2006-2007 Research

Micro Study of Water Quality of Elizabeth City’s Drinking Wells

Fifteen percent of Americans have their own sources of drinking water. These sources are primarily from wells, cisterns, or springs. Unlike public drinking water, these sources are not regularly monitored for quality before consumption. Contaminated water can be a threat to the health of individuals. Natural sources of water pollution can be caused by microorganisms, radionuclides, radon, nitrates heavy metals, and fluoride. Human activities aids in ground water pollution includes bacteria and nitrates, concentrated animal feeding operations, fertilizers and pesticides, and household waste.

The 2006-07 research team will investigate the quality of water from two drinking wells located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. The team will visit each site to collect water samples. Those samples will then be processed at the Elizabeth City Water Treatment Facility to determine the presence and levels of several parameters. These parameters include but are not limited to chlorides, alkalinity, iron, monochloramine, and orthophosphate. A database will be created using ArcGIS and Visual Basic Applications to input the results of the data processed. Excel will be utilized to conduct statistical analysis on the data. Elizabeth City’s water sewer infrastructure will be illustrated using a digital map in ArcGIS. This study will help to identify the quality of well water at the selected sites.