WATER SAMPLING

Why sample and test the water?

To help ensure you are using water suitable for your intended agricultural use. To help ensure that your drinking water is safe. To help determine the effectiveness of your water treatment system.

TYPES OF SAMPLE
GRAB SAMPLE AND COMPOSITE SAMPLE

A grab sample is a single water sample collected at one time from a single point. A grab sample represents only the composition of the water at the time and place the sample was collected.

1. GRAB SAMPLE

Grab sampling is suitable when: analyzing situations at specific sites (e.g. maximum density of coliform bacteria at a bathing beach). analyzing for unstable parameters that have to be measured right away or on site, e.g., Dissolved Oxygen (DO), temperature, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), salinity, etc. a snapshot of water quality at a particular instant is desired the characteristics of the waters are known to be relatively constant over time collecting samples to be analyzed for parameters that could be adversely affected by compositing process.

 The Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water (PNSDW) of 2007 defines composite sample as a series of individual grab samples taken at different times from the same sampling point and mixed together. A composite sample may also be a number of grab samples of equal or weighted volumes mixed in one container.

2. COMPOSITE SAMPLE

Composite samples are preferred when: assessing the total concentration of a substance or pollutant in water (e.g. total phosphorus potentially available for phytoplankton growth) or the population of an organism (e.g. the size of a bacterial population). the variables to be assessed are unevenly distributed.

SAMPLING BOTTLES

 The specific sample bottles required for the type of testing you request will be provided to you by the laboratory. They are usually well labeled as to the type of sample they are to contain as well as any special instructions necessary. Ask the laboratory staff if you have any questions regarding filling the sample bottles and the preservation techniques required for the different types of bottles. You can also ask the laboratory if it is possible to use your own sample bottle that you may have available at the time depending on the tests that you require.

Shipping of Samples

 Once water samples are collected, they must be transported to the laboratory immediately. The mode of transportation will depend on the geographic location and maximum allowable time lapse before analyzing each parameter. Usually they will require them within 24 hours of the time they were sampled.
Before shipping, always check that all sample bottles recorded on the field sampling sheets have been placed in the cooler or carton. Samples must be shipped in a dark, cool environment using cold packs or melting ice. The samples should never be allowed to freeze as this can cause irreversible separations and reactions in the water. Shipping labels which clearly identify the source and destination of the samples will increase the transportation efficiency.