Bellingen Riverwatch Online Water Quality Monitoring Manual
Part 4. Safety & First Aid

4.2. Testing Guidelines

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Part 1. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Long, sturdy pants

This helps prevent getting chemicals on your legs or feet or getting bitten by a snake.

Safety Gloves

You must wear gloves so that you don’t contaminate yourself with polluted water or with chemicals used for testing and so that you don't contaminate the water samples.

Important - Gloves are very slippery when wet. If a glove tears put it in the solid waste bag and get a new one.

Leave the gloves on the whole time you are at the creek. Make sure you take the gloves off and wash your hands prior to eating or touching your skin.

Sun Protection

Always wear personal protective clothing when out in the field (boots, long pants, long sleeves, shoes & hat).

Safety Glasses

Wear safety glasses at all times when you are handling the chemicals so that your eyes are protected from any chemicals which may flick or spray into your eyes.

Safety Vests

Wear safety vests at all times when testing so that you are visible to passing cars (and to raise awareness of the program within the community).

Gumboots

Important - Volunteers must wear covered shoes (preferably gumboots).

This helps prevent you stepping on a bullrout, bits of glass or a wire, or getting chemicals on your feet.

Important - Wash & fully dry gumboots if worn anywhere else than your testing site.

If you have been in the river with your gumboots anywhere other than your testing site, it is essential that they are fully clean and dry before entering the river again.

Parking

Ensure you park in a safe position, and leave lights flashing whilst parked there.

Stay aware of other traffic – no phone calls or listening to music whilst there!

Wear High Vis

Wear your high visibility vest during sampling to highlight to nearby motorists you are there.

Part 2. Traffic & Road Safety

Traffic Bollards & Witches Hats

We have traffic bollards and witches hats available for our volunteers. Traffic bollards are preferable in terms of safety, however, some volunteers find these too heavy or cumbersome to use, so we provide both options.

Witches hats are available in the BR All-Hours Refills cupboard and bollards, by contacting your Program Coordinator.

Roving or new volunteers, please see the list below to see the site you will be testing needs traffic bollards or witches hats. (You can also find more information about each site in the BR Site Guide.

If sampling near a road or bridge, park your car somewhere safe, put your vests on, put your traffic bollards out on the bridge at either end (off to the side of the road) and then conduct your sampling.

Take your water sample & photos as quick as possible, then move off the bridge.

  • B1 - 2 x traffic bollards

  • B3 - 1 x “Slow Down” sign + 2 x traffic bollards

  • B4 - 1 x “Slow Down” sign + 2 x traffic bollards

  • B5 - 1 x Traffic Bollard

  • B6 - Requires 4WD vehicle

  • B8.1 - 2 x traffic bollards

  • K1.3 - 2 x traffic bollards

  • K1.4 - 2 x traffic bollards

  • K2 - 2 x traffic bollards

  • K3 - 2 x traffic bollards

  • K4 - 1 x “Slow Down” sign + 1 x witches hat

  • NN1.3 - 2 x traffic bollards

  • R1 - 2 x Traffic bollards / witches hats

Beware of snakes, particularly in the warmer months. Bang the sample pole at the extension handle end on the ground as you walk along to create noise & vibrations to scare snakes away. Wear long pants and gum boots.

Part 3. Preventing Snake Bites

Part 4. We do not share our WQM kits across our sites.

Important - The biosecurity risk of the Bellinger River Virus still prevails. We do not share kits across sites.

We must be very careful with sanitisation to protect our rivers from any potential Biosecurity Hazards.

Assigned Volunteers - if you know you will be away for a months’ testing, please let Sam know asap and bring in your kit to the OzGREEN Office.

One of our Roving Volunteers will then use your kit for the site they are filling in for you. After testing, your kit will then be taken back to the OzGREEN office for you to pick up when you return.

Part 5. We do not test during or after floods.

It is dangerous to enter waterways during flooding events.

Important - DO NOT carry out your testing after moderate or major flooding.

Wait for the river to return to safe flow levels before testing. You can keep an eye on water and flood levels at the sites below:

  • www.kombuwholefoods.com.au/floodcam

    Tide times for Urunga and flood cams for:

    • Lavenders Bridge, Bellingen

    • Moodys Bridge, Kalang

    • Leans Bridge, Thora Spicketts Creek, Brierfield

    This site is brought to our community by Kombu Wholefoods and Snapfrozen.

  • www.bellingenweather.org/live-river-data

    A summary of current river conditions across our region, the heights at which significant local bridges are inundated and live 4-day plots for:

    • the Bellinger River at Bellingen Bridge,

    • the Bellinger River at Thora,

    • the Never Never Creek,

    • the Bellinger River at Repton,

    • the Kalang River at Kooroowi; and

    • the Kalang River at Urunga.

    Lavenders Bridge currently floods when the level in the chart below reaches approx. 4.5 metres. At approximately 6.5 metres the Waterfall Way is likely to be closed at Camerons Corner, blocking off the town from the coast. At approximately 7.5 metres the Waterfall Way is likely to be blocked between Bellingen and Thora. Major Flood level is reached at 8.2 metres with extensive flooding and isolation likely at this height

Part 6. Tell someone of your trip.

No matter whether you test in pairs or solo, always call or text someone where you are going, and provide a departure & arrival back time, so if something happens and you don’t return on time, they can send for help.

Part 7. Do not leave your kit in the car.

Pack your car just before you are about to leave to go testing.

Leaving your kit in a hot car can cause chemicals to expire faster due to the heat.

Part 8. Test between 12noon and 2pm wherever possible.

Test between 12noon and 2pm. The recommended time for testing is between 10am and 2pm, and ideally, between 12noon and 2pm.

Collect from the same place each month. Check your site guide sheet if you are unsure.

Part 9. Test in pairs wherever possible.

Testing is pairs is the safest way to conduct water testing - and the most fun!

Please work in pairs, whether wading out into the river, or collecting from the water’s edge. Your Coordinator can pair you up with someone who can test your site with you on a day and time that works for you. If collecting from the edge of the river, one person can collect the water sample, while the other holds on to their clothing at the back or their belt – whichever way the person collecting prefers. This helps the person collecting the water to reach further away from the water’s edge without fear of losing balance or falling in.

Part 10. Test in the rain but be mindful.

Whilst we don't test during or after floods, we definitely test in the rain! However, please take care of yourself and your kit when testing in the rain.

Please do not get your equipment or this manual wet. Consider this and plan for it before you set out. Please also consider your health and take a rain jacket and/or appropriate clothing for the weather conditions.

The majority of our volunteers complete Part 1 of the Testing at the river and Part 2 at home. We recommend this in rainy, windy, cold, hot weather.

Part 11. Testing with children.

Depending on the site and the age and personality of the children, you are more than welcome to test with children.

Many of our volunteers take their children testing with them. However, some sites are close to roads which may make testing dangerous with small children. If you are consistently testing your site with children, please email Sam on sam@ozgreen.org.au and let us know the children's age and your tips for smooth WQM with children.

Part 11. Report what you see

Bellingen Riverwatch volunteers play an important role of being monthly observers of the rivers. Please report the following if you see it during your testing (see information of how to report it on our ‘Help the Rivers’ page at www.ozgreen.org/helptherivers.

Turtle sightings

Turtle nesting sites

Sick or dead turtles

Issues - See or smell something that doesn’t look right? Report leaks, spills and other pollution incidents that can harm the environment.

Suspected algal blooms

Fish kill

Flood debris

Irresponsible behaviour