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Fowler High Students Participate in Global Water Quality Monitoring Effort

Release Date: 10/17/2003
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(#03125) New York, New York – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regional Administrator, Jane Kenny, today celebrated World Water Monitoring Month and encouraged people around the world to test the quality of their streams, lakes, wetlands, and coastal waters. Ms. Kenny teamed up with Onondaga Lake Partnership members, Onondaga Lake Cleanup Corp. and 25 students and teachers from Fowler High School to use water monitoring kits to assess the health of Onondaga Creek. “We want to ensure that Americans and citizens around the globe have clean water,” EPA Regional Administrator Kenny explained. “Last year, we had 75,000 participants across the country help us gather information and help characterize the conditions of our waters in the state. But the environment knows no national boundaries, so we worked with our partners in national and international associations to expand the efforts globally.” World Water Monitoring Month recognizes the importance of being more aware of the water we drink, swim in, shower with, use in manufacturing or to water our gardens. The monitoring efforts foster a better understanding of what activities can pollute our waters, how we can check their health and, ultimately, help us to protect our waters with greater vigor. Around the world, volunteers of all ages are performing four key tests in their local waterways this month to measure dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity/clarity and temperature. They are entering their findings on a special Web page. The Onondaga Lake Partnership (OLP), of which EPA is a partner, promotes cooperation between federal, state and local governments, and other parties in the management of environmental issues for the Onondaga Lake and its watershed. In 2002, the first National Water Monitoring Day was held to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act. Due to the success of the event, the program has been expanded to include other nations. Test kits may be ordered and more information can be obtained through America’s Clean Water Foundation. For more information about the Onondaga Lake Partnership, go to their Web site.