The Need For Water Quality Testing At Beaches

By Author: Ethan Smith
Total Articles: 10
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The first glimpse of temperatures rising and sun on the horizon probably means that summer season has set in. And that means it’s time to hit the beach and take out the sun umbrellas. However, when you are unwinding on the softwaves or surfing on the large ones, you are exposing your body to unsafe and extremely polluted water!

It is likely that your trip to the beach gets you sick for days or even weeks to come. In fact, tests confirm that one in twenty-eight people fall prey to contaminators in the sea or the ocean water. Besides, while government agencies are opening most beaches for public use, the health department states that these may probably be unfit for use. It may almost be impossible to know about the pollution level in each beach you visit, hence, it is best to test the water there. This is where water analysis and testing come into the picture.

With these effective water quality tests,you may be able to check the water on the beaches is safe. These tests are especially needed after rains, as water ...
... pollution is at its peak during this time. Rainwater washes waste into storm drains, streams and rivers, and those wastes are carried to the lakes and oceans where we swim. Often in older buildings and sewage systems, the wastewater overflows into the rainwater bringing it to the beach.

With simple and smart wastewater testing kits the job of checking for contaminates is easy. These are portable sets of instruments that help measure levels of all the main parameters needed for water and effluent monitoring, including ammonia, nitrate, total nitrogen, phosphate, total phosphorous, nickel, chromium, iron, zinc and copper.

If it not possible to physically check the water every time, you may ask officials who run your beach if they have a water quality testing lab or at least an efficient kit. Also find the frequency of the tests being carried out as well as how the result is measured. This means that you need to know whether the beach is declared safe based on a single test or an average of a few tests. Another thing you need to keep in mind is to check the area around the beach, look for sewage pipes and industrial waste treatment spaces around the main beach and their outlets.

Keep these tips in mind be safe the next time you head to the sandy beaches for a refreshing swim.