Watewatch Victoria’s Statewide QA/QC Week 2007 July Process, expectations and outcomes

QA/QC Week is an opportunity to: Self-assess your and your monitor’s techniques and instrument accuracies against known standards for pH/EC/turbidity/ortho-phosphorus Promote the monitoring strengths of the program to stakeholders Review training and equipment needs in the region Encourage ‘best practice’ monitoring

QA/QC Week is: A logistical challenge just getting the samples to you (last year = 520 litres of mystery solutions, plus 100 sets of macroinvertebrates) An expensive annual event hours of work providing feedback on statewide and regional results

QA/QC Week is NOT: An activity between your monitors and the state office. The samples are free for YOU to support YOUR monitors. A random activity. It’s in your regional DC Plans as one of two QA-checks each year (Std 3 and 4). Compulsory, however you will then need to provide a second QA-check/event for your monitors at your own expense.

Review statewide training needs and educational resources Undertake M&E of the Watewatch program’s monitoring activities Review state performance from year to year. Promote the program’s monitoring improvements and achievements. We use QA/QC Week to:

Who should be involved? ALL Waterwatch Coordinators Waterwatch monitors (Standard 3 and 4) Monitoring/Water Quality Staff at your CMA/Water Authority (a great way for them to see what QCs Waterwatch uses, while checking their own equipment /practices)

Why is this year’s process changing: In 2006 the program wasted (i.e. did not submit results sheets for): 35% of phys-chem samples 35% of macroinvertebrate samples More than $2700 worth of samples

Post-QAQC Week Survey YOU identified the following main reasons for sample wastage: Poor regional planning and implementation Too little time/few resources to engage monitors

Post-QAQC Week Survey Your preferred means of reducing wastage in 2007 were? - Investigate sample stability for a longer QA/QC Week time period - Smaller quantity of samples provided to each region, to be stretched further - Regional orders for individual sample needs - Charge regions for wasted samples

Strategy for 2007: Move QA/QC Week dates back to July, to avoid busy May and allow regional programs time to PLAN Reduced sample volumes (250mL bottles, plus 100mL for phosphate curves) 2 ranges of solutions – Range A = low range (EC < 2000, pH < 7, turbidity <50, ortho-P <0.2mg/L P) Range B = high range (EC >2000, pH >7, turbidity >50, ortho-P >0.2mg/L P)

Strategy for 2007: how you’ll distribute samples to local coordinators and/or individuals in a timely manner Regions to seriously start planning: the number of samples they’ll need for this strategy engagement strategy/ies (mail outs, regional QA/QC events, individual events) how you’ll starting preparing your monitors for the activity.

Strategy for 2007: Batch information will be recorded for all batches 10% samples checked in lab during QA/QC week (all batches checked) Samples to be prepared by a NATA-accredited lab (we will not repeat the pH problems of last year) Statewide and regionally-specific reports will be prepared again, based on results.

Key dates – put them in your diary NOW: Regional Orders for samples (Range A and B, macros and P-curve standards): 12 June 2007 Samples distributed from state to regional head offices: Wed 18 th July 2007 QA/QC Week: 23 – 29 July 2007 Datasheets for reporting purposes MUST be returned by Monday 6 th August 2007

I will be watching wastage like a hawk!