Temperature, pH, nitrites and nitrates, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, chloride and more factors affect the quality of Scott County's water.
The Partners of Scott County Watersheds (PSCW) is conducting its fall snapshot monitoring event on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the Eldridge Fire Station, 120 N 2nd St, Eldridge.
PSCW Watershed Coordinator Liv Humphrey says the organization has been testing water quality for over 20 years and the data shows concerning measurements.
"[A]ll of our watersheds are not where we want them to be. We have some that are better than others. But some of our rural and our urban all need a little help," Humphrey said in an interview with WVIK.
She says the seasons and agriculture in Iowa contribute to water contamination, including salt used for snow removal, which causes higher levels of chloride or phosphate in manure. Runoff from snow melt or crop flooding can cause these chemicals to move to creeks, rivers, and eventually the Gulf of Mexico.
Humphrey says anyone is welcome to participate in the monitoring event regardless of experience.
"We'll have coffee, donuts, all that good stuff, some volunteer incentives. And then you will sit down for about 30 to 45 minutes [of] training," Humphrey said. "And that's when I go over basically how to do the water quality testing in general. So that's chemical and then physical elements."
Testing for chemicals like nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia is done by dunking a paper strip into the water and measuring the current levels. Other tests include physical elements, such as monitoring whether the area has seen rainfall.
"And then you'll have a pocket pro. Which is a basically a big meter that you fill the little cup up with water and stick the meter in," Humphrey said. "And that'll read like your pH, your water temp, your total dissolved solids. Which is good for sediment."
She says people are moved into smaller groups of three to four to handle some of the 60 sites, the process taking a couple of hours for complete testing and driving between sites.
Humphrey says each group is provided with full materials, including a cooler and she suggests volunteers dress for the elements.
"We always tell people to wear sturdy shoes. Close-toed preferably," Humphrey said. "And then watch out for the weather. We've had times where it's like rained the day before. And it's super, super muddy. So again, boots, long sleeves, long pants, sunscreen. Bugs might not be a huge issue, but you never know. And then just any sun protection in general."
Those interested in volunteering for the water testing event can visit the Partners of Scott County Watershed's website to sign up. Humphrey says the current total of registered volunteers is 26, but she hopes more will sign up before Tuesday, Oct. 1.
The event is from 8 a.m. to noon, and volunteers will receive free pizza and a t-shirt for their help.
The organization is also partnering with the Friends of MLK and the local NAACP chapter in a cleanup event in downtown Davenport on Saturday, Oct. 12th, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
