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Subsections



WaterQuality Field Procedure

  1. Collect Reconaissance Sample
    1. using sample bottle, bucket, or long-handled sampler collect 200-500 ml sample
    2. place in 500 ml amber glass bottle, cap the bottle, bring to analysis table
  2. Perform the following tasks in any order (but start with bacteria, since it must sit for 20 minutes). If you find yourself waiting for a piece of equipment, try to start on one of the other tasks
    1. Prepare filtered split, to be used for nitrate measurement. Follow filtering procedure
    2. measure pH (follow pH-meter procedure)
    3. measure D.O., electrical conductivity, and salinity (follow D.O. meter procedure)
    4. Measure Turbidity, follow the turbidity measurement procedure
    5. Measure Nitrate Content, follow measurement procedure
    6. Measure basic water quality, follow measurement procedure


WaterQuality Comparative Results

Historical analyses from Prairie Creek near Plano Road (Table 4.3.1) and from the class groups (Table 4.3.1) are available for comparison. For conversion: ppm $\approx$ mg/l for low-salinity water; low-salinity water at 26 ${\rm ^\circ C }$ contains $\sim$8.1 mg/l dissolved oxygen at saturation; at 15 ${\rm ^\circ C }$ saturated D.O content is $\sim$10.1 mg/l. See also online bottled water analyses and City of Dallas tapwater analyses .


Table 4.1: Creek water chemical analyses from Prairie Creek near Plano Road (1998 data).
Component Units March April May June July August
Conductivity   600 420 510 500 460 480
pH   8.1 8.2 8.3 7.8 8.3 8.4
Turbidity NTU 3.11 3.45 2.08 2.37 2.78 1.97
D.O. mg/l 16.8 10.9 5.4 13.9 7.2 6.2
Nitrate ppm 1.82 1.21 0.95 0.7 0.34 0.14
Water Temp. $^o$F 64 58 75 80 88 82


Table 4.2: Class water chemistry results, Spring Creek at Plano Rd., Sept. 26th 1998.
    Group
Component Units A B C
Conductivity   264.8 4564.1 234.0
pH   8.21 8.17 8.07
Turbidity NTU 1.49 1.63 2.97
D.O. % sat 45.2, 50.1 52 39
Nitrate ppm 1.7 1.9 2.0
Water Temp. ${\rm ^\circ C }$ 27.2 27.2 26.7
Salinity ppt   0.2  


Table 4.3: Selected water quality parameters for local treated water.
Parameter $\rightarrow$ Hardness Alkalinity Turbidity Salinity pH
Units $\rightarrow$ ppm ppm NTU ppm -
City of Dallas water 98 53 0.3 180  
Private Swimming Pool 1000 180 0.4 1200 7.07

WaterQuality Instructions for Discussion

Compare water quality parameters for the various samples taken by the class. If multiple samples were analyzed from one source, discuss any variability in results and potential sources of error. Pay particular attention to differences that might be attributable to environment, i.e. the potential role of the wetlands.


next up previous contents
Next: Evaporation Up: Water Quality Measurements Previous: WaterQuality Activities
GEOS 3110 Professor's Notes, Summer 2007
Dr. T. Brikowski, U. Texas-Dallas. All rights reserved.