If you’re using a YSI Pro Series multiparameter water quality meter please make a note that a new version of the ProPlus firmware, v3.11 is now available. Full instructions on how to download the firmware are available at http://www.ysi.com/media/support/ProPlus-3-11-Software-Update-Instructions.pdf .

The YSI Pro Plus series of multiparameter meters are the first instruments of their kind to receive an MCERTS certificate, awarded by the Environment Agency’s Certification Scheme which is designed to ensure the quality and reliability of environmental measurements.  This particular certification applies to instruments employed in the continuous monitoring of water, which includes samplers, flow meters and online water quality monitors.

This third party recognition is welcome news and only goes to underline the field qualities and flexibility of the YSI range to measure a variety of combinations from temperature/conductivity, DO, and any two ISEs among pH, ORP, ammonium, chloride, or nitrate.

In addition these instruments are rated to IP-67 standards even without the battery cover on. Other tough features include a 3-year warranty, Mil-spec connectors, rubber over moulded case, and a 2-year cable warranty. In-house testing procedures also include 1-meter drop tests from all angles to ensure expected field-durability.

These instruments are available to rent or buy and for more details visit and download our Fact Sheet here. Copies of the MCERTs certificate and EPA compliance certificates can be found at: http://www.vanwalt.com/ysi-water-meters.htm.

For a limited period of time we have special deals on Aquaread™ water quality meter systems.

Why choose Aquaread™:
- An award winning British manufacturer
- Reliable, accurate performance
- Designed for field use
- Includes ‘Turbidity’ as standard.

If you are thinking about updating your water quality system now is the time to call us. You could get a system to measure pH, EC, Redox, Turbidity, Galvanisation, DO and temperature, including a carrying case – at a substantially reduced price.

If you only need a water quality meter for a one-off project or you would like to try before you buy we offer Aquaread™ systems to hire at superb rates for weekly and express rental two day hire.

Call Tom Stone on 01428 664 854 or email tom@vanwalt.com to discuss the deal we can do for you!

If you work onsite monitoring water quality you will know for the rigours of field use only the most rugged, accurate, reliable and flexible meter solutions are an option. After almost a decade of experience in environmental research, for us, only YSI and Aquaread® water quality meters make the grade.

Aquaread™

Aquaread™ is an award winning British manufacturer of multi-parameter water quality test equipment for groundwater and surface water
field use.  Modern, reliable, robust, well designed meters and probes that are quick and intuitive, recording accurate field data with all expected choices for data transfer and flexible options including down-well logging of water quality parameters or connection to a telemetry system for in-office data collection and analysis.

YSI

For field use YSI has an established track record. Rugged, reliable, accurate – this equipment has all the attributes a field meter should possess. Quite simply the benchmark for what a field water quality meter should be.

For more information on our water quality meters visit www.vanwalt.com or call us on 01428 661 660.

At Van Walt we now have the ability to integrate our multiparameter Aquaprobe or the cutting edge Optical DO AquaPlus probe, with any data logger or on-line telemetry device.

Using a recently developed BlackBox the water quality probes can communicate with different data logging or telemetric devices. With a choice of industry standard digital and analogue interfaces (SDI-12 or Modbus Digital options and 4-20mA or variable voltage analogue options), this option offers a versatile and cost effective data collection solution.

The new BlackBox features an integral barometric pressure sensor for automatic depth and DO correction and can output Depth, Turbidity, pH, ORP, Conductivity, Resistivity, DO, TDS, Salinity, SSG, Temperature and Barometric pressure on an SDI-12 or Modbus (RS485) Digital Interface. Low current consumption, a wide operating voltage range and a rugged aluminium case make it particularly suitable for long term unattended deployment.

In addition, if you already have water quality probes on a telemetric network our solution can just slot in to replace old or worn out equipment, efficiently and cost effectively. Integration is simple and will cause no downtime to your telemetric network.

For more information on our water quality meters, probes and telemetry systems click here or call us on 01428 661 660.

In the week that water quality hits the headlines – for all the wrong reasons in Japan: radioactive iodine levels in seawater near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant reach a new record – 4,385 times the legal limit, the highest reading since the quake on 11 March 2011. And closer to home, the Environment Agency’s decision to put profiles for bathing water quality across England and Wales online in detailed profiles of the cleanliness of about 500 sites, it is clear that accurate data relating to water quality is vital.

Both these situations, very different but equally important to those affected, are reported upon, the former making national headlines around the world, the latter eagerly read by those in the water industry, or who live close to a monitored beach or who are planning a ‘bucket and spade’ holiday in the UK. If the readings, on which this data is based, are wrong it could have, in the case of Japan, life threatening results.

And, as Surfers Against Sewage campaigns director, Andy Cummins, added: “The new bathing water profiles are a significant step forward in the provision of public information about important coastal environments.

“These bathing water profiles will not make the water cleaner, but they will allow beach users to make more informed decisions about when is best to use the water and the information to know when it might be better to give it a miss due to pollution incidents.”

Now at Van Walt we’re not in the business of monitoring radiation levels in water but we do know a thing or two about water quality meters and there is a universal truth relating to the accurate collection of data using a water quality meter – make sure your meter is calibrated correctly.

The accuracy of water quality meters and when and how often to calibrate a meter are both subjects which seem to be somewhat misunderstood and our view is: all water quality meter manufacturers quote the accuracy of the meter itself. So, for example, for pH this will usually be 0.1 or 0.2, but don’t be fooled because no one uses a meter on its own as it will be connected to a cable and an electrode or a cluster of electrodes. Most manufacturers, with the exception of YSI, do NOT quote an accuracy of a system i.e. meter-cable-electrode, which will be much lower than that of the meter alone. The comparison of accuracy between systems should, in our view, only be made for a total system which we call the SYSTEM accuracy.

While on this subject, it’s worth mentioning that FIELD meters will generally have a lower accuracy than LABORATORY meters and it is well worth considering the SYSTEM accuracy when writing or reading a report.

In addition, yearly calibration of a meter is nonsensical because all you can do is calibrate an instrument AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME and as soon as it is been calibrated then taken somewhere else or stored for a few days, weeks, months before being used again, the calibration could be upset.

It is our recommendation that for accurate water quality readings your water quality meter should be calibrated or, as a minimum, a check against a “confidence” solution is done before any important batch of measurements is taken.

Last month we were delighted to be appointed a distributor of the award winning, British manufacturer Aquaread’sTM multiparameter water quality test equipment, designed for use in the field.

That water is a precious commodity speaks for itself and in response to changes in regulation such as the Water Framework Directive and improvements in equipment by the introduction of schemes like MCERTS, we have been looking for additional equipment to add to our existing range of leading sampling and monitoring systems which will give our customers even more choice and additional value when it comes to selecting the right instrument for a project.

We will stock Aquaread’s meters, probes and loggers. All these instruments are easy to use, yet highly sophisticated and when combined will measure pH, EC, optical dissolved oxygen, Redox, turbidity and temperature. The recently launched AquaPlusTM meter is an advanced portable optical dissolved oxygen measurement system incorporating GPS, extremely important for fieldwork as data collected in the field is meaningless if the locations at which the readings were taken are not accurately known. This meter can take up to 2000 sets of readings tagged with time, date and position. These can then be downloaded from the meter onto a PC and reported in text or spreadsheet format as well as Google™ Maps or Google™ Earth, where the readings can be overlaid on either maps or satellite photos – an excellent method of spotting potential sources of pollution.

For more information visit our dedicated pages or call us on +44 (0) 1428 661 660.

Did you know there was a Drinking Water Inspectorate? Formed in 1990 they provide independent assurance that water supplies in England and Wales are safe and drinking water quality is acceptable to consumers.

Based in London the Inspectorate has three areas of operation: the audit of water companies, regulations on improving drinking water and the science and strategy behind Defra’s water quality and health research programmes. You can find out more at http://www.dwi.gov.uk/index.htm .

If you’re in the business of water quality you’ll want to know about our new range of water quality meters coming soon.  Follow us at http://twitter.com/#!/vanwalt to keep up with the latest news from Van Walt.

In the UK we are surrounded by water; we have lots of rain, even snow; regularly our towns and villages are flooded; we have 20 major rivers and over 26 major lakes and reservoirs. As part of the water cycle many of these are supplied by or feed into – groundwater. It’s no exaggeration to say that almost all the water we use is either groundwater or has been groundwater at some point so there is little wonder we need to research, monitor and maintain supply.

Van Walt’s water quality meters for groundwater research are robust, reliable and easy to calibrate. They will measure the most common parameters like: pH, Electrical Conductivity, Redox/ORP, Dissolved Oxygen and Turbidity and we have a growing range to suit different conditions, requirements and budgets.

Watch this space for the latest additions to our range which will be available in the coming weeks.

Current environmental water sampling standards prescribe the analysis of different parameters which need to be carried out in the field to improve or monitor the quality of freshwater lakes, streams and rivers, groundwater and their dependant ecosystems, estuaries and coastal waters.  The most commonly measured parameters are: pH, Electrical Conductivity, Redox/ORP, Dissolved Oxygen and Turbidity.

Water quality meters which are used in the field to take these measurements, unlike those used in the laboratory, need to satisfy the demands of a harsh environment.  They need to be robust, reliable and easy to calibrate.

With more than 25 years experience in the environmental sector we are the exclusive UK and Ireland distributor for YSI Environmental Monitoring and Water Quality Systems for groundwater applications and offers a range of single, dual or multiparameter meters either for use with a flow through cell or by direct measurements in a monitoring well.  Each provides reliable, quality data with a minimum of downtime and low maintenance costs.

In addition, we offer a range of water quality meters to rent, including the MCERTS certificated YSI 6820 that measures all the usual parameters including the increasingly important Turbidity.  This meter is fully digital which means quicker stability achievement.