Thanks to generous donations from our supporters, we have managed to raise the funds to buy equipment for a 6-week E.coli monitoring project using ROTH R-cards.
During this period, we’ve asked some of our volunteer citizen scientists to collect water samples from sites which are used by members of the public to paddle or swim, especially during hot weather.
ROTH R-CARDs are a rapid microbiological testing method which don’t require a laboratory or extensive scientific knowledge. They’re fairly affordable, accessible, and allow citizen scientists to safely collect water samples, incubate and then count microorganisms in the comfort of their home.
Measuring in units of CFU/100mg, R-cards provide a snapshot of specific bacteria levels, with the results being comparably accurate to more traditional techniques. As part of this short project we are incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to compare this R-card method with Fluidion monitoring thanks to collaborating with local group Eco Rother Action.
After training, WSRT citizen scientists will collect three samples during their weekly visits to chosen sites. These samples will then be incubated for 24 hours to ‘grow’ the E.coli coliforms, which appear as blue spots on the R-cards. The scores from the cards are then averaged out and a score recorded.
The project has started at two sites within our catchment. One on each the Rother and Arun. The good news is that the very first result was 433 CFU/100ml. The ‘GOOD’ threshold for bathing water on rivers is 1000 CFU/100ml. Fingers crossed for similar results from the rest of our sites!