World Water Monitoring Day
an article by Charlie

In what organizers hope will be a watershed moment, on October 18th, people all over the world will take samples from local streams, lakes, rivers, and creeks to monitor the health of our countries water ways. The date marks the 32nd anniversary of the passage of the Clean Water Act. The second World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) hopes to expand on the success of last year's event, which saw the testing of over 5,000 bodies of water in 24 different countries.

Analyzer kits cost about $20, and test water in four categories: acidity, temperature, amount of disolved oxygen, and turbidity (clarity.) The results of the tests will be tabulated and made public by this February. While the data gathered is not necessarily scientific, it can be used as an initial indicator for further study, and should provide an overall picture of the health of our water ways.

More importantly, the event will involve people with the participatory nature of going out to local bodies of water and taking the samples. By creating a stronger connection between people and their local ecosystems, WWMD will have a ripple effect, and lead to more environmental awareness for other local issues as well. To learn more about WWMD, visit their website.

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