FreshWater Watch - Instruction video (EN)

FreshWater Watch - Instruction video (EN)

Transcript: FreshWater Watch - Instruction video transcript [Timecode (mm:ss)] [00:01] Thank you for joining Earthwatch’s global community of FreshWater Watch citizen scientists. [00:07] By carrying out a few simple tests at a waterbody near you, you’ll be helping us to gather information on water quality worldwide on a scale never seen before… [00:17] … and by giving a little of your time today, your findings will enable us to understand how to protect our water for tomorrow. [00:25] In this training film, we’ll show you the quick and easy ways to: [00:29] prepare for your FreshWater Watch [00:31] carry out the simple scientific research when you’re at your location [00:35] and upload your data [00:38] The datasheet and instructions included in your FreshWater Watch pack will also walk you through the tasks. [00:47] When you’re getting ready to go, be sure to check the weather conditions - and dress appropriately. Don’t go if the weather would make your research hazardous. [00:56] We recommend that you make sure you have somebody to go with. It’s safer – and it’s more fun. [01:02] Pack all of the equipment you’ll need. That’s: [01:04] Your FreshWater Watch kit [01:06] Your smart device with the Freshwater Watch app (or data sheet and pencil) [01:11] And a water collector. [01:13] Also, bring a stopwatch, or way of checking the time. [01:17] For your safety you must also wear protective gloves, and you should bring a first aid kit. [01:24] Once you reach your chosen water body, start up your Freshwater app or get your data sheet ready to fill out. Note down your location and the name of your water body – if it doesn’t already have a name, give it one yourself! [01:38] Note the latitude and longitude. If your smart device does not log this automatically, you should add it later using the online map when you upload your data. [01:48] Fill in the date, and the total number of participants, and tell us what type of water body you’re visiting. [01:57] Now take a photo of the site. Try to include the water level, the surrounding vegetation, and any pollution sources or signs of land use. [02:06] If you’re taking a picture of a river, make sure you’re looking upstream so we can see the sort of environment the water that you are testing has come from. [02:15] Try to take your photo from the same place each time you come back to this site to collect data. [02:24] Now you need to make a few simple observations. [02:28] First, identify what might be impacting your waterbody, such as pollution sources, and what you can see in the immediate surroundings today, like any wildlife. [02:38] Then assess the speed of the water flow. Is it still; is it slow; is it steady – a walking speed; or is it surging – faster than a walking speed? [02:49] You could drop a twig in the water to help you assess this. [02:56] Estimate the water level. Is it high, average or low? Look out for clues such as water marks and branches which might help you work out past water height. [03:09] Now estimate the water colour. Look across the waterbody rather than directly down into it and try to ignore the colour of submerged vegetation or the reflection from the sky. [03:21] Next, tell us if you can see anything floating on the surface such as foam, algae, litter, or an oily sheen. [03:31] When you’re ready to test the water, put on your gloves, and make sure you collect from somewhere stable and safe. [03:40] Rinse your collection container twice using water from the waterbody, then take your sample from below the water line. Try not to disturb any sediment when doing this. [03:56] Testing for nitrates and phosphates helps us understand how urbanisation, industry and agriculture might be impacting on the water. To test for these nutrients: [04:05] Rinse your sample cup twice in the test water before carefully filling it to the halfway line. This is 1.5mililitres. [04:13] Take the nitrate tube and pull the pin out. Put the pin somewhere to dispose of properly later. [04:23] Squeeze the air out of the tube, then keeping it compressed, place the end into the base of the sample cup, and release it to suck up all of the water. [04:34] Shake it lightly and start a timer for three minutes. The reagent in the tube will react with the water, and change colour to show how much nitrate is in the water sample. [04:45] Once the three minutes are up, place the tube against the white background of the nitrate colour chart between the two colours which most closely match the water in the tube. [04:54] Be sure to do this out of direct sunlight and without wearing sunglasses. [04:59] Now record this range on the datasheet, or your FreshWater Watch app. [05:05] The process is exactly the same for the phosphate tube, except this one takes five minutes to develop. Place the tube against the phosphate colour chart to get your range. [05:17] Keep the full tubes with you for safe disposal later. [05:25] Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of the water caused by particles in the water such as sediment or algae. [05:33] To test turbidity, take your water sample and pour it slowly into your Secchi tube. [05:38] As you pour, look directly down at the black and white target at the bottom of the tube. As the water fills up very slowly, this disc may become less visible. [05:48] When you can no longer see the disc, read the number that has been reached on the tube. This is the Secchi depth to record on your data sheet. [06:00] Be sure to do this out of direct sunlight and without wearing sunglasses. [06:06] You need the number at the lowest point you can’t see the pattern anymore, so try and be as accurate as possible, you might have to remove some water to find this exact point. [06:16] If you can still see the disc when the tube is full, record this as less than 14 on your data sheet. [06:26] You can send your findings from your testing location, or save them to send when you have an internet connection. You can also edit your uploaded data through your FreshWater Watch profile if you need to. If you filled in a data sheet, be sure to upload your data next time you’re online. [06:44] And that’s it! You’ve collected your first dataset. You should carry out FreshWater Watch a minimum of 4 times per year to capture seasonal variations. [06:56] We’ll share your findings with governments, policymakers, businesses and agencies worldwide. So the more data you collect, the better picture we can get of water quality worldwide, and the more informed we will be to take action to safeguard good quality freshwater for the future.