Temperature
Shapes dissolved oxygen, biological processes, and how other indicators behave.
Science
Why mobile, location-linked monitoring matters.
Water quality changes across space and after rainfall. AquaWorks turns repeatable route-based readings into maps and trends students can interpret—without claiming laboratory certainty.
Background and problem
Manual sampling often captures only a few fixed points. In stormwater-connected environments, rainfall can move sediment, road-derived particles, nutrients, and other materials into ponds and receiving waters. Conditions can differ metres apart and shift quickly after storms.
- Regional research links tire-derived chemicals such as 6PPD-quinone to acute impacts on coho salmon after rainfall—showing why runoff pathways matter.
- Nutrient pollution can drive algal blooms and low-oxygen conditions in lakes, ponds, and coastal waters.
- Turbidity is a practical Phase 1 field indicator: suspended particles affect habitats and can transport phosphorus, metals, and other pollutants.
Stormwater context on the Vancouver campus
The Vancouver campus Integrated Stormwater Management Plan and sustainability reporting highlight stormwater quality as a long-term goal. SEEDS work on rain gardens and green rainwater infrastructure shows continued need for rainfall-related measurements of temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity.
AquaWorks complements fixed infrastructure with mobile, spatially distributed observations during controlled tests—not ownership of campus monitoring programs.
Five core water-quality indicators
pH
Acidity or alkalinity, sensitive to biological activity and surrounding conditions.
Turbidity
Optical signal of suspended particles—useful for runoff and stormwater pattern detection.
Electrical conductivity
Indicates dissolved ionic content; useful for comparing sites along a route.
Dissolved oxygen
Essential for aquatic life; verified using manufacturer procedures in Phase 1.
These characterize general conditions and spatial or temporal variation. They do not confirm specific contaminants or regulatory compliance.
Spatial and temporal observation
Readings are linked to timestamps and spatial references—waypoints, route segments, GPS where feasible, or defined test zones. Before-and-after rainfall comparisons along the same route make change visible.
From CSV to spatial story
Raw and processed files stay separate. Outputs include route maps, time-series and parameter trends, and at least one spatial map where colour or height represents an indicator across the monitored area. Interpolation assumptions are documented; measurement points remain visible.
SDG alignment
Education, clean water awareness, innovation, sustainable communities, responsible production, climate resilience literacy, life below water, and partnerships.
SDG 4Quality Education
SDG 6Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 9Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
SDG 11Sustainable Cities and Communities
SDG 12Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13Climate Action
SDG 14Life Below Water
SDG 17Partnerships for the Goals
Selected references
Framing draws on peer-reviewed research, provincial guidance, Vancouver campus planning documents, and SEEDS reports cited in the project proposal.
2026AMS Sustainability Projects Fund application
2026-2027AquaWorks Phase 1 timeline
2017Integrated Stormwater Management Plan (Vancouver campus)
2025-2026SEEDS rain-garden and green rainwater infrastructure reports