Section outline

  • Assessment Instructions

    1) Select TWO locations (there are four in total)

    2) Choose a minimum of 5 different tests from each location and copy the information into a table. 

    3) Compare the results of the tests from the two locations.  

    4) Use the documents from class to find out what the test results mean.  Is the water considered safe?  Are there any worrying results?  Would we be able to drink the water if needed? 


    Documents that will help you in Google Classroom

    1) PDFs - one for PointView and one for Whitford of the test results.

    2) Google Sheet -- contains all the information for Silvana and Plunket Ave (Manukau) 


    Other helpful documents (click the links)

    1) Class presentations on the tests and their results

    2) WaiCare Field Manual

    3) Drinking Water Quality: Testing and Interpreting Your Results

    4) Other Google Slideshows on Google Classroom from the lockdown relating to water quality and testing

    5) Refer to the folder with pictures from the water testing


    Helpful exemplar

    Comparing water clarity 

    Location A had a water clarity reading of 75 cm but Location B had a water clarity reading of 14 cm.  The results show that Location A has much clearer water, with Location B being very cloudy.  The cloudiness likely means there is a high presence of dirt and sediment in the water.  When looking at the Google Satellite map you can see there is a lot of house construction close to the stream at Location B.  The movement of dirt at the construction site could contribute to the decreased water clarity.  

    The water clarity needs to be above 30 cm so the fish and insects living in the water can locate food.  

    Recommendations:  Contact the construction site that they could be a source of water contamination.  (You can contact Auckland Council and they actually will contact the construction site, who can get a big fine.  The companies are supposed to prevent the contamination from happening.)    Auckland Council could also consider restricting the amount of housing near streams so the contamination is reduced. 

    Why this is a good example:

    - there are numbers AND units in this answer.  

    - it stated which location was clearer and possible reasons to this

    - it provided at least one recommendation on how to solve the problem  

    EXPLORE / TŪHURA

    EXPLORE / TŪHURA learning intentions:

    • We are EXPLORING...how magicians trick their audience by investigating light and mirrors