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Equipment Loans Help New England Volunteers Collect Water Quality Info

Release Date: 10/17/2008
Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. – Oct. 17, 2008) – To celebrate World Water Monitoring Day on Oct. 18, EPA is continuing a program to loan water monitoring equipment to volunteer groups throughout New England.

Fifteen New England environmental organizations have been selected by EPA to receive loans of water monitoring equipment. Using this equipment, volunteers will produce information on the water quality conditions of New England’s water resources, which can be used for their local concerns and also shared with local and state agencies for use in assessing overall conditions of our water bodies.

“EPA commends the hundreds of New England groups that are helping to protect our environment by doing volunteer water quality monitoring,” said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “This work is a great resource helping all of us to know the condition of our streams, rivers and ponds. EPA is proud to help provide equipment to expand these sampling programs.”

The equipment loan program in New England, initiated by EPA in 2006, was the first EPA program of its kind in the nation. This is the third year of the loan program. EPA will solicit proposals for the next round of equipment loans early in 2009.

World Water Monitoring Day is an observance that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world, and encourages communities to monitor the condition of local rivers, streams, estuaries and other water bodies.

Organizations that are receiving equipment loans this year are:

CONNECTICUT

- Southeastern CT River/Estuary Stewardship

MAINE

- Highland Lake Association

MASSACHUSETTS

- Cohasset Center for Student Coastal Research
- Pembroke Watershed Association
- Mystic River Watershed Association
- Massachusetts Watershed Coalition & Nashua River Watershed Association Monoosnoc Brook
- Provincetown Center for Costal Studies
- Westfield River Environmental Center
- Roger Frymire
- Jones River Watershed Association
- Merrimack River Watershed Council
- Charles River Watershed Association

NEW HAMPSHIRE

- Hodgson Brook Restoration Project
- Martin Meadow Pond Association
- Souhegan Watershed Association

More information:

- EPA equipment loan program (http://epa.gov/ne/lab/volmonequiploan.html)

- World Water Monitoring Day (http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/)