The Vancouver Chapter just started testing three area beaches, Kits Beach, Wreck Beach and English Bay, for Enterococcus. This bacteria is an indicator of human and animal waste and used to measure the health risk of exposure to recreational waters. Great job Vancouver pulling this water testing program together. There is a real need locally for more water testing as government beach monitoring programs are limited.
Thanks to Abby from the Seattle Chapter for going up to Canada to show the new BWTF team how the sampling and lab work is run. Thanks to the Ventura Chapter for cleaning out their closet and donating their idle water testing equipment to Vancouver. Vancouver's data can be viewed on the Blue Water Task Force website. Check out the Chapter's Facebook page for updates and photos.
Seattle Chapter member, Abby McCarthy, demonstrating sampling technique to the new BWTF team.
Vancouver's BWTF lab set up in Chapter Volunteer's garage.
Kits Beach, Vancouver, British Columbia