Every municipality and industry with wastewater requires a water sampler to actively monitor the effluent they are producing. Although it is possible to take grab samples at regular intervals, eventually the time and cost associated with manually obtaining a water sample become excessive, and the need for an automatic water sampler becomes necessary to save on time and costs, and to enable the practice of long-term monitoring.
The most important factors to consider when purchasing a water sampler include not only cost and performance, but most importantly, reliability, ease-of-use, and durability (i.e. how long will the water sampler last before needing complete replacement). In order to make a proper decision on which type of water sampler should be purchased, a number of helpful questions can be used to guide the process:
- Does the water sampler have a high velocity? (i.e. above 2.5 ft/sec)
- Is the volume repeatable? (i.e. will it take the same amount of water each time)
- How often will the water sampler require replacement parts?
- What maintenance is required of the water sampler?
- How easy-to-use is the controller? Will anyone be able to use it without disrupting the program?
- What kind of warranty is offered?
- How long has the manufacturer been making the water sampler?
- Are the samplers in use in major cities/municipalities?
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