Help protect the water quality of the Taunton River and its tributaries

Water Quality Monitoring Training Session
March 23, 2022, 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
TRWA’s Watershed Center, Sweets Knoll State Park in Dighton, MA
(on Rt 138 just South of the Bristol Aggie traffic light – 1387 Somerset Avenue, Dighton)

The Taunton River Watershed Alliance has tested water quality in the Taunton River and its tributaries since its inception in 1988. This citizen collected data is an incredible tool as a historic picture of the watershed’s health.  It helps keep the spotlight on areas and actions needed for further improvement. This year, Water Quality Monitoring begins on Tuesday, April 9, 2024.  We need your help to continue recording this very important data.

The information gathered shows that ongoing efforts to clean up the river are necessary and effective. Each bucket of water pulled up to be tested can have national implications and must be continued to keep our water clean and our 43 communities informed and accountable.

In 2023 our volunteers  collected important data documenting the impact of climate change induced intense rainstorms of July and September. Additionally, our results and advocacy efforts encouraged the EPA to finally put the long overdue draft Somerset Clean Water Act (CWA) permit on public notice (read our recently submitted comments). The EPA also put the Fall River CWA permit on public notice.

TRWA currently has 20 sample collection volunteers who work in 9 teams collecting samples from 20 locations from Berkley to Bridgewater the second Tuesday morning of each month from April through October. Volunteers work in teams of 2 to 3 people (to provide back-up coverage for vacations etc.) and each team collects samples from 2 or 3 locations bringing samples back to the Taunton wastewater treatment plant by 8:30 am.

No technical training or education is required just a desire to be part of an important effort with good people who want to improve local water quality. We provide the training, pair new people with folks who are veterans, and explain what the results mean and why they are important.

If you know anyone who might like to get fresh morning air, knowledge, and be part of an important effort to save our environment, please invite them to the training. We are looking for new volunteers to replace some samplers who have moved out of the area and to make some of our teams a little bigger. 

Anyone who thinks they may be interested in becoming one of our guardians of the river should come to our training session on Saturday morning, March 23, 2022, 9:30am – Noon at TRWA’s Watershed Center, Sweets Knoll State Park, 1387 Somerset Avenue, Dighton, MA. 

If you want to participate but can’t make the March 23th training date, no worries! We will be sure to pair you with a veteran volunteer. Any questions? Read more at our website or email to the volunteer monitoring program coordinator Steve Silva at ssilva@savethetaunton.org.

Latest testing results can be found here.

We are also looking for donations for this program to help defray the cost of testing supplies.