In partnership with The River Project (
riverproject.org), we have purchased EPA-approved enterococcus testing kits from IDEXX Laboratories, the same system used by RiverKeeper and other community groups. Enterococcus is a good indicator of the presence of human sewage, especially in brackish waters like those of the Hudson River estuary.
For the next six weeks, volunteers from NYCWTA member groups will be collecting water samples every Thursday at a half dozen locations on the west side of Manhattan, right at their launch sites, and delivering them to The River Project on pier 40, where the staff will conduct the testing. We will chart the results in order to establish a set of baseline data that can be compared with DEP and RiverKeeper data, and correlated with local rainfall totals. If everything runs smoothly this fall, our hope is to secure funding for a season-long program next year that will gather near-shore water quality information at as many NYCWTA launch sites as is practical.
FAQs:
about the program:
• who is paying for the pilot program? the pilot program is being funded by NYCWTA and The River Project. If you'd like to help, any amount you wish to contribute would be appreciated. You can make a donation through google at the NYCWTA website's
Support page.
• which bacteria are you testing for, and why? Enterococcus - Enterococci are commonly found in the feces of human and warm-blooded animals, and their presence in water--particularly brackish water as in the Hudson River estuary--is considered a reliable indicator of fecal pollution.
• where are samples being collected? samples are being collected at launch sites on the Hudson River and include: pier 25, pier 40, pier 66, pier 96, west 72nd street, west 133rd street, Inwood Canoe Club near Dyckman Street, and at the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club.
• how long will it take for results from a given sample? 24 hours is the standard time a sample is allowed to cure in an incubator to be counted.
• how do i get involved? if you'd like to help collect and transport samples form one of our sites, or would like your launch to be added to our list, please contact us back-channel at info at
nycwatertrail.org We can't promise that we will be able to add sites to this fall's pilot program but we hope to expand our network in the spring.
for participants:
• when can i drop off my samples? Thursday between 10am and 12pm at The Rover Project offices, room 224 on the second floor of pier 40 at the end of West Houston Street. Please ask for Chris or Nina.
• how much water do you need, by volume, per sample? At least one cup (
8 fluid ounces
/ half a pint / 240 mL), taken one foot below the surface right at your launch site.
• is there a special vessel i need to use to collect the sample? No, any clean jar with a lid will do.
• is there a temperature above or below which the samples needs to be kept? Samples should be kept kept as close to river temperature as possible and delivered no more than two hours after being taken from river.
• what information must i provide with my sample when i drop it off? collection site, date and time of collection, your name and phone (in case there are questions).
Thanks and we look forward to sharing the data with the community as it becomes available.
