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EPA Celebrates World Water Monitoring Day With Salem Youth

Release Date: 10/20/2005
Contact Information:

Contact: Sheryl Rosner ([email protected]), EPA Office of Public Affairs, (617) 918-1865

For Immediate Release: October 20, 2005; Release # sr051016

(Salem, Mass.) - As part of the international celebration of World Water Monitoring Day, officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and a Salem Girl Scout troop pulled water samples from the Ipswich River today.

Water monitoring by volunteer groups provides important data that is used by all New England states and EPA in assessing water quality conditions of lakes, rivers, coastal waterways and estuaries. Groups that are involved in water quality monitoring have been successful in raising awareness of local water quality problems often due to failing septic systems, illicit discharges of sanitary sewerage, and stormwater runoff.

“World Water Monitoring Day offers a unique opportunity for citizens to think globally and act locally by helping those charged with protecting our water with useful information about water quality,” said Michael Kenyon, Director of EPA’s New England Regional Laboratory. “And now, EPA is helping fund local groups by initiating an equipment loan program to further support these efforts.”

Also in recognition of World Water Monitoring Day, EPA has begun a program to loan water monitoring equipment to citizen groups in New England so that others can participate and help collect water quality data. The equipment will assist citizen groups as they seek to expand and improve water quality data collection. The long-term loan program will be available to qualified groups this winter.

The equipment loan program will also help states in their efforts to expand participation of citizens in gathering important data about surface waters, by encouraging students and citizens to become stewards of their local waterways. It is critical for environmental agencies to take advantage of environmental data generated by others in order to help provide information about the effectiveness of water protection efforts.

Kerry Mackin, Executive Director of the Ipswich River Watershed Association, also participated. Kerry talked to the Troop about water quality conditions in the river, water monitoring, and about ways they can help protect their local river.

World Water Monitoring Day is an initiative cosponsored by EPA, the Clean Water Foundation and the International Water Association, to urge people around the world to test the quality of their streams, lakes, wetlands, and coastal waters. During World Water Monitoring Day, volunteers of all ages perform four tests to measure dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity/clarity and temperature. They then enter their findings on an internet web page, which then provides a resource to individuals and institutions interested in clean water.

More information on World Water Monitoring Day is available at: https://www.epa.gov/owow/monitoring/volunteer/monitoringmonth.html.

Information about EPA’s future equipment loan program will be posted at: https://www.epa.gov/ne/lab.

Related Information:
Water Monitoring Day
Water Topics
New England Regional Laboratory
EPA NE Water Monitoring