Water Quality

“Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink"


This quote from the Ancient Mariner by the English Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in the early 1800’s exemplifies the concern that water can be abundant but unusable. Florida has many beautiful ponds, lakes and rivers. Knowing if they are safe for plant and animal live is a goal for Florida State University School Earth/Space science students in Tallahassee, FL. This fall the students investigated the water quality of a local pond.

Here are their stories……………

Learning about the water cycle	The Water Cycle- A look at Hydrology
What is water quality
Learning how to test for pH, temperature, light, Dissolved Oxygen, Turbidity in the classroom	In the classroom: Testing tap water for pH by Kenny and Kevanne
Our Journey to the local pond to test water quality: pH, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, light.	Videos explaining: Purpose by Mrs. McQuone Testing pH by Rasul Testing Temperature by Logan and R.J. Testing Light by Melina and Alex Testing pH by Chris and Stephen
Back in the classroom: students study graphs and analyze results	Testing in the Classroom by Taylor Pond Analysis by Lee
Reflection

Class Water Quality Results for our local pond, Nov 17, 2004:

pH	7.8 - 8.5
Temperature of air	22.5^o Celsius
Temperature of water	17.5^oCelsius
Turbidity	40 JTU's (Jackson Turbidity Units)
Dissolved oxygen	96 parts per million
Light intensity of the sun	8,000 lux