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04.08.13

South Bay Teach and Test

West Basin Funds Seventh Year of Surfrider “Teach and Test” High School Program

Program Gives Volunteers Experience Collecting and Analyzing Water Quality Samples in Santa Monica Bay

REDONDO BEACH, Calif.— 

West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin) President Carol W. Kwan recently presented a $7,200 check to the Surfrider Foundation in support of their “Teach and Test” program. West Basin has supported the program, which allows high school students to volunteer to monitor water quality in the Santa Monica Bay by collecting and processing water samples, for seven years. This year’s student volunteers hail from El Segundo, Mira Costa, Redondo Union, and South Torrance high schools.

“Without West Basin’s support, we would not be able to involve the numerous high school students in these two important real world, local science programs that address the quality of local ocean waters and the characterization of trash flowing from local storm drain outlets onto our beaches,” said Alan Walti, Environmental Officer for the Surfrider Foundation, South Bay Chapter.

During the program, students collect water samples bi-weekly from October through May, and prepare and analyze water samples at the Algalita Marine Research Institute and Loyola Marymount University laboratories. At the end of the year, school teams are required to conduct a final presentation that connects the project findings to other environmentally sustainable efforts around the Santa Monica Bay. West Basin’s water recycling efforts and the reduction of biosolids released into the Santa Monica Bay through the recycled water treatment process have been highlighted as a positive case study in previous years.

Full article available at www.fortmilltimes.com.

Click here to see where the South Bay Chapter is testing.

 

The Blue Water Task Force (BWTF), presented by Emergen-C Blue®, helps local chapters alert citizens and officials in their communities about water quality issues and works to implement solutions. As clean water becomes an increasingly scarce resource, Emergen-C Blue is committed to supporting, enhancing, and extending the efforts of the BWTF by donating 20 cents for every box sold to further the important work being done to improve water quality. For more information about Emergen-C Blue and the Emergen-C Fund, please visit myemergenc.com/fund .