The Problem
To determine the water quality of a lake or river, water samples must be collected from a variety of locations and depths to account for effects due to naturally occurring stratification. During the summer months, samples are collected using a boat and a tethered sampling container with a triggering device. During the winter months when the ice is thick, samples are collected by walking onto the ice, drilling a hole at the sample location and using the tethered sampling container and triggering device. However, during the off-season (fall and early spring), it is unsafe to navigate a boat or to walk on the thin ice which makes it difficult to obtain comprehensive water quality data. Environment Canada invites proposals for a prototype remote water sampling device which can collect a 200 ml water sample from a location up to 50 ft from shore and up to 10 ft below the surface.
The Assignment
Submitted proposals must be insensitive to weather and ice conditions since ice may or may not be present on shore, at the testing site, or at any point in between on the surface of the water body. The ice may be up to but no greater than ½ inch in thickness.
