Citizen Science - FAQ

Drinkable Rivers Citizen Science Programme

F.A.Q.

Drinkable Rivers runs an ambitious Citizen Science programme that enables people to experience their river, to deepen their understanding and appreciation and to monitor the health of their rivers. Ultimately, it also helps to track progress towards our goal:
a world with drinkable rivers.

Expectations
Measurements
Measurements Kit
Data Platform
Other

A. Expectations of a Citizen Science hub

What does it mean to join the Citizen Science programme as a hub?

By joining the Drinkable Rivers Citizen Science programme, you become part of a global community of a diversity of local environmental organisations like schools, visitor centres, companies, and more. Together we make a measurement plan to strengthen the organisation’s (local) mission by applying our measurements. All hubs use our measurement kit with their community in their local waters and share their findings on our data platform.

What is expected of me as a hub?
Hubs invite, mobilise and instruct people to do river measurements:

  • You will buy or receive the Drinkable Rivers measurement kit;
  • You will invite and mobilise people in your network to do the research;
  • You will share the data with us by recording it on the data platform;
  • With the measurement kit that we’ve assembled, you can do up to 50 measurements;
What is the required commitment?
We hope that joining the Citizen Science programme is seen by you as an added value to your mission and that you invest for a long term commitment. This would be the best way to synergise our missions. We ask you to take at least two to four measurements a year.

B. Measurements

What are we measuring?
We do 14 different measurements, collecting more than twenty parameters related to our relational values and the physical, chemical and ecological properties. These measurements will indicate the state of the rivers’ health, and in time with many more measurements the data will show a trend whether we move towards a drinkable river or not and to help us understand where (local) improvements can be made.
When can we start with the measurements and until when?
You can start any time when you feel ready and when you have the materials of the measurement kit, printed and read both the hub- as well as the participants manuals, entered our data platform and logged in as a hub to upload the results, and once you understand what all is required from you. During our onboarding period (of 11 weeks), you will be trained for this. You can continue until the 50 measurements are done. After that, you can order more materials (we have links suggested below at ‘Where can we order more materials?’). If your country has cold winters, it is not a problem to take less measurements in that period, as the cold or frozen water will encounter less (ecological) changes.
Does someone from your hub need to be present at all measurements?
No, not necessarily, if you are not sure whether the people can do the measurements independently, it will be good if someone of you could be there. You have the freedom to access what works best for you.
What are important considerations for the measurements?
This question will be clarified during the onboarding training with designing your specific “measurement plan”. We will guide you to align your mission with our citizen science. Ideally, you will find spatial diversity, same river (or tributary), but at different places up- and downstream.

  • For instance 15 km distance apart between two measurements; or upstream from a city, industrial park and/or sewage outlet and to compare it to downstream of this location;
  • Do a measurement in small side water (tributaries/inlets) and main river (at – about – the same time);
  • Ensure to measure fresh flowing water (like streams, canals, rivers, tributaries, etc., but no stagnant ponds, lakes or brackish/salty water, see also the following question).
  • Find temporal diversity, e.g.
    • Before and after rainfall;
    • Morning, afternoon and evening;
    • Once every week for a period;
    • If at one location, spread sampling times as much as possible, so from 3-25 October perhaps once or twice a week. That would be about 4-8 times.
  • When doing more measurements in different groups (for instance some do chemical measurements other the ecological measurements) – ensure the chemical measurements first (time) or upstream (spatial) and the ecological observations second and downstream.
  • Please, don’t do several measurements at the same place at the same time, this will be a waste of the kit as it will not offer much data input.
Can we measure in brackish water (e.g. in estuaries or like the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands)?
Yes, mainly the EC sensor for the Electric Conductivity measurement (i.e. the amount of minerals and salts) will show a very high number. In general, the E.coli might be lower. The kit is not meant for sea water and will therefore most likely not give correct values.
Can measurements be taken from a boat in the middle of the river as well?
Yes, you can sample very well in the middle of the river. Turbidity: in the middle of the river the turbidity will probably have clearer water than on the banks of the river as in shallower water the sediment may be whirled up. Plus you will be able to go deeper with your Secchi disk, and hit the bottom / river bedding less quickly. So the turbidity/clarity measurement will vary where on the river you will measure. Nevertheless, we designed all measurements to be taken from the riverbank, and it is what we recommend to do.
Can we measure in small tributaries?
Yes! Those measurements are very valuable, they are the sources feeding the larger mainstream river. The very small inlets (tributaries) are often not measured by official institutions like drinking water companies, water authorities or provinces – so our citizen science measurements might even be more meaningful in those small tributaries. It is helpful to find the name of the small tributaries. If there are no names, the GPS coordinates will show your location, then it might be worthwhile to add <“a tributary of [name main river]”>. Such a tributary could be a small mountain stream, or an artificial canal.

C. Measurements Kit

Are there harmful materials in the tool kit?

Overall, our kit is easy to use and has been tested with children from the age 11-12. The kit is not harmful, but there is one measurement that contains chemicals. With the phosphate measurement, you will need to add reagents (small amounts of 6 drops of chemicals). Be careful when using it, not to touch the reagents with your fingers, nor rub it in your eyes or breathe this in when close. With children we recommend letting the group self-select a few calm and serious children, you can also consider using gloves and protection glasses. Also dispose of the reagents at a sink like suggested in the manual, when you know you will do more measurements at once, please bring for instance an empty jar to dispose of the chemicals. Do not dispose of it in the water or on the land next to the water.

Can we lend the kit to others to do the measurement?

Yes, you can lend the kit to someone. The kit can only be used by one group at the time, but please make sure there is always a trained person when using it. To ensure they will return everything you could also ask them for a deposit in order to guarantee return of the entire kit. It is entirely up to you to assess what works best for you and your mission.

D. Data Platform

How to add your data to the data platform?
  • You will find the online data platform via data.drinkablerivers.org;
  • During the onboarding period, we will guide you how to use the data platform.
  • We recommend filling in all your data straight after the measurement (or while doing the measurement), please ensure to have good internet access and to save the measurements.
  • Since the E.coli petri film will need three days to mature, you can finish to upload your measurements three days after your measurement;
  • As a start, just in case, also write all your data on paper, including your GPS coordinates of the location where you did your measurement;
  • Do not upload pictures of the environment that are too large! The form will not allow this.
What to do with measurements with incomplete data?

Of course, we prefer complete data sets so that they are comparable with measurements anywhere in the world. If you made a measurement but it was incomplete, for instance missing E.coli or measurement strips, then we prefer you share the data with us rather than that you don’t share anything at all.

In the data platform, you can assign to your hub a certain ‘module’. This module contains all the measurements you aim to take everytime you go into the field. Please check the hub manual to see what the different modules are. In case that none of the standard modules fit your needs, you can email data@drinkablerivers.org and we can create a module that suits your measurement plan.

E. Other questions

What are the costs to participate?

To join the programme, we ask you for a one-time membership contribution of EUR 520. This includes a measurement kit for at least 50 measurements, manuals, data platform access, onboarding training with instruction videos and interactive ‘measurement plan’ guidance, and online workshops & meetings.

I would like to translate the manuals into my own language. Is it possible to do this?

We are very happy with your initiative! Yes, we can email you all the necessary materials to translate the

manuals and insert them into the right format. Please write data@drinkablerivers.org. We currently have it in English, French, Dutch, German, Greek, soon in Romanian and Spanish (we have old versions in Hungarian and Portuguese that you could upgrade), so very welcome to have other languages!

Where can I sign up?

You can sign up for the programme here or by getting in touch with our team via data@drinkablerivers.org.

Thank you for your interest in contributing towards a world with drinkable rivers.
We hope you will join our Citizen Science programme!

The Drinkable Rivers Team

Drinkable Rivers Foundation ©2024