FAQs
Is there a fee to participate in WWMD?
There is no fee to participate in the program; however, there is a cost of $13.00 plus shipping & handling for purchase of a test kit.
What tests can be made?
World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) Kits include everything you need to test the four "snapshot" parameters of watershed health: temperature, pH, turbidity and dissolved oxygen. The kit contains a step-by-step instruction booklet describing how to use the kit, one set of hardware (collection jar, pH test tube, DO vial, Secchi Disk decal and a thermometer) and enough pH and dissolved oxygen reagent tablets to perform 50 tests. A Material Safety Data Sheet is also included.
Can we use our own monitoring equipment?
Yes. The WWMD kit was designed to be accurate, yet accessible, technology for all levels of experience. However, you may also participate using your own monitoring equipment. Younger children should be supervised by an adult when using the kit to conduct water quality testing.
What is the WWMD monitoring period?
The monitoring period occurs any day/time between September 18 and October 18. Data may be reported through December 18.
Special Note: Beginning in 2009, the monitoring window will expand to March 22 (the UN's World Water Day) until December 31. World Water Monitoring Day itself will continue to be officially observed on September 18. By lengthening the monitoring window, the program's coordinators hope to better accommodate the sheduling challenges of participants.
What happens at the end of the monitoring window?
This is an exciting time of collecting and analyzing the data. All data must be entered by December 18 to be included in the 2008 annual report. In the meanwhile, coordinators will be writing stories and publishing photos and highlights of their events on the WWMD Web site, and on their respective Web sites and in publications. Involvement leads to information which leads to excitement for more involvement which leads to meeting the goal of one million people monitoring by 2012!
Can we view the data all year long?
Yes, you may access archieved WWMD data under the Data & Reports menu. Current data will be updated periodically and made available on this page.
Could you donate kits to me or my organization?
The basis of WWMD is built on volunteerism for the organization. Through the generosity of our sponsors, there is a limited number of kits for individuals or organizations on a case-by-case basis particularly to Low- and Middle-Income countries. For more information, please contact wwmd@wef.org.
What are the methods of payment for kits in the United States?
LaMotte accepts MasterCard, VISA and American Express.
Do I have to pay individual shipping charges for bulk orders in the United States?
LaMotte will accept bulk order of 10 or more and ship at the reduced rate of $1.50 per kit shipping and handling. The regular rate is $7.20 via Priority Mail.
Are there shipping or environmental restrictions on the kit contents?
No. Reagents and water that have been tested may be flushed down the drain with excess water.
Are there customs issues when sending kits out of USA?
Each kit is marked “Educational Materials, Not for Resale”, but each country has their own rules. Occasionally local jurisdictions seek fees for releasing the kits.
Is the kit limited to fresh water only locations, or is it also able to test ocean water too?
While the kits were not designed for use in saltwater, they do work fine in saltwater. Selected water body types we accept are: bay, canal, ditch, drain, estuary, lake, ocean, pond, reservoir, river, spring/seep, straight, stream/creek, wetlands.
Can we add macroinvertebrates to our monitoring? Do we capture this info at a monitoring point on our Web site?
The system has been set up to accept rudimentary data for benthic studies. Expanding your monitoring efforts to include a variety of additional tests is encouraged (remember, safety first).
When registering, is there a way to pull up previously entered information, or do I have to enter all the data in new again?
You can participate in the program again this year and add new data to any sites you registered in 2007. Data entered prior to 2007 will need to be reentered into the new database. Archived data is available on an Excel spreadsheet under the Data & Reports menu.
I am having a problem with online registration.
Send an email with a detailed explanation of your difficulty to wwmd@wef.org.
Are materials available in Spanish or other languages?
The World Water Monitoring Day brochure and test kit instruction booklet are currently available in Spanish, French, Portuguese and Chinese. These items may be downloaded from the Resources section.
What are the "generally accepted Quality Assurance Protocols" for the water quality monitoring and where can I find them?
The Quality Assurance Protocols can be found on the U.S. EPA's Web site.