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Riverkeeper, the Center for the Urban River at Beczak, part of Sarah Lawrence College, and the Yonkers Paddling & Rowing Club are leading the effort, with the support of many other organizations and individuals, including Groundwork Hudson Valley, which conducted water quality monitoring studies from 2008-12.
Using Environmental Protection Agency-approved methods designed to assess water for safe swimming, community scientists are sampling for Enterococci, bacteria that indicate the presence of fecal contamination, such as untreated sewage. The EPA guidelines are meant to protect people who may ingest water not only while swimming, but also during a variety of recreational activities, including the splashing of children playing at the water’s edge.
“Water quality in the Hudson has improved dramatically over the years, but our water quality monitoring projects have documented concerning levels of contamination in many of the rivers and creeks that feed it," said Jen Epstein, Riverkeeper water quality associate.
Other tributaries being monitored include the Pocantico and Wallkill rivers; and the Sparkill, Quassaick, Rondout, Esopus and Catskill creeks.
The New York City Water Trail Association and The River Project also partner with Riverkeeper and dozens of other partners to sample waterfront locations in and around New York City.
The Yonkers Paddling & Rowing Club has been part of this effort, sampling at the Yonkers waterfront since 2011, and the daylighted section of the Saw Mill River since 2013.
The Saw Mill River had the dubious distinction of winning the association’s “Golden Toilet” award in 2014, because it failed to meet safe-swimming standards more frequently than any other location sampled as part of the New York City-area sampling effort.
Water samples will be gathered on the Saw Mill River by community scientists every other week, at 16 locations in Chappaqua, Pleasantville, Hawthorne, Elmsford, Ardsley, Hastings and Yonkers.
The monitoring program will be supplemented with research by Sarah Lawrence College faculty and students.
All data gathered as part of these monitoring studies are publicly available at http://www.riverkeeper.org/water-quality/testing/.
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