Field Work

WSERU conducts frequent field work studies. Following a general survey of the water resources throughout the entire West Bank (Assessing Pollution and Water Quality Evaluation of the Water Resources of the Mountain Aquifer and the Drinking Water it Supplies, by Dr.Alfred Abed Rabbo, Br.David Scarpa, Ziad Qannam, 1997, funded by the Ford Foundation), WSERU has subsequently concentrated its work in the Southern West Bank and a final implementation report (A Comprehensive study of the Water Resources of the Southwestern, Mediterranean Drainage from the Mountain Aquifer by Dr.Alfred Abed Rabbo and Br.David Scarpa,  1999).

A program of sampling, designed to make a comprehensive cover of springs and wells in the designated area as well as a small selection of cisterns, reservoirs and network outlets, was determined. Our procedure in the field is to have two sampling bottles for each site. A 330mL glass bottle is used for each sample intended for bacterial tests and a polyethylene, 1L bottle for each sample intended for chemical and heavy metal analysis. Before departure, each bottle is disinfected and sterilized in the WSERU laboratory with 70 percent alcohol or by autoclave respectively. In the field, bottles are first rinsed with the water intended for sampling. Each bottle is filled completely and placed in a cold box and taken back to the WSERU laboratory. If necessary, additives inhibiting bacterial growth are added to the samples.

Direct measurements are made at each site with the WSERU field system, a Mettler Toledo set of probes, giving readings for temperature, electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS) and pH.