The accuracy of water quality monitoring data : a comparison between citizen scientists and professionals

Abstract

This study compared water quality data of trained citizen scientists and a water professional. Side-by-side field measurements in Nova Scotia’s freshwater streams were conducted to determine how professional measurements compared to citizen scientists and to identify what factors improve the ability of citizen scientists to collect accurate water quality data. It was expected that no significant difference would be found between citizen scientists and the professional scientist for all freshwater parameters, within mechanical error and government data correction criteria. Results identified similarities for volunteer and professional measurements including water temperature, pH, conductivity and discharge, while there were significant differences revealed for dissolved oxygen. Changes to address the differences found include further training in calibration and field procedures, to offer a better chance of integration of volunteer data with government run programs. The study aimed to demonstrate the value of volunteer data and whether it can be used to increase the overall knowledge of water resources.