Explore Drinking Water Quality Testing

A collection of short e-learning tools and job aids to help humanitarian and development workers test the quality of drinking water under field conditions.

Learn About Chlorine

A collection of short e-learning tools and job aids to help water technicians treat, disinfect and safely handle drinking water under field conditions.

This collection contains the resources for both trainers and participants for the Introduction to Drinking Water Quality Testing (DWQT) workshop.

A collection of examples of products to help humanitarian and development workers test the quality of drinking water under field conditions.

This collection of competency frameworks can be used by individuals and organizations in two main ways: Assess job performance and compare it against defined standards Identify potential areas for professional development to improve overall performance Competencies are the abilities required to perform specific tasks and express specific knowledge. CAWST’s competency frameworks use behavioural or task-based competencies in combination with knowledge components.

This collection contains the resources for both trainers and participants for the Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage workshop. This two to three day workshop provides an introduction to drinking water quality, the Multi-Barrier Approach to safe drinking water, household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) options, behaviour change, and implementation best practices. The intended participants are people responsible for making decisions about HWTS selection and implementation.

Use these sanitary inspection forms to evaluate actual and potential sources of contamination for different water sources.

Watch a short video demonstration on how to use a pooltester kit to measure pH, free residual and total chlorine in a water sample.

This is a sample trainer agenda for a 4-day Introduction to Drinking Water Quality Testing Workshop.

This is a sample workshop agenda for a 4-day Introduction to Drinking Water Quality Testing Workshop.

This is a sample workshop agenda for a 5-day Introduction to Drinking Water Quality Testing Workshop.

This is a sample trainer agenda for a 5-day Introduction to Drinking Water Quality Testing Workshop.

This certificate template can be used for participants upon completing the Introduction to Drinking Water Quality Testing Workshop.

A list of short, fun activities for use between workshop lessons.

This participant list template is a tool that will help you keep a database of participant information.

This questionnaire helps the trainer to understand their audience and their level of knowledge pre-workshop.

This questionnaire is to be handed out at the end of the workshop to give the trainer constructive feedback on the workshop.

This is a template of how to display the results of your final workshop evaluations.

This workshop outline contains a workshop description, objectives, audience, content and training materials needed for this workshop.

This is a template of how to report on the final outcomes and evaluation results for the Introduction to Drinking Water Quality Testing Workshop.

This manual is for trainers who are interested in delivering training on drinking water quality testing. It includes lesson plans and guidance on training delivery.

This participant workbook is used throughout the Introduction to Drinking Water Quality Testing Workshop.

This brief discusses how many water samples you should take depending on your needs and how to collect and transport water samples from different sources.

This brief discusses four aspects of drinking water quality: microbiological, chemical, acceptability and radiological.

The information provided in this brief will help you understand and interpret your water quality test results.

This brief provides useful information on how to ensure that your water quality testing produces reliable, accurate and precise results.

This brief describes sanitary inspections and provides information on assessing and monitoring small water supplies and household water treatment and storage systems.

This brief looks at ways to measure acceptability aspects in drinking water.

This brief outlines some of the many types of portable test kits available to measure various chemical parameters in drinking water.

This brief describes three main test methods to detect fecal contamination (presence of indicator bacteria) in drinking water.

This fact sheet describes the chemical chlorine and its use in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of fluoride in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of iron in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of manganese in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of nitrate and nitrite in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the chemical parameter of pH in drinking water, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of total dissolved solids in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of arsenic in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Delagua Portable Test Kit.

This lesson plan covers the essentials of a laboratory report and how to understand it.

This lesson plan introduces the workshop to participants including ground rules and learning expectations.

This lesson plan covers safe water characteristics, water contamination, and guidelines and standards.

This lesson plan covers why to test, an introduction to water quality testing and testing option selection.

This lesson plan covers aspects of drinking water quality.

This lesson plan covers water supply systems, risks to small water supplies, and sanitary inpections.

This lesson plan covers water sampling theory and practice.

This lesson plan covers microbiological testing methods.

This lesson plan covers dilution theory and dilution factors.

This lesson plan covers quality control, aseptic practices and health and safety in water quality testing.

This lesson plan covers presence-absence and membrane filtration microbiological testing methods.

This lesson plan covers colony counting in microbiological testing of water quality.

This lesson plan covers testing acceptability aspects and turbidity.

This lesson plan covers why and how to use concentration and unit conversions in water quality testing.

This lesson plan covers chemical testing methods.

This lesson plan covers colour comparators and other (optional) chemcial testing methods.

This lesson plan covers interpreting test data, making conclusions and recommendations.

This lesson plan covers reporting test results.

This lesson plan covers closing the workshop.

This lesson plan covers planning for an optional field trip.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Hach DR 900 Colorimeter.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the ENPHO Arsenic Test Kit.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Hach Arsenic Low Range Test Kit.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Hach Chlorine Colour Comparator.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Palintest Arsenator.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Palintest Comparator.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Palintest Photometer.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about 3M Petrifilm.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about absorbent pads.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the ENPHO Presence Absence Test.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about filter paper for water quality testing.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Hach Pathoscreen.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Hach Portable Incubator.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Hova Bator Incubator.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about IDEXX Colilert.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the IDEXX Quanti-Tray.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about Nalgene Analytical Filter Units.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about petri dishes.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Palintest Turbidimeter.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about turbidity tubes.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Palintest Portable Test Kit.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about Nasco Whirl Pak Bags.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Aquagenx CBT EC + TC MPN Kit.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Aquagenx CBT EC + TC P/A Kit.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Aquagenx Field Kits.

This product sheet has a product description, distributor information, availability, cost, storage, and maintenance information about the Aquagenx GEL EC CFU Kit.

This presentation describes safe drinking water and sources of contamination. (Designed for Lesson Plan 2 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes the purpose of drinking water quality testing and explains different options. (Designed for Lesson Plan 3 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes the 4 aspects of water quality including microbiological, key chemical and acceptability parameters. (Designed for Lesson Plan 4 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes how to assess risks to small water supplies using sanitary inspections. (Designed for Lesson Plan 5 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes three microbiological testing methods and their advantages and limitations. (Designed for Lesson Plan 7 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes dilitions in drinking water quality testing. (Designed for Lesson Plan 8 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes how to count bacterial colonies in drinking water samples. (Designed for Lesson Plan 11 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes key acceptability aspects of drinking water and how to test for them. (Designed for Lesson Plan 12 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation explains concentration and units and explains how to calculate unit conversions. (Designed for Lesson Plan 13 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes how to test for chemical aspects in drinking water. (Designed for Lesson Plan 14 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes how to interpret water quality testing data and make basic observations and recommendations. (Designed for Lesson Plan 16 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

Membrane Filtration (MF) is the most accurate method to determine the number of bacteria in a water sample and is the internationally recognized standard. This demo will demonstrate membrane filtration using Palintest equipment.

Color Disc Comparators are designed to react with specific chemicals such as iron, chlorine and fluoride. This demo shows how to use a color comparator to measure iron levels in water.

This demo will show how to conduct a most probable number (MPN) microbiological test using a Hach Pathoscreen Test Kit.

Presence-absence (P-A) is a test that depends on a colour change to indicate the presence of microbiological contamination. This demo will show how to conduct a PA test using Hach Pathoscreen medium.

Why do we test the quality of drinking water? How do we do that? Are there options available and what options should we choose? All of these questions are considered in this learning module.

Are you confused about figuring out concentration and what units to use in water quality testing? This tool will help you make sense of it all, and will let you practice your unit conversion skills.

Learn to identify and compare different chemical test methods.

Learn to identify and evaluate different microbiological testing methods.

This tool teaches you step-by-step how to use a pool test kit to measure pH, free chlorine and total chlorine. It also includes troubleshooting tips.

Learn how to properly count the number of bacteria in a water sample.

Interpreting data is an important part of drinking water quality testing. You need to know how to make basic conclusions and recommendations, and to identify common errors in recording DWQT data. This module will help you acquire those skills.

Learn to identify different types of pathogens, and to describe microbiological indicator organisms. Also examine the impacts of priority chemicals on drinking water.

At the end of this module, you will be able to discuss the importance of diluting water samples and to calculate a Dilution Factor.

Learn about the best practices and sanitary methods that limit errors and prevent secondary or cross contamination when collecting water samples for testing. 

Learn how to correctly measure turbidity using a turbidity tube.

Turbidity, pH, and temperature can all impact how fast and how well chlorine products can disinfect drinking water. Challenge yourself as you manage a water delivery at a humanitarian camp; select and evaluate the required water parameter tests and learn how these parameters can affect chlorine dosage and contact time.

This online checklist will help you prepare to collect water samples for water quality testing. Never forget an essential item again!

This guide provides instructions for conducting the Modified Horrocks Test. This test is used to determine the effective chlorine dose for batch chlorination of drinking water.

Have you ever arrived at a site to collect water samples, only to find you are missing an essential item? This tool will help you prepare!

Are you confused about the difference between free residual, combined and consumed chlorine in drinking water? We can help.

It might seem simple but there is a technique for how to handle a whirl-pak sample bag for collecting water samples. Learn how here.

Watch a short video demonstration on how to use a pooltester kit to measure free residual chlorine in a water sample.

This microlearning tool helps you discover potential problems when testing pH and chlorine in the field using a pooltester kit.

This guide provides instructions on the correct use of a pooltester kit to measure pH, free residual chlorine (FRC) and total chlorine (TC).

Printable six poster set with instructions on how to collect water samples under field conditions.

This printable checklist will help you prepare to collect water samples for water quality testing. Never forget an essential item again!

This video interview explores why to use Drinking Water Quality Testing (DWQT) when implementing a Biosand Filter (BSF) project. The interview with experienced BSF implementers includes Lalit Sharma of Sehgal Foundation (India), Elijah Mutafya of Seeds of Hope International Partnership (Zambia) and Suneel Rajavaram of CAWST (Canada) sharing their experiences using DWQT in support of their BSF projects.

This Competency Framework has been designed to measure and guide the professional development of a Drinking Water Quality Technician. This tool can help to: - Identify the level of competency expected from Drinking Water Quality Technicians for each competency group. - Help design the learning and development strategy to support the professional growth of Drinking Water Quality Technicians. - Provide insights on how Drinking Water Quality testing can be used to achieve improved water supply systems.

Competency Framework Forms for Drinking Water Quality Technicians

This presentation is for use with “Lesson Plan: Drinking Water Quality” in the Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) Trainer Manual

This presentation is for use with “Lesson Plan: Water Quality Testing” in the Household Water Treatment and Safe Storage (HWTS) Trainer Manual

In this lesson, participants discuss how water quality testing can contribute to successful HWTS implementation. They discuss how to decide which parameters to measure, and what tools or approaches they can use for water quality testing. This lesson provides a very general introduction to water quality testing.

This manual is for trainers who are interested in delivering training on drinking water quality testing. It includes lessons plans and guidance on training delivery.

This workshop outline contains a workshop description, objectives, audience, content and training materials needed for this workshop

This is a template of how to display the results of your final evaluations

This participant List template is a tool that will help you keep a database of participant information

This questionnaire helps the trainer to understand their audience and their level of knowledge pre-workshop

This is a template of how to display the results of your final evaluations

This questionnaire is to be handed out at the end of the workshop to give the trainer constructive feedback on the workshop

This presentation describes the health effects of high levels of fluoride in drinking water and how to mitigate these effects (Designed for Lesson Plan 17 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes three microbiological testing methods and their advantages and limitations (Designed for Lesson Plan 6 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes different types of pathogens and microbiological indicator organisms (Designed for Lesson Plan 11 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes key physical parameters of drinking water and how to test for them (Designed for Lesson Plan 16 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes the importance of quality control in drinking water quality testing (Designed for Lesson Plan 13 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes the size of pathogens found in water (Designed for Lesson Plan 5 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes the health effects of high levels of arsenic in drinking water and how to mitigate these effects (Designed for Lesson Plan 17 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes key chemical parameters for drinking water quality testing (Designed for Lesson Plan 17 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes the purpose of drinking water quality testing and explains different options (Designed for Lesson Plan 4 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes how to count bacterial colonies in drinking water samples (Designed for Lesson Plan 12 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes how to count bacterial colonies in drinking water samples (Designed for Lesson Plan 12 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation explains concentration and units and explains how to calculate unit conversions (Designed for Lesson Plan 18 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

This presentation describes how to interpret water quality testing data and make basic observations and recommendations (Designed for Lesson Plan 22 in the DWQT Trainer Manual)

These fact sheets describe country drinking water quality standards, local laboratories, organizations doing drinking water quality testing, suppliers of materials and equipment, and tips for working in the countries.

This country fact sheets describes country drinking water quality standards, local laboratories, organizations doing drinking water quality testing, suppliers of materials and equipment, and tips for working in Lao PDR.

This country fact sheets describes country drinking water quality standards, local laboratories, organizations doing drinking water quality testing, suppliers of materials and equipment, and tips for working in Zambia.

This workshop is designed for those interested in conducting drinking water quality testing as part of the implementation, monitoring, or evaluation of household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) or small community water supply systems projects in developing countries.

This country fact sheets describes country drinking water quality standards, local laboratories, organizations doing drinking water quality testing, suppliers of materials and equipment, and tips for working in Ethiopia.

This country fact sheets describes country drinking water quality standards, local laboratories, organizations doing drinking water quality testing, suppliers of materials and equipment, and tips for working in Haiti.

This country fact sheets describes country drinking water quality standards, local laboratories, organizations doing drinking water quality testing, suppliers of materials and equipment, and tips for working in Afghanistan.

This fact sheet describes the chemical parameter of pH in drinking water, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the chemical chlorine and its use in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of manganese in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of fluoride in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of total dissolved solids in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of arsenic in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

These fact sheets describe the sources of chemicals in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of nitrate and nitrite in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This fact sheet describes the sources of iron in water, health effects, WHO guidelines and treatment options.

This sanitary inspection form is used to evaluate actual and potential sources of contamination for a borehole with a mechanized pump.

This sanitary inspection form is used to evaluate actual and potential sources of contamination for a borehole with a hand pump.

This sanitary inspection form is used to evaluate actual and potential sources of contamination for a dug well with a hand pump.

This sanitary inspection form is used to evaluate actual and potential sources of contamination for a protected spring.

This sanitary inspection form is used to evaluate actual and potential sources of contamination for a household storage container.

This sanitary inspection form is used to evaluate actual and potential sources of contamination for a household piped water source.

This sanitary inspection form is used to evaluate actual and potential sources of contamination for a rainwater harvesting tank.

These sanitary inspection forms are used to evaluate actual and potential sources of contamination for different types of water sources.

This sanitary inspection form is used to evaluate actual and potential sources of contamination for an open dug well.