for stream restoration work,
including riparian work• http://www.novascotiasalmon.ns.ca/
projectsandprograms/adoptastream.htm• The Nova Scotia Youth Conservation Corps via NSE
provides subsidized youth to work on summer projects (NSE pays 2/3 wages): • http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/youth/
• Employment Nova Scotia - Job Creation Partnership program• provides funding toward the cost of interns to work
on various projects through which the interns build their skills – interns must be unemployed or have been on EI benefits within the past three years to qualify
• http://www.gov.ns.ca/employmentnovascotia/programs/job-creation-partnerships.asp
Groups doing water quality monitoring• Clean Annapolis River Project - annual reports of
volunteer water quality monitoring program• http://www.annapolisriver.ca/
publication_archive.php#2007• Woodens River Environmental Organization – Steering
Committee Report on Water Quality• http://www.wrweo.ca/wrweoFiles/CWC/reports/
CWC8_040309.pdf• ACAP Saint John – report from 16 week water quality
monitoring program• http://www.acapsj.com/Reports/Entries/
2009/9/11_Wetlands_Water_Quality_Monitoring_-_2009.html
• Kings County Volunteer Lake Monitoring Program• http://www.county.kings.ns.ca/comdev/lakemon/
Default.htm• Sackville Rivers Association
• http://www.sackvillerivers.ns.ca/• CAMP – Community Aquatic Monitoring Program
(Department of Fisheries and Oceans) – Estuary Monitoring• http://www.glf.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/os/camp-pcsa/index-
e.php
Community Based Environmental Monitoring Network
St. Mary’s Universityhttp://www.envnetwork.smu.ca/
• assists individuals, community groups and other organizations in the initiation of environmental monitoring
• conducts suspended sediment analysis, water quality testing, stream health assessments, forest research, etc.
• lends out equipment through the Environmental Stewardship Equipment Bank
• provides a place for groups to assist others and area network for the environmental stewardship community in Atlantic Canada
• offers information about environmental monitoring protocols
• offers long-term support for individuals, community groups and other organizations in their attempts to document a perceived environmental problem or threat
Government sources of water quality data• Government of Nova Scotia
• Surface Water Data, Maps and Publications:• http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/surface.water/
surfacewater.research.asp#databases
• Governmental water quality report for nine lakes in near Yarmouth:• http://www.gov.ns.ca/nse/surface.water/docs/
Yarmouth.Area.Lakes.Report.with.Appendices.pdf
ReferencesBartram J. and Ballance R. 1996. Water Quality Monitoring: A practical guide to the design
and implementation of freshwater quality studies and monitoring programmes. United Nations Environment Programmes, World Health Organization.
Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME). 1999. Canadian water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life. In: Canadian environmental quality guidelines. Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Available at: http://ceqg-rcqe.ccme.ca/?config=ccme&thesite=ceqg&words=&image.x=8&image.y=8
Glenen J. and Sharpe A. 2009. Annapolis River 2008 Annual Water Quality Monitoring Report. Clean Annapolis River Project. Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Available at: http://www.annapolisriver.ca/downloads/Annapolis_River_Guardians_2008.pdf
MacMillan et al. 2005. Canadian Technical Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 2582: Characterization of Summer Water Temperatures for 312 selected sites in Nova Scotia. Department of Fisheries and Oceans. Moncton, New Brunswick.
Wieler C. 2007. Delivery of Ecological Monitoring Information to Decision-Makers. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Network, Environment Canada, Burlington, Ontario. Available at: http://www.eman-rese.ca/eman/reports/publications/intro.html