The basis of this booklet is the tests that are run on our area lakes.
I would like to tell you about these tests that were run in order to bring you
this data. These tests include Secchi Disk, Phosphates, Nitrates, Dissolved
Oxygen, Total Solids, and pH level. I thought I'd share the Secchi
Disk, Phosphates, Nitrates and pH tests.
 The Secchi Disk test was begun by Father Pierto Angelo
Secchi, an advisor to the Pope, was begun on April 20, 1865.
It is a very simple test that takes an eight inch metal
plate attached to a rope to measure the clarity of the water. It is lowered to the
point that it is not viewable, raised and measured to that
depth. Debris and discoloration in the water will affect
viewing therefore giving the Secchi reading. Water can
turn brown or yellow because of decaying plant matter. Debris may include
algae, and other such suspended sediments as lake bottom, and runoff of
construction sites, agricultural fields, and
street runoff after rain.
 Phosphates are needed for all animals and plants to live. Unfortunately too much in an aquatic setup can lead to eutrophication or better know as an algae broom. Some years this can be seen in Sallie and Melissa lakes. Phosphates can get into the water from detergents, lawn fertilizing, and by natural decay. To measure phosphates, the measurer must first place water in a flask. Then, the contents of one potassium persulfate pillow is added, then mixed. Take the mixture and add 3 ml of sulfuric acid. Add, by tweezer, boiling chips. Boil for thirty minutes and add distilled water occasionally. Allow to cool. After cooling make sure the mixture has 25 ml then pour into a square mixing bottle. Pour back into an erlanmeyer flask and add 3 ml of sodium hydroxide and mix. Then add contents of Phos Ver 3 Power pillow and stir for 2 minutes. Let stand for 6 minutes to react. Take |
Add,
by tweezer, boiling chips. Boil for thirty minutes and add distilled water
occasionally. Allow to cool. After cooling make sure the mixture has
25 ml then pour into a square mixing bottle. Pour back into an
erlanmeyer flask and add 3 ml of sodium hydroxide and mix. Then add contents
of Phos Ver 3 Power pillow and stir for 2 minutes. Let stand for 6 minutes
to react. Take the mixture and add 3 ml of sulfuric acid. Add,
by tweezer, boiling chips. Boil for thirty minutes and add distilled water
occasionally. Allow to cool. After cooling make sure the mixture has
25 ml then pour into a square mixing bottle. Pour back into an
erlanmeyer flask and add 3 ml of sodium hydroxide and mix. Then add contents
of Phos Ver 3 Power pillow and stir for 2 minutes. Let stand for 6 minutes
to react. Take a matching pair of square mixing bottles add 25 ml of the
water that was started with and add mixture to other. Take the bottles to
the DR 2000 machine and place original water
bottle in the holder and reset to read zero. Next take the mixed
water and place it in the machine. Hit enter and take reading. This is
a pretty complicated test but the results are important.
 Nitrates are also needed by all plants and animals to build protein and much like phosphates in many ways, too much can lead to a algae bloom. Often it gets into the water by fertilizers, runoff, sewage, and/or industrial waste. To test for nitrates fill a color viewing tube with 5 ml of water and shake and pour it out. This is for cleaning the tube of anything that could change test results. Fill the tube with 5 ml again and this time add one Nitra Ver 6 pillow to the water and shake for three minutes and allow to sit thirty seconds. Pour this mixture into another cleaned test tube to leave behind any solids that may not be dissolved. Then add a Nitra Ver 3 pillow and shake tube for thirty seconds. If nitrates are present, a pinkish-red color will show. |
Remember
it's good to have some but not too much. Wait at least ten but no more than
twenty minutes before the next parts are completed. Place in a color wheel viewer
and hold up to light, spin the wheel until the colors match.
Then read the results. This test seems somewhat difficult but
it really isn't.
 PH is a measurement of how acidic or alkaline the water is. Water in it's purest form is 7.0 (which is considered neutral). Generally the lakes in the area are around this but tend to vary. Fish and plants have a tough time living in extremes from the 7.0 mark. This test is remarkably similar to the Nitrates test except all that you have to do is add eight drops of Bromthymol Blue Indictor to the 5 ml of water and swirl. Then finish with the color viewer again. I hope now that you know a little more about some of the tests associated with Water Watch. It's important to know about the area lakes for the future. |