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Abdul Kassim- 7TH Grade

Raney I.B. Intermediate School, Corona Unified School District,

California

January, 2018

TESTING THE PURITY OF DRINKNG TAP WATER FROM EASTVALE, CORONA

AND SAN BERNARDINO

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Table of content

Page

1. Table of content

2. Topic

3. Abstract

4. Question, Variable and Hypothesis

5. Background Research

10. Materials

11. Experimental Procedure

14. Data, Analysis and Summary

19. Conclusion

21. Acknowledgement

22. Work Cited

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ABSTRACT

The purpose of this experiment is to determine the purity of drinking tap water from the cities of

Corona, Eastvale and San Bernardino and find out which of the three cities has contaminants in

their water according to the Environmental Protection Agency Standards (E.P.A.) by testing for

different ions. Healthy drinking water is essential for good health. A contaminant is anything

that will be harmful from drinking the water. I tested for hardness, copper, pH, alkalinity, and

chlorine levels by dipping ions test strips in the water and then compare the results to the test

kit’s color chart. I also tested distilled water which was the control I also tested for the presence

of iron bacteria by looking for sediments at the bottom on the water. I tested for sulfur by

smelling the hot and cold water. San Bernardino’s water has four contaminants that exceeded the

EPA limits and four that are within the limits. The water of Eastvale and Corona each has six

contaminants levels that are within the EPA standards but they have two contaminants that

exceeded the limits. In conclusion, all the water from the three cities has some contaminants but

San Bernardino has the highest.

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Question:

Which of these three cities-Corona, Eastvale or San Bernardino has the purest drinking tap

water according to the Environmental protection Agency Standard?

Variables

The three variables are the independent, dependent and the control variables. The independent

variable is the drinking water from Corona, Eastvale and San Bernardino. The water analysis test

kit is the dependent variable because it is responding based on the ions in the water. Each kit

contains test strips enough to repeat the experiment twice. The independent variable is

measurable even though there will be more than one independent variable. The control variable

will be distilled water. Distilled water is water with no ions.

Hypothesis:

If the purity of drinking tap water of the cites of Corona, Eastvale, and San Bernardino is

tested for contaminants such as ions hardness and pH using drinking water analysis kit, then the

results will show that at least water from one of the three cities is not pure because it will be

found to contain one or more contaminants. All the ions and alkalinity will be recorded in parts

per million (ppm).

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Background Research

The purpose of my experiment is comparing the purity of tap water of the 3 cities of San

Bernardino, Corona, and Eastvale to the Environmental Protection Agency Standard for

contaminants in drinking water. Would you feel safe not knowing whether your water at home is

clean /pure or not? The answer to this question is the reason for my project. Some of the

vocabulary words that I will be using in this research paper are ions, independent variable,

dependent variable, pH, and controlled variables. The three variables are the independent,

dependent and the control variables. The independent variable is the drinking water from

Corona, Eastvale and San Bernardino. The water analysis test kit is the dependent variable

because it is responding based on the ions in the water. Each kit contains test strips enough to

repeat the experiment twice. The control variable will be distilled water. Distilled water is water

with no ions. The tap water from the cities of Corona, Eastvale and San Bernardino will be tested

to find out if they met the Environmental protection Agency accepted standards on the amount of

irons, copper, iron bacteria, nitrate ions, nitrite ions, hydrogen sulfide, total chlorine, total

hardness, PH acidity and total alkalinity. The test water which is the independent variable will

react by changing the color of the test strips to different colors. The experiment will be

repeated three times to get valid results. The control variable will remain the same and used to

compare to the independent variables at the end of the experiments. The formulas that I will be

using are: Ions are charged particles. Ions that carry a positive charge are cations and those that

carry a negative charge are anions. Nitrate ions: NO3- Contains one nitrogen and 3 oxygen atoms

with a genitive charge. Carbonate Ions: CO3-2 contains one carbon and three oxygen atoms with a

negative 2 charge, Chloride Ions: Cl-1 contains one chlorine atom with a negative 1 charge. PH
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is a figure expressing the acidity or alkalinity of a solution on a logarithmic scale on which 7 is

neutral, lower values are more acidic, and higher values more alkaline. Alkalinity is a solution

that has a pH greater than 7. Chlorine is a toxic, irritant, pale green gas.

The experiment was conducted by filling a plastic tube with 42 mL of water for each of the ten

tests. Ions test strips were dipped in the tap water from each of the three city and the distilled

water which was the control variable. Each strip was dipped for two seconds for the total

hardness, total chlorine, alkalinity and pH. The strips were then read by comparing the colors to

a color chart and the results recoded on the data table. The water is changed for each test. The

wait time was 30 seconds for the nitrite and nitrate. The test for copper and iron bacteria

followed the same procedures but the trips were immersed in the test water and swirled 10 times.

The result was read after 15 seconds and recoded. The sediments test was conducted by putting

tap water from each of the three cities and the control in different beakers and allowed to stand

and then observed for any sediments settling in the bottom of the beakers. Both cold and warm

water were used for the odor test after running the taps for a 1 minute. The water was then

smelled for the presence of the smell of rotten eggs. The tests were replicated three times and all

results recorded on the date table. The results were then analyzed.

Water is very important to every living thing. Water makes up 75 percent of the human

body. It is the basis of all body fluids including blood, lymph, saliva, digestive juices, urine, and

perspiration. The brain is made up of 80% water. We use water for bathing, washing, cooking

and drinking. These are all everyday things humans do. Without pure water, we would be getting

sick and our body will not function normal. Also, families will be spending lots of money on

detergent for laundry if the water conations lot of calcium that is above the amount that is
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allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency {E.P.A.}. Children like us most often can’t tell

if the water we drink is pure and it is important that all homes have pure drinking water. Babies

drink lots of water too and most homes rely on the water they get from their taps. Drinking water

that is contaminated can increase the family’s medical bill. All the documents I reviewed

basically say one thing in common “clean water is essential for life”. However, in my opinion I

think that Eastvale has the most contaminated water compared to Corona and San Bernardino.

Almost always there is calcium deposit coating at the bottom of containers that are used to boil

water for making tea or coffee. Lots of detergent is used to launder clothes compared to what my

family used when living in another city. The shower head has to be changed frequently because

of clogging.

According to the LabTech Company that produces the home water testing kit I used for

this experiment and based in Millston, Wisconsin -contamination and chemicals in your family

drinking water is a concern to many people. Excessive levels and chlorination by- products are

associated with a larger risk of cancer. It went on to state that hard water makes coffee bitter,

forms scale on pipes, deposits on plates, and reduces soap and detergent performance. Also, iron

gives water a metallic taste. The company recommends testing pH levels in our drinking water

to measure the acidity. Water that contains copper causes illness. When iron exists along with

certain kinds of bacteria, the water tends to give an offensive odor. High nitrate levels indicate

some agricultural chemicals are present in the water. This can cause serious illness and death of

infants because it adversely affects and reduces oxygen carrying capacity in the blood. Another

harmful chemical is hydrogen sulfide which is formed by sulfur bacteria that give water a

nuisance smell and taste.

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According to two scientists Chris Mechenich and Elaine Andrews musty odors, brown

stains on plumbing fixtures and bathtub rings are unpleasant signs of water quality.

Contaminants that may threaten our health are not usually visible to our senses. Drinking water

may contain nitrate, bacteria, at levels which cannot be tasted or smelled, but can be hazardous to

health. If your drinking water comes from a private well you need to test your water once a year

even if you do not observe any smells, stains, or changes in water quality. Only an analysis

certified laboratory can determine this. Their investigation provided information at the

University of Wisconsin- Extension Water Testing Program that “if you are using water from a

public water utility, consider testing the water in your home”. The manual of fact sheets series of

their test result produced include: Keeping Your Home Water Supply Safe {G3558-1},

Evaluating the condition of Your Public Water Supply {G3558-2}.

Caroline Brooks a researcher at the University of Harvard and T.H. Chan of the school of public

health reveal that 42 percent of Hispanic U.S. citizens and 44 percent of black U.S citizens are

dehydrated. The news came on at the time of the Flint Water crisis in which thousands of

residents were poisoned from lead that was present in their drinking water. Also in a report on

Quick facts by Ashli Lincoln, the water in Cleveland Oklahoma could pose a major health risk

for those drinking it. The city has high levels of total trihalomethanes (TTHM) and Haloacetic

Acids (HAA5) that are three times above drinking water standards. In an article published by

these researchers in the American Journal of Public Health, there should be a policy to ensure

everybody has access to healthy brewages including tap water. When a person begins to feel

thirsty for too long they suffer symptoms of fatigue, irritability, they can’t think well, poorer

physical performances and headaches. The same authors in 2015 found striking differences of

inadequate dehydration among kids

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It is important that we drink pure water that is not contaminated with bacteria and

different types of harmful chemicals. If the water that we drink at home and in school is

contaminated it can lead to people getting sick and children and babies can even die as they will

be affected the most. It can lead to families spending more money on medical bills, laundry and

repairing water pipes. Many scientists such as Caroline Brooks a researcher at the University of

Harvard and T.H. Chan of the school of public health and Chris Mechenich and Elaine Andrews

have conduct research on the quality of water and came to the same conclusion that clean

drinking water is essential for life. It is hope that by the end of this project, I will be able to come

up with good analysis test results of the drinking water of these three cities of Corona, Eastvale

and San Bernardino. The result will be valuable particularly to us the children who drink water

from the drinking fountains in school.

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Materials:

• Graduated cylinder to measure the water samples

• Four 50 mL beakers to hold the test samples

• Two 42 mL plastic tubes for testing the water

• Sample of drinking tap water from Corona, Eastvale and San Bernardino

• Distilled water to act as the control

• 8 lots of copper test strips Lot #4365

• 8 lots of iron test strips Lot#4301

• 8 six tests strips Lot #43212

• Multi-color matching chart

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Experimental Procedure

Procedures for total hardness total chlorine, alkalinity, pH, nitrite and nitrate tests

• Fill each plastic tube with 42 mL of water

• Dip the strip in the water for two seconds

• Removed with pad faced-up

• Shake the pad to remove excess water

• Read immediately for total hardness, total chlorine, alkalinity and pH

• Waite for 30 seconds and read nitrite and nitrate

• Discard strip and sample

• Repeat steps 1-7 above to test the water from the other two cities.

Procedures for Copper Test

1.Fill the plastic to the etched line with test water

2. Immerse copper strip and swirl 10 times

3. Remove the strip with the pad faced-up

4. Do not shake-off excess water

5. Wait for 15 seconds and compare to color chart

6. Discard strip after 30 seconds

7. Discard test sample

7. Repeat steps 1-7 and test the water from the other two cities

Procedures for Iron Bacteria Test

• Fill the beaker with cold test water

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• Allow any sediment to settle to the bottom

• If the sediment has feathery appearance, then iron bacteria is present

• If the sediment is rusty a powder, then iron bacteria is not present

• Repeat steps 1-4 to test the water from the other two cities

Procedures for Iron Test

1. Fill plastic tube to the etched line with the sample water

2. Dip the test strip in the water for two seconds

3. Remove test strip from the water with the pad faced-up

4. Shake the pad once to remove excess water

5. Wait for 60 seconds and compare to the color chart

6. Discard the used strip after 90 seconds

7. Discard test sample

8. Repeat steps 1-7 for water from the other two cities

Procedures for Hydrogen Sulfide Test

• Turn on the cold tap water for 1 minute

• Collect 50 mL sample in a beaker and smell the water.

• Turn on the hot tap water for 1 minute.

• If rotten egg smell is present in both, hydrogen sulfide is present

• If smell is only from the hot water, then it is from a reaction in the hot water heater tank.

• Repeat steps 1-5 to test the water from the other two cities
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The control (distilled water) will also be tested for all the same contaminants ae the tap

water from the three cities

All tests will be replicated three times.

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Data, Analysis and Summary

TABLE 1 AVERAGE FOR REPLACATIONS 1-3

SIX IONS TEST

CITY EASTVALE CORONA SABERNARDINO CONTROL

Total Hardness 150 ppm 200 ppm 200 ppm 0 ppm

Total Chlorine 0.67 ppm 0.5 ppm 0.5 ppm 0 ppm

Alkalinity 106.67 ppm 80 ppm 160 ppm 26.67 pm

PH 7 7.3 9 6

Nitrate Level 5 ppm 1.8 ppm 3.3 ppm 0 ppm

Nitrite Level 0 ppm 0.3 ppm .17 ppm 0ppm

SIX IONS TESTS- AVERAGES

250

200

150

100

50

0
Total Hardness Total Chlorine Alkalinity PH Nitrate Level Nitrite Level

EASTVALE CORONA SABERNARDINO CONTROL

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TABLE 2 AVERAGES FOR REPLACATIONS 1-3

TOTAL IRON AN CCOPPER TESTS

CITY EASTVALE CORONA SABERNARDINO CONTROL

TOTAL IRON 0.1 ppm 0.1 ppm 0.1 ppm 0.1 ppm

TOTAL 0.3 ppm 0.1 ppm 0.2 ppm 0 ppm

COPPER

PRESENCE OF No noticeable No noticeable No noticeable No noticeable

BACTERIA sediments sediments sediments sediments

PRESENCE OF No rotten egg No rotten egg No rotten egg odor No rotten egg

SULFUR odor detected odor detected detected odor detected

0.35
AVERAGES FOR TOTAL IRON AND COPPER TEST
0.3

0.25

0.2

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
EASTVALE CORONA SABERNARDINO CONTROL

TOTAL IRON TOTAL COPPER

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Table 3 comparing the total number of contaminants above and within the EPA Limits

City Number of Contaminants Number of Contaminants

above limits within limit

San Bernardino 4 4

Corona 2 6

Eastvale 2 6

Controlled 1 7

Analysis

According to the average data of my experiment Corona and San Bernardino both have the same

hardness level of 200 ppm which is higher than Eastvale with an average hardness of 150 ppm.

Eastvale’s average chlorine level is 0.67 ppm compared to Corona and San Bernardino with the

same chlorine level of 0.5 ppm., lower than that of Eastvale. The average alkalinity of 160 ppm

for San Bernardino is the highest compared to, 106.67 ppm for Eastvale and the lowest 80 ppm

for Corona. The alkalinity of the water in all three cities is higher than that of the control which

is 26.67ppm. Compared to the control with an average pH of 6, San Bernardino’s tap water has

the highest pH of 9, followed by 7.3 for Corona and Eastvale has the lowest pH of 6. The water

in Eastvale is acidic, but San Bernardino’s water is alkaline. The average nitrate level of 5 ppm

for Eastvale is the highest among the three cites, followed by 3.3 ppm for San Bernardino and

1.8 ppm for Corona; no nitrate ion is present in the control water with a value of 0 ppm. The

average amount of nitrite level in the water is highest for Corona at 0.3 ppm, followed by 0.17
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ppm for San Bernardino. These values are higher than 0 ppm nitrite level for both Eastvale and

the control.

The average quantity of iron is 0.1 ppm in all three cities including the control. The city of

Eastvale has the highest level 0.3 ppm of copper, when compared to the 0.2 ppm for San

Bernardino and 0.1 ppm for Corona; all these values are higher than that of the 0 ppm for the

control. There were no noticeable sediments in the water test samples from all the three cities

and the control. Also, the odor of rotten egg was not detected in the tap water tested and the

control.

If any drinking water source exceeds the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) of any ion, then

Excessive level of theses contaminants can create serious health problems.

The limit set for the total hardness is 0 parts per million(ppm). All three cities exceed the limit,

because Eastvale has a total water hardness value of 100 ppm, Corona has 200 ppm, and San

Bernardino has 200ppm. Even though Eastvale has the least hard water contaminant than Corona

and San Bernardino, the water in all three cities is hard and way above the limit. The controlled

water used in this experiment has 0 ppm water hardness contaminant which is the same at the

limit set by the E.P.A. The E.P.A. limit for total chlorine is 0-1 ppm. All three cities stayed

within that range, Eastvale has a chlorine level of 0.67 ppm, Corona has 0.5 ppm, and San

Bernardino has 0.5 ppm. Eastvale has more chlorine in the tap water than both Corona and San

Bernardino. The E.P.A. limit for alkalinity is 0 ppm to 120 ppm. Both Eastvale and Corona

stayed with the limit with Eastvale having 106.67 ppm and Corona having 80 ppm, but San

Bernardino exceeded the limit, having an alkalinity level of 160 ppm. All three cites chlorine

levels are higher with a chlorine level of 26.67 ppm. The E.P.A.’s pH limit is 7 to 8. Eastvale and
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Corona stayed below the limit, but San Bernardino did not. The water in Eastvale has a pH 7,

Corona got 7.3, but San Bernardino got 9. The water in San Bernardino does not meet the

E.P.A.’s pH standard of 7-8. PH for the control is 6 and just like San Bernardino it also does not

meet the pH standards. The limit for nitrate is 0 ppm to 5 ppm. All three cities stayed below the

limit. Eastvale has a nitrate level of 5 ppm, Corona has 1.8 ppm, and San Bernardino has 3.3

ppm. Eastvale has the most nitrate level in its drinking water, Corona has the least amount of 1.8

ppm and the controlled water has a level of 0 ppm. The limit for nitrite is 0 ppm to 0.5 ppm. All

three cities stayed below the limit. Eastvale had 0 ppm, Corona had 0.3 ppm, and San Bernardino

had 0.17 ppm. As compared to the control which has 0 ppm nitrite level. The limit for iron is 0

ppm. All three cities exceeded the limit. Each of the three cities including the control has an iron

level of 0.1 ppm. The limit for copper is 0 pp to 1 ppm. All three cities stayed within the range

but higher than the control with 0 ppm of copper in the water. Eastvale’s level is 0.3 ppm,

Corona 0.1 ppm, and San Bernardino got 0.2 ppm. making Eastvale the city with the highest

nitrite level when compared to Corona and San Bernardino. None of the three cities including the

control has bacteria or sulfur in their tap water.

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Conclusion:

Based on my hypothesis the results turned out as explained above because I was convinced that

the drinking tap water in Eastvale is very hard. There is always calcium deposit in the bottom of

the container that is used to boil water to make tea and coffee. My parents have to be cleaning

the shower head about once a month. Since Eastvale and Corona were the same city a couple of

years ago, I thought that both cities still have their drinking water from the same source. San

Bernardino is a very old city and I thought that their drinking tap water will be better so I chose it

as my third city to compare with Corona and Eastvale.

One source of error was that to determine the exact match in colors when two adjacent color are

very difficult to separate. The iron test in particular was very difficult for me to decide on the

color chart but after doing it for three times I was sure of my results. The reason for this was the

colors were so close together. If I had the opportunity to do this experiment again I will ask

another person to read the color chart as well to make sure that I was right. Another source of

error was if I did or did not smell the anything in the water. I don’t know how good my sense of

smell is. To fix this I could ask multiple people to smell the water.

I agree with my hypothesis because all three cities have at least 1 contaminant that is above the

E. P. A. standard. San Bernardino has 4. Eastvale has 2 and Corona has 2. The results revealed

that out of the cities, San Bernardino has the most contaminated water because it has four

contaminants in the drinking tap water that exceed the standards set by E.P.A.

If I am allowed to change anything in this experiment, I would chose to work with two or three

partners. This will make us collect a better data.

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Overall, the drinking water from all three cities is not completely pure. Even though Corona and

Eastvale have less contaminant than San Bernardino yet the authorities in charge of water supply

should address these problems and provide pure drinking water of the residents. Pure drinking

water is necessary for good health. The residents will also save lots of money on medical bills

and fixing damaged water fixtures.

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Acknowledgement

I wish to thank my dad for guiding me throughout this project and for providing

all the materials that I needed. I also want to thank Mrs. Kim for grading and correcting my

drafts.
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Work Cited

1. Brooks, Carolyn and Chen, T.H.: American Journal of Public Health, University of Havard

2. Daily mail.co, UK/health/article-4782123/Half

3. Environmental Protection Agency: Factoids: drinking water and ground water statistics for

2007-March 2008, April 2008.

4.How EPA Regulates Drinking Water Contaminants. EPA.2016-05-11

5. LabTech, drinking water analysis kit

6. Licoln, Ashli: Quick facts- Drinking water in Cleveland, Oklahoma, September 12, 2017

7. Nicholas, Frederick Grey, Dr.: Drinking water quality research summary- Memorial

University

8. Swistock, Bryan: Senior Extension Associate Water Resources Coordinator, Pennsylvania

State University Extension