Monitoring the Project
The main purpose of this project is to reduce the amount of sewage being discarded into the oceans and rivers.
Before deciding on a method to monitor this project, how human waste affects the aquatic environment must first be understood. Urine and faeces contain large amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and ammonia. Let us examine how nitrogen, phosphorous and ammonia can affect the aquatic environment in the slideshow below!
Nitrogen
Nitrogen naturally occurs in the forms of nitrate, nitrite and ammonium. These forms of nitrogen are required for plant growth, which includes aquatic plants.
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However, when there is an excess of nitrogen in water bodies, this is known as eutrophication. Eutrophication is when marine habitats are overly enriched with nutrients. This leads to an overstimulation of aquatic plants and, more detrimental to the environment, an increase in algae.
Increased nitrogen and phosphate can indicate the amount of human waste is being disposed into the rivers. High ammonia levels would also indicate the presence of faeces and urine in the river. Therefore, the method chosen for monitoring this project is the use of nitrogen, phosphorous and ammonia test kits. Besides these test kits, pH strips can also be used to test for ocean acidification.
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Before the project commences, the nitrogen, phosphorous, ammonia levels, and the pH of the river upstream of where the village starts and downstream the village can be tested and recorded. Every six months, these tests can be carried out and reported over three years. ​This would allow for the monitoring of the project and ensure that the condition of the aquatic habitat is improving.
Example of a nitrogen testing kit
Example of pH testing strips
Example of phosphorous testing kit