Looking to set up a community water testing program here in Downeast Maine, but boy-oh-boy is it expensive (~$100 a test). We've got lots of contacts for local grants and organizations who are interested in helping, but we are reaching out here to see if any one in this big, beautiful community might have tips about where else to look for funding opportunities for this kind of project.
thanks!
Can you give more information on the pH test is being done? Who is doing it? What instrument is being used? Thanks for the help.
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The reason I ask- the EPA testing will always be expensive. Sometimes you can do some "screening" pH tests that are much cheaper. These would be done with pH paper, or inexpensive pH meters, and volunteers. Once you identify the potential problem areas, go to the EPA testing. It can save a lot of money. But.. You may be beyond that point. Just a suggestion. Good luck.
Yeah this is a great point! We're definitely considering pH paper tests, the more costly tests we're interested in are for metals like lead, arsenic, and cadmium, which aren't really testable except through expensive lab analysis.
Great point. Would some cheap conductivity work help raise the understanding among more people of the need for $100, more conclusive testing? If so, perhaps some work with two methods from https://publiclab.org/methods#mining , specifically https://publiclab.org/coqui and/or even more coarsely, https://publiclab.org/turbidity
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There are test strips available for those, too. The more expensive ones are for testing drinking water. The cheaper test strips are for testing fish tanks for water quality. Check the on line services. Again, this wouldn't do for any EPA type of work. But if you are just trying to get a feel for how bad the local water is, they are probably ok. Again, as long as there are no drastic pH variations from normal( coal strip mine ponds have had pHs of about 1 sometimes).
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