2009 World Water Monitoring Day
World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is officially celebrated on September 18 but here in California that date typically is in conflict with Coastal Cleanup Day, so many water monitors schedule a WWMD monitoring event, press release or submit data from a day of monitoring around the Clean Water Act’s Anniversary (October 18). However, the monitoring window was extended for the first time in 2009 from March 22 (World Water Day) until December 31. Participants are encouraged to celebrate with WEF and IWA in September or to observe their own WWMD anytime during the extended window. The deadline for submitting data to the WWMD database is December 31.
An easy-to-use test kit enables everyone from children to adults to sample local water bodies for a core set of water quality parameters including temperature, acidity (pH), clarity (turbidity) and dissolved oxygen (DO). Any monitoring kit or meter can be used and more water quality parameters can be measured and recorded, including benthic macro invertebrates. Results are shared with participating communities around the globe through the WWMD Web site.
California has always participated in a big way and usually ranks amongst the top 5 states for the number of sites monitored and the number of participants. Let’s continue our success.
Year # of Monitored Sites* Number
of Participants
2009 ? ?
2008 3,215 192
2007 2,416 104
2006 — 192
2005 1,382 153
2004 1,297 350
2003 1,704 320
2002 2,918 882
Have a great WWMD.
Erick