Basic Water Sampling Guide
Basic Water Sampling Guide
Section titled “Basic Water Sampling Guide”What this guide will cover
Section titled “What this guide will cover”A practical protocol for collecting a water sample from a river for field-kit testing or laboratory submission — specific to Indian field conditions and commonly available equipment.
Planned content:
- When to sample and when not to — conditions under which a sample is valid; what to avoid (post-rain, near outfall, stagnant zones).
- Equipment required — bottles, gloves, labels, preservation options for field vs lab samples; where to source in India.
- Step-by-step collection protocol — depth, location within channel, container filling, sealing, and labelling.
- Chain of custody — how to document who collected, where, when, and under what conditions.
- Field testing vs lab submission — which parameters you can test on-site (pH strips, DO meters) and which require a certified lab; list of NABL-accredited labs accepting river water samples.
- Safety precautions — what not to touch, what to do if you’re exposed to heavily polluted water.