UIC College Prep

Water Quality
Methods and Data

Kevin Jamison, Ivette Mendoza, Sara Ramirez, Ruth Rodriguez

Information Outline
1. Survey Before information presented 2. Information Presented 3. Survey After information presented 4. Asset Map 5. Threat Map 6. Overall Takeaways

Problem Statement and Research Question

PROBLEM STATEMENT: can we as UIC College Prep students, improve the purification of the water fountains and kitchen faucets at UICCP? RESEARCH QUESTION: Are staff members at UICCP more likely to realize the need for water filters if they are informed about of the water fountains' water quality*?
* Water Quality was measured by testing pH, Alkalinity, Total Chlorine, Total Hardness, Iron, Copper,

Risk Factors and Journal Evidence

Knowledge of what high water quality is. The staff is skeptical about getting new water filters. People don't know the risks factors that can harm the water quality in the water fountains.

Survey Before Information Presented

1.

How purified do you think the water is? 1 5 Not at all Somewhat

10 Extremely Clean

2.What is the pH of water supposed to be?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 3. How likely are you to approve an intervention on the water in UICCP? 1 5 10 Not at all Somewhat Very likely

4. Do you think checking the water system yearly is important? 1 5 10

Not at all Somewhat Very

Basic Information Presented

Other Tests

pH between 6.9 and 8.4 ( We averaged the tested pHs and determined to use a pH of 7) Total Chlorine,Iron, Copper, Nitrate, and Nitrite tested out with positive results. They do not pose a threat to the water quality in any location at UICCP

Corrosivity

MEANING OF WATER TESTS

to show us all of the chemicals in the water and give us an idea of whether the water was safe High pH levels= "hard" water= Bad taste= Can cause problems The schools water is very soft. This means that the waters is corrosive to the plumbing; therefore, the water has low quality. Our water has a high alkalinity (over 240). A high alkalinity can cause all of the following: scale formation on the pool walls, floor, plumbing and equipment, minimizes the effectiveness of chlorine, pH will be difficult to adjust, and can cause eye and skin irritation.

Survey After Information Presented

1. Now, after learning a little about water, how likely are you to approve an intervention on the water in UICCP? 1 5 10 Not at all Somewhat Very likely 2. How likely are you to support filters being used to purify our water here at UICCP? 1 5 10 Not at all Somewhat Very likely

Data
Relative Risk Believe we need Water Filters (answers 10 or above for Q 3) Doesn't Believe We Need Water Filters (answers 5 or below for Q 3)

Before Informed About Water Quality

12

After Informed About 20 0 Water Quality .03 times as likely to believe our school needs water filters 30 times as likely to believe we don't need water filters

Trends
85% of teachers believed that the water from the water fountain was not completely purified before knowing our results. Only 30% knew the pH for safe water almost 50% of the staff believe a purification intervention should be allowed All agreed checking the system is important.