Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions by students:
- Can I keep live bugs? Can I take a fish home after Waterwatch?
- Can I be involved in water testing?
- Why do people pollute the water?
- Why doesn’t the water soak into the ground underneath the river or creek?
- How do I become a scientist?
If you can't find the answer to your question in the list above, why not contact your local Waterwatch Coordinator? They will be only too happy to help you.
Q. Can I keep live water bugs? Can I take a fish home after Waterwatch?
A. Water bugs and fish have special living requirements that are very hard to replicate. It is likely that if you kept a water bug or a fish it would not survive. Also you would be removing the food source for many frogs, birds and platypus from the waterway.
Q. Can I be involved in water testing?
A. Yes, many schools set up their own monitoring groups and regularly monitor their local waterways. Discuss with your teacher and local Waterwatch Coordinator how you could start a Waterwatch group in your school. Many community groups also participate in Waterwatch monitoring, your local Waterwatch Coordinator will be able to advise you on which community groups are already monitoring in your area or how to establish your own community group. Students monitoring outside of the school setting must be over 16 years of age.
Q. Why do people pollute the water?
A. Contaminants passing into our rivers, creeks and bays come from either a specific site, known as a point source, or many diffuse (different) sources known as a non-point source. Pollution from a point source, such as a pipe or factory, is often accidental or the result of poor maintenance. Pollution from a non-point source, such as houses or roads in a suburb, is often deliberately caused by polluting behaviour such as littering. However most non-point source pollution is the by-product of day to day living and working.
Q. Why doesn’t the water soak into the ground underneath the river or creek?
A. Some river water does soak into the ground but the amount depends on what type of river or creek bed it is. For example, more water will soak into the ground when the bed is sand, less when the bed is clay or rock. Often in summer, when you find a dry river, if you dig down into the bed you will find water. It is important that water soaks into the ground underneath the river to re-charge the ground water. Sometimes the ground water from below the river can come to the surface and contribute to the water flowing in the stream. This is known as a spring.
Q. How do I become a scientist?
A. Science careers can be good choice for people who enjoy research and have an inquisitive mind. Becoming a scientist requires years of study and a lot of dedication.
Visit the Careers in Science website for information about different types of science jobs and advice on choosing subjects in high school that will help your university study and choice of career. |