Water Testing Kits

Where can I get simple and affordable water testing kits for use in schools? They must cover basic parameters such as chlorine, pH, Alkalinity, Fluoride etc.

Taxonomy

• Standards & Quality
• Biological & Chemical Quality
• Testing Instruments
• Water Quality
• Testing Kit

12 Answers

1. Dear Peter, the best option is likely to be test strips. Some potential suppliers are Merck, Hach, Macherey-Nagel, Fischer Scientific, etc. and there are a number of suppliers of test strips for water quality in ponds and aquaria. Check what is available and select what best meets your requirements.

2. You could contact Waternet (Amsterdam) at:

   info@hetschonewaterexperiment.nl

   They have a citizen-experiment for check on waterquality.

   also see : https://vimeo.com/252045424

   To give you an idea of the diferent tests. (video with english subs)

   The experiements are less about the basic parameters and more about how people experience water, but it shure is worth a look how they do this.

   The website is: https://hetschonewaterexperiment.nl/amsterdam/de-experimenten/ (dutch only)

3. Hach is really good!

4. Hach or LaMotte

5. The test kit should be simple. Pool kits are easy to use and can come up with surprising results. Our students discovered fault related springs based on pH and alkalinity. The project was to detect pollution sources.  Another local high school, using pool test kits, found a chlorine leak at a municipal station. 

   BTW, in 1969 the search for a phosphate source to test a new AA machine led to the nationwide reduction of phosphates in laundry detergents.

6. The parameters you need to measure are common so I think it would be easy to find measuring devices locally (e.g. via local supplier or online shop) with reasonable price.

7. Full water quality test kits are available at reasonable price on Amazon.

8. Test kits available from Benmeadows.com at very reasonable costs.

9. WWW.HACH.COM   All types and all cost ranges

10. https://www.benmeadows.com/water-testing-equipment/water-test-kits-and-strips-36816987/

11. The UK Royal Society of Chemistry has a Streamwatch programme that might have at least part of what you seek: http://rsc.org/learn-chemistry/resource/res00002262/streamwatch-a-uk-water-analysis-science-project?cmpid=CMP00007828

12. which country are you in?