Sam's Schoolwork - Chemistry - Water Quality Lab

Problem

The purpose of this lab is to determine the quality of water in Mission Creek.

Prediction

I predict that the water samples in Mission Creek would be relatively clean and safe to drink, with few, if any E. Coli bacteria in it.

Materials

Thermometer

Tape measure

Digital camera

Water sample bottles 

Hach “Just Add Water” test kits

Chemetrics Dissolved Oxygen kit

Water clarity tube

Meter Stick

Stopwatches

Canadian standards for drinking water

 Methods

 1.        Mission Creek was a freshwater creek that ran off along the end of Hollywood Road South at the Greenway end. It was quite shallow, and Corrie was able to cross it without difficulty. It was fairly cold. There was a small waterfall in the creek. It had a latitude of 49.8740 degrees and a longitude of -119.4020 degrees. It had quite a few trees along the sides of the bank, but there were relatively few by the creek, as the bank was almost completely rocks and stones. 

2. The distance across the stream was 16.4 meters, as measured by having Corrie Walk across it  with one end of the measuring tape while Mrs. Gerber held the other. We measured the water depth from Corrie with the meter stick, finding it to be roughly 50 centimeters deep as a general average.

3.       Water chemistry

a.       pH - 6

b.      PO₄^- 30 ppm (The color on the checker was a bit different)

c.       NO₃ - .5 ppm

d.      NO₂ - 0.10 ppm

e.      Total alkalinity - 40 (Eco Check), 80 ppm (Hach)

f.        Dissolved O₂ - 10 ppm

5.        Biological contaminants

a.       There were 22 colonies of Coliform bacteria that were visible in the samples that we took, and there were 15 colonies of non-coliform colonies visible.

6.       Other characteristics

a.       There were no particular smells at the site.

b.      There were no visibility-obscuring contaminants. The creek was very clear.

c.        There were no visible foreign contaminants in the creek.

d.      The stream bead was very rocky, and there were salmon in it.

Data and Analysis

                The water in mission creek was relatively normal, as opposed to the time of the spring runoff, and should be safe for drinking. (You still probably wouldn't want to, though) It was clear, and didn't have any noticeable junk in it, and the levels of coliform and non-coliform bacteria in it were in the safe-for-drinking level. That being said, I don't actually think many people use it for drinking purposes, so it may not actually matter.