Community Water Quality Testing

At the AARP we engage in ambient water quality monitoring by sampling and testing water from rivers and comparing the results to established water quality standards.  We are assisted in this process by community groups and volunteers.   Community water quality monitoring empowers people to use data for education, restoration, protection and advocacy. The success of a volunteer water quality monitoring program is dependent on volunteers who willingly and conscientiously offer their time to better the quality of life for their entire community. Volunteers can then build community awareness of pollution problems, help identify and restore problem sites, advocate for healthy watersheds, and increase the availability of water quality information.

The AARP provides Water Warriors training to the groups to teach them how to collect river water samples and test them using a basic LaMotte Water Quality testing kit. Interested groups can register with the AARP to adopt a stretch of river course and engage in water quality monitoring.

Through regular community water quality testing, environmental changes can be detected early and a suitable plan to reduce or prevent harmful and permanent contamination can be put in place.

To become a Water Warrior, register your group on our Adopter Registration Form.