We’re pleased to announce we’ve recently received $25,000 from The Pittsburgh Foundation to support our 2016 Swimmable Waters project. Included in this project are funds to construct an in-house laboratory to process E. coli samples. Processing the samples in-house will reduce the cost per sample from $32 to approximately $12.
This project began in Summer of 2014 as we sampled monthly at popular swimming spots around the watershed. We published the data on the Waterkeeper Alliance Swim Guide (theswimguide.org) so that members of the public could make informed decisions about where to safely recreate.
These additional funds will allow us to sample weekly at 10 locations around the Youghiogheny River watershed from May-September 2016.
Do you have a favorite swim hole in the watershed? Contact Krissy to suggest it for sampling.
