Wastewater specimen collection system and method

An apparatus for collecting samples from a liquid source, the apparatus comprising:

• a portable enclosure providing an interior space;
• a container having an interior volume surrounded by exterior walls with at least one inlet for receiving an intake liquid flow comprising a sample being collected within the container;
• the container placed within the enclosure;
• an intake liquid conduit extending through a sidewall of the enclosure and having a first end in fluid connection with and extending from the at least one inlet of the container and having a second end opposed to the first end, the intake liquid conduit extendable to have the second end submerged into a liquid source from which the sample is being collected;
• a temperature control sleeve comprising an inner bore that is circumferentially able to fit around an exterior wall of the container, an outer surface of the temperature control sleeve made with a material capable of retaining a desired temperature range within the sleeve, and a body section disposed between the inner bore and the outer surface and within which a mechanical cooling mechanism is provided, the mechanical cooling mechanism controllable to maintain an ambient temperature of contents within the container within a preset temperature range;
• a pump having an inlet connector in fluid connection with the intake liquid conduit to suction intake liquid flow from the liquid source, the pump being a programmable variable speed pump that can provided different amounts of suction force on intake liquid within the liquid conduit to control a rate of flow of the intake liquid;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to an electrical motor of the pump, and which:
• receives inputs identifying an amount of the sample to be collected and a length of time for collecting the sample;
• calculates a pump speed of the pump that will cause the pump to operate and collect the amount of the sample, the calculation based on retrieved and received data from among pump speed calculation data comprising:
• characteristics of the pump, the amount of the sample to be collected, and the length of time;
• and
• transmits, to the electrical motor of the pump, a pump activation signal comprising the pump speed and length of time, the pump activation signal activating the pump to initiate suction at the inlet connector;
• wherein the pump suctions the intake liquid at a flow rate that allows continuous sampling of the liquid source over an entirety of the length of time.