Golden Harvest Park dam water, good or bad?
GOLDEN HARVEST PARK – How clean is the water in the Golden Harvest Park dam?
The water in the Golden Harvest Park dam was tested by a representative from Rand Water.
Diana Steward of Rand Water’s water-wise education team said, “It is important for us to take care of the natural resources that we have in our parks. So often it can take place that new development and infrastructure impacts greatly on the water in the dams.”
Steward and a few pupils from the nearby school, Baken Akademie, took a sample from the dam.
Firstly they began by studying the different species that live in the water. Biodiversity, as Steward explained, is imperative. “It means that the water is healthy and allows for a multitude of life to live and breed.”
Fish eat insects, thus making them one of the more important species to identify. Different insects were identified with the majority being water beetles. “I would like to have seen more diversity in the species but what we have seen here is still a good sign.”
The oxygen levels of the water were tested next.
Dissolved oxygen is created by the atmosphere in the water created by aquatic plants and algae. Golden Harvest dam tested a six in the oxygen levels. “This is a good sign that proves that there is enough oxygen for species to live in.”
The PH levels were then tested with a measurement of between one to 14, that determines the acid or alkaline levels of the water. Too much of either can eat away at wildlife and plants. A good reading would be between six and seven.
It was good news for the dam as it recorded a great rating of seven.
The level of nitrates was tested as being low.
Finally, the turbidity was measured. Quite simply, this is how murky or clear the water is. Fish need to be able to see to eat.
Water was poured into a flask, using the lid which displayed numbers in varying focus, the more numbers that could be seen through the water, the better the clarity. Again, it was good news as it had a near perfect clarity.
Watch Steward give an overview of the water quality inside the dam.
Out of the tests that were performed on the water in the dam, all results were positive.
