AWRC Publishes Fact Sheet on How to Collect Water Samples

People are gaining an interest in the quality of their water, whether it’s the stream that runs through their yard, a pond used to water their cows, or a well that supplies water to their house. It can be a simple task to collect a water sample, as long as people understand the basics and some details about the type of water they are collecting.

The Arkansas Water Resources Center operates a water quality laboratory where anyone can send a water sample for analysis. We recently published a fact sheet that describes how you can properly collect a water sample and ship or deliver it the lab.

The fact sheet provides details about what information we need written on the sample bottle; doing a triple rinse on site for quality control; filling the bottle with sample water from various sources such as ponds, streams, and the tap; and getting it to the lab for analysis.

For those who prefer audio-visual information, we have produced a how-to video for collecting water samples from a pond. We are also in the process of producing how-to videos for collecting samples from streams, wells, and other water source. Stay tuned.

Visit our water quality lab webpage for more information.