A Water Quality Comparison A Water Quality Comparison of Two New Hampshire of Two New Hampshire

Watersheds: Merrimack and Watersheds: Merrimack and PascataquaPascataqua

By:By:KJ BaldwinKJ Baldwin

Jessica HarperJessica HarperJonathan PersonJonathan PersonMalarie RaynorMalarie Raynor

Mentors:

Jeff Schloss

Elise Sullivan

Mt. Moosilauke

Franklin Wastewater Treatment Plant

Concord Cocheco

Salmon Falls

IntroductionIntroduction

• ComparisonsComparisons– Mt. Moosilauke Mt. Moosilauke (Merrimack)(Merrimack)– Water Treatment Plant Water Treatment Plant (Franklin)(Franklin)– NHTI NHTI (Concord)(Concord)– Cocheco Cocheco (Rochester)(Rochester)– Salmon Falls Salmon Falls (Rochester)(Rochester)

IntroductionIntroduction

• Measurements:Measurements:– BacteriaBacteria– ConductivityConductivity– OxygenOxygen– pHpH– TemperatureTemperature– TurbidityTurbidity

HypothesisHypothesis

• Less bacteria/Lower Less bacteria/Lower pHpH– Mount MoosilaukeMount Moosilauke

• More bacteria/Higher More bacteria/Higher pHpH– Water TreatmentWater Treatment– ConcordConcord

• SameSame– Salmon FallsSalmon Falls– CochecoCocheco

ObjectivesObjectives

1)1) Measure & Compare:Measure & Compare:– Bacteria coloniesBacteria colonies– Oxygen % and mg/LOxygen % and mg/L– pHpH– Conductivity Conductivity – Turbidity Turbidity

2)2) Determine overall water quality within the Determine overall water quality within the Merrimack, Cocheco and Salmon Falls Merrimack, Cocheco and Salmon Falls rivers. rivers.

MethodsMethods

• Measure the oxygen, pH and conductivityMeasure the oxygen, pH and conductivity– YSI model 85 and model 6600YSI model 85 and model 6600– Eutech InstrumentEutech Instrument

(pHTestr 10) and (ECTestr 11+) (pHTestr 10) and (ECTestr 11+)

• BacteriaBacteria– Plate and incubate (37Plate and incubate (37°C)°C)– Count coloniesCount colonies

• Turbidity Turbidity – Turbidimeter (LaMotte)Turbidimeter (LaMotte)

60223

2122

1115

468

1468

840

532

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

Mt.

M (t

op)

Mt.M

(botto

m)

Befor

e W

TP

After W

TP

NHTI-Con

cord

/Mer

rimack

DT-Coc

heco

Rt 16-

Coche

co

Salm

on F

alls

Location

CF

U/m

L

Series1

Merrimack Watershed Pascataqua Watershed

Bacteria countBacteria count

Dissolved oxygen and Dissolved oxygen and

ConductivityConductivity

86.7

98

81

98.7

13

98.5

187

124

91101

82.3

92.9

11

92

110.9

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200

Mt.

M. (

top)

Mt.

M (b

ottom

)

Befor

e W

TP

After W

TP

NHTI-Con

cord

DT-Coc

heco

Rt 16-

Coche

co

Salm

on F

alls

Location

Par

amet

er V

alu

e

DO %

Conductivity

Merrimack WatershedPascataqua Watershed

7.14 7.42 7.677.67.4 7.28

4.7

7.36

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Location

pH

val

ue

pH

Merrimack Watershed Puscatequa Watershed

pH pH ValueValue

TurbidityTurbidity

0

0.72 0.83

0.46

2.1

3.9

1.3

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

Location

Tu

rbid

ity

Turbidity

Pascataqua WatershedMERRIMACK RIVER

SummarySummary• Bacteria countBacteria count

– Lowest: Lowest: Mt. MoosilaukeMt. Moosilauke, Highest: , Highest: Before WTPBefore WTP

• Dissolved ODissolved O22 and Conductivity and Conductivity– Lowest OLowest O22:: NHTINHTI, Highest: , Highest: Rt. 16 CochecoRt. 16 Cocheco– Lowest Conductivity: Lowest Conductivity:

• pH levelpH level– Lowest: Mt. Moosilauke(Top), Highest: Salmon Lowest: Mt. Moosilauke(Top), Highest: Salmon

FallsFalls

• TurbidityTurbidity– Lowest: Mt. Moosilauke(Top), Highest: Rt. 16 Lowest: Mt. Moosilauke(Top), Highest: Rt. 16

CochecoCocheco

ReferenceReference

• ““Interpreting Results of Water Interpreting Results of Water Quality Test in Streams and Rivers” Quality Test in Streams and Rivers”

Frank Mitchell and Jeffrey Schloss UNH Frank Mitchell and Jeffrey Schloss UNH Cooperative Extension Water Cooperative Extension Water Resource Program, Jan. 1991Resource Program, Jan. 1991