Safety Tips & Information
In order to ensure that your Alberta Water Quality Awareness Day activities are fun and enjoyable, safety is the FIRST priority. If you do not feel comfortable collecting samples, please DO NOT.
Selecting a site:
Sample sites from safe, accessible locations. Recommended locations are pedestrian walkways, bridges, secure banks of waterways and beaches.
Approach your site carefully. Be aware of potential hazards, such as debris in streams, fast currents, deep or murky water, steep slopes, jagged rocks, noxious plants and wildlife before attempting any sampling.
When accessing your site be mindful of roadway and traffic issues. If you are not in a designated stopping area, be sure to park your vehicle well off the roadway and out of the way of traffic.
Do not cross private property without the permission of the landowner.
Do not monitor waterbodies that appear badly polluted, or are posted as unsafe for bodily contact.
AWQA Day Sampling:
Let someone know where you are going, when you plan on returning and how you can be reached you (e.g. cell phone).
Always test the water with at least one other person.
Use protective clothing and equipment. All participants should wear a personal floatation device (PFD), appropriate footwear, and weather-appropriate clothing. Remember that you will be working in/around water, so you might want to bring a change of clothing.
Bring emergency contact numbers, a basic first aid kit, and drinking water on sampling trips.
Never wade in swift or high water. If the water is moving too fast or is too deep for you to safely maintain your footing, DO NOT SAMPLE.
Check weather conditions before going out. Do not go sampling if severe weather is predicted (i.e. lightening, flooding, ice etc.); stop monitoring if a storm occurs while you are at the site.
If using a boat to sample your site, at least one member of the sampling group must be familiar with boat operation. All participants should learn and observe the rules and regulations for recreational boating outlined by Transport Canada’s Office of Boating Safety.
Important Information about the Lamotte Reagent Tablets: The TesTab® reagents used in this kit are designed with safety in mind. The single-unit, foil packaged TestTabs® are easy to dispense. Store TesTabs® in a cool, dry place and only open the foil when ready to use the tablet.
A single tablet, either alone or reacted with a sample, is not a health hazard. However, TesTabs® should NOT be ingested.
Additional information for all LaMotte reagents is available in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands from Chem-Tel by calling 1-800-255-3924. For other areas, call 813-248-0585 collect to contact Chem-Tel's international access number.
Each reagent can be identified by the four digit number listed on the upper left corner of the reagent label, in the contents list and in the test procedures. The numbers printed on the foil are insignificant. Look for the name of the test on the foil package to determine which TestTab® to use for each test. For example, "DO" is printed on the foil of the TesTab® used for the dissolved oxygen test.
Source: www.worldwatermonitoringday.org
For more information please see the MSDS information sheets provided in your test kit.
It is recommended that you wear rubber gloves and safety glasses when testing samples. It is strongly advised that you keep your hands away from your eyes and mouth. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water when you are finished testing.
Dispose of your wastewater properly. Do not dispose of the wastewater from your pH and DO tests into the waterbody. Use a sealable waste container to move your waste off site (pH and DO samples may be mixed together to dispose of). Products may be washed down a drain with excess water.
Other Resources:
Weather Forecast
Flood Advisories
Additional information about the flow rate and water levels in your basin
