Introduction to the EWB Guidelines for Water Resource Evaluation and Testing

1
Introduction to the EWB Guidelines for Water
Resource Evaluation and Testing
AnnMarie Spexet, P.E. EWB South Central TAC chair
2
Read the guidelines
www.ewb-usa.org Go to resources gt guidelines

• Design Tools
• Reference Materials
• Assessment Implementation Tips

3

• The major considerations for water projects can
  be broken down into four major components

• Quantity
• Quality
• Access
• Usage/Destination

4
Water Assessment- Quantity

• Selecting a source
• Meeting the demand
• Seasonal variations
• Where is the community going?
• Who controls the water?

Solar pump, 2006 EWB project
5
How much water?

• Demand is a key technical design factor
• Minimum allowance of water 7 liters per day
  (short term emergency trucking)
• 20-40 liters per day for the general population
  (average USA gt250 L)
• varies greatly from project to project
• can change as a result of your project
• Defining water demand by the population to be
  served
• How people using the water value the improved
  water service?
• Community users making key decisions.
• Provide for services to vulnerable groups or
  individuals

India water tank, 2006 EWB project
6
Consider the source
Disadvantages
Advantages

• Surface Water

• Access method is obvious
• Running water may be used as energy source

• Always requires treatment
• Never where you need it
• Inconsistent
• Quantity varies by season

Groundwater

• Not always available
• May require high levels of treatment
• Season variation and overpumping
• Can be very difficult to access

• If available, generally most stable supply
• Often the cleanest option
• Can be located at point of use

Rain Water

• Requires rain
• Requires a clean surface
• Requires storage
• Sometimes requires treatment
• Quantity varies by season

• Uses something that would otherwise go unused
• Can provide a clean supply
• Can be located at point of use
• Free water pressure

7
Consider the destination

• Drinking
• Cooking
• Bathing/sanitation
• Clothes washing
• Livestock
• Crop Watering

India water tank, 2006 EWB project
8
Water Treatment

• Point of Use vs. Community Scale
• What is appropriate technology?
• Novelty vs. sustainability
• Cost per gallon
• Capital vs. OM
• Design Considerations
• Potential Pitfalls
• Avoiding the magic box

India water tank, 2006 EWB project
9
Water Treatment Technologies

• Sedimentation
• Filtration
• Distillation
• Chlorination
• UV
• Ozone
• Reverse Osmosis

Potters for Peace
Biosand filtration
solar still
UV treatment
solar disinfection
Part 2 ???
10
Why should you test water on your first trip?
EWB Project 2006

• the Chattahoochee River Atlanta water works,
  approximately 500 feet away

Shallow groundwater wellIndia fishing village-
approximately 9000 miles away
Cost to acquire datapoint - 5
Cost to acquire datapoint - 1600
11
Have a plan

• Research
• Contact the local water resource authorities
  (USGS/EPA/Flooding District/USDA/Universities)
• Find the applicable water quality standards
• Acquire a good map and get it into GIS
• Google earth
• Geology/Geography department
• Library GIS
• Decide Lab/DIY
• Assign team members to water
• Learn the equipment before you get on the plane
• Figure out what you need
• Time for incubation time and lab
  holding/reporting
• Resources ice, clean water, electricity
• Buddy system One sampler, one interviewer/recorde
  r (note water assessments work nicely with the
  health assessment survey)
• Setup your spreadsheet or notebook before you go
  on your trip Do not replace paper with a
  computer!

12
Sampling Equipment

• Plastic Gloves
• ChemWipes/Alcohol
• Garbage Bags
• Buckets/Bailers
• Distilled water
• Eye protection
• Sharpies/china markers
• GPS/survey equipment
• Camera
• String
• Scissors
• Tape measure
• Stopwatch
• Adjustable wrench and screwdrivers

EWB Project 2006
13
Selecting Equipment

• Is equipment field ready?
• Letter for getting equipment into country
• Packed well
• Ready for rain
• Battery charging
• Buffer solutions and proper calibration
• Do you need additional equipment to complete
  test?
• Electricity
• DI Water
• Acids/Buffers

14
Preparing your Sample Containers

• Make sure your sample containers are clean
• Use sterilized containers if possible
• Triple rinse containers if they do not contain
  preservative (distilled H2O, sample water)
• Dry all containers thoroughly before reuse
• Add preservatives or neutralizers before sampling

15
Blank and Duplicate Samples

• Tests
• sampling technique
• handling procedure
• equipment/laboratory procedure
• Use distilled or drinking water for blanks
• Do not hold separately from the rest of the
  samples
• Test your sample handling procedure
• Standard notation
• TB Trip Blank
• Dup Duplicate

16
Where to get equipment

• Vendors
• Hach (EWB discount) (http//www.hach.com)
• LaMotte (http//www.lamotte.com)
• Idexx (http//www.idexx.com)
• ColiScan (http//www.micrologylabs.com)
• Hanna (http//www.hannainst.com)
• Ben Meadows (http//www.benmeadows.com)
• Forestry suppliers (http//www.forestry-suppliers.
  com)
• Science Kit (http//www.sciencekit.com)
• Borrowing
• Universities (Civil Eng, Agriculture, Natural
  Resource)
• Other EWB chapters and your region
• Local companies
• Government (USGS, local water district)

17
Physical Parameters

• Location
• GPS highly recommended, but not good for
  elevation
• Surveying gear (hand level, Philadelphia rod)
• Elevation changes
• Color
• Smell (Not Taste!)
• Photograph
• Soil characterization and typing
• Rope test
• Jar test
• Pocket penetrometer
• Sources of contamination
• Time of sampling

EWB India Project 2006
18
Surface Water

• Surface Water
• Width
• Depth
• Flowrate
• Sources and outfalls
• Turnover?
• Flooding and drought conditions

EWB India Project 2006
19
Describing Groundwater Supplies

• Diameter
• Construction
• Depth
• Casing type (cement/hand dug)
• Enclosed
• Slug Tests
• Well purging
• Flowrate
• Daily and Seasonal Variation

Open Well
Borewell
Spring box
20
Urban Supplies

• Source vs. point of use
• Distribution network
• Holding Tanks
• Current Treatment
• Transportation vessels
• Household testing
• Local industries

EWB Honduras project 2006
21
Chemical Parameters

• Turbidity
• Specific Conductivity/TDS
• pH
• Temperature
• Alkalinity/Hardness
• Nitrites/Nitrates/Ammonia
• Phosphates
• Dissolved Oxygen
• Arsenic
• Fluoride
• Bacteria
• Other

22
Turbidity

• Water Clarity
• Algae, suspended sediment, and organic matter
  particles can cloud the water making it more
  turbid.
• Quantitatively measured with a meter
• Secchi discs

Turbidity meter
Secci disc
23
Salinity/TDS/Specific Conductivity

• Specific conductivity is an easy way to estimate
  the amount of dissolved solids in water
• High dissolved solids in water may be perceived
  as tasting funny metallic, bitter, or salty.
• High dissolved solids can harm fields when used
  for irrigation
• It may or may not be harmful for consumption
• In coastal areas, high salinity may indicate salt
  water intrusion
• Conductivity will vary with water source ground
  water, water drained from agricultural fields,
  municipal waste water, rainfall.

Conductivity meter
24
pH/Temperature

• pH
• Between 6-8.5 is considered normal for drinking
  water
• Dont sample lab jars, use a different container
• Electronic meters
• Often combined with a Thermometer
• Accurate
• Need batteries/charging
• Calibration
• Paper
• convenient
• not very accurate
• Temperature affects water chemistry and the
  functions of aquatic organisms
• amount of gases that can be dissolved in water
• Good for detecting problems in samples.
• Should be measured at time of collection, after
  wells are purged.

pH paper
pH meter
25
Alkalinity/Hardness

• Alkalinity- Defined as the ability of a water to
  neutralize acids. Measured by the amount of
  alkaline compounds in water, such as carbonates
  (CO32-), bicarbonates (HCO3-), hydroxides (OH-).
• Hardness- The concentrations of metal ions in the
  water, generally Calcium and Magnesium carbonates
• Affected by geology
• Not generally a health problemHowever..
• Soap doesnt foam easily in hard water.
• Water will form a hard scale on pipes and
  equipment, and precipitates when the water
  temperature rises.
• Can drive consumers to a less safe source

Hach drop titration hardness test
Pipe scaling
26
Ammonia/Nitrate/Nitrite

• Nitrogen is found in many forms in the
  environment including nitrate (NO3) , nitrite
  (NO2) , ammonia (NH3) , and nitrogen gas (N2).
• Sources include agricultural runoff, leaking
  septic tanks, animal wastes, industrial waste
  water, sanitary landfills.
• Even in low concentrations, it can be harmful to
  humans and wildlife
• Blue baby syndrome
• Algal blooms can kill off fish and other aquatic
  organisms.
• Consider a nitrate test when in an agricultural
  region, or near a surface water source that
  accepts agricultural runoff

fertilizer
Nitrogen cycle
27
Phosphates

• Phosphorus is a nutrient required by all
  organisms for the basic processes of life and is
  usually found as phosphate.
• Phosphorus is a natural element found in rocks,
  soils and organic material. Its concentrations in
  clean waters is generally very low.
• Used extensively in fertilizer and other
  chemicals, so it can be found in higher
  concentrations in areas of human activity.
• High levels of phosphate, along with nitrate, can
  over stimulate the growth of aquatic plants and
  algae, resulting in high dissolved oxygen
  consumption, causing death of fish and other
  aquatic organisms.
• The primary sources of phosphates to surface
  water are detergents, fertilizers, and natural
  mineral deposits.
• Consider a phosphate test when in an agricultural
  region, or near a surface water source that
  accepts agricultural runoff

fertilizer
algal bloom (New York Times)
28
Dissolved Oxygen

• Defined as the amount of oxygen dissolved in
  water.
• Test should be performed on freshly drawn
  samples, preferably after purging the well
• Anaerobic environments can indicate the presence
  of bacterial or naturally occurring sulfur-using
  bacteria, causing a rotten egg smell. It can
  also indicate the presence of decomposing
  material in the water
• When treated nicely, dissolved oxygen meter
  electrodes will last about 6 months before the
  electrolyte and dissolved oxygen meter's membrane
  need to be replaced.
• Make sure to keep membrane wet at all times

Hanna Oxygen meter
29
Arsenic

• Naturally occurring mineral in water
• Highly toxic, and can cause birth defects and
  reproductive problems, as well as physical
  symptoms such as keratosis
• Iron treatment can remove arsenic
• Consider arsenic testing when well drilling, or
  in a region known for arsenic contamination, or
  when in the vicinity of a mining operation or
  metal plating facility

Arsenic related keratosis on hands and feet
Arsenic mineral sample
30
Modeled global probability of geogenic arsenic
contamination in groundwater
reducing groundwater conditions
high-pH/oxidizing conditions where arsenic is
soluble in its oxidized state
M Amini et al, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2008
31
Fluoride

• Naturally occurring
• In low concentrations, its a common additive
  used to strengthen tooth enamel
• In high concentrations, it can cause fluorosis, a
  disease that damages teeth and bones
• Can be removed through distillation, reverse
  osmosis, and activated alumina
• Consider fluoride tests when drilling wells, or
  in a region known for fluoride contamination

Dental fluorosis
Skeletal fluorosis
32
Global probability of geogenic fluoride
contamination in groundwater
M Amini et al, Environ. Sci. Technol., 2008
33
Bacteria

• Bacteria
• Many different types of pathogenic bacteria
• Fecal Coliform Bacteria are present in the feces
  and intestinal tracts of humans and other
  warm-blooded animals, and can enter water bodies
  from human and animal waste.
• If a large number of coliform bacteria (over 200
  colonies/100 ml of water sample) are found in
  water, it is possible that pathogenic (disease-
  or illness-causing) organisms are also present in
  the water. They are considered an indicator
  species
• Hydrogen Sulfide Producing Bacteria are not
  harmful themselves, but can be indicators of
  other problems.
• They also produce H2S gas which can cause
  problems with corrosion in pipes and makes the
  water smell bad, and in high concentrations can
  be very dangerous
• New research suggests the H2S bacteria might be a
  better indicator of Fecal Coliforms in tropical
  countries that have high numbers of naturally
  occurring coliform bacteria.
• High concentrations of the bacteria in water may
  be caused by septic tank failure, poor pasture
  and animal keeping practices, pet waste, and
  urban runoff.

34
Microbiology

• P/A Testing vs. MPN vs. Plate Count
• Quantitative vs. qualitative
• Avoiding contamination
• Create a lab environment
• Use sterile equipment
• Verify dilution water

35
Presence/Absence test options

• Many different kits
• Hach MEL kits
• Hach Pathoscreen
• LaMotte BART
• Colilert
• ColiTag
• LaMotte

36
Coliform MPN Options

• Most Probable Number
• Hach Pathoscreen (37.40/20 tests)
• LaMotte Coliform Test Kit (13.35 /1 test)
• Use clean dilution water
• MPN tests can also be used as a P/A test (just
  dont dilute)

37
Coliform Quantification

• Hach MF
• Idexx Quantitray
• Idexx QuantiDisc
• ColiScan Easygel
• ColiScan MF
• 3M PetriFilm(75 for 25 tests)

38
Other Parameters

• Iron
• Lead
• Mercury
• Other Contaminants
• Consider local activities
• Mining
• Agriculture
• Manufacturing (especially metal finishing)
• Oil production
• Fueling stations
• Military
• Fishing or aquaculture

39
Reporting

• Table 1 Physical Parameters
• Table 2 Chemical Parameters
• Use your GIS data more
• Talking to the community about results
• Testing over project lifetime
• Numbers are not boring!
• TAC
• Donors
• Future project teams

40
Standards

• Location Specific
• Find the numbers before you go
• USEPA National Drinking Water Standards

http//www.epa.gov/safewater/consumer/pdf/mcl.pdf
41
Evolution/Lessons Learned

• Guidelines were created by the early project
  teams
• Expansion and refinement is necessary your
  feedback, suggestions, and stories are welcome
• Future topics for these seminars?
• Contact Meg
• aspexet_at_gmail.com

Questions?