We are testing the water in Sunset Lake and the Hudson River using a spectrometer and a Tetratest Laborett Home Aquarium Water Testing Kit. We’ll be testing the levels of inorganic chemicals listed on the EPA’s Drinking Water Contaminants List. We expect that the levels of contaminants in both water sources will allow us to classify them as non-potable. Based on preliminary research, we have found that portions of the Hudson River contain Mercury and Cadmium above the EPA’s recommended levels, rendering them unsafe for human consumption. In addition, Vassar lore tells us that Sunset Lake contains heavy metals, in excess of the threshhold determined by the EPA.

We will collect water samples from the Hudson River and Sunset Lake on Monday, November 14, 2011. Testing will begin at 3 PM on Wednesday, November 16th, 2011. Stephen will make the data table and upload  it to the LTT blog site. We will meet at 11 AM on Friday, November 18th, to discuss our results and write up a conclusion based on said discussion. We will present our results in the form of a public service announcement. Filming will take place on Monday, November 21st. Rachel will film, Sam will write the script, and we will all contribute to the editing process.