access to water quality measurements

[Jennifer Bell]

I was doing a speedy tour of water quality information available in different countries, and thought I'd share what I've seen so far.

I knew the US Geological Survey was publishing river flow volumes (as used in the riverdex site that Daniel mentioned last year -- http://riverdex.r08.railsrumble.com/).   But I just noticed the Geological Survey also publish real time water quality feeds:  http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/qw , which has things like p.h.

Also, tantalizingly, it seems you can get municipal water quality data direct from the E.P.A. here: http://www.epa.gov/storet/index.html (I think, haven't tested it).

Curiously, Victoria, Australia, has regular e. coli level reporting in PDF's:
http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/water/yarrawatch/historical_data.asp

Anyone know of any good resources for water quality monitoring in Canada, or elsewhere? I was putting together a project proposal for a Cdn think tank to benchmark availability of water safety information.

Jennifer Bell


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[Jennifer Bell]

Further to my last email on access to water quality measurements in Canada (sorry for two emails in one day):

There's a cross-government initiative with BC & Yukon co-operating w/ Environment Canada on water quality assesments where data is availabile for download:   http://www.waterquality.ec.gc.ca/EN/navigation/search.htm

This looks to be a focused initiative for just these areas.

The best municipal water records, in terms of data accessability, that I've found so far are in Ontario.  However, reports are posted as PDFs.

For example, you can see here that Kitchener seems to have had some minor issues with water chlorination: http://www.ontario.ca/ONT/portal51/drinkingwater/DWPPlant?DWPQualityAction=displayPlant&plant=260001458&lang=en

Alberta, incidently, posts 'Everything is OK!' summaries:
http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/RegulatedDWQ/Detail.aspx?id=138867

& lets you search historical binary e. coli assesments (either 'present' or 'absent').

http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/RegulatedDWQ/Results.aspx?monreqvarid=4836&sDate=4/13/2009&eDate=7/13/2009&id=138867

This seems to have only limited usefulness.

Jennifer

--- On Mon, 7/13/09, Jennifer Bell <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Jennifer Bell <[hidden email]>
> Subject: access to water quality measurements
> To: [hidden email]
> Received: Monday, July 13, 2009, 11:36 AM
> I was doing a speedy tour of water
> quality information available in different countries, and
> thought I'd share what I've seen so far.
>
> I knew the US Geological Survey was publishing river flow
> volumes (as used in the riverdex site that Daniel mentioned
> last year -- http://riverdex.r08.railsrumble.com/).   But
> I just noticed the Geological Survey also publish real time
> water quality feeds:  http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/qw , which has things
> like p.h.
>
> Also, tantalizingly, it seems you can get municipal water
> quality data direct from the E.P.A. here: http://www.epa.gov/storet/index.html (I think, haven't
> tested it).
>
> Curiously, Victoria, Australia, has regular e. coli level
> reporting in PDF's:
> http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/water/yarrawatch/historical_data.asp
>
> Anyone know of any good resources for water quality
> monitoring in Canada, or elsewhere? I was putting together a
> project proposal for a Cdn think tank to benchmark
> availability of water safety information.
>
> Jennifer Bell
>
>
>      
> __________________________________________________________________
> Yahoo! Canada Toolbar: Search from anywhere on the web, and
> bookmark your favourite sites. Download it now
> http://ca.toolbar.yahoo.com.
>

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[Jane Stewart]

Environment Canada's Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators
(CESI) program publishes indicators for water quality in downloadable
formats, and also supports the ability to access the data through
interactive maps.

http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/

Water quality maps and charts:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/default.asp?lang=En&n=7084AEB5-1#mapsandchartsewater

I'm an information management consultant, not a user of this data, so
others would be better qualified to speak to its usefulness.

Apologies if this was already on the radar.

Jane Stewart

> Message: 1
> Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:59:55 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Jennifer Bell <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [CivicAccess-discuss] access to water quality
> measurements
> To: [hidden email]
> Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
>
> Further to my last email on access to water quality measurements in Canada (sorry for two emails in one day):
>
> There's a cross-government initiative with BC & Yukon co-operating w/ Environment Canada on water quality assesments where data is availabile for download:   http://www.waterquality.ec.gc.ca/EN/navigation/search.htm
>
> This looks to be a focused initiative for just these areas.
>
> The best municipal water records, in terms of data accessability, that I've found so far are in Ontario.  However, reports are posted as PDFs.
>
> For example, you can see here that Kitchener seems to have had some minor issues with water chlorination: http://www.ontario.ca/ONT/portal51/drinkingwater/DWPPlant?DWPQualityAction=displayPlant&plant=260001458&lang=en
>
> Alberta, incidently, posts 'Everything is OK!' summaries:
> http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/RegulatedDWQ/Detail.aspx?id=138867
>
> & lets you search historical binary e. coli assesments (either 'present' or 'absent').
>
> http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/RegulatedDWQ/Results.aspx?monreqvarid=4836&sDate=4/13/2009&eDate=7/13/2009&id=138867
>
> This seems to have only limited usefulness.
>
> Jennifer
>
>  

[Jennifer Bell]

Thanks for this.

Jennifer

--- On Tue, 7/14/09, Jane Stewart <[hidden email]> wrote:

> From: Jane Stewart <[hidden email]>
> Subject: Re: [CivicAccess-discuss] access to water quality measurements
> To: [hidden email]
> Received: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 10:51 PM
> Environment Canada's Canadian
> Environmental Sustainability Indicators
> (CESI) program publishes indicators for water quality in
> downloadable
> formats, and also supports the ability to access the data
> through
> interactive maps.
>
> http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/
>
> Water quality maps and charts:
> http://www.ec.gc.ca/indicateurs-indicators/default.asp?lang=En&n=7084AEB5-1#mapsandchartsewater
>
> I'm an information management consultant, not a user of
> this data, so
> others would be better qualified to speak to its
> usefulness.
>
> Apologies if this was already on the radar.
>
> Jane Stewart
>
>
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:59:55 -0700 (PDT)
> > From: Jennifer Bell <[hidden email]>
> > Subject: Re: [CivicAccess-discuss] access to water
> quality
> >     measurements
> > To: [hidden email]
> > Message-ID: <[hidden email]>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
> >
> >
> > Further to my last email on access to water quality
> measurements in Canada (sorry for two emails in one day):
> >
> > There's a cross-government initiative with BC &
> Yukon co-operating w/ Environment Canada on water quality
> assesments where data is availabile for
> download:   http://www.waterquality.ec.gc.ca/EN/navigation/search.htm
> >
> > This looks to be a focused initiative for just these
> areas.
> >
> > The best municipal water records, in terms of data
> accessability, that I've found so far are in Ontario. 
> However, reports are posted as PDFs.
> >
> > For example, you can see here that Kitchener seems to
> have had some minor issues with water chlorination: http://www.ontario.ca/ONT/portal51/drinkingwater/DWPPlant?DWPQualityAction=displayPlant&plant=260001458〈=en
> >
> > Alberta, incidently, posts 'Everything is OK!'
> summaries:
> > http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/RegulatedDWQ/Detail.aspx?id=138867
> >
> > & lets you search historical binary e. coli
> assesments (either 'present' or 'absent').
> >
> > http://environment.alberta.ca/apps/RegulatedDWQ/Results.aspx?monreqvarid=4836&sDate=4/13/2009&eDate=7/13/2009&id=138867
> >
> > This seems to have only limited usefulness.
> >
> > Jennifer
> >
> >   
>
> _______________________________________________
> CivicAccess-discuss mailing list
> [hidden email]
> http://lists.pwd.ca/mailman/listinfo/civicaccess-discuss
>

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