Analysts determine water quality by testing for specific chemicals. Most often, the type of water being tested determines what parameters, or analytes, the analyst looks for. For example, chlorine is an important parameter in finished drinking water, but is not usually a factor in natural water. This section lists common water quality parameters important in drinking water, wastewater, and natural water. Many of the fact sheets listed below include descriptions of the effects of parameter levels on living organisms. 

Water Quality

• Chlorophyll
• Conductivity
• Dissolved oxygen
• Oxidation-reduction potential
• pH
• Turbidity
• Water temperature

Contaminants

• Mercury
• Organochlorine pesticides  
• Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH)
• Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
• Trace metals

Fish Resources (Information for Fish Monitoring)

• Fish monitoring form    
• Fish anatomy diagrams 
• Healthy fish, healthy ecosystems 
• Procedures for processing fish 
• Outreach sampling forms

For more information

To request a hard copy of any of the materials or resources provided, or for more information about community-based monitoring in the NWT, please contact nwtwaterstrategy@gov.nt.ca.