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World Water Monitoring Day

Congratulations South Dakota on successful participation in World Water Monitoring Day 2009! We more than tripled the number of people participating in World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) from 2008.

Plan now to participate in WWMD in 2010!

You may request a kit or kits for your class, youth program, or home school.  Please see World Water Monitoring Day training for information about how to get a kit.

:World Water Monitoring Day™ is an international education and outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world by engaging citizens to conduct basic monitoring of their local water bodies.

Your class, Scout group, 4H club, home school, or environmental or science club can now participate in World Water Monitoring Day even if you do not have any equipment in one of two ways:

  1. Borrow our Water Quality Monitoring Loaner Trunk (you pay only return shipping)
  2. Request a World Water Monitoring Day kit from the SD Discovery Center (online training required).

To borrow the loaner trunk, please contact Anne Lewis at annelewis@sd-discovery.com or call 605-224-8295.

Which should I choose?

1. If you don't know which one to pick, the following may help.

    Borrow the loaner trunk if:
    • you are working with older (Grade 6 and up) students OR,
    • you want data on a more refined scale.
       
    Request the kit if:
    • you are working with younger (Grade 3-5) students OR,
    • you are ok with wide range data (essentially, some of the results are the equivalent of "high", "medium" and "low").
2. Compare the equipment lists:
 
Loaner Trunk WWMD Kit
  • 4 Celsius thermometers
  • 4 sets of pH paper
  • 2 dissolved oxygen test kits
  • 4 transparency tubes
  • Field Guide
  • 1 Instruction booklet (English/Spanish)
  • 1 Sample collection jar
  • 1 pH test tube
  • 1 Dissolved oxygen vial
  • 1 Secchi disk decal
  • 2 Temperature strips (14-40°C and 0-12°C)
  • 50 pH reagent tablets (enough for 50 tests)
  • 100 Dissolved oxygen reagent tablets (enough for 50 tests)
  • 1 Color chart for determining DO, pH and turbidity test results
  • 1 Mini pencil
  • 1 Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)

3. Still not sure?  Call Anne Lewis at 605-224-8295 to figure it out!
 
 

Have you thought about water quality monitoring but want to try before you buy????

Do you not have the money or storage space for equipment?

If so, then an equipment loaner kit is for you.
 
Water Quality Monitoring Loaner Kits

The water quality monitoring loaner kits were developed to allow educators and youth program staff (i.e. Scouts, 4H, out of school time program staff) to incorporate monitoring into their classroom or program without having to purchase equipment first. The kits are suitable for Grades 4 -12. 

Each kit contains:

  • 4 transparency tubes (60cm) (product info)
  • 4 Celsius thermometers
  • 4 sets of pH paper
  • 2 dissolved oxygen test kits (product info)
  • Field Guide

    The loaner kits provide equipment for up to 32 students working in pairs (or in the case of DO, a group of 4) to run field tests at four different stations  Sampling usually can be completed in one class period. 

    The data collected using these kits has real world application as it needs to be submitted to the  world water monitoring day database.  

    The loaner kits were developed to be compatible with GLOBE specifications and protocols.  The reasons for this are:

    • GLOBE is an international program developed and supported by national and international scientific organizations. 
    • GLOBE was developed specifically for students and offers proven activities that can yield credible data while providing quality instruction.
    • GLOBE has been aligned with national standards.
    • The GLOBE database is accessible to everyone, allowing for data comparison from around the country and world.
    • GLOBE provides extensive and easily accessed support materials and resources.

    Kits are available for one month.  Renter is responsible for return shipping.  Please contact Anne Lewis to schedule your rental.

    Reporting Requirements
    Those who borrow the kits are responsible for completing two brief reports.  The first report documents kit usage.  A brief email that reports the following information will suffice:
    Event where kits used: (i.e. Mrs. Jones 8th grade water unit, Scout badge day)
    Sponsor of event: (Friendly middle school, Scout troop 123)
    Total number of youth using the kits: (i.e. 125, 6)
    Feedback, comments, suggestions:

    Kit borrows also need to report data.  You can either return a data sheet to the project coordinator or report the data on the South Dakota Youth Water Quality Monitoring Data database. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REPORT ALL DATA COLLECTED. Thus, if you have 32 students completing 16 data sheets on the same site, you only need to report one set of data.
     

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     Getting Started in Volunteer Monitoring

    Want to get started in volunteer monitoring but not sure if it is for you?  Below is a link to an archived webcast conducted by the EPA on just that topic. 

    Getting Started in Volunteer Monitoring

     
     
     

     

    		  

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