World Water Monitoring Day Declared in Denver

September 18, 2012 - The City of Denver declared September 19 World Water Monitoring Day in Denver on Monday evening. The proclamation was unanimously passed by the Denver City Council. Darren Mollendor, of Denver Public Works, accepted the proclamation on behalf of his department, CH2MHILL, U.S. EPA, and Earth Force, the sponsors of the city's water monitoring event for hundreds of school children

Nearly 100 fifth-grade students from the Denver metro area will participate in water quality testing as part of Denver’s fifth annual World Water Monitoring Challenge event on Wednesday, September 19, at Confluence Park.

Students from Denver’s Teller Elementary School and Aurora’s Fletcher Intermediate School will test the water quality of the South Platte River. The students will gain first-hand experience with water quality monitoring assessments, designed to be a basic “checkup” for the river. The goal of this international event is to promote environmental stewardship by teaching students about their local water resources and guiding them to take ownership in protecting our environment. At the completion of the event, students will share the results of the water quality tests in a global database hosted by the Water Environment Federation.

Beyond water testing, students will participate in a number of activities during the event to learn about water quality. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will help students identify macro invertebrates and teach them about the presence of microbes in water bodies, which are indicators of ecosystem health. Students will also learn about stormwater runoff by participating in an interactive role-playing game facilitated by Earth Force and the Colorado Department of Transportation. High school students from the Denver School of Science and Technology will serve as mentors for the participating fifth-graders.