World Water Monitoring Day
World Water Monitoring Day is an international outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. The program engages communities in monitoring the condition of local rivers, streams, estuaries and other water bodies. World Water Monitoring Day is officially celebrated on September 18. In 2009, the monitoring window was expanded to include the period of March 22 (World Water Day) to December 31. See below for how to participate.
World Water Monitoring Day activities in Virginia-- - To learn how to participate in World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD), find out about WWMD activities in Virginia, link to resources for teachers, and view maps and data from past WWMD events, see http://va.water.usgs.gov/wqday_09/intro.htm. If you have information about events in your watershed, please email Gary Speiran with the USGS (gspeiran@usgs.gov) so that your event can be included on the Virginia WWMD website.
World Water Monitoring Day kits -- The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is distributing a limited number of water monitoring kits for free to schools and organizations that do not have water monitoring equipment. DEQ encourages participants to use these kits during the World Water Monitoring Day monitoring timeframe. Participants can register and enter their data online by going to www.worldwatermonitoringday.org.
Each kit can perform up to 50 tests for dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, and temperature. Usually one kit is enough to monitor at several locations. Because quantities are limited, please request only the number of kits you are sure that you will use. To order kits, please contact Mr. Stuart Torbeck by e-mail at charles.torbeck@deq.virginia.gov. Please provide your complete mailing address, as well as the number of kits you would like to receive.
This year, the following organizations have donated monitoring kits -- Virginia Water Monitoring Council -- United States Geological Survey Virginia Water Science Center.
Kits can also be purchased by going to the World Water Monitoring Day website: http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org. Groups with their own monitoring equipment are also invited to participate in this event (See below).
To Participate in World Water Monitoring Day -- Everyone is invited to test four key indicators of water quality: temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity.
1.) Register your site. Choose any lake, stream, bay, or other waterbody where you can safely monitor. Register your site by going to "Participate" on the World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) website: http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org.
2.) Prepare your monitoring equipment. Use your own equipment or a WWMD test kit.
3.) Monitor your site. Invite others to help you monitor or do it yourself. Visit your site anytime before December 31 to test the water. Remember, safety first!
4.) Report your data. You can submit your results by returning to the WWMD website and logging into your account. Results may be entered anytime before December 31, 2009 for inclusion in the annual World Water Monitoring Day summary reports.
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Information provided to the members of the Virginia Water Monitoring Council
To learn more about the Council, please browse the rest of our website or contact Jane Walker at the address below. If you have any water-monitoring related news of regional or statewide interest, send it to Jane Walker and ask that it be distributed to VWMC membership. Tax-deductible contributions can be made to the VWMC to support these information updates and other VWMC activities. Make checks payable to: “The Virginia Tech Foundation” and on the memo portion of the check include “Fund #872802.” Mail contributions to Jane Walker, VWMC administrator, at the address below.
Jane Walker
Research Associate
Virginia Water Resources Research Center
210 Cheatham Hall (0444)
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA 24061
Phone: 540-231-4159
Fax: 540-231-6673
Email: janewalk@vt.edu
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© 2009 Virginia Water Resources Research Center 