BALTIMORE, MD (October 14, 2003) - Did you ever stop to wonder how we get our information on the condition of Maryland's streams, lakes, rivers, and Bays? Or whether these waters are safe enough to swim in, fish from, or use for drinking or irrigation purposes? Monitoring provides this basic information. The responsibility to monitor rests with many different organizations. States and federal agencies have leading monitoring roles. Utilities, universities, watershed organizations, individual citizens and even elementary school children can monitor chemical, physical, and biological conditions in our waters.

From September 18 October 18, people around the world will be taking to their local waters to sample water quality and post their data as part of World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) events. October 18, 2003 is WWMD, which is also the 31st anniversary of the Clean Water Act.

Working with the Maryland Green Schools Program, MDE is providing free water monitoring kits as part of our celebration of WWMD. The participating Green Schools will be sampling their local waterbodies and testing the pH, dissolved oxygen, temperature, and turbidity (clarity) of their samples. Each school will then register their sampling sites with the 2003 World Water Monitoring Day website and upload their data. In a few weeks, participants can view their data as well as data gathered from around the world.

If you would like more information about WWMD, click this link or go to http://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org/index.html.

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