CChemistryBiologyS2 to S6Water and health

Water quality lab: is this water safe to drink?

Families get water from taps, boreholes, springs, rivers, rain tanks and wells. Test six samples like a water chemist, find which are safe, and choose how to treat the others.

▶ Start the lab 🧠 Questions 📄 My report

LevelS2 to S6 (chemistry, biology, environment)

TimeAbout 50 min

You useTest kit, titration, guideline values

PriceFree: no account

🎯 Aim

To test water samples for pH, turbidity, nitrate, E. coli and hardness, compare the results with drinking-water guidelines, and decide how each sample should be treated.

You will learn to

Carry out and read common water tests.
Calculate hardness from an EDTA titration.
Compare results with guideline values.
Choose and justify a treatment (settling, filtering, disinfection).

🧭 What to do

Choose a Sample and a Test, then tap Do the test. Read the instrument.
Do all five tests on at least three samples; check your readings in the data table.
Use the titration box to see the burette reading for each sample and work out its hardness.
Use the chart to compare all six samples with the limit lines.
Use the Treatment planner to make the river and the well water safe, if you can.
Answer the questions, write your conclusion and download your lab report.

🔬 Lab bench

📋 The data

Example results for six typical sources (rounded). Guideline values used: pH 6.5–8.5, turbidity ≤ 5 NTU, nitrate ≤ 50 mg/L, E. coli 0 per 100 mL; check your national drinking-water standard.

🧠 Investigate: answer from the data

Type your answer and tap Check. Use 💡 Hint first; open the method only when you are stuck.

📄 My lab report

Your report collects the aim, your data table, the graphs, your answers and your conclusion. It is made on your phone or computer: nothing is sent to anyone.

My conclusion

Check your conclusion

Only the tap water and the borehole water meet all the health guidelines (the borehole water is very hard but safe). The spring, river, rain tank and shallow well contain E. coli and must be disinfected; the river must first settle and be filtered because disinfection fails in cloudy water. The shallow well has too much nitrate, which no simple treatment removes, so another source is needed.

➕ Get more from this experiment

📝 Free

Print the worksheet (button above), download the data, and save your report. Teachers can project this page in class.

📦 Premium Lab Pack

1 000 RWF

Worksheet: test water from your own home or school (field sheet)
Hardness titration practical with results table
Teacher guide and answer key
Exam-style questions with marking scheme

See the pack

👩‍🏫 For teachers

Use it as a practical when apparatus is missing, as homework, or as a project. Free lesson plans help you plan, teach and assess.

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DONAT STEM Interactive Labs · original work by BIZIYAREMYE Donat · data are realistic models for learning · free forever